Chapter 7: The Debt That Followed Her Home
Jace read the message twice.
Then he looked at Emily.
“Get in the car.””
Emily's stomach tightened.
“What's happening?””
“I'm going to explain everything. But first, we're getting you somewhere safe.””
Maggie unlocked the passenger door.
Emily climbed inside, clutching her mother's letter.
Jace called Bear.
“Where are you?””
“Clubhouse.””
“Lock the doors. Nobody comes in unless you know them.””
“Already done.””
“Did Victor leave?””
“About ten minutes ago. He said he'd be back.””
Jace's voice became colder.
“Don't engage him. Don't threaten him. Just call the police if he returns.””
Bear paused.
“Jace, you know what this means, right?””
“Yeah.””
“It's about Thomas.””
Jace glanced at Emily.
“It's about all of us now.””
He ended the call.
The clubhouse was unusually quiet when they arrived.
The bikers who had been laughing over lunch earlier were now gathered around the long wooden table.
Bear stood near the entrance, holding a printed photograph.
“That's the guy,” he said.
Emily looked at the picture.
A tall man in his fifties stood outside a convenience store. He wore an expensive black coat, polished shoes, and a silver watch.
His expression was calm.
Almost pleasant.
That frightened Emily more than an angry face would have.
“That's Victor?”” she asked.
Jace nodded.
“Victor Hale.””
“Why does he want my father?””
Jace pulled out a chair.
“Sit down. You deserve the whole story.””
Emily sat.
Maggie placed a glass of water in front of her.
Jace opened the blue notebook.
“Years ago, your father worked for Victor. He handled bookkeeping and collected payments from people who owed money.””
“Like a debt collector?””
“More complicated than that. Victor ran illegal gambling operations. Your father kept records, moved money, and helped hide transactions.””
Emily looked at the notebook.
“And then?””
“Thomas wanted out. He had started a family. He realized what he was involved in and tried to leave.””
“Victor let him?””
Jace shook his head.
“No. Your father owed him money. Victor claimed Thomas had stolen from him.””
“Did he?””
Jace hesitated.
“Thomas made mistakes. He took money to cover debts and made promises he couldn't keep. But Victor inflated what he owed. He wanted to keep him trapped.””
Emily stared at the pages.
“So Mom got involved.””
“Rachel discovered what was happening. She confronted Thomas and told him to get away from Victor.””
“Was she scared?””
Jace nodded.
“Very.””
Emily swallowed.
“Did Victor threaten her?””
“He threatened your father. Your mother knew that meant you could become a target too.””
Emily looked down at her mother's letter.
Suddenly, her mother's insistence on locking the apartment door twice made sense.
So did the nights Rachel checked the windows before bedtime.
The times she told Emily never to answer the door without checking who was outside.
“Why didn't Mom tell me?””
“Because she wanted you to grow up without being afraid of someone else's mistakes.””
Emily's voice cracked.
“But she was afraid.””
Jace didn't deny it.
“Yeah, kid. She was.””
A knock sounded at the clubhouse door.
Every head turned.
Bear moved toward the security camera.
“It's Thomas.””
Emily stood immediately.
Jace looked at her.
“You want him inside?””
She nodded.
“Please.””
Bear unlocked the door.
Thomas entered, breathing heavily.
His eyes found Emily.
“Are you okay?””
She nodded.
“What are you doing here?””
“Jace called me.””
Thomas looked at the photograph on the table.
His face drained of color.
“Victor.””
Jace folded his arms.
“He knows where Emily lives.””
Thomas closed his eyes.
“I told him I was finished.””
“You told him that twelve years ago,” Jace replied.
“He doesn't care.””
Thomas looked at Emily.
“I'm sorry.””
She crossed her arms.
“Can you stop apologizing and tell me what he wants?””
Thomas took a breath.
“He wants the blue notebook.””
Jace placed it on the table.
“Why?””
“Because it contains records that could expose him. Payments, names, transactions. Everything he tried to bury.””
Emily looked at the notebook.
“Then give it to the police.””
Thomas shook his head.
“It's not that simple.””
“Why not?””
“Some of the names belong to people who are no longer involved. Some are people who were forced to cooperate. If the information is released without context, innocent people could be hurt.””
Jace nodded.
“That's why we need to handle this properly. The notebook needs to go to investigators with the right supporting evidence.””
Thomas rubbed his forehead.
“Victor knows I kept copies.””
Emily looked at him.
“Copies?””
Thomas nodded.
“I made duplicates before I left. One set went to an attorney. The other was hidden.””
“Where?””
Thomas looked at Jace.
“In the old garage.””
Jace's expression changed.
“The garage near Miller Road?””
“Yes.””
Bear cursed under his breath.
“What?””
Thomas looked toward the window.
“Victor bought the property last year.””
Silence filled the room.
Emily stared at her father.
“So he knows where the evidence is?””
“I don't know.””
Jace shook his head.
“This is exactly why we need the police involved.””
Thomas looked desperate.
“If Victor gets those records, he'll destroy them.””
“And if we try to retrieve them ourselves, we could make everything worse,” Jace replied.
Thomas lowered his head.
For the first time, Emily saw the full weight of his choices.
He wasn't just a father who had disappeared.
He was a man who had spent years running from consequences.
And now those consequences had reached her.
That evening, Jace arranged for Emily to stay with Maggie.
Maggie's house was small, warm, and filled with photographs.
There were pictures of her grandchildren, her late husband, and several Iron Wolves gatherings.
Emily slept in the spare bedroom.
Before turning off the lamp, she checked her phone.
One missed call.
Unknown number.
Then a text.
You look just like your mother.
Emily's blood turned cold.
A second message arrived.
She was a stubborn woman. Thomas should have learned from her.
Emily immediately called Jace.
He answered on the first ring.
“What's wrong?””
She read him the messages.
His voice became serious.
“Don't respond. Take screenshots and send them to me.””
“Jace, how did he get my number?””
“We'll investigate that. You're staying inside tonight.””
“Is he going to hurt me?””
There was a pause.
Then Jace answered carefully.
“I don't know what Victor intends. But we're not going to take chances.””
Emily swallowed.
“I'm scared.””
“I know.””
She wiped her eyes.
“Mom must have been scared all those years.””
Jace's voice softened.
“She was. But she was also brave.””
“I'm not brave.””
“Emily, bravery isn't never being scared. It's knowing you're scared and still choosing the right thing.””
She looked toward the window.
“Will you stay on the phone until I fall asleep?””
“Of course.””
For twenty minutes, Jace talked about ordinary things.
Bear's terrible cooking.
Maggie's stubborn cat.
The time one of the bikers had accidentally painted his motorcycle pink.
Emily laughed once.
Then again.
Eventually, her breathing slowed.
But just before she drifted off, her phone vibrated.
A new message appeared.
This time, it contained a photograph of her mother's grave.
May you like
And beneath it were six words.
*Your mother couldn't protect you forever.*
