I sighed and closed my eyes. Point wasn’t as affected by Joseph being shot as I was. He was worried someone who had been literally a few feet away from us had been shot, but he didn’t have any personal connection to Joseph.
“You’re safe with me, Dee. Go to sleep, and in the morning, I’ll try to solve all of your problems.”
I laid my hand on his bare chest. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Point. I threw you away three years ago, and somehow, I got you back.”
Would most men act this way? Hold me in the middle of the night while I cry over a kid as he promised to fix everything in the morning?
“You never lost me, Dee. We both needed a little time to figure out who we were.”
I laughed flatly. “I still don’t know who I am, Point.” I didn’t know if I would ever know that.
“Then I’ll help you figure it out. Better or worse, Dee, I’m here. You’re not getting rid of me again.”
He brushed his fingers through my hair and sighed. “Sleep. Clear your mind, and just sleep.”
I rolled onto my side and threw an arm over his chest. “I’ll try,” I whispered.
It didn’t take much trying.
I passed out in minutes and slept like a baby while Point held me ‘til the sun rose.
*
Chapter Fifteen
Vengeance was coming…
Point
“I should be able to fix that.” Dyno pressed a finger to the hole in the siding. “You guys are fucking lucky it didn’t ricochet off.”
I knew Deedra and I were lucky. The second the bullets stopped flying and Deedra and I were still breathing, I knew someone had been watching over us.
“I won’t mention the ones that hit about six inches from my head.”
Dyno stood up and wiped his hands on his pants. “Fucking crazy, brother. Goes to show crazy shit can happen at the drop of a hat.”
“And for a reason, you don’t know.” Quinn ran his fingers through his hair. “What the fuck is going on?”
That was something I had stayed up all night wondering. I held Deedra in my arms and stared at the ceiling for six hours. I couldn’t close my eyes with having the fear in Deedra’s eyes flash before me. Everyone kept telling us we were lucky. I fucking knew that.
We were lucky, and now, I was terrified.
What would have happened if Deedra hadn’t come to the clubhouse? What if she had told me she didn’t want to meet me there and she went home? Would this kid had shown up at her place and they both would be dead right now?
Every possible alternate scenario had run through my head, driving me fucking insane.
A police car pulled into the driveway and parked behind Dyno and Quinn’s bikes.
Detective Crew climbed out of the car and walked over to us.
“I was hoping we were done seeing you, Kaye,” Quinn muttered.
She pushed her sunglasses on top of her head. “That would make two of us, Quinn. Trouble just seems to keep following you guys.”
Dyno grunted. “Whatever the hell, this shit is has nothing to do with the club.”
“That may be so, but you guys are in the middle of it somehow.” Kaye walked over to the bullet-ridden siding. “They just sprayed bullets, didn’t they?”
“So it would seem,” I muttered.
“You the one who was here when it happened?” she asked.
I nodded. “Me and my wife.”
“Didn’t know one of you guys was actually in a committed relationship.” She crouched down and ran her finger over the siding.
“Is that some backhanded comment?” Quinn asked. “More than half of the club are in committed relationships. Might be projecting some of your own issues on us.”
“Just an observation,” she muttered.
Detective Kaye Crew previously had a tumultuous relationship with Brick that had not ended well at all. None of us really knew the details of it other than she had flipped on him when she was undercover.
“Well, why don’t we just stick with your observation about the shooting, yeah?” Dyno retorted.
Kaye held up her hands. “You got it.” She pointed to the house. “Any idea how long the kid was hiding in the bushes?”
I shrugged. “About ten minutes before we pulled into the driveway, Joseph had texted Deedra telling her he needed to talk. I would assume that is around the time he got here.”
“So, he had a jump on whoever was chasing him, but he lost that when she wasn’t home.” Kaye stood up and wiped her hands on her pants.
Let’s hope Kaye never told that theory to Deedra. “I would assume so.”
“He didn’t say anything about who he was running from?”
I shook my head. “No. He was about to talk when the bullets started happening. Deedra thinks he might have found out information he shouldn’t, and they were after him for that.”
“What kind of information?”
“The kind about who might be the new guy moving into the recently vacated spot by the Clarks.” This was all a theory that really had no actual fact to it.
Kaye pursed her lips and nodded. “I had the same idea. Had Joseph given her any leads in the past that someone might not like?”
“Deedra never said anything like that, but I can’t tell you for sure.”
She hitched her thumb toward the house. “She inside? I want to talk to her too. I’m hoping I might be able to piece together something to help us figure out a direction to head in.”
“Uh, yeah. Kimber and Fancy are with her.” Deedra had woken up an hour ago when Dyno and Quinn arrived.
Fancy and Kimber had descended upon her and basically kicked us out of the house.
I led Kaye into the house with Quinn and Dyno trailing behind. Though this didn’t have anything to do with the club, the fact it involved Deedra made it club business.
Quinn had told me the club would help in any way possible to help figure out what the hell was going on.
“Dee,” I called down the hallway.
Fancy and Kimber’s voices carried down the hallway from the bedroom.
The bedroom door opened, and Deedra walked out. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing wrong. Just a detective here who wants to talk to you about Joseph and what happened last night.”
She made her way to me and tipped her head back. “Did they figure out who did it?”
I shook my head. “No, Dee. They’re hoping you can give them some more information about Joseph.”
She cringed. “I don’t know as much as I should, Point.”
I reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Just tell them what you know. That’s all you can do.”
Deedra nodded and stretched up on her tiptoes. She pressed a kiss to my lips. “Thank you for being here for me.”
“You know I always have your back, Deedra.”
She stepped around me and brushed her hand over mine. “Thank you,” she whispered.
I followed Deedra back down the hallway and into the living room.
Kaye was leaning against the fireplace while Quinn and Dyno were on the other side of the room, talking quietly to each other.
“Uh, hi,” Deedra chirped. She held out her hand to Kaye. “You must be the detective.”
Kaye shook Dee’s hand. “I am. I’m detective Kaye Crew, and I just wanted to ask you a few questions about last night and about Joseph.”
Deedra smiled sadly. “Of course. I don’t know a ton about Joseph. He was an informant for me.”
Kaye laughed and shook her head. “Funny hearing that come out of your mouth. I never thought of reporters having informants like the police do.”
Deedra shrugged. “I’m pretty sure your kind of informant is much more forthcoming with information than anyone I had ever talked to.”
“What kind of information did Joseph give you?” Kaye asked.
“Not really much at all.” Deedra laughed. “I think the best tip he ever gave me was the local motorcycle
club was opening a strip club.”
“Excuse me?” Quinn called. “What the hell did he know about the club?”
Deedra laughed. “Just what I exactly said. He knew you guys were opening a strip club. That’s it.”
Quinn glared at me.
“Why the hell are you looking at me like that? Some homeless guy saw Dyno with the realtor.”
Quinn turned his glare on Dyno.
“What the fuck?” Dyno scoffed. “I didn’t even see a homeless guy when I was looking at property last week.”
Deedra laughed. “You’re acting exactly like Point did when I told him what I knew. You guys need to invest in some invisibility cloaks if you want to move around this town without anyone seeing you.”
Kaye smothered a laugh with the back of her hand. “Never heard that advice before.”
Deedra shrugged. “It’s the truth.”
“Back to Joseph. What else did he tell you? Even if you think it might have nothing to do with this, I want to know. He might have pissed off someone, and whatever you tell me might lead me to a suspect.”
“Uh, well, we talked about his family. He lived on the streets since he was sixteen. The life he lived was not good, but it is what it was. He firmly believed things were going to turn around for him. He had just got approved for an apartment, and he was looking for a new job.”
“Did he have any other friends besides you?”
Deedra shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I never saw him really talking to anyone else, but it wasn’t like I saw him every second of every day.”
“Right, right,” Kaye muttered. “How was he able to get an apartment?”
“Uh, well, he told me he saved up money from panhandling, and he had enough for two months’ rent and the deposit. He was moving into a studio apartment and was thrilled.” Deedra glanced at me. “He was only eighteen and had a bright future in front of him. He just had a crappy start to life.”
“Join the club,” Kaye muttered. She grabbed a notepad from her pocket and flipped it open. “Do you know whereabouts he lived? Did he have a place he normally stayed?”
“He was mostly around the news station. That was how I had met him. He was panhandling one night, and we somehow started up a conversation.”
Kaye scribbled in her notepad and finally looked up. “Did you know what his last name was?”
Deedra shook his head. “I feel like such an idiot for not asking his full name.”
Kaye flipped her notepad closed. “Don’t feel guilty about it. There is a good chance he could have just given you a made-up last name. If he had been living on the streets for two years, he knew not to stay in one place for too long.”
Deedra hung her head. “He came to me for help, and I wasn’t able to help him.”
“Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt Joseph? I know you say he didn’t tell you much when it came to information for a story, but it seems like you guys had a more personal relationship.”
Deedra scoffed. “I don’t know how you can say it was personal when I didn’t even know his last name.”
“Dee,” I called. The amount of guilt she felt over not knowing the kid's last name was crazy. “Stop dwelling on that.”
She sighed. “I didn’t know a lot about him, but yes, I was close to him. The fact he was so young and homeless played on my heartstrings.”
“And I’m sure he appreciated that. Sometimes there isn’t anything you can do.” Kaye reached into her back pocket and handed Deedra a card. “That has my number on it. If you think of anything, call me. We’re under the impression whoever this was got what they wanted. They weren’t after you or Point.”
“Oh. Well, I guess that is good news.” Deedra fingered the card. “Too bad they got what they wanted.”
Kaye frowned. “It is, but it could have been twice as bad if they would have gotten you and Point.”
Deedra’s bottom lip quivered. “Yeah, you’re right.”
She was still going through all the emotional steps of accepting what happened. Right now, she was still feeling guilty.
“That answer all of your questions?” I asked.
Kaye nodded and slid the notepad back into her pocket. “It does.” She reached out and patted Deedra’s hand. “You’re gonna be okay, Deedra. Don’t blame this on yourself.”
“I know,” Deedra whispered. She turned on her heel with her head down, and my heart broke when she walked right into me. She faceplanted against my chest and burst into tears.
I wrapped my arms around her, and a sob escaped her lips.
“I think we’re done.” I lifted her into my arms and marched back down the hallway to her room.
Kimber and Fancy had been standing in the doorway, watching us in the living room. Kimber held open the door, and Fancy moved to the bed. She tossed the comforter back and took a step to the side.
I kept Deedra in my arms and laid down. Fancy tossed the blanket over us and disappeared from the room without a word. Kimber flipped off the light and closed the door.
Another heartbreaking sob fell from Deedra’s lips, and the front of my shirt was soaked with her tears.
“Let it out, sugar.” I rubbed her back, and my heart ached with every sob.
Deedra and I might have been be physically safe, but whoever had killed Joseph had killed a little piece of Deedra. My protective instinct kicked in, and I wrapped my arms around her tighter.
Whoever killed Joseph better watch their back because not only did they have detective Kaye looking for them, they also had to worry about the Kings of Vengeance coming for them.
Vengeance was coming.
*
Chapter Sixteen
Let’s ride…
Deedra
“Let’s go for a ride.”
I looked up from my cup of coffee. “To where?”
Point shrugged. “Nowhere specific. Let’s just get out of here for a little bit.”
“If we go anywhere, I should probably go to work.” It had been two days since Joseph had been killed, and I hadn’t left the house.
It was odd when something unexpected happened and it hit you in a way you never anticipated. It was the fact that Joseph was so young and had been through so much that when he was finally getting his life right…he was just dead now.
“They gave you off until Monday, Dee. Just take the next four days to relax and not worry about work.”
I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. “That is a lot harder than it sounds.”
“I know. So, come with me, and we’ll go for a ride. It’ll help clear your mind.”
I shrugged. “Okay.”
“Get dressed, and I’ll meet you outside.”
I looked down at the same sweatshirt I had been wearing since Point had put me to bed three nights ago. “You mean I can’t wear this?” I laughed.
He shook his head. “I love seeing you in my shirt, Dee, but I think that needs a wash.”
“And I probably do, too.” Greif was a strange animal. It made you not want to do anything except wallow in your own feelings—bathing included. “Give me twenty minutes. I’m gonna try to wash off the past three days.”
Point pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll wait forever for you, Dee.”
The nickname that normally drove me crazy was now an odd comfort whenever Point said it. It had become something only he could say.
I made my way to the bedroom and grabbed some clean clothes. Jeans and a long-sleeve thermal were as fancy as I was going to get. I grabbed a puffer vest from the closet and headed to the bathroom.
It was still mild outside, but I knew being on the back of Point’s bike was going to be chilly if I didn’t dress warm enough.
Twenty minutes later, I stood outside with the sun shining down on me and Point’s bike in front of me.
“I haven’t been on the back of a bike in three years.”
Point handed me a helmet. “And that makes me strangely happy.”
I laughed and p
lopped the helmet on my head. Point reached up and snapped the buckle. “I guess I knew the only bike I wanted to be on was yours.”
Point pressed a kiss to my lips.
“Thank you,” I whispered when he stepped back.
“There’s nothing you need to thank me for, Dee.”
A laugh bubbled from my lips. “Uh, yeah. There is a ton I need to thank you for. The big thing I need to thank you for is for putting up with my emotional ass.”
“I don’t have a problem with your ass. Emotional or not.”
A smile pulled at my mouth. “You’re crazy.”
He threw his leg over the bike and looked back at me. “That may be true. Now get your ass on my bike, and let’s just ride.”
I clambered onto the back and wrapped my arms around his middle. The smooth leather of his cut was cool to the touch, and I pressed my cheek to his back. I had kept telling Point he had changed in the three years since I had seen him, and I felt it again right there.
He still was the boy I fell in love with five years ago, but he was now a man. Had any of this happened when we first got together, I didn’t think we would have made it through it.
Only because I don’t think either of us could have been selfless with our love. Point was giving me everything he had, and he didn’t care that all I did was cry or lay there like a sad sack. He gave me what I needed when I couldn’t give him anything back.
Point backed the bike up and rolled out of the driveway. He drove a large loop around town, and neither of us tried to talk. It was strange to feel the way I did and then look around to see the world still turning.
We made our way out of town and just drove. Over roads I had never been on and past houses I had never seen. I had been in Whitmore for over a year and had never really explored.
“Where are we?” I called over the roar of the engine.
Point laid his hand on my knee and turned his head slightly. “No, damn clue,” he shouted.
I laughed my ass off, and finally felt a little joy. “You really are just driving, aren’t you?”
Thrill Seeker (Kings of Vengeance MC Book 5) Page 10
