Present Day....................

Demon glanced around the large mahogany table at his brother, trying to gauge their reaction to the news they'd heard. Ty looked uncomfortable, Zeke was stoic as usual and Sky was pretending to find a stain in front of him fascinating.

Morgan stood at the head of the table next to where Wolf was seated and had just finished telling them the news, that she had caught Lacy sneaking out of the club last night, taking her things with her with no apparent plans to return.

"She didn't give me any details, only that she couldn't come back."

The men remained silent and Wolf turned to Morgan. Giving her a gentle push towards the door she excused herself and he waited until she was gone until he spoke.

"Does anyone have anything to add?" He asked.

"This isn't like her," Demon said.

"She hasn't been herself lately," Ty offered.

"All the same, she betrayed the club. She has moved in with one of our enemies, she knows what happens to people who cross us." Wolf said.

Demon fell quiet, he knew that Wolf was right. Lacy knew the risks, he just didn't understand what was going on with her or why she hadn't come to him with her problems. He and Lacy had been partners, best friends and family for years.

"Something has to be done," Wolf said.

There was a quiet murmur of agreement among the several others around the table and Demon dropped his head, he knew what they would decide and knew he couldn't prevent it.

"All in favor of having the issue permanently resolved?"

Slowly, one by one the members raised their hands, everyone but Demon.

"Sorry, but she knows too much. It's too dangerous," Zeke said.

Demon gave a small nod of understanding, he couldn't fault his brothers for making a decision that he couldn't.

"Then it's settled, the club has decided. As of now Lacy is no longer an Animal but a threat."

A quiet heaviness fell over the room, each of them taking the impact to heart. They all loved Lacy like a sister but they also loved each other and she was a threat now, family or not.

"Who will handle it?" Wolf asked after a moment.

Everyone remained silent, nobody wanting the burden. They'd all killed people but this was different, it went against their code. The animals never killed women and they never hunted their own.

"I'll do it," Demon said with a sigh.

"Demon...."Wolf began.

"No, I brought her into this club and I should be the one to take her out."

"Nobody expects you too."

"I know, but none of you clowns will find her. She's smart, she's talented and she will see you coming a mile away, she'll fight back and kill you or run. Nobody else knows her like I do. I know how she thinks, how she moves, how she lives. I've hunted people for years for this club and none have ever gotten away and I can do it again."

The other men stared at him a second then turned to Wolf. Wolf sat in his chair, he stared at the table and weighed his options. Demon was right though, together he and Lacy had hunted down people nobody else could, together they'd tortured people until they broke when nobody else had the stomach. If they wanted Lacy, Demon was their only chance.

"Fine," Wolf agreed.

Demon let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, he may not want to kill Lacy but he also didn't want anyone else to. She was his responsibility, his weight to carry.

"Find her, trail her and report back. I'll let you know when you carry out the decision."

"Why wait?" Demon asked.

"Because she might lead us to King and if she doesn't.....I'm sure you can get her to talk."

He gave a grim nod, the important thing was to find King at any cost and he knew that. Lacy also knew that and she decided to take the risk by turning her back on the club.

"I'll find her," He promised.

"If anyone can, you will. This meeting is over," Wolf said.

He stood first as was protocol, the men standing after he had. When he exited the room they began to file out after him, Demon didn't.

He stared at the chair next to him where Lacy used to sit.

She used to prop her feet up on his leg so she could stretch out, he'd swat them down. She'd put her feet on his dash and he'd scold her. He'd slept beside her in a cramped car on stake-outs, he'd watched her torture people for information, they'd spent late nights digging holes deep enough for bodies together. They were partners and now he was going to kill her.

He finally exited the empty room and headed straight for the bar, he grabbed himself a bottle of whiskey and downed two shots. He and Lacy always had a shot before they went to work, tonight he had two. One for him, one for Lacy.

He glanced at Wolf who was speaking softly to Morgan, she was crying. He knew that Wolf had just informed her of their decision. Morgan was Lacy's only female friend.

He wished he could tell Morgan it was going to be okay and that she needn't cry but he was a ruthless man always had been. He loved the hunt more than anything, loved stalking his prey and seeing their fear. He lived for the feeling of his fist connecting with someones face and it didn't matter who. Once he caught Lacy there would be every reason to cry.

He slammed down his glass and walked to where Lacys room was, he would know how fast she'd left by examining the items she left behind. As he slowly pushed open the door he felt guilty but pushed the feeling aside. They weren't partners anymore.

As he crossed the threshold however a wave of memories hit him. When he first brought her to the club she'd lived in that room permanently until finding an apartment and often he'd crash there for the night and hear her terrible music playing through the walls. Some memories jumped out more than others.......

TEN YEARS AGO....

He knocked on her bedroom door and didn't have to wait long before she swung it open, smiling warmly at him. It got under his skin the way she looked at him, like he was her saving grace and not a dangerous criminal.

She looked at him with trust and complete faith, as if he wouldn't wrap his hands around that pretty little neck and squeeze until there was nothing left of her.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked.

"Yeah, I was just finishing up."

"Finishing up what?"

"Oh! Wolf gave me money to decorate my room, come look!" She pulled him into her room.

The walls were a deep dark purple with a wide black band around the top. The dresser was black and so was the bed, a deep red rug in the center of the room. She pulled him to a wall with a poster of some British actor that she was madly in love with.

"What do you think?"

"It's different."

"No, of my poster. Isn't he the dreamiest."

"Sure for a man old enough to be your grandfather."

"He's only in his late fifties and have you seen his movies?"

"No."

"We should watch them sometime." She decided.

"Are you ready or not?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

PRESENT DAY......

Not much had changed, the walls were still purple and that damned poster was still on the wall. He'd seen "Sense and Sensibility" enough times to quote it as she sobbed into his shoulder. The room hadn't changed but Lacy had.

Taking a deep breath he began searching the room, her clothes were gone except a few pairs of jeans. In a dresser he found a lacy red pair of panties and felt a blush creep up his neck. Turning he glanced at the poster, he could swear the man was glaring at him. Her jacket lay on the bed, folded and nicely placed.

Near her bed were two picture frames and a lamp, one picture was of her and Iris. The other her and her beloved cat "Mr. Darcy" for being a tomboy she had an unhealthy addiction to Jane Austen but now Demon knew where she'd be going next.

He turned and stormed out of the room, tearing the posted down with one hand as he passed and leaving it crumpled on the floor.

Outside he bypassed his bike and climbed into his car. Zeke and Becky were arguing in the parking lot, her arms waving and him shaking his head and pointing back at the building.

Now that Kings group had mostly dis-banned the lock down was over. There was no longer a threat to be found.

Zeke however was in his own trouble, during lock-down he'd taken Becky to a job interview and when the man she spoke to go a little too hands on Zeke had laid the son of a bitch out cold. Just this morning he'd been served with papers that the man was pressing charges and unless Becky spoke up in his defense Zeke would go to jail, Demon imagined that was why they were fighting, not that they ever needed a reason.

He drove to her apartment and parked a few blocks away. The cat, she'd never leave and let her cat behind. He climbed from his car and jogged to the correct building, taking the stairs two at a time. If the cat was still there then he would wait for her.

He reached her apartment and using the key she gave him years ago, let himself inside. The door had barely shut when the black and gray striped cat met him at the door. He leaned down to pet it's head before walking into the kitchen, he opened the fridge and got himself a beer before sitting down at the table to wait.

He didn't have to wait long before he head her rush into her apartment, she hurried into her bedroom and he could hear her slamming things roughly into a suitcase. He waited, silent and still until he heard her coming into the kitchen.

"Mr. Darcy!" She called to the cat.

When she saw him she froze in the doorway and he slowly stood. She took a deep breath but didn't seem overly afraid.

"I should have known they'd send you," She said.

"Lacy, what the hell is going on?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"It doesn't matter now anyway," He said walking towards her.

She backed up and he knew she was getting ready to fight him, he was confident however that he could beat her. He'd trained her after all.

Before he could reach her she swung and landed the first punch, it knocked him off his feet for just a second but it was enough. She grabbed a nearby frying pan and brought it down on the back of his head.

He fell to his knees, everything spinning. He fell fast first onto the floor and through blurred vision saw her shove Mr. Darcy into a cat carrier and run out of the room. Then he blacked out.