I drive for hours but the pumped-up emotions never fade. The anger about this whole situation, being used, being sidelined again, not fully appreciated, and always being the outsider working for a way in…it’s everything. But mostly it’s the longing to feel Cullen’s strong arms wrapped around me.
Our intense discussions, intimate moments, the banter while throwing around ideas about the case. This man has managed to worm his way into my life these last few days…and maybe that’s it. The long hours, days on end together. Being kicked and thrown headfirst into reality should be a good thing for the both of us. Distance and time to regroup. But regrouping sucks and I still want his strong arms around me.
Cullen didn’t belittle me and acted as if I was his equal. Hell, maybe he was acting but it felt damn good for the time being. For the time being…Like Abe. He was on my side and he was ripped away too. The words Archer said hit me how Abe mentioned me to the rest of the guys, and it makes me feel even more alone than I already was.
I didn’t want to go home and yet I find myself parking my bike in the parking lot of my building. Well, I might as well go up because I highly doubt the unsub is still lingering around my apartment. Even that asshole seems to have better things to do.
I take the elevator up and stalk past Sona’s door. She’s not home. She texted me a few times over the last few days and the writer she met up with turned out to be the love of her life. Good for her, she deserves happiness and I’ve seen the pictures she posted on her timeline. All too sweet for my teeth those selfies with glasses raised, fake fur in front of the fireplace, and the two of them kissing.
Why one should throw that picture-perfect stuff on their timeline is beyond me. Or maybe I am missing out on everything good life has to offer. Great, pity party for one, coming up. I step inside my apartment and lock the door behind me.
Glancing around I realize I don’t have anything in the fridge and not a drop of alcohol either. I take a deep breath, turn on my heels, and stalk right out with my keys still in my hand. Time for some shopping, bad choices, and a long night to drown in self-misery. I release a deep breath as I step inside the elevator.
“Why the long face?” a husky voice from my left says, scaring the shit out of me.
Dammit, I should pay more attention to my surroundings, I never let anyone get the jump on me. This guy looks familiar, maybe he lives in the building?
I shrug and give him a tight smile and give the only answer that explains everything right now, “Men.”
The guy chuckles. “I guess asking you out would be bad timing then?”
“You would have guessed right,” I tell him and glance at the buttons lighting up as the elevator descends.
“Good thing I’m not asking,” he says in a hard voice before I feel a sting on the side of my neck.
Instinctively I swing my fist at him. Hearing the grunt ripping from him is slightly satisfying but nausea hits me and my head starts to spin. My thumb swipes at the pocketknife connected to the keys in my hand and I strike three rapid times, making each one count while fighting my own body that’s being tainted with the stuff this guy injected me with.
I take another swing and try to kick him in the gut but my aim is off. I faintly hear the doors of the elevator open while everything starts to close in on me. I stumble back and try to swallow but nothing is working right and my body is fighting where everything is lacking until darkness eventually claims me.
Chapter Ten
CULLEN
I watch her ride off and curse her brother again for bringing her bike. I should go after her but I would be digging my own grave even deeper. She needs space and to be honest, so do I. Everything is a damn turmoil inside my head and I can’t keep it from spinning. I glance down at the mess I made when I angrily knocked over the whiteboard.
Papers are scattered everywhere and are lying across and on top of each other all over the living room. Great. Now I have to pin everything back and hope to get the timeline correct and all the details or I’d have to go through all the files again. Grabbing the whiteboard, I lift it up and start to pick up the photographs until one catches my eye.
It’s the print Rod sent to Esmee, the one he managed to retrieve from Jen’s sketchbook. Only now the weird curls and the moustache are covered by other papers and I see why it seemed familiar. It’s Lex.
Well, not exactly Lex because Lex has shown me a picture of his twin, Miles, and I now remember Miles had a mustache along with scruff while Lex is always clean shaven with his hair slicked back. Miles could have grown his hair out and dammit, my suspicions from earlier when I was talking on the phone with Lex come rushing back.
I take another glance out the window and decide I have to go. I have to follow Esmee and force her to help me, she would know what to do because I can hardly go into the office and take in one of my superiors for questioning and accuse his twin brother of being a damn serial killer.
I grab my keys and head out to my SUV, coming to a dead stop when I notice the two flat tires. “Asshole,” I growl underneath my breath, instinctively knowing Esmee’s brother is the one who did this.
I snatch the note off the windshield and let Archer’s words sink in.
Use your brain instead of my sister next time.
I can’t even be mad at him because his words hold truth. Though it sucks right now because I needed my damn SUV to get to her. Shit. Lex called earlier and asked me about her, mentioning his brother was out of town. Is he really? Or is he selling some story to his twin to throw Lex off from his killing intentions?
Think, dammit. I reach for my phone and glance at the numbers and I see an unfamiliar number but instantly know Esmee put it there when she called her parents late last night. She didn’t want to go into the living room where she left hers, so she used mine instead. I hit dial and wait for someone to pick up.
“Who is this?” an angry voice demands.
“Cullen Dixon, sir,” I fire back.
“Ah, what did my daughter do now? And why would you think complaining to me about it would help? Because let me tell you something, kiddo...she can, and will, eat you raw. And I’ll be standing on the sideline cheering her on. So, are you sure you want to proceed with this conversation?”
“Very much so, sir. I believe I’ve hit a breakthrough in the case she was working on but your son was here earlier. He pulled her off the case and blew me investigating the MC out in the open, hurting her in the process.”
“Get your facts straight, Cullen. You’re the one flaming up the hurt.”
Great, just what I need, the whole wasting time on bullshit, mud throwing. “I knew what I started the day I took the case to look into Broken Deeds MC to give my honest opinion about you guys. But I also have to say you guys might have included her with the whole Broken Deeds MC, solve cases together, but somewhere along the line she fell between the cracks. As a woman. Not an old lady or a biker. No damn title or rightful place, ever think of that? Now cut it out with the hurt blame because I need a ride out of here, but mostly I need eyes on Esmee. Maybe a team of some sort because I think the twin brother of my superior is a damn serial killer, and I can’t exactly go to the CIA and throw out my suspicions.”
“Call your father, make him gather a few of his guys. We can’t go through Broken Deeds MC since they are under investigation by your department. Better keep things separate and safe for now. I’m heading over to you, text me the address.”
Hanging up, I quickly text him my address. I call my father right after to ask him to come over with two or three others, because the case I’m working on just blew up and needs backup under the radar. Now all I can do is wait for them to get here.
Finally, a black SUV parks and I notice Jackson getting out of the driver’s side and my father steps out of the passenger seat. The other two doors open and Liam Dempsey along with Benjamin Pryce get out too.
The pumped-up stress I had pressing down on me shifts some to know these guys have my back. My father h
as worked with them for years on end and they all have had a huge part in my life too. I’ve learned a lot from them and they are like family even if they aren’t by blood.
Another SUV drives up and parks behind them. They all turn and watch Esmee’s father, Deeds, step out. Jackson heads over and shakes his hand as the rest of them follow. They are all acting as if they’re long lost buddies, which to me seems strange.
Deciding I’ve done enough standing around while doing nothing, I head out and snap, “Mind skipping the whole welcoming party and getting down to business instead?”
My father’s head whips my way and he raises his eyebrow in question. A sigh rips from me and I know he’s right to silently address my outburst, but I’m on edge.
“I can’t get a hold of Esmee and the more I think about it, the more my superior’s brother fits the profile of the unsub. It’s just—” I release another sigh and slide my fingers into my hair while I think of how to address this.
Deeds’ voice, tainted with a hint of laughter, fills the air. “Did she slice your tires?”
“No, that would have been her brother,” I reply.
Deeds takes out his phone. “I can pinpoint where Esmee is, hold on.”
“No, you can’t. Well, if you wanted to check the chip planted in her arm, because she sliced it out and threw it at her brother before she left.”
“Goddammit,” Deeds growls underneath his breath. “Why does that girl have to have her mother’s temper?”
Deeds stalks back to his SUV and grabs a large bag. Jackson does the same and we all head inside the cabin. I talk them through my findings and I don’t have to explain how my hands are tied because if I start to dig around, everything will be pinned back to me but Lex would also be aware I’m digging into his brother’s life.
Deeds takes out a laptop and grabs his phone along with it. “I’m going to call one of the old ladies of Areion Fury MC. If there’s anything online that stands out, she will be able to find it without any backfire. And my damn son wouldn’t find out either.”
If you ask me, I’d say this man takes pleasure in doing secret shit behind his son’s back. But then again, all the other men’s faces in this room all share the same look. All are focused and dead set to clear this up. It should comfort me and yet my gut tightens because we still haven’t been able to reach Esmee.
It could be nothing and it could be anything. Yes, she drove away pissed as hell and has every reason to drop off grid but there’s this vivid reminder how someone broke into her apartment and left a frame hanging on the wall with her picture in it tainted with lipstick.
Lipstick that we managed to link back to the same kind this twisted fucker smears on his victims. On all his victims. Meaning it’s his and he left it to prove he has his eye on her. And with the evidence pinned in front of us on the whiteboard, it doesn’t look good if he has anything to do with Esmee gone missing.
“Here we go,” Deeds grunts and turns his laptop toward us. “Miles Dennetts, not much info about this guy after he turned twenty-four. To be honest, it’s like the guy fell off the face of the earth. No job, no current address, nothing.”
“You’re right,” Ben says and lets his fingers dance over his laptop.
He shifts slightly and I can tell his leg is bothering him, though I know he would never admit to it. Ben is an ex-Navy SEAL and has a prosthetic leg from an IED. I have a lot of respect for this man and he’s taught me a lot.
Not only about the mental state of mind or the facts of life from his point of view, but also about the love for cars. Him and Liam both but when I saw Ben’s car, a 1970 Dodge Challenger convertible, it kinda became my dream to own a classic car and make it perfect. I’m proud to have all of them here now, helping me and working together.
“I just went over his financial records and there’s nothing there, as if the guy stopped existing.” Ben’s gaze hits mine. “Do you have any added information? Lex ever mention where his twin works, what he does for a living, anything?”
I slowly shake my head and think hard. “Not that I can remember, but I have to say, I’ve never paid much attention to his ramblings because…fuck.”
“What?” my father questions.
“Because most times the ramblings about his brother were about his kinky side. Sex. Women. But the last time Lex called me he mentioned his brother went out of town again. Maybe he has a place he stays at in some other state?” I rub the back of my neck and try to remember anything else Lex might have mentioned.
Deeds stands. “We need to bring Lex Dennetts in and question him about his brother.”
“Agreed,” Jackson says.
Deeds’ phone rings and he snaps, “Finally,” before answering it as he listens for a few seconds, grunts something in reply and hangs up. “Esmee’s phone indicates it’s in her building. I’m heading over to check and make sure.” Deeds glances at Jackson. “Are you going to handle bringing Lex in? Are you picking a place we can squeeze some information out of him or do I need to give you an address from one of the buildings we always use to keep this under wraps?”
“We’ll handle it. Mark will text Cullen once we’re all set,” Jackson replies and we all head out, divided into two teams and somehow my team only consists of Deeds and I, while the other four are heading out to pick up Lex.
Jackson’s SUV disappears and I wait for Deeds to pull out but instead he surprises me by planting his laptop on my lap. He turns his body slightly to face me and his stare is hard, as are his words.
“What I’m about to show you is for your eyes only and you’re to forget about it the second I hit that stop button. Understood?”
“Why?” Is my only reply because I’m intrigued but the question why is always right there at the surface with everything I do. The need to understand actions, people, anything, is always a driving force.
A sigh rips from him and he finally says, “Because the camera shouldn’t have been working that day and it shows it was a well setup plan of an asshole who had diplomatic immunity. Hence me saying had since the fucker isn’t breathing anymore but anything tied to his case is buried and this video shouldn’t even exist. Understood?”
“Understood,” I tell him.
He hits a key and a video starts to play and I instantly know what I’m about to see because I’ve lived through this moment. In fact, it’s what brought me to this point in the first place. I see myself round a corner, three of my guys behind me, guns raised as I come face to face with Abe and Esmee.
What I didn’t notice then was the interaction between Abe and Esmee. My full attention is now on her as I watch her dismiss us and take in her surroundings as Abe interacts with us. I remember his grunted words and we were quick to understand the situation both teams were sent in to end the hostage situation.
Esmee’s eyes widen and I see her clutch the baby tighter to her. Her other arm swings out the same time Abe takes a bullet and I watch it play out in front of me while in my head the memories assault me from my own point of view.
Witnessing, being there, watching from a distance or seeing it on tape; everyone experiences it differently and I am now able to see what Esmee saw and how she acted within that moment. Everything falls into place and I am honest enough to admit I was wrong and even more of a realist to know not many could have responded the way she did.
She basically saved my life along with the baby in one action. If I felt like shit when I took this job to use her as my way to get close to Broken Deeds MC, having her become aware of my ulterior motives…and now this? I need a shovel to dig myself a shallow grave to hide in because this woman’s intentions are as pure as her heart.
I couldn’t have foreseen any of this and from the angle I was standing I experienced it completely different, but this video shows the reality and facts I didn’t see or know at the time. How in the hell can I face her knowing I wrote a report that got all of them into unnecessary trouble?
Are they even in trouble? Wait. “Do my superiors h
ave this video?”
Deeds slowly shakes his head and grabs the laptop from my lap, shuts it and places it behind my seat. “Nope, and you agreed. This video doesn’t exist.”
“But,” I start but bite my lip the next instant. I can’t say or do anything about it, and he knows it. “Motherfucker,” I growl underneath my breath. I clear my throat and ask, “Then why show me?”
Deeds keeps his eyes on the road as he takes us in the direction of Esmee’s house. “I don’t have to explain, you know damn well why I showed you this now. And if it wasn’t clear, the only ones who have seen it are you, me, and Esmee. You fucked up, boy. More than once. Though, I can see, and know, you’re a good guy. Even if I, nor your father and friends, can tell you about the fact we have worked together a few times in the past. So, I also know you come from good people. This is the reason why I’m trusting you by showing you the video and telling you all of this. And to make sure my daughter doesn’t stay stubborn because she takes after her mother. I practically kidnapped my old lady when I claimed her all those years ago…she fought me tooth and nail that woman. Worth the fight, though. The good ones always are.”
A deep understanding and respect settles as we both fall silent. Time is ticking away and while I don’t expect to hear from my father whose team is heading for Lex, I do keep checking my phone for missed calls or texts.
The main reason of course is Esmee. How I wish to receive one message from her, even if it would be to curse or yell; anything to let me know she’s okay. I’m aware she’s a strong and tough woman who can stand her ground but there’s a serial killer on the loose and he’s closer to us than I thought.
Finally, we arrive at the building and Deeds drives straight into the parking garage. We get out and head for the elevator. The both of us stroll inside. Deeds leans forward to press the button but I stop him as does my heart when I point at the floor, first at the blood, then at the corner.
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