A Kiss To Send Us Off

Chapter 17

When Amelia and Raylan parked she sat in the car, watching as he sauntered over to her, and felt extremely guilty. She knew Juice was most likely panicking, she would have been too, and that wasn't fair. Just because she was angry didn't mean she needed to be so cruel.

"Hey," she climbed out of her car. "Can you give me a few minutes? I have to make a phone call. I'll meet you inside."

Cocking his head to the side he nodded and pointed to the giant window along the side of the restaurant. "I'll be watching."

"It's your job," she mocked pulling out her phone. "Five minutes, tops. It probably won't be a friendly chat."

Raylan nodded and strutted toward the entrance. The phone barely rang twice before Juice picked up. "Where the hell are you?"

"Like you didn't run my phone?" She sneered with annoyance.

"You had it off," he admitted shamefully. "Meely, I'm worried about you." Taking Mage steps he moved quickly away from the other club members. No one knew she'd run off, Juice was too mortified to say it aloud, and he was sure he'd be told to get her under control. That wasn't a joke he enjoyed and it wasn't a view he agreed with but he knew how most of them were with their women. Amelia didn't subscribe to that and it caused issued, clearly. "There's someone after you and you're out running around alone."

"Not alone," she reminded him. "I have my babysitter." Amelia rolled her eyes as Raylan made eye contact with her and winked. He wasn't half bad but she wanted her life back and she wanted to live in peace with her husband although Raylan wasn't the only thing keeping her from that. "I'm sorry I bolted, I'm safe, I snuck in to see my dad."

Juice sighed heavily. "How is he?"

"Hurting," Amelia heard the pain in his voice and his concern and it made her heart sink. "I'm sorry. I won't run off again. I love you." She looked up to see Raylan on the phone and she suddenly panicked thinking he was pushing forward with his own investigation. "Baby, I'm fine. We still need to talk about this shit, about the fight and the club, but I'm still pissed. In the meantime, while I cool off, I need you to," she stopped as a beat up, late model red sports car squealed into the parking lot. "Let me call you back," she stammered fearfully and stepped backward.

Raylan immediately jumped into action, as he moved toward the exit he saw two men jump out and grab Amelia by the hair. She screeched as he reached the asphalt and pulled his gun. "Let her go," he shouted but no one listened.

One man threw her violently into the trunk while the other climbed back into the driver's seat. They ignored Raylan's order, forcing him to fire as they spun out and fish tailed out of the parking lot. He heard a distinct howl, he hit one of them for sure, but it wasn't enough to stop them as they disappeared down the street.

--

Two other Marshals and scores of local police swarmed the parking lot of a nearby motel while the crime scene was being scoured. Raylan and his usual partner Tim went over it again and again until the third Marshal joined them with a few security footage stills.

"Quality is shit," Rachel explained as she handed Raylan the photos. "They cleaned them up the best they could, plates got us nothing they were stolen."

"You gonna tell the husband?" Tim asked as he looked over the pictures once Raylan was done. "I'm sure that will go over about as well as the Middle East peace talks."

"Not yet," Raylan said slowly. "We should put a tail on him though, the husband. He will find out and if the biker boys get a demand or a lead that we don't, it might work in our favor."

Rachel looked at Tim and shook her head, knowing Raylan and his usual routine of bending rules and having little regard for anyone other than the clearly innocent. He didn't mind keeping the information from Juice. To Raylan, Juice and the Sons were nothing but trash and he couldn't care less about their feelings if it meant finding Amelia first.

"One of these days this is going to blow up in your face." She laughed. "I can't wait to see it."

"Oh yeah," Tim nodded. "Why do you think I help him?"

"Boys," she groaned. "Find the girl so we can leave the Harley Boys."

--

Amelia was blindfolded before they yanked her out of the car. With a gun in her back they pushed her into a building, she wasn't sure where or what kind, and shoved her to the ground.

"What do you want?" She asked as they roughly tied her up and pulled the handkerchief from her eyes. It was the last thing she wanted knowing that if they weren't concerned with her seeing their faces it meant they planned on killing her.

"Nothing you got," he spat. "Now shut your mouth."

She did, her face quivering, and didn't fight as he tied her ankles and wrists. Before he left he flicked the lights off and left her in complete darkness.

"Let me guess, you're Juice's wife?"

The voice terrified her, Amelia had no idea anyone was even there. "Jesus, who are you?"

"Ally Lowen, I represent the MC," she inched from the corner of the room. "Whoever their taking orders from didn't want me to get Chibs and Tig released."

"Yeah," Amelia said sadly. "Are you scared?"

"Yes, I am."

"Me too." Hanging her head Amelia blamed Juice for it all, she hated him right then despite him being the only person she wanted in that moment.