Chapter 5

Ace

“That’s not the woman Tom is looking for,” I heard Void say as he read the message on his screen. “Shit,” I heard King curse as Void looked up at him.

“Are you sure?” I asked him, and he nodded.

“It probably took long enough to find out, but he said he knew who the woman was. She just wasn’t available at the moment. He just needed confirmation from us,” Void explained, shaking his head.

“Does he know anything about Nora? Does she have a family? Past? Is she dangerous for the club?” King asked, looking from Duke to me and then to Void.

“He can’t even find her...Tom wants us to talk to her. I’ll set up a secure line,” Void added.

“Bring her here, Ace,” King told me, and I nodded.

My stomach turned as I thought about the fact that she would be in a room with several men. I don’t know if she can handle that. I left Void’s house where I found King as I wanted to tell him about Nora’s name. My walk to the safe house wasn’t long, but I didn’t rush. Every step I took seemed heavier than the last. I heard her laughing with Mom and Alice in her room and stood in front of the door wondering what to say. She seemed awake, and they were her company until I came back, but I didn’t know that the evening would end like this.

Just as I was about to knock, Alice opened the door and jumped in shock.

“Holy crap, Ace, you scared me!” she shouted, and Mom laughed.

“Andrew darling, is everything okay?” Mom asked, and I shook my head.

“King wants to talk to her,” I said without looking at Nora.

Mom’s laughter disappeared, and she looked at me with a serious expression. I already noticed her fear, she was fidgeting in bed and looked questioningly at Mom.

“Should I go with you?” Alice asked, and I saw Nora looking from Mom to her.

She now avoided my eye contact like I did when I entered the room, and I felt bad.

“He just wants to ask you a few questions, Nora. I’ll be there too,” I said, and she looked at me blankly.

“Sure,” she said and got up from the bed.

Nora went into the bathroom to change, and Mom and Alice went out the door with me.

“That’s a stupid idea, Ace. She’s not ready yet. What’s King even thinking?” Alice scolded angrily. “Void has set up a secure line to Tom, they just want to ask a few questions,” I answered.

“Do you think that’s okay? She’s not ready to answer anything yet. You’ve been here for weeks yourself. You see everything,” Alice shouted angrily.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. But King wants to know if she’s a threat to the club and Tom wants to know why he couldn’t find her in the damn system with the fingerprints. I’m aware of everything. I’ve been babysitting here for weeks and see everything, but we can’t stay in lockdown forever. We need information, and all I could find out was her name. If she can help to lock these fuckers down, then that’s the only way,” I shouted back.

Alice’s eyes looked from mine to the door behind me, and I knew that Nora was standing there. When I turned around, she looked at me with a neutral face, her eyes emotionless, and her lips pressed together.

“Let’s go,” she said to Alice, who took her in her arms and led her down the stairs.

“Fuck,” I heard myself saying as I watched her go. ”

“...as I said, every piece of information is worth a lot to us. It’s about us arresting all of these people who have something to do with it. Your statement would help us a lot... The only question is, Miss, why I can’t find you in the system?!” I heard Tom ask as he explained to Nora who he was and what he wanted from her.

Void had arranged a secure video call with Tom, and it didn’t seem particularly reassuring to Nora. We knew Tom and knew that we were safe and could trust him, but she didn’t know us or Tom. The way he talked to her showed a lot of suspicion, and King looked at her with narrowed eyebrows.

“Nora, you can trust us, we want to help you. We just need to know who you are and everything you know,” Alice said calmly.

Nora’s tension was clearly visible, she didn’t look up from her hands, and my unrest grew with every minute that I saw her like that.

“Do you know who kidnapped you?” Duke asked, and she looked up at him.

“You fucking know, don’t you?!” King asked, and she looked at her hands again.

“What’s your full name?” Tom asked her, and she shook her head, refusing to answer.

King looked from her to me and stood up from the chair, causing her to jump.

“Listen, lady, we want to help you, but you have to tell us something. I have a whole community here that is in danger, and I don’t even know who to protect them from,” King said to her in a calm voice.

Nora was terrified; I could see her shaking, and all I could think about was getting her out of that room.

“Nora Simmons,” we heard Void say, who looked at his screen and then looked up at her. Her eyes were wide open, and she looked at Void in shock, and we all turned to her. Void is a skilled motherfucker; I have to admit that. When Nora tried to leave the room, I stopped her and tried to calm her down.

“Nora...wait...let me help you. Everything is fine,” I said to her as she pushed me away.

“You work for him! Aren’t you?” She asked as she looked at us and then at the screen staring at Tom’s confused face.

“Who, Nora?” I asked her confused.

Her gaze was cold, and she seemed disgusted with us as she looked at us and moved away from me.

“What kind of sick shit is this? You can call Ted and tell him where I am! It doesn’t matter what he does; I’ll never be like her!” she shouted at the rental wall, and Tom just looked more confused. “Who the hell is Ted?” Duke asked, looking at her.

“Holy fucking shit!” We all heard Void say, who looked from the screen to us and stared at the screen again.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Void?” King asked as he walked over and looked at the screen.

He seemed to be reading something interesting because his facial expression seemed to change from angry to confused.

“Well, I knew you were a skilled motherfucker...but damn boy you’re better than the Feds,” I heard King say, and Void grinned proudly.

“I couldn’t do much with the name...but I ran her face through my system. Two years ago now, Nora Simmons, Ted Simmons’ daughter, disappeared. She was supposedly found dead, and the case was classified as an unsolved murder case. The case was personally led by her father...the police chief of Irvine...Ted Simmons,” Void said, and everyone looked at Nora.

“Stepfather,” she said coldly.

“Wait...you mean to tell us that your father kidnapped you and everyone thinks you’re dead?” Duke asked confused.

“Stepfather,” Nora answered again.

“Damn bastard...now I know where the information is leaking!” Tom shouted, cursing.

“Holy shit!” King said, looking at me.

“Listen, Miss...I don’t know your father...stepfather. But my job and his are definitely not the same. I think she should talk to John and Evelyn, and you can explain everything to her. But as long as I don’t get out of here It’s not safe for her. He will look for her! That’s why she has to stay with you. Nobody knows about this place. As long as she stays there, she is protected. I can’t leave the woman who is in the coma now; if something happens to her, important information will be lost...Once I have this woman safely hidden, I will come, and she can give a statement. But we will still need proof,” explained Tom.

“What proof?” Alice asked.

“Names...places...henchmen,” Nora said quietly, and Tom nodded.

“Miss, that’s a big fish we have there. Anything you know can help us,” he explained to her.

“So you’re not with Ted?” she asked anxiously.

“We’re so against Ted, baby,” Duke said, and I just looked at him.

“What?” He asked me, and I shook my head.

“What will happen to me?” Nora asked, looking from Tom to King.

“You will stay with us and be protected. Unfortunately, it is not possible to leave the community until Tom has your statement and everything is brought to court. After the court, Void will give you a new identity, and Duke will find you a new home.. Wherever you want. Choose a state...a country, whatever. Then you’re free of us, and you can start a new life,” King explained, and she looked from King to Duke, who he was pointing at.

“Just say where you want to go, baby, and I’ll do it,” Duke said, grinning.

This fucker has a death wish, I swear.

“Promise me this is the truth,” Nora said to Alice, who smiled at her.

“I fucking swear, Nora. We’re going to mom and dad, and they can explain everything to you much better than these idiots,” Alice replied.

“I hope you’re telling the truth,” I heard Nora say as she ran her hand through her hair.

“We will protect you, Doll, I swear,” I said, and she turned to me with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ll stay here...I’ll give the deposition and tell everything I know if it helps put Ted in prison...You don’t have to sit at my door and watch over me. I have nowhere to run. You can go back to your lives without worrying about me. I can manage on my own. I did that for years before I got here. And you don’t have to babysit anymore, Ace!” she said, emphasizing the last sentence venomously. Fuck.

“Fuck,” Duke said out loud what I was thinking.

“If that’s all, I’d like to go to my room,” she added without taking her eyes off me. “Sure...whatever you need, just let me know. We’re here to help you, Nora,” King said, and she just nodded, still staring at me.

“Nora, listen,” I started, but she cut me off before I could finish my sentence. “I don’t need your pity, Ace. I don’t need your fake friendship or your lying statements. You were only there because you were told to. Now there’s no reason anymore. Thanks for babysitting,” she said venomously and left the room followed by Alice.