by L. Wilder
“No way he could, but from what I can tell… someone sent him looking in our direction. Figure that’s why he’s been sniffing around the warehouse. He was trying to see if we had anything there,” Big Mike answered.
“We’re thinking he’s got some big plans,” Cotton started. He looked over to me and said, “When we dug a little deeper, we found out he’s been trying to take down Sheriff Thompson. He’s trying to set him up, and if things turn out his way, he’ll have control over the whole damn county.”
“So how are you planning to handle this guy?” Clutch asked. “We gonna take him down?”
“It’s not that easy,” Guardrail answered. “We’re talking about the Sheriff’s department, for Christ’s sake. You don’t just go in guns blazing and think there won’t be blowback. Right now, we’ve got no heat on us. If we kill a cop, all bets are off. They’ll be on us, and we’ll never shake them.”
I leaned forward, looking directly at Cotton. “You’ve got Michaels on tape?”
“Yeah, we’ve got it all, but the shooting was just the start,” he snarled. He dropped his gaze to the folder. “When we were checking into the Thompson situation, Big hacked into their station’s server downtown. We’ve got Michaels coming out of the county evidence locker with several large black bags on the same day that Thompson was accused of stealing the drugs. The original video had been altered, but Big found what we needed. It’s all in the folder.”
“With that kind of evidence, they’d put him away for life… and a dirty cop like him wouldn’t last any time behind bars.”
“What are you getting at, Smoke?” Cotton questioned with his dark eyes glaring straight at me.
“I know it’s a risk… a risk we normally wouldn’t consider, but I say we get a copy of the evidence to someone we can trust. Someone we know will make sure it gets in the right hands.”
“And who would that be?”
“Sheriff Thompson,” I suggested.
The room fell silent as all eyes turned to me. I knew my idea wouldn’t sit well with them. As an unspoken rule, the club never got involved with the cops. Ever. But this time, it was different. Thompson’s life was on the line, and with the information sitting in front of us, I had no doubt he’d take Michaels down, resolving the issue for us both.
So I continued, “He’s a cop, but I believe we can trust him.”
Cotton glared at me. “We’ve got everything riding on this, Smoke. You serious about this?”
“Absolutely.”
“Fucking hate cops. Don’t trust them for shit,” Stitch started. “But I think Smoke’s got something. Thompson will be eager to clear his name, especially when he finds out it was his own deputy trying to set him up. We’ll get our chance at Michaels once he’s behind bars.”
“Agreed.” I turned to Cotton and said, “I just need your okay to go talk to him.”
“If we go this route, I’m giving Thompson twenty-four hours to shut Michaels down, or I’ll find a way to deal with him myself, Deputy Sheriff or not.”
“Understood.”
“Then we’re dismissed. Report back to me as soon as you’re done with Thompson,” Cotton ordered.
Big Mike made me a copy of all of the footage of Michaels, and I set out to find Thompson. I had no idea how he’d react to the information I was about to throw at him, knowing it wouldn’t be easy for him to hear that his own deputy was trying to end his career, but I figured he was the kind of man who would find a way to handle it. The last time I’d been at his house, I’d gone looking for MJ only to find that she’d already left town, and even though I was going there for a completely different reason, a part of me hoped that I might get some answers of my own while I was there.
I was almost to his house when I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I pulled over to the shoulder and stopped to see if Cotton was trying to call. When I pulled it out, I saw that it was Emily. I’d already missed the call and was about to put it back in my pocket, thinking I’d call her back later, when she called again. Worried something might be wrong, I answered, “Emily? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah… everything’s fine. I just thought I’d call and check in. You doing okay?”
“I’m good. Just kind of busy right now.”
“Okay… I won’t keep you,” she replied. “I know you’ve got a lot going on right now.”
There was something in her voice that told me something was up. “You got something on your mind?”
She sighed as she answered, “I don’t know. You were just on my mind and I decided to give you a call.”
“I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me,” I pushed.
“I’m just being silly. I’m missing my brother and wanted to hear your voice. I’m good, so get back to what you were doing and I’ll talk to you later.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure. Maybe you could come over for dinner one night soon,” she said softly.
“Sounds like a plan. Give the kids a hug for me, and I’ll come by in a day or so.”
“Good. Stay safe.”
“Always,” I told her just before I hung up.
I shoved my phone in my back pocket and pulled back onto the road. It was after nine by the time I pulled into Thompson’s driveway, and it was completely dark inside the house except for a small light shining from the living room window. Once I knocked, it wasn’t long before Thompson opened the door. When he saw that it was me standing on his front step, his face twisted into an angry glare.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he spat. His eyes were dark from lack of sleep, and his shirt was wrinkled from him sleeping in his clothes.
I was expecting him to be annoyed that I’d interrupted his sleep, so I did my best to ignore his heated tone. “I need to talk to you.”
“I’ve got nothing to say to you, boy,” he snapped.
“You’re gonna want to hear what I’ve got to say,” I pushed.
He took a step closer to me, standing just inches from my face as he said, “I thought sending her away would be the end of it. I thought I could make her see what you and your kind were all about, but it was all in vain.”
“What did you do?” I growled.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “I did what any father in my position would do! I told her if she didn’t leave town and end things with you for good, I’d do whatever it took to bring you and your club down. I wouldn’t stop until you were behind bars! All of you!”
“She left because of you?” Everything I’d thought was wrong.
“She just needed to get away from here, away from you, and then she’d see that I was right.”
“You forced her out of town by threatening to put me in jail? Are you fucking kidding me?” I barked.
“Yes, and I’d do it again,” he snapped. “But none of it matters. She still loves you… even after I showed her what you do. I showed her everything… I tried to make her see what you really are, but none of it matters.”
“You’re wrong. You’re wrong about everything.”
“I’ve seen what you and your people do. It sickens me to know that you’ve had anything to do with my daughter, much less that you’ve gone and gotten her pregnant! She had everything going for her. The world was right at her feet, and you took that from her!”
His words were like a punch to the gut as they floated around me, echoing over and over in my mind. I felt the muscles in my neck tighten as fought for control. With my fists clenched, I bellowed, “What the fuck did you just say?”
“You heard me! My only daughter is pregnant! You’ve stolen any chance of a real future for her.” Time stood still as I stood there staring back at him in total disbelief. She was having my kid, and she didn’t tell me. She never said a fucking word. I never thought she’d keep something like that from me, but he was standing in front of me telling me that everything I’d believed to be true was wrong. MJ’s father paced back and forth across the living room floor, still fuming as
he shouted, “You’re nothing but a lowlife criminal!”
My mind was reeling with thoughts of MJ. As I struggled to process everything I’d just learned, I tried to get a grip on my rage, but every word out of his mouth just cut deeper, making it damn near impossible not to lose it completely. I clenched my fist. “You know nothing about me, Sheriff. Not a damn thing.”
“I know you’re a murderer, all of you… that’s all I need to know.”
“You think you’ve got it all figured out, but you don’t have a fucking clue, Thompson,” I started. “Our methods may be different from yours, but the end result is the same. The bad guy goes down. That’s all that matters. But there is one real difference between your guys and mine: my brothers would never turn their backs on me.” I tossed the folder Big Mike had given me down on the table and said, “Too bad you can’t say the same about yours.”
“What are you talking about?” he spat as he picked up the file.
“Your boy, Michaels, set you up. It was him all along.”
“That can’t be.” He looked completely stunned as he started looking through the file. His eyes widened in surprise as he noticed the picture of Michaels coming out of the evidence locker carrying the large bags. It was all there. Everything he’d need to prove his own innocence. He looked back at me, and I could see the wheels turning in the back of his mind. He didn’t have to say the words. I knew that he was surprised that the man he considered to be a lowlife criminal had just saved his hide. I didn’t expect it to change anything. I just hoped in time he’d come to see that I wasn’t the man he thought I was. He took a step towards me and asked, “How did you get this?”
“Find yourself a good computer forensics guy or just one hell of a hacker like we have… he’ll be able to find everything you need on your server.”
“Why are you giving me all this? Is this some kind of a bribe for my daughter?”
“It’s your chance to end Michaels on your own, before we step in.”
“Why would your people want to get involved in this?”
“He killed one of my brothers, and now he’s got to pay.”
Confusion crossed his face as he said, “I don’t understand.”
“He had his reasons for trying to take you down, Sheriff. That’s all I can tell you,” I answered. “You’ve got twenty-four hours to handle him, or we will.”
“I’ll take care of it,” he replied firmly. He stared at the file, trying to make sense of everything I’d just told him. Then he added, “None of this changes anything. I’ll never think you’re good enough for my daughter.”
“Never said I was, but you need to know… I’m a man who takes care of what’s mine.”
His eyes dropped to the ground. “I don’t know what to think. I just know I don’t want to lose her.”
“You and I may have our differences, and I’m fine with that. But when it comes to your daughter, you and I want the same thing. If we manage to sort through all this shit, I’ll do everything in my power to make her happy.”
“I’ll hold you to that, Abrams. Every damn minute of every day,” he warned.
“I won’t let you down,” I promised.
“She’s gone to get her things, but she’ll be tracking you down when she gets back.”
“Thanks for the heads-up.” As I started for the door, I told him, “Counting on you to handle Michaels.”
“That asshole is done,” he growled.
Chapter 20
Marley
The drive to Aunt Miranda’s was agonizing. Each mile seemed to be longer than the last as I made my way down the long, quiet highway. It was a beautiful night with the stars shining bright and a gorgeous full moon, but my mind was on getting back to Smokey, not the night sky. I wanted some time to gather my thoughts before I went to see him. There were so many things I needed to say, and I thought the drive to Tacoma would give me time to think. Unfortunately, it gave me too much time to think. By the time I pulled into her driveway, my mind was clouded with doubts. It’d been almost two months since I’d last seen him, and I had no idea how he’d feel about me coming back after being gone so long. I was lost in my own thoughts as I walked through Aunt Miranda’s front door, and I wasn’t expecting to find her standing on the kitchen counter wearing one of her Hawaiian print dusters with an old handkerchief scarf on her head.
I stepped into the kitchen. “What are you doing up there?”
She turned and smiled. “I got a wild hair and decided to do a little dusting. It’s been a month of Sundays since I’ve been up here.” She stepped down into the chair below, and I watched in horror as it started to wobble as she made her way down to the floor.
“Aunt Miranda!” I shouted as I rushed over to her, trying to catch her before she fell.
“Honey, I’m fine,” she told me as she planted her feet firmly on the floor. “That old chair has seen better days.”
“It’s not just the chair! You don’t need to be climbing up on the counters at your age,” I scolded.
“Don’t be silly, child. I do it all the time.”
I shook my head and said, “That doesn’t mean you need to be doing it. It isn’t safe, especially when you’re here alone.”
“I’m not alone,” she mocked. “You’re here.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do with you,” I laughed.
“Don’t worry about me, dear. I’m a tough old bird.” She tossed her dusting rag into the sink. “I thought you weren’t coming back until tomorrow. Did things go okay with your father?”
“He wasn’t exactly thrilled to hear that I’m pregnant, but I think he actually listened to me this time.”
“That’s a start. He’ll come around. He just needs some time.”
“I hope so.” I felt my doubts clawing at me as I said, “Now, I just have to talk to Evan.”
“What’s with the glum look? I thought you’d be happy about that.”
I exhaled a deep breath. “I’m just worried. What if it’s too late? What if he doesn’t want to see me?”
“Nonsense,” she snickered. “That boy loves you. It broke my heart to see the hurt in his eyes when I told him he couldn’t see you. You’ve just got to talk to him and make him understand.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“It is simple.” She smiled. “Now, go pack your things. Time’s a wastin’.”
I gave her a quick hug and said, “Thanks, Aunt Miranda… for everything.”
Once I’d packed my things, I rushed out to my car and headed to find Smokey. I reached for my phone so I could let him know that I was coming, but then I remembered that I’d deleted his number from my contacts, leaving me no way to get in touch with him. I would just have to take a chance that he’d actually be there when I made it out to the farm. So I pressed forward and tried to concentrate on the drive ahead, but it was almost impossible with all the anxiety that was fluttering around in my stomach. I turned on the radio and tried to listen to my favorite stations, but when that didn’t work, I stopped for gas and a quick bite to eat. Nothing was working, and after three hours of psyching myself out, I was a complete wreck. By the time I started down the long, dark driveway, my nerves were bouncing all over the place.
When I pulled up to the front of the house, the porch light was shining bright. I was so absorbed with thoughts of seeing Smokey, I almost missed the fact that the place looked completely different. The entire house had been painted with a fresh coat of white along with the newly renovated front columns. The tall shutters were now a pristine shade of black, and a white picket fence followed the curve of the yard and trailed to the back of the barn. There were big planters filled with gorgeous flowers and ferns scattered along the steps and front door. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest as I spotted the new swing at the end of the porch. It was perfect. I stood at the bottom of the steps, gaping at all of the changes, when I heard the screen door creak open.
He stood there staring at me with such intensity, I
thought I would melt right on the spot. I wanted to say something—anything—but the words just wouldn’t come. Finally, he stepped out onto the porch and said, “I thought we had something. I thought things were different with you and me.”
The sound of his voice sent a jolt down my spine, making my breath catch in my throat. I looked over to him, trying my best to keep it together as I said, “We did… We do.”
“No,” he clipped. “If we really had something, you’d have come to me. You’d have talked to me about what was going on, but instead, you bolted.”
Panic surged through me as I said, “I didn’t have a choice.”
He shook his head. “There’s always a choice, MJ. You could’ve come to me… told me what was going on, but you didn’t trust me enough.”
I took a step forward as I pleaded, “You don’t understand. I couldn’t—”
“I understand completely. You left. That says it all,” he interrupted.
I had to make him see that he was wrong. I’d been through hell over the past couple of months, and I’d done it all for one reason: to protect him. I fought the urge to cry as I told him, “You’re wrong. I left for you.”
“You left because you were scared.”
“You’re right,” I admitted. “I was scared. I was scared for you. My father—”
“I know all about your father and his threats, MJ. That doesn’t change anything. You didn’t trust me.”
“Wait…” It took a minute for his words to sink in. I had no idea how he’d found out, so I looked up at him and asked, “You know about my father? How?”
“I went to see him earlier tonight.”
I gasped, remembering how livid my dad had been when I left there. I could only imagine how upset my father had been when Smokey came to see him. I looked up at him, knowing he was angry at me for not trusting him with my father’s threats and said, “Then you know… I didn’t have a choice. I was afraid he’d find a way to put you in jail, Smokey. He’s the Sheriff, and he had all these pictures and files on the club. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“I’ve had run-ins with the cops before, MJ. It’s nothing new. You would’ve known that if you’d just come to me.”
