Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
By the end of my shift, I was a bundle of nerves. The opportunity to look up the information that I needed hadn’t come all day long. But with my coworkers focused on reconciling their drawers, I was finally able to run a quick search on the account I was looking for—Hounds of Hellfire MC.
When I crawled into bed to try to get a little sleep at two thirty in the morning, I thought I was doomed because I hadn’t found a single clue as to where Sabrina might’ve gone. The only things she had left behind in her room were uniforms from all the jobs where she’d been fired or quit. I even dug through the pockets, desperate to find the smallest hint of her whereabouts. But there was nothing.
It wasn’t until I was half-asleep that it hit me…I’d heard her whispering on her phone a couple of days before she left. Something about the Hounds, which I had thought was an odd term for her to use since she wasn’t a fan of dogs. Or cats. Or any kind of pet, really.
It had been the middle of the night, and I was half-asleep while getting up to use the bathroom, so I had just shrugged it off as misunderstanding what she had said. But thinking back on that night, she’d been acting weirder than usual. So I pulled out my laptop and did a little internet sleuthing.
I was surprised to find there was a motorcycle club a few towns over called the Hounds of Hellfire, and I couldn’t help but wonder if they were somehow involved in her disappearance. After more digging online, I found no bad stuff about the club. No news reports about trouble they caused or members getting arrested, like what you’d see with motorcycle clubs on television shows. They owned a lot of stuff in Riverstone, including some business names that I recognized from work.
Bluesky was a regional bank, and most locals kept accounts with us. That was also apparently true of the Hounds of Hellfire MC.
Without any other leads, I figured a quick check of the bank’s system couldn’t hurt as long as I didn’t get caught. I hoped I’d find an address listed on an account that wasn’t public. Maybe a place where they’d hide a person…or at least some paperwork to help me find Sabrina.
It was a long shot, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And I was stunned to discover that my bet paid off.
There was an account with an address on one of the old county roads owned by the same LLC listed on the bar I’d read about last night, The Open Road. I’d never been out that way, but if the area was anything like the county roads surrounding my town, it would be the perfect place to hide stuff from prying eyes.
I was just about to jot down the address when the teller directly to my left said, “Hey, Courtney.”
My head jerked up, and I glanced over at Susie. “Yes?”
“Can you take my shift next Saturday?”
I barely stopped my shoulders from slumping in relief since I had thought she was going to ask me what I was doing. Forcing an apologetic smile, I shook my head. “Sorry, but I already have plans that day.”
I didn’t really, but it seemed like a better answer than I wasn’t sure if I’d even be around to work after tomorrow. If I didn’t figure out where Sabrina was, I might be in the hospital. Or worse.
“Darn,” she sighed.
“Maybe Paul can cover for you,” I suggested, jerking my head toward the teller on the other side of her.
When she turned to ask him, I quickly wrote down the address and clocked out. My guilty conscience got the better of me, and I felt like everyone was staring at me as I said my goodbyes.
On my drive home, I was careful to drive exactly the speed limit. I didn’t even have anything incriminating on me, but with how jittery I was feeling, I didn’t want to get pulled over.
Parking in my assigned spot, I scanned the lot for any sign of the guys who’d forced their way into my apartment yesterday. When I didn’t see anyone, I headed into the building.
I didn’t feel any safer inside my apartment, so I let out a soft shriek when my cell rang. Glancing at the screen, I saw my brother’s name. I always answered when he called but was sorely tempted to send him to voicemail. Arlen took his big brother duties seriously, and I knew I couldn’t avoid him for long. His Navy SEAL team was due to deploy overseas soon, so he’d want an update on how things were going for me before he left.
I briefly considered telling him about what was going on, but I didn’t want to stress him out right before he went into a potentially dangerous situation. Not until after I checked out that address first, at least. If I didn’t turn up anything on Sabrina, then I’d think about calling Arlen to ask for help before my forty-eight hours were up.