Eyeing it suspiciously, he asked, “What kind of meat?”
“Steak.”
He looked skeptical. “You first.”
“God, you’re such a baby.” As if catching herself, Rose apologized, “No insult to Little Sammy.”
“None taken. Now eat a bite. I want to know what’s in there.”
Rose ate a gigantic bite out of the mini beef wellington and began talking with her mouth full. “See, it’s got steak and a bunch of other yummy stuff in there.”
“It looks good…” he said slowly.
“It’s amazing,” she promised. “I wish that I’d never tasted it, though, ‘cause they’re really hard to make, and now I’m gonna want them all the time.”
“Gimme, gimme.”
The capricious teen teased, “Are you sure? They’re weird meat pies, after all.”
“It’s been a long day, Rose.” The subtle note of warning in his voice was Darkness being as nice as possible under the circumstances.
Rose laughed at him. “Have a seat with Sammy and I’ll make you a plate.”
“I want ten steak thingies.”
Shooting him a firm look, she replied, “You can have two. Each one has a four-ounce steak inside.”
“Make it three.”
“Fine.” Rose quickly built her dark friend a plate.
By that time, most of the guys had already grabbed food and were eating. Barbara anxiously awaited the meeting, wondering why a club of bikers were so formal about how they conducted business.
Ace sat beside her with a plate and rubbed her back, encouraging her to eat something. Now that the cooking was done, the waiting was beginning to shove her anxiety level right back up. When most of the assembled crew had thrown their sturdy paper plates away, everyone settled down.
Before Darkness could open his mouth, Peb opened his mouth. “Where is my brother? He’s not answering his cell phone.”
“He’s with the MC we talked about last night. Apparently, they believe that at least one of the bodies was from their crew. Cork and a couple more of the brothers stayed behind to help them dig for more information.”
Ace immediately asked, “What did you find so far?”
We scheduled a meet with the Outlanders MC. Of course, they were pretty suspicious of us and thought we might be tryin’ to move into their territory. Once we convinced them we weren’t and made a good-faith offering, they were about as helpful as suspicious outlaw bikers could be.”
Ace snorted a laugh, as did some of the other outlaw bikers in the room.
Darkness barely noticed. His sister wove quietly through the throng of people to take the baby for a bit so he could talk. Well, she actually traded the baby for another of the meat pastries and ate it as he spoke.
“We discovered that Seven-six and the Outlanders MC have had a truce in effect for coming up on ten years. When we told their main honcho, he about doubled over with grief. The two fuckers were his grandsons. The Seven-six had it in their mind that the twins had just fucked off back to Argentina when they turned up missing about a month ago. They were known for just doin’ as they pleased that way. The old man was just starting to worry ‘cause he hadn’t got word that they’d arrived at their compound in South America.”
“I’ll bet that was all kinds of awkward,” Ace muttered. He seemed as shocked to her as everyone else.
“It was, and although it put the three of us on the same page in terms of not being enemies, it didn’t get us any intelligent information regarding who might be gunning for you. Anyway, we tried everything we could think of to talk to the natives, but the Outlanders say they never play ball. This situation is unlikely to have anything to do with them, ‘cause the Outlanders say people stupid enough to fuck with them go onto their huge stretch of land, but they don’t come back out again.”
Ryder sighed dejectedly. “That brings us right back to maybe it being a serial killer.”
Ace argued, “Don’t most serial killers target women? From what I saw, they were all men.”
Ryder spoke like a man who knew what he was talking about. “The manner of death is consistent with a serial killer. All were shot or stabbed, and almost seventy-five percent of serial killers shoot, strangle, or stab their victims. Whether the vic is male or female depends on the killer, who kill for a variety of reason. Mostly it’s for enjoyment, financial gain, anger, or gang activity. Since we ruled out the last item, we’re looking for someone who had contact with all the vics and had a beef or something to gain. The person we’re looking for ain’t all that smart, ‘cause killers with high IQs aren’t hands-on evil geniuses.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Strangely enough, Ace was asking the same kinds of questions she was thinking in her mind.
“High IQ killers use bombs, poison, and shit like that. Lower IQ fuckers shoot, strangle, and stab,” Ryder clarified. “I’m just going by the most reliable research on serial killers, so don’t think I’m makin’ this shit up as I go.”
“What else are we looking for, since you seem to have enough information to come up with a profile.”
Ryder thought it over for a minute and replied cautiously. “I’d say the killer is probably gonna be a male between the ages of about eighteen to forty. I’d say they live in or are from that local area and are familiar with the terrain. They probably knew the farm had been abandoned for the last decade and didn’t anticipate anyone trying to develop the place anytime soon. It may be someone with mental health substance abuse issues that cause him to act impulsively. Since the brothers were clearly taken down at the same time, I have considered that it might be a small group or family involved. It seems unlikely a single person could have taken down two hardened criminals.
“I’m planning to check local hospitals for people who came in with injuries when the Seven-six twins went missing. It’s reasonable to believe they fought back and might have done some real damage. Since early indicators are that all the vics were minorities and more than one had the boot print of the Aryan-style gangs on his back, I’m gonna focus on anyone who was belligerent or racist.”
“What does the farmer have to say about all this?”
Darkness looked at Ace and smiled. “He was freaking the fuck out. He’s already put the place up for sale and says he’s moving back to the city where things make sense, as soon as the police close the investigation.”
Ace mused out loud, “That’s actually good news. If it is a serial killer of some sort, he’s not going to risk drawing attention to himself by coming after the people who exposed his dump site. He’ll lay low, never go back to the site, and quit killing until the trail runs cold. He’d be absolutely stupid to do anything to connect himself to that dump site.”
Darkness nodded. “That’s what we thought, too. Only organized criminal enterprises need to send a loud and clear message when someone messes with their business. Serial killers have nothing to gain by drawing attention to themselves. We’re thinkin’ that you won’t be in the clear until we track him down and…” Rolling his eyes, he continued, “Hand him over to the proper authorities. In the meanwhile, the risk is extremely low that you’ll get any blowback for stumbling onto that dumpsite.”
Barbara asked excitedly, “We can really go back to our lives?”
Nodding, Darkness cautioned lightly, “I’d say yes, but use good common sense when it comes to safety. Be sure to set your security system, don’t open your door to strangers, and maintain some awareness of your surroundings in public.”
“That’s just good common sense safety advice for your everyday life. You should be doing that anyway.”
Darkness gave a tired nod. “Ryder is right. Leave contact information with Peb, and we’ll let you know when we wrap the situation up.”
“I ain’t going anywhere,” Jack spoke up.
Ven chimed in his two cents worth from the corner of the room. “You should get your ass to class in the morning. You can come straight back and prospect all the hours un
der the sun when you’re not learnin’.”
Jennifer didn’t seem any more enthusiastic about leaving than Jack. Barbara spoke up, too. “If you want, I’ll drive you all back to campus. Go and gather your things. You can be sleeping in your own beds tonight. That’s the best way to begin putting this whole mess behind us.”
The students all scrambled away to get ready to leave.
After they’d gathered their things, Ace’s arm came out and wound around Barbara’s waist as he led the way outside. “I’m coming with you, until this whole mess is wrapped up.”
Stopping just short of the SUV and grabbing him by the shirt, she pulled him up against her. “Yes, that’s a very good idea. You’ll be damn lucky if I let you come back to your friends to visit.”
Smiling down at her, some of the tension of the day ebbed from his face. “Regardless of what you think, you don’t own my ass.”
“We’ll just see about that, handsome.”
They tossed their bags into the trunk then rounded the SUV. Sliding behind the wheel, she shot Ace a tentative grin. “This whole situation is going to be remembered as much ado about nothing.”
Ace’s happy voice responded sternly, “We always knew that taking you all in was an attempt to cover all our bases safety wise. We did the right thing.”
“I absolutely agree. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.”
As they eased out on the highway, Jennifer spoke up from the back seat. “It blows my mind that thinking it’s a serial killer somehow makes us safer. I mean, I don’t disagree with the club’s train of thought about that. It’s just that knowing a serial killer is involved doesn’t make me feel safer.”
Ace shot her a stern look over his shoulder. “Well, you’re gonna keep your phone charged, stay out of dark alleys, and make sure you don’t take any chances. The reality is that having this experience changed your perspective about safety, so you’re actually less likely to have something seriously shitty happen to you, right?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she agreed hesitantly. “If not for seeing that gross body, this would have been an awesome weekend. How many college kids get to stay with outlaw bikers for the weekend?”
Ace turned back around in his seat. “I’d say not many. We’ve never taken in strangers like this before. It was a new experience for us.”
One of the other guys spoke up. “I can’t believe Jack is staying there to join up with a biker gang.”
“We ain’t a gang.”
Jennifer interjected glibly, “He’s flunking out anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”
“I suggest you stop talking about Jack’s personal life. He’s with the Blind Jacks now, and we don’t take kindly to outsiders disrespecting our crew.”
“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to be rude.”
“Jack’s real smart,” Ace informed them. “He just ain’t found his niche in life yet.”
Jennifer’s phone jingled and she scrolled through it as she mumbled, “You’re probably right about Jack.”
It was well after dark by the time they pulled up on campus and the students climbed out, retrieved their belongings from the trunk, and said their goodbyes. It would be even later by the time they made it back to her house.
Ace was leaned against the SUV watching her when Barbara shut the hatch and turned to leave. Grinning, she approached him. “Is it really only Sunday night? It feels like a lot longer.”
“It was all the waiting around today that made the day seem so much longer. You ready to hit the sack?”
“I am, and I’m glad you’re coming home with me. Of course, it’ll take forever to get rid of enough coordinating throw pillows from my bed to make room for you.”
“I’m a pretty big bastard, I’ll give you that.”
Sliding her arms around his waist, she murmured, “Maybe, but you’re my big sexy bastard.”
He nuzzled her nose with his then slapped her ass. “Let’s get you home. I’m a man with needs tonight.”
Pulling back, she gave him a saucy smile. “And I’m a woman eager to tend to those needs.”
~ Ace ~
Pulling up into her driveway, Ace saw another vehicle sitting there.
Barbara cursed under her breath. “It’s David. Stay here. I want to talk to him alone.”
He didn’t like that directive, but he wasn’t going to push his weight around. Yet. “You got it, angel. If you need me, just signal.”
“I’m in no damn mood to deal with him tonight. I’m just going to ask him to leave.”
Stepping out of the SUV, she walked briskly up to her front porch. The bastard was just sitting there waiting for her, calm as could be. Ace wanted to get out of the vehicle and make sure he knew his sweet angel was off-limits, but that was the kind of thing most women found offensive. Therefore, he sat on his fat, jealous ass biding his time.
The windows were tinted and it was dark out, so he was fairly certain David didn’t know who was in the vehicle. It was unfortunate that Ace could hear every word they were saying and see every gesture. It pissed him the hell off that Barbara’s body language closed down and she kept her distance as she spoke to him. It was clear to him that she was afraid of her ex.
Her voice sounded strange when she spoke. “David, why are you—”
“Where in the hell have you been?” he cut her off.
She stiffened. “I don’t owe you answers to those kinds of questions anymore.”
“The hell you don’t. You changed all your passwords.”
“Of course, I did. They’re my accounts, and we’re not married anymore. Why would I allow you to sign into my bank account, e-mail, cell phone and GPS? You have no right to that kind of information about my life.”
“I’ve been worried sick about you,” he said, switching tactics. It was obvious the guy was used to manipulating situations to go his way.
Barbara sounded tired when she spoke. “You promised that you’d stop interfering in my life if I didn’t take out a restraining order.”
“That was before I found you whoring around with another man.” His arm flew out, waving at toward Ace. “Who’s the shithead in your SUV? Is he some fucking college kid who doesn’t even have his own car?”
“Turn around and get into your car,” Barbara instructed, her patience long gone. “This is your last chance. If you can’t stop, I’ve be visiting the magistrate in the morning.”
Grabbing her arm, he seethed, “Like hell you will. I’m not letting you destroy everything I’ve worked so hard to build.”
The instant he laid hands on her, Ace was out of the vehicle and on the ignorant piece of shit inside of a minute. Jerking him back, he slammed the shocked man into the side of her house. “I believe Barbara asked nicely for you turn around and get into your car. I gotta say, I’m nowhere near as nice as she is. You give me any lip, I’ll break your fucking face.”
Looking from big biker to his ex, David stammered, “Ace, what are you doing here?”
“I’m not going to dignify that with an answer. You’re an adult. You know exactly what I’m doing here. Just because you’re too stupid to know a good thing when you see it, doesn’t mean I am.”
“You can’t be trying to date my wife—”
“Don’t get cute with me, you stupid fucker. She’s your ex-wife and she chose me, so yeah, we’re together now.”
Barbara stepped closer to him. “I’m tired of being with men who cheat and complain constantly, David. Ace is my something better, and we get along great. I’ve been telling you for a while that it’s really over.”
“I can’t believe…”
Ace interrupted his mumbling. “You can’t believe what? That the woman you were married to could be interested in a messed-up biker?”
“I can’t believe she’s really not coming back,” he said, shock covering his face.
“I’m not caring so much about how hurt your little feelings are about this. You’re harassing the woman, and tonight you grabbed her hard
enough to leave bruises. I swear, if you so much as look at her again, I’ll rip your fuckin’ head off. Do we have an understanding?”
David’s expression switched from shocked to determined on a dime. “Wait until my father hears that a member of your club is interfering in my—”
“Stir up whatever trouble you want,” Ace dared him. “Darkness has already said that if you can’t stop, we’re giving you a dirt nap. Same for your old man, if he gets himself involved in this situation.”
“Do you know who you’re talkin’ to?” David practically shrieked.
Ace took a step forward, placing them nose to nose. “Do you? I don’t think you do, ‘cause you’re talking to me like I’m one of those frat boys you used to party with in college or one of the people who kowtows to you at the office. Do I look like a man who gives a shit what little David wants or doesn’t want?”
During the last of his speech, all of David’s motivation seemed to evaporate. His expression turned from enraged to angry to annoyed and finally to something approaching devastated.
“In case you’re wondering, I’m going upstairs with my girl, and I’m gonna make her scream my name at least four or five times tonight. You’re an ignorant fuck for giving up such a sweet tasting lady. Stupidity is apparently your cross to bear in life, though. I suggest you get the hell out of our lives before something bad happens to you.” With a sharp jerk, Ace released the man.
As he watched David stagger down the steps and get into his vehicle, Ace was all kinds of aware that he’d mishandled that situation. Turning to Barbra, he tried to find the right words to apologize for all the male posturing. Before he could figure out how to approach the conversation, though, she spoke.
“I’m sorry about David. He’s just not had his listening ears on lately. I’ve told him repeatedly that we are never getting back together. I’ve refused to allow him to set foot in my new place. Honestly, I’m not one of those women prone to sending mixed messages to their ex. I’ve tried everything I know, and he just won’t quit.”
“I’m sorry about some of the things I said,” Ace told her.
Ace of Hearts (Blind Jacks MC Book 3) Page 15
