by L. Wilder
“Well, that comes as no surprise,” Cotton scoffed.
“And we all know it wasn’t just at work.” He pulled several pages from the stack as he went on, “Things at home were just as bad, if not worse. There are pages and pages of reports where the cops were called to their house for domestic disturbances, and several of them match up with the dates that Ellie was admitted into the hospital. Crazy thing is, none of these reports were ever filed, and no charges were ever pressed.”
“I’m guessing his father had something to do with that. Fuck. Ellie didn’t stand a chance with this guy,” Cotton growled. “Anything else.”
“Turns out that IA has been looking into him.”
“For what?”
“Missing evidence. False reports. You name it. He’s gotten himself into a mess that not even his good ol’ dad can get him out of.” Big snickered.
Just as he finished talking, Cotton’s phone rang. After checking the screen, he quickly answered, “What did you find out?” The room fell silent as we all listened when he asked, “How long is that gonna take?” He lowered his head and nodded silently as the person on the other end of the line spoke. “Let me know as soon as you find out what they’re gonna do.”
Right after he hung up the phone, he turned to me and said, “That was MJ.”
“What did she say?”
“Ellie made it down to the station a couple of hours ago. The police are still questioning her. MJ is on her way down there to see what she can do to help.”
“Do you think they’ll arrest her?”
“She just confessed to murder. Doubt they’re just gonna let her walk out of there,” Cotton answered.
“So, now what?”
Cotton stood up as he replied, “Go get changed. You and I are gonna head down there and see if there’s anything that we can do on our end.”
In no time, we were on the road headed to the Lakewood Police Department where Ellie had turned herself in. The two and half hour drive was absolute torture. I couldn’t stop imagining the worst, and it didn’t help matters that we’d heard nothing back from MJ. By the time we finally pulled into the station’s parking lot, I was ready to lose it. I tried to keep it together as I followed Cotton inside. As soon as we walked through the door, I spotted Ellie talking to a man in a suit. She was wearing one of my long-sleeved t-shirts with a pair of jeans, and her hair was brushed to the side, making it hard to believe that she was capable of murder. I started towards her and ignored Cotton as he warned me to stay put. When I approached them, Ellie looked up at me with wide eyes.
“What are you doing here?”
Her gorgeous, brown eyes locked on mine, and I could feel it all the way to my fucking toes. Just being close to her made it hard to think, and it took all I had not to grab her up and take her the hell out of there. I tried to keep my voice calm and reassuring. “Where else would I be?”
“I don’t know.” Her eyes immediately dropped to the ground. “I guess I figured you’d hate me after you found out what I did.”
“That could never happen, Ellie. Never.”
“I appreciate you coming and everything, but you don’t have to stay. I’m okay.”
A flash of hope crossed her eyes as I told her, “I’m not leaving until this thing is done. I meant it when I said I wasn’t going anywhere.”
The suit glared at me with disapproval and asked, “Is there something going on here that I should know about?”
“Um … No. He’s just a friend,” Ellie answered. “He has nothing to do with any of this.”
“If you say so,” the asshole grumbled. A worrisome look crossed over her face when he added, “Let’s continue this in my office.”
Before she walked away, she looked up at me and whispered, “Thank you.”
Once she was gone, I turned to find Cotton standing with MJ. She was talking on her phone while she paced back and forth with a frustrated expression on her face. With the amount of times I’ve been in MJ’s company, never once had I seen her look so professional. Even in her highly pregnant state, she looked pretty damn impressive with her business attire and her hair pulled up in a tight bun.
When she saw us walking in her direction, she held up her finger, letting us know that she needed a minute. Seconds later, she hung up the phone and turned her attention to us. “The DA decided to press charges.”
“So, what does that mean?”
“When Ellie and Brady were reported missing, the police went to the house. They found no evidence of a struggle, and without a body, anything they uncover at this point would be considered circumstantial. It would be a tough case to win, but because of who he is, they’ve decided to pursue.”
“Damn.”
“I know, but there’s not a lot we can do at this point. She confessed to killing a police officer. That’s really all a judge needs to know.”
“But people confess to things they haven’t done all the time. It can’t be that easy,” Cotton argued.
“Yeah, but those people don’t go missing for weeks. And you’ve also got to remember who Brady’s father is. There’s a lot that goes into play with all this,” MJ reminded him. “I’m doing my best to get a hearing set up as soon as possible. If we can get a reasonable bail set, then she should be released in a few days.”
“A few days? You mean she’s gonna have to stay here?”
“It depends on the date that’s set for her hearing. I’ll do my best to get her out of here as soon as I can.”
“When can I see her?”
“I’m not sure.”
MJ barely had a chance to answer my first question when I impatiently hit her with more. “Have you gotten a chance to talk to her? Is she okay?”
“Yes, but only briefly. Ellie knows I’m here, and even though she wasn’t exactly happy about it, she knows you sent me.” She glanced down at her watch and said, “I need to get back in there. Stay close. I should know something fairly soon.”
Once she’d turned and walked away, Cotton looked over to me and said, “Since it’s gonna be a while, why don’t we go grab a cup of coffee and a bite to eat. I saw a diner across the street.”
“But—”
“Listen, I got no idea how this thing is gonna go, but you’re no good to her like this, brother. You need to take a minute and pull your shit together before you see her.”
Cotton was right, I really needed to focus on something else, even if only for the time being, so I followed him across the street. We were seated in a booth, and a waitress came over and took our orders. I drank my cup of coffee but barely managed to finish half of my scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. My stomach couldn’t handle much more. As I sat there staring out the window, it occurred to me how fast Ellie was becoming such an important part of my life even though I hadn’t known her all that long. It was crazy, really. In truth, it shouldn’t faze me if I ever saw her again, but it did—more than I even realized. Another thought crossed my mind as I played with my cold eggs—the weight of it overwhelming me to a point where I thought I’d crumble right on the spot—when I started to wonder if I could truly face the possibility of losing her.
“Are you done?” Cotton asked.
His voice pulled me from my thoughts, but I hadn’t heard a word he’d said. “What?”
“Are you done?” Cotton repeated as he finished off his coffee. “Or do you need some more time to study that light pole out there?”
“I can’t stop thinking about her,” I answered as I leaned back in my seat. “This whole thing is fucking with my head.”
“I get that you’re worried about her, but she’s stronger than you may think. You’ve gotta remember, she’s been through all kinds of hell … The kind of hell that would crush most people, but she’s still fighting. She’s facing this thing head on, knowing that the odds are against her. You gotta give her credit for that.”
“And what if I lose her in all this?”
“You just gotta have faith that you won’t. You gott
a be willing to fight just like she is,” he explained.
“You’re right. We’ll find a way to get through this.”
“Yes, you will.” He sighed, then said, “I know the timing sucks, brother, but we’ve got the run tonight. Gus already called to confirm, so you and the others will be leaving for Salt Lake at midnight.”
Damn. With everything that had been going on with Ellie, I hadn’t even thought about the run. Cotton was right. The timing sucked, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it. The club came first. The men of Satan’s Fury were my brothers, and after all they’d done for me, there was no way in hell I would ever let them down. Before I started prospecting for them, I was living in a shit-hole apartment and barely had two dimes to rub together. Now, I had a house of my own, a job at the shop, money in my pocket, and most of all, I had a family I could count on. Thankfully, this time we wouldn’t be going all the way to Memphis. Since Clutch had secured the pipeline, we’d only need to make our trek to Salt Lake, drop off our delivery with the chapter there, and they’d deliver to the next drop off point. The entire shipment would make it to Memphis by the end of the week. “I’ll be ready.”
“I knew you would be. If everything goes as planned, you should be back before the hearing. You and I both know MJ will do everything she can to make sure everything goes without a hitch.”
“God, I hope so.”
“Let’s get back over there and see what we can find out.”
Chapter 12
Ellie
I’ve had a lot of surprises in my life, both good and bad, but not once had I ever imagined that I would find myself in jail. It wasn’t like I hadn’t expected it after I walked up to the counter and told the officer that I was Ellie Blackwell, and I’d murdered my husband, Brady Blackwell. The look on his face said it all. He was just as surprised at hearing the words as I was at saying them. After twelve hours of answering questions, being processed, and questioned again, I found myself behind bars. Needless to say, by the time I was done, I was completely drained. Exhausted beyond belief, I just wanted to sleep, but I couldn’t. The mattress was hard and smelled foul—like a mix of body odor and vomit, and every time I closed my eyes, I heard strange noises or someone’s voice bellowing from down the hall. I was terrified—panic-stricken, in a cold sweat—terrified, and as I lay there in the darkness night after night, I found myself wishing Diesel was with me. I’d managed to keep it together, at least for the most part, but as I continued thinking about him, I broke down and started to cry, and I just couldn’t stop. I would’ve given anything for just one more night with him: to feel the warmth of his body close to mine, to hear the soothing sound of his voice, and to smell the intoxicating scent of his cologne.
Some say that bad memories hurt the most, but for me, it was always the good ones. Even though the time I shared with Diesel was short, those were the memories that’d be the most painful. They’d be a constant reminder of what I no longer had—what I might never have again. I stared at nothing and thought about the things that had happened in my life; however big or small or good or bad, I finally realized just how much each one of them had impacted my life. All those moments had left their mark and made me the person I was today. I had my regrets—more than I could count. I should’ve been stronger and done things differently. I should’ve found a way to break free from Brady, but I’d let myself believe that I was trapped. I’d convinced myself that I had nowhere to go because I had no family or friends who I could turn to and that I had no money. I let myself believe that I had no choice, but deep down, I knew that wasn’t true. There was always a way, but I was too weak and simply too scared to run away from him. Now, because of the choices I’d made, I might never get the freedom I’d always dreamed of, and I’d lose the one person who was quickly becoming everything to me. I’d lose Diesel.
Considering the fact that I’d not only killed a cop, but I’d killed a police chief’s son, I would’ve thought that I didn’t stand a chance, but then I met MJ. After talking to her several times, I couldn’t help but be impressed, and I knew she would do everything in her power to get me out of jail. The preliminary hearing was quickly approaching, and MJ had come once again to ask about what had happened that night. While she’d read that confession, she still felt that there was something missing. The guard led me down the hall and into an interview room; much like my cell, it was cold with white concrete walls. From the moment I walked into the station, I hadn’t been able to get warm. I was cold all the way down to my bones, and with my overactive nerves, I couldn’t stop trembling as I listened to MJ ask, “What happened after you shot him?”
“I grabbed my things and ran.”
“Are you sure he’s dead?”
That was the question I’d asked myself many times, and yet, I still didn’t know the answer. “I’m … I’m not sure. I think so. He wasn’t moving and there was a lot of blood … so I assumed—”
“And you didn’t try to clean it up?”
“No. I just had to get out of there. I guess a part of me was afraid that he was still alive, and I wasn’t going to take the chance on him coming after me again.”
“What did you do with the gun? Did you take it with you?” she asked.
I thought back to that moment, remembering the panic I felt when the gun had gone off, and the loud clank it made when it hit the floor. “I didn’t take it. I was so surprised that the gun had gone off that I dropped it on the floor. I know I had it pointed at him, and I’d threatened him with it, but I never intended to shoot him. But when he came after me …”
“I know, Ellie. I know it wasn’t the way you’d hoped it would play out, but he didn’t give you a choice. You shot him in self-defense. We’ve just got to prove it.” She wrote something down on her legal pad and then looked up at me and asked, “If you didn’t take the gun with you, do you have any idea where it could be?”
“I honestly have no idea.” I took a deep breath and asked her the question that had been weighing on my mind since my arrest. “If the gun is missing and Brady is nowhere to be found, does that mean he’s alive somewhere out there?”
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.” She assured me then leaned across the table and whispered, “If he’s out there, I guarantee you the guys will find him. I’m sure as hell not letting you go to jail for a crime you didn’t commit.”
“I really appreciate you doing all this for me.”
“You can stop thanking me, Ellie. I’m here because I want to be, and besides, it’s not like Diesel would have it any other way.” She teased, “It seems he’s got a soft spot for you.”
“I might have one for him myself.”
“No,” she replied sarcastically. “I would’ve never have guessed that.”
“All the guys have been great, but there’s something special about Diesel.” I swallowed hard, trying to bite back my tears. “I’ve never met anyone like Diesel. I don’t know what I would’ve done without him.”
“You know, the men of Satan’s Fury have a knack for that.”
“For what?”
“Making you fall for them when you least expect it. I think there must be something in their water.” She giggled.
“It must be something. After everything that’s happened with Brady, my mind tells me to steer clear of all men, that it just isn’t worth the risk, but my heart … my heart tells me that I can trust Diesel and the feelings I have for him. That’s he’s the kind of man who would put my happiness before his own, and he’d never hurt me.”
“Seems like you know Diesel better than you think.” She smiled. “Did he tell you about everything that happened with Zoe and their father’s club?”
“He did.”
“Then, you already know what kind of man he is.” She cocked her head to the side. “He’s proven that he’d put his neck on the line for someone he cares about, and I have no doubt he will do it again.”
“So, maybe I’m not too crazy after all?”
; “No. Not at all.” She looked at me with apprehension as she said, “I’m not sure if you know this, but the guys are leaving tonight. They have some business to tend to in Salt Lake.”
“What kind of business?”
With concern in her voice, she asked, “Has Diesel told you anything about the club?”
“Some, but I get the feeling that I’ll never really know everything there is to know.”
“You’re right. You won’t. It’s not always easy, but there’s one thing that you have to learn to deal with if you are going to have a future with Diesel.”
“What’s that?”
“Club business is never discussed with anyone except the brothers. They only tell us what we have to know, and the rest is kept confidential.” When she noticed the confused look on my face, she continued, “It’s for our own safety, Ellie. You just have to trust him and know that he is doing everything he can for his family. And if things keep going like they are, that will include you as well.”
“So, you’re okay with the not knowing?”
“Not always, but at the end of the day, I love Smokey. I love him more than anything, and the club has been a blessing in our lives. We know that we always have them if we need them, and the rest has a way of falling into place,” she explained. “One day you’ll understand.”
Diesel had already proven to me that he was someone I could trust and knowing every detail about the club wasn’t going to change that. “I think I already do.”
“Good, because Diesel is one of the good ones and it’s obvious he cares a great deal about you.”
“Do you think he will be back for the hearing?”
“If I know Diesel, he’ll do everything in his power to be here. Now, let’s get back at it. I want to make sure we’re ready for whatever they throw at us.” MJ glanced back down at her legal pad and thought for a moment. It was clear her focus was back on the case when she said, “Since there is no body, no gun, and no sign of Brady whatsoever, I’m going to press for the charges to be dropped from murder to assault with a deadly weapon”
