by Debra Kayn
"When's your next day off, Lieutenant?" asked Lena.
Lieutenant Gomez exhaled and gave her an embarrassed smile. "Two more days. I think I'll take my kids to the zoo."
"Good idea. Everyone needs to recharge their batteries once in a while," she said softly. "Thanks again."
"You know we're doing all we can to find the person or people within Tigres responsible for the threats against you ladies." Lieutenant Gomez inhaled deeply, expanding his chest. "Thanks for understanding and being patient. I know you're inconvenienced, but hopefully, it won't be for much longer."
"It's necessary, so I get it." She left the patrol car and walked up to the front door of Wayne and Clara's house.
She raised her hand to knock, and the door opened. Thad filled the space in front of her and lifted his hand to the lieutenant. She stepped forward and took advantage of his arm raised and wrapped herself around him.
"I hear you found the missing person." She kissed him. "Congratulations."
"Fourteen-year-old girl. It was her first time running away, and probably not her last." He brought her into the house. "I take it there's nothing new on your end since Gomez left."
She shook her head. "The Gang Intelligence Unit finished going through the recorded 911 tapes and couldn't find any calls involving gang activity that would pertain to the threats against us. Detective Mooney handed some confidential files over to Detective Rospell, who is the lead gang investigator at the S.J.P.D. He's supposed to be meeting with the leader of Tigres sometime tonight. I have no idea why. I doubt if any of those guys will raise their hand and admit to a crime."
"Hm. We'll have to wait and see." Thad slipped his hand underneath her hair and hooked her neck, bringing her forward. "There's deli sandwiches and chips in the garage. Why don't you eat while I finish with the club, and then we can go home?"
"Okay." She walked beside him, hooking her finger through the back of his belt loop of his jeans. "Did you already eat?"
"I had a couple sandwiches when we got back from finding the missing kid." He pushed the door open leading to the garage.
Clara and Gracie waved from the table. She looked at Thad, not wanting to leave him. The last few days had been too busy to connect with him. He'd been out half the night taking his shift in the search. When he wasn't at the house, Chuck crashed on the couch downstairs protecting her.
"Go ahead. I'll be done in ten minutes or so," said Thad.
She walked over to the table, took off her jacket and put her purse on the floor. Ingrid scooted over, giving her the closest chair. Gracie set a plate with a sandwich and chips on it in front of her. Now that Thad had shared parts of how each woman in Notus came to be in the club and how the members had helped them, Lena found herself having more patience and understanding when being around them as a group.
"We were just talking about how Notus found the teenager, and we all get our men at home tonight." Clara leaned against the table. "For some reason, they all look beat, and it wasn't one of their harder cases."
Lena looked over at the group of men, studying Thad. "It's probably because they're also dealing with the Tigres gang and me."
"Don't feel guilty." Gracie smiled at her softly. "We've all put them through hell one time or another."
"I almost called you last night." Ingrid picked up her phone. "But, I didn't have your number. Since Glen wasn't home, I didn't want to bother him with it. What is it?"
"My number?" Lena finished chewing and swallowed. "369-4601"
The other women took out their phones and put Lena's phone number in. Lena shifted and grabbed her cell out of her back pocket and set it on the table. "Someone put your numbers in mine if we're all sharing. Though you could've called Thad's house. He has a landline."
Ingrid's lips twitched in amusement. "Would you have answered?"
"No." Lena laughed. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Plans for Friday. Well, I guess that's tomorrow now. The guys work, and you don't. I thought I'd bring lunch over to Thad's house and spend the afternoon with you. I remember how long the days were when I was staying with Glen...before we got married and when I couldn't work, I should say. How about it?"
"Uh, okay." She brushed off her hands. "I guess that's okay. I'll ask Thad if he minds."
"He won't." Ingrid grinned. "I asked him before you got here."
Gracie cleared her throat and mumbled, "Railroaded."
"Hey, you two ganged up on me when Glen found me. It's only fair." Ingrid shrugged. "Though if you want to visit with Lena tomorrow, you can swing by at two o'clock."
Clara reached over and nudged Ingrid's shoulder. "You're going to be there at one o'clock and beat us out of getting to know Lena better, aren't' you?"
"Yeah." Ingrid laughed. "It's two against one. Lay off."
Lena finished her sandwich. Unable to decide if having company tomorrow was a good thing or something to dread. The days were long when she was in Thad's house alone. It wasn't as if she could keep herself busy like she would if she was home. She had so many chores that were not getting done during her absence and this weekend, she'd need to see if Thad would take her back to clean out her fridge before the food rotted.
The weather was changing, and her lawn would be okay until spring. Though she should install the Styrofoam cover on her outdoor faucet in case the temperature drops below freezing.
"Lena?" Clara waved her hand in front of Lena's face. "Are you okay?"
"Yep." She shook her head, paying attention. "Sorry. I was going over the list of things I need to do this weekend and trying to figure out how it'll all get done."
"Tell Thad. The guys can do whatever it is." Clara lowered her voice. "It'll get his mind off the news of Rich calling."
She looked around the table. They were all waiting to find out what she knew about the missing Notus member and Clara had placed the bait right in front of her. Or, maybe they wanted to see if she'd talk about private business.
Lena shrugged. "I really don't know his plans or what he's thinking."
Clara sat up straighter and gazed around the table. Lena almost missed the small nod of approval Clara sent to the others. She must've passed the test. Whatever Thad and she talked about in private wasn't anyone's business. The biker club was a new experience for her. She couldn't say she understood the dynamics or the reasons for secrecy, but she never planned to be a part of their inner circle.
Once the police told her it was safe to go home and be independent again, she and Thad would go back to more individual lives.
"Thanks for dinner." She stood, picking up the paper plate and napkin, and walked over to the garbage can.
Thad cut off her return to the table. "Ready, babe?"
"Sure." She pointed to the table. "Let me get my jacket and purse."
Getting her belongings, she said her goodbyes to the others, and let them know whoever showed up tomorrow to visit would be fine. She returned to Thad's side and walked out of the house into the cold.
Thad looked up at the sky. "We better hurry before it starts to rain."
She followed his gaze. Dark clouds were building.
Once on the back of his motorcycle, she hugged his body and put her face behind his shoulder to block the chill that came from the wind. Used to riding now, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the quiet. The first few times she rode behind him, she'd become overwhelmed with the speed, the wind, the noise. It took no time at all to block everything out and realize that riding made her feel as if she was alone with her thoughts. Everything became clearer, and she enjoyed the time spent with Thad on his Harley.
The engine rumbled in intensity, and she leaned, lifting her head as Thad pulled into the driveway of his house. Instead of stopping, he turned and walked the bike backward under the overhang of the roof before putting the kickstand down.
Thad put his hand on her thigh as he turned the motorcycle off. "Hang on. My phone was going off on our way back. I need to check it."
He
pulled out his cell. "It's Gomez."
"What's he want?" She peered over his shoulder.
"He wants me to call." Thad tapped the screen and put the phone to his ear. "Yeah, it's Bowers."
Lena held her breath, hoping to hear part of Gomez's side of the conversation, but the wind and a neighbor's car idling two houses down buffered his voice.
"Fuck," muttered Thad. "Reason?"
Lena pointed to the ground, received a nod from Thad, and slid off the bike and stood to wait for him. She hoped the call wasn't about another missing person. Thad was exhausted from the long week of working a day job and searching for the last runaway.
"We'll be home. I'll figure out what we'll do tomorrow and give you a call later." Thad stood, lifted his leg, and stepped off the bike. "Will do."
He disconnected the call. Lena took off her helmet. "Everything okay?"
"We'll talk inside." He put his hand on her lower back and urged her toward the front door.
A raindrop landed on her cheek. She raised her hand to her face and continued walking. "We got home just in—"
An explosive bang, bang, bang deafened her at the same time her body pitched forward. The noise continued, and she hit the walkway hard, a heavy weight landing on top of her. Panic filled her. Spots dotted her vision. Her chest seized.
Silence came.
The weight moved off her.
Her lungs screamed for air, and she gulped a heady breath. She rolled to her side and became airborne. Thad appeared in front of her, and she realized he carried her in his arms.
"You're safe. I got you." Thad shifted her to his side without letting her down.
She gasped for breath, afraid the next one wouldn't come.
Thad shifted her again in his arms and carried her into the house, kicking the door shut. He placed her on the couch. She slumped on the cushions holding her stomach. Her body shook, unable to recuperate from the impact of hitting the ground.
He cupped her cheeks. "Look at me."
She tried to nod, but he held her still.
"That's it. Inhale deeper." His thumbs caressed her skin. "Let it all out and breathe again. You got the wind knocked out of your body when I tackled you."
"W-was that gunshots out there?" she said, inhaling again.
The pressure in her chest had her heartbeat echoing in her ears. She was in the house. Thad was with her. Nobody could hurt her.
"Yeah, babe. Some motherfucker drove by shooting at the house. I need you to keep breathing while I make a couple calls." He kissed her forehead and took out his phone.
Only then did she realize the room was semi dark. She could only make out Thad because he had left the kitchen light on this morning in the other room before work.
Thad called Wayne to put a call out for all riders. She shivered, hugging her middle. Then, he called 911. She couldn't even think of which one of her coworkers was working swing shift and would be answering the call or what the procedure was when shots had been fired.
The doorbell rang. Thad exhaled harshly. "That's probably the neighbors wondering what the hell is going on. I'll need to go out and tell them to stay inside, until the police get here, babe."
She nodded, unable to speak. All she could think about was someone had tried to kill her and Thad.
Chapter 26
Mr. and Mrs. Bowers played Pinochle at the table in the dining room of Thad's house. Lena sat in the living room, in sight of Thad's parents, scrolling through her Facebook newsfeed on her cell phone. Her almost thirty Facebook friends were comprised of dispatchers, policemen, firefighters, and a couple of paramedics she knew in real life. All of them rarely posted, so she skimmed through the local news channels she followed.
An accident on I-205, Portland Trailblazers beat the Phoenix Suns last night, and the first hint of frost would happen Tuesday night. None of the news happening locally compared to being shot at and she wondered if the drive-by would even make the news.
She exited Facebook. Now that she'd been stuck with Thad's parents babysitting her since Thad left for work early this morning, she almost wished Ingrid, Clara, and Gracie would've been allowed to come over and spend the day with her. But, apparently, Wayne and Glen wanted them to stay away from her until the trouble with Tigres was over.
When Thad suggested his parents stay with her, she had no choice but to go back on her desire to not be involved with them. There was safety in numbers, and she had no one who could sit in the house with her.
The police were doing their job, trying to find out who owned the car Thad witnessed drive by the house. Though Lieutenant Gomez had told them both the vehicle was probably stolen or at least had bogus license plates. All she could do was stay inside and wait.
She pulled up Google and hovered her thumb over the screen. After having nothing to do and not wanting to have any conversation with the Bowers, she'd started thinking about Alexander Grimaldi and what he had to do with her mother's hatred toward her, her own daughter. Could her mom have had an affair with the Grimaldi guy during her marriage to the man Lena had thought was her dad her whole life? Could her mom have been pregnant when she met Steve Grayson?
She knew little about her mom's life, only overheard conversations her mom had with Jack. Since her brother had been eight years old when she left, those conversations amounted to nothing but baby talk. Something she'd never experienced. Her mom had always talked to her as if she'd been an adult, responsible for all the pain in the world.
She typed 'Alexander Grimaldi' into the search bar on her phone. Then, she looked up at Thad's parents and caught Mrs. Bowers looking at her. She smiled, uncomfortable with the attention. There was something sad about Thad's mom. She hadn't noticed it right away, but spending hours making small, polite talk, the older woman would often watch her as if she was lost in thought.
Lena's chest squeezed. The woman had lost a daughter. Not from sickness or a terrible accident. She'd been kidnapped, raped, and murdered. She knew enough about normal families to realize that Thad's mom lived with the sadness every day, and would for the rest of her life.
That level of deep love and commitment to a child, whether living or dead, was something she had never witnessed or experienced. She doubted if she had the ability to love that deeply because she had never received or given love like that.
She looked down at her phone and her pulse accelerated. There were a ton of returns on the name Alexander Grimaldi.
Grimaldi, Attorney at Law, wins the case of Simon LTD Versus. Jaquer Esq.
Most influential Attorney, Alexander Grimaldi, petitioned...
Defending the Sullivan family, Alexander Grimaldi, Atty, won the Sullivan's $750 million sentence Thursday at the Portland Municipal Courthouse.
Lena stopped scrolling and almost laughed out loud. No lawyer would ever be involved with her mom. They didn't socialize within the same circle. Her mom waited tables at restaurants, did book-work for small mom and pop establishments, and even worked at Sears at the mall during Lena's childhood. All entry level jobs.
She looked at a website for the lawyer and found one for Grimaldi, and clicked the link. She had no idea what she was looking for until she found a picture of Mr. Grimaldi.
He had black hair, peppered with gray. His olive skin appeared flawless, except for the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. She stared into brown eyes that smiled back at her from the photo. A lawyer photograph with a bookcase of legal books in the background and the American flag hung to the side, almost out of view. Professional and sharp-dressed in an expensive suit and red tie, Alexander Grimaldi looked serious and powerful. She reached under her hair and ran her finger over the top of her ear. Alexander Grimaldi's ears were close to his head like hers.
"Lena?" said Mrs. Bowers.
She pressed the phone against her stomach, hiding the screen. Her cheeks warmed. She'd been intent on looking at a picture of the man who could've fathered her.
She raised her gaze. "Yes?"
"Thad's home." Mrs.
Bowers smiled gently. "He just shut off his motorcycle in the driveway."
She'd been lost in her online search, she hadn't even heard the roar of his Harley drive up to the house. Not an easy thing to ignore.
"Thanks." She stood, not knowing what to do.
That's how Thad caught her. Standing in the middle of the living room, lost, and needing answers. No, maybe she wanted to ignore the answer staring her in the face. She had no room in her life for a father figure. Not Thad's dad or one she'd never met.
Thad approached her, gazing at her intently, and wrapped his arms around her. He palmed the back of her head and held her against his chest. The beating of his heart thrummed in her head. Aware of him talking to his parents, she shut down. It'd taken everything out of her to hang out for the day around people she didn't want to know. She only wanted Thad.
He pulled back and kissed her lips. "I'm home now."
She nodded. And, kept nodding.
Thad held her head in his hands and rubbed his lips against her mouth, peppering kisses against her cheeks, her forehead, her chin. She jerked her head back and looked around for his parents.
"They slipped out." Thad inhaled deeply. "Tonight's the night the Elks have their meeting and Dad has to go."
Out of nowhere, she was aroused. More than hot. Desperate. Panicked. Frantic.
She slipped her arms around his neck and was lifted off the ground. Wrapping her legs around his hips, she dove into the kiss, thrusting her tongue into his mouth, stroking, sucking. She curled her fingers into his hair, holding him close as he carried her, afraid he'd put her down or get a phone call or ask her questions she couldn't even form answers for yet.
Upstairs, Thad hitched her higher on his body and then propelled her through the air. She landed on her back with a soft bounce on the mattress of his bed. He wasted no time and tugged on her jeans. She undid the button and zipper, letting him whip the pants off her. She wiggled out of her shirt and unhooked her bra from the front clasp.
