I could see a little bit of Christian’s features in his father, who looked bloated and craggy. Asshole. I glared at the screen. Jolene looked frightened and disheveled in the picture and he had his arms around her and a wretchedly evil grin on his face. The caption said, “Reunited and it feels so good.”
I went back to my feed and refreshed and holy shit, there was a new picture! Jolene and Will at the Crazy Horse monument. Her eye was swollen. Oh god. That asshole. That fucking jerk.
“Shit,” I sat up straight. “Crazy horse. Updated just a few minutes ago. They’re in South Dakota!”
Katie frantically scrolled on her phone. “Oh my word,” Katie exclaimed at the same time, as Shaina glanced over my shoulder and said, “Holy fuck.”
I called Christian’s cell phone. He answered immediately.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“Not far behind you. Heading to the clubhouse for more gear and then we’re heading to Ma’s.”
“No. Here. South Dakota. They’re at the Crazy Horse monument. Facebook picture, baby, just now. Crazy Horse monument!”
“Got ya, baby. Good catch. Love you. Keep watchin’ that page. He’s fuckin’ using it to lure us. Call me if it changes again.”
He hung up before I could say I loved him back. I sent the words out into the universe so they’d reach him, hoping my love would cloak him from danger.
“That bastard,” I said to Katie and Shaina. “He’s luring him. He better not hurt her. He better not hurt Christian or Jonathan.”
Shaina was swerving.
“What are you doing?” Katie asked.
“Heading to where the action is.”
“Uh… is that smart?” Katie whispered.
“Gun in the glovebox, baby girl. Another under the seat. You know how to use a gun, Jojo?”
“I do,” I told her. “Uncle George bought me my first handgun for my sixteenth birthday and took me to the shooting range.”
“Me, too!” she exclaimed and we high-fived.
Uncle George was godfather to Spencer and Shaina. Uncle George had always said that girls should know how to defend themselves, especially girls in this life.
I laughed at Shaina. But then I sobered.
***
We were driving toward Mount Rushmore as the likeliest next monument and we were right. I refreshed Facebook a dozen times and the picture had updated again fifteen minutes earlier.
Shaina eyeballed the angle of them with Rushmore in the background and figured out the likeliest spot to find them, saying she knew it well. As Shaina got closer within what felt like a massive maze of parking, we saw flashing lights.
And then I saw what looked like a standoff or crime scene outside some parking gates. Two ambulances, a fire engine, and three cop cars.
“There!” Katie said unnecessarily, pointing.
It was easy to spot our guys with my brother and my biker both being a head taller than everyone else, talking to a cop. I got there in time to see a gurney being hauled into an ambulance.
“Oh fuck!” I exclaimed.
Christian and Jonathan were standing there with their mother.
“Oh god,” I said, this time in relief.
It was over. I was out of Shaina’s SUV and running full speed towards him. His mom was standing there beside Stoagie and Ben, Prez and VP of Rapid City, looking rough but whole.
Christian looked at me with shock as he caught me in his arms with a grunt. “You’re not supposed to be here,” he told me.
“I know,” I squeezed him tight.
“I’m gonna take you over my knee,” he said into my hair. He was shaking as he squeezed me tighter.
“Are you okay?” I asked Jolene, who was being hugged by Katie. “Is everyone okay?”
She nodded. “I’ll sleep tonight, Jojo, better than I have in a dozen years. He’s out of our lives for good.” She had a black eye and a fat lip, but she looked very relieved.
“Cops got here before you did?” I asked Christian.
“Just,” he said. “Someone at Crazy Horse reported a domestic dispute. He had her cuffed to him and she was tryin’ to draw attention to them. He got her here and the cops found them over there.” He pointed to the gate where more cops stood. “He pulled a gun on the cops. It was a showdown. He put the gun to her head and told them to wait, that he’d turn himself in when his sons got there, that he was waiting for his family reunion before he’d turn himself in. The cops didn’t wait, more than uncomfortable with the gun bein’ pointed at Ma’s head. They took him out. We missed it. He didn’t get to