Roman - Lane Hart Page 0,18
with her phone in my hand, I go look for Charlotte to see if she’s ready to go. By now, my boys have probably played a hundred rounds of pool while waiting for me to get back there and start the meeting.
If I thought it was painful to have Charlotte crying like a baby on me until my t-shirt was soaked and not being able to do anything for her yet, it’s nothing compared to seeing all four of the women sobbing simultaneously.
They don’t think they’ll see their friend again. And while a part of me thinks it’s possible that we could find her too late, the resolute leader in me says fuck that nonsense. The MC and I will literally do whatever it takes to get Tessa back today.
“We need to go, Charlotte,” I tell her. “Unless you’ve changed your mind and you’re going back home with them?”
“No,” she says insistently when she lets go of Bev and dries her face with her hands. “I’m ready. Let me just say goodbye.”
“Clock’s ticking, and every second counts. I could already have at least fifty sets of boots on the ground searching…”
“I’m coming!” Charlotte says in a rush, moving her ass into high gear as she quickly hugs each of the women and then grabs her purse, darting right past me and out the door.
“Take care of her!” Bev calls out.
“I will,” I assure her. “You ladies get home and stay safe.”
Outside, Charlotte is already sitting in the driver seat of her car with the engine cranked. I walk up and rap my knuckles against the glass.
“What? Let’s go!” she says to me through the cracked window.
“You’re in no shape to drive. Get out. You’re riding with me.”
“I can drive!” she insists.
“Tick tock,” I remind her that we’re in a hurry.
“Fine,” she huffs before rolling up the window and shutting off the car. As she climbs out of the car with her purse on her shoulder, she tells me, “You better drive fast.”
“Like there’s any other way,” I remark before slapping my helmet on her head and quickly fastening the chin strap. “Hop on and let’s get moving.”
Back at the clubhouse, Charlotte follows me inside. When all the guys see me, they immediately lay down their pool sticks, put away their beers, and head into the chapel.
“Wait here while we meet,” I tell Charlotte.
“Why can’t I come with you?” she asks.
“Because it’s members only allowed through that doorway. That’s the rule.”
“You can’t make an exception? This is serious shit, Roman! Forget rules. You’re the president, and you can make an exception!”
I swear it’s like this woman knows my weakness for her and plans to exploit it in every way possible, including one that is not going to go over well with my men. Although, it would save time since I won’t have to answer all of her questions about what we find out from IT and how we decide to start the search.
“Fine. But you sit down and keep your mouth shut unless you have a reasonable question you feel you have to ask, all right? You can’t be bossy in there, Charlotte. That’s my room. The men take orders from me alone. Got it?”
“Yes,” she answers quietly.
Grabbing up one of the bar stools, I lead the way into the chapel where everyone has already taken their seat and are silently waiting for me.
I can practically hear all of their “What the ever-loving fuck?” thoughts when I sit the stool down next to my chair at the head of the table and a red-faced, tearful Charlotte climbs up on it. She crosses her legs at the knee and then rests her hands in her lap, the picture of obedience even though I have no doubt that she’ll be inserting her two cents loudly before this meeting is through.
“Everyone, this is Charlotte Newsom,” I announce when I pull my chair out and take a seat. “She understands that she is here under incredible circumstances as a friend of the MC, and that she will be seen and not heard while we discuss an urgent crisis in our city.”
“What crisis?” Abel asks.
“Give me just a second,” I say before I upload the surveillance video to an email and forward it to every man at the table. “I just sent you a video of Tessa…” I look to Charlotte to fill me in.
“Oh, um, her name is Tessa Singleton.”
“Tessa is Charlotte’s best friend, a bride-to-be who spent the week here with her friends. She