by Bella Jewel
“Is there anyone else significant in her life that we need to be looking into?” I ask Blanche.
He looks to me. “That’s your job. You need to find everyone who had anything to do with her—friends, colleagues, family members. We need to piece together her life. Was there any rifts between her and someone else? Did anyone have reason to want to hurt her? Was she suicidal or dealing with something we don’t know about? These are all things we need to piece together a case. Nothing is too small. Get to work.”
Corey and I both nod and I start with her family, organizing interviews so we’re able to get as much information as we can.
It’s exciting and, for the first time in years, I feel like I’m getting somewhere, like maybe, just maybe, I’ll finally move up and have the career I always wanted. I’m excited about coming to work, and knowing that we are able to sit alongside Blanche during all of this is an absolute honour. He’s incredible at what he does, and I want to learn everything I possibly can while working with him.
“How are you doing?” Blanche asks me three hours later as I’m head down in a stack of information that I’ve gathered.
“I have found something interesting. Her sister has a boyfriend, who apparently was meeting with Petra in secret. She’s not sure what they were doing together, she thought they might have been planning a surprise party or something of the sort for her upcoming birthday, but she said she found some interesting messages on her boyfriends phone to Petra, and she is a little concerned he has something to do with her disappearance.”
Blanche nods. “Good work, have you called him in for an interview?”
“I have, he’ll be here this afternoon.”
“You’re a natural.”
I look up at him and my cheeks flush at the compliment. It’s not something I get a great deal of around here. “Thank you, it’s a pleasure working with you.”
“I have a few notes to go over later, if you’re interested, we could maybe do it over dinner?”
Oh.
Oh my.
“Not a date,” he chuckles at my now redder cheeks. “Just two colleagues having dinner and working on solving a case. It’s something we do often.”
“Sure, of course,” I stammer, feeling stupid but at the same time honored he wants to work with me after hours. “I can do that.”
“What time works for you?”
“My son is with his dad for a few nights, so anytime is fine.”
“Wonderful, I’ll pick you up at seven.”
Oh, boy.
This is happening.
Really happening.
Finally.
I SWING THE DOOR OPEN to see Alarick, Cohen, and Kendric standing at my doorstep. I’m dressed up for my night out and am shocked to see them on my doorstep. Steven will be here any minute, and I’m fairly certain he’s going to ask questions if he notices a bunch of bikers on my doorstep.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, eyes flashing past them to make sure he isn’t here yet.
“Where are you going?” Kendric asks, crossing his arms and letting his eyes rake over me in a way that makes me shiver, in the best possible way.
He does something to me, maybe it’s because I know he doesn’t like me, but he brings my body alive in a way nobody since Reece has. Only this time, he’s doing it in a healthy way. Or maybe that’s the problem, is that my relationship with Kendric isn’t all that healthy and my body knows it. It’s like it’s drawn to the darkness.
“I’m going out with Steven to work on the case, if you must know. It’s not going to look good if you’re all here, so you need to leave.”
“You’re going out with Blanche?” Alarick asks.
“Yes, now can you leave.”
“You goin’ to ask him some questions?” he keeps pressing, as if I didn’t frantically try to get rid of him.
“No, I’m not. I don’t think he has anything to do with this, I think you’re clutching at straws.”
Alarick’s face tightens, just a little. “Not the impression we’re gettin’ from our research. How can you be so fuckin’ sure he’s a good guy?”
“He’s the best detective this side of New York, seriously. He’s incredible. People come from all over to use him. Do you really believe he’d risk it all to involve himself in some horrible illegal scheme?”
Alarick studies me. “I’ve seen smarter men do it. We’ve got reason to believe he’s involved. We’ve been trackin’ Peter, found out some information that has given us a location we’re wantin’ to look into.”
“What location?” I ask, glancing past him again.
“An island, fair way out. Interesting that we stumbled across it. Found a trail that leads Peter to that particular island. King also told us that he did hear of it in his travels. We’re lookin’ into it, but I suspect that could be where Dax is. Pretty certain it’s well hidden and there’s a reason for that. They’re workin’ with someone who knows how to hide them. That someone is Blanche, I’m fuckin’ certain of it. Also found out that Blanche and Bennett are cousins. That ain’t no coincidence?”
Jesus.
I can’t process this right now.
He’s going to be here any minute, and the last thing I need is to be linked to a group of bikers. I’m sure Steven will have many questions then.
“I’ll come by the club tomorrow to discuss it. You need to go now, if he sees you here, nobody will be asking questions. Do you understand?”
Alarick glances at Cohen. Kendric hasn’t taken his eyes off me.
“We’ve got a lead, two towns over. We’re ridin’ to question them tomorrow. You’re comin’.”
What?
Jesus.
“Fine, okay, I’ll come. Can you leave?”
“We’re ridin’. You go with Kendric.”
I blink, staring at Kendric who gives me a grin that makes my skin prickle. It’s a shit eating grin, the kind of expression you give someone when you know there’s tension and the last thing they want to do is be stuck on a god damned bike with you.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “No.”
“It’s happenin’, we’ll pick you up at nine,” Kendric murmurs, his voice low and husky.
“No way. I’ve never ridden on a bike. I’m not getting on one now. No.”
“We’re not leavin’ until you agree, so unless you want your little cop boyfriend to see us here, I suggest you accept,” Kendric tells me, his voice laced with amusement.
“For god’s sake,” I snap. “Fine, fine. Just leave.”
Alarick grins and Kendric nods his eyes, letting his eyes scan over my breasts before meeting my ice-cold stare once more. “That dress is tellin’ him you want to fuck, just so you know.”
With that, they turn and leave.
Sweet Jesus.
I glance down at my dress, and it is showing a fair amount of cleavage but I didn’t think that was a bad thing. I didn’t think it looked trashy in any way, but now I’m thinking about it, we’re just working a case over dinner. This dress very well might give the wrong impression. Freaking out, I turn and rush inside, changing into a pair of jeans and a nice button down blouse. I make it out just in time for Steven to knock on the door.
I open it to find him dressed casually, and I thank the dear lord I changed the dress because I would have felt stupid the moment I opened this door. Steven is dressed in jeans, a light grey shirt and some casual shoes. It’s strange to see him out of uniform. Even in all the pictures you see of him, he’s always in uniform.
He smiles. “You ready?”
“Yep, ready.”
I step out and lock the door, then we get into his car and go to a nearby restaurant. I’m nervous, and I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s the slight unease that he might have something to do with all this that’s running around in my head. Maybe he does have something to do with it? I just can’t see how. I honestly can’t imagine why you’d risk everything. I shake my head and take a seat, planting a smile on my face.
Alaric
k is wrong about him. He is.
“Would you like a glass of wine?” he asks me just as a waiter stops at our table.
We order wine and a share platter, and then we get straight into work. We talk about the case, the suspect, and how the interview went this afternoon. It’s thrilling to be sitting here, working with the best detective there is. I love every moment of it and the night goes by way too fast for my liking. I get along with Steven easily, our interactions are light and fun. He’s so genuine that by the time dinner is over, I’m sure Alarick has got it wrong.
Still, I can’t help but bring up something to see if he’ll tell me the truth.
“Did you hear about Constable Bennett being murdered?” I ask over a sip of wine. “That really rocked the station.”
Steven looks to me and nods, his face dropping just a little. “He was my cousin; his mom is really taking it hard.”
No lie.
Straight up truth.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know that. That must have been so hard for your family.”
“It hasn’t been easy, especially considering he’s been accused of doing some pretty bad things. He was involved with some people that, let’s just say, aren’t the kind of people he should have been involved with.”
I nod. “I was there the night of the arrest, it’s all very ... strange.”
My heart is racing, mostly because I’m scared he’ll figure me out and know that I have a lot more information than I’m letting on, at the same time, part of me really wants to know if he has something to hide. I just need to know, even though I don’t believe he does.
“I did read that on the report. You arrested that biker.”
“I did.”
“He’s out now, trial is in a few months. He’ll go down for being involved in that. It’s a dangerous operation and the people running it aren’t to be messed with.”
How does he know it’s a dangerous operation?
“We’re still looking into the man who got away, Dax,” I say casually. “He basically disappeared without a trace. We’re not silly enough to believe he was working alone with the biker.”
I hate calling Kendric the biker, but at the same time, I can’t refer to him by name because that’ll raise suspicion.
“I don’t know, that biker club is pretty powerful. I know there were more involved, we just don’t have enough to take them down. Dax was working with them, Bennett got too close and was killed. A club is more than big enough to run an operation like that.”
He believes the club is responsible?
“I didn’t see a great deal about the club’s involvement,” I lie. “Just the one biker.”
“That’s because they’re good at covering their tracks. All the same, they’ll make a mistake. The department will find Dax and that club will go down when they do.”
“They’re still looking into the club?” I ask, shocked.
“Of course they are.”
I keep my face calm as I stare at him. I try to look interested, anything other than what I am in this moment—which is shocked. I don’t want him to see the weaker side of me, I don’t want him to get suspicious, but the fact that they’re going to try and tie the whole club in is scary. It’s scary because people are corrupt, it’s scary because if that’s the road they want to go down, they’ll make it happen.
Those people, they’ll all go down.
I shrug nonchalantly even though my insides are screaming at me to get up and run and warn the club, like that’s going to make any difference.
“Well, I guess if they did it then they’ll pay for it,” I say, trying to keep my voice calm.
“They did it,” Steven says, his voice scarily steady, like he’s so damned sure of that fact.
Why wouldn’t he be? He doesn’t know what I do. I wonder if I should come forward, tell them what I know. I could help the club, I could stop any investigation, but I’d lose everything in the process.
I take a deep breath, calming myself down.
I’ll talk to Alarick tomorrow, I’ll sort it out.
Everything is going to be fine.
Right?
8
ZARIAH
The rumbling of motorcycles has me fidgeting on my front porch. I’m wearing jeans, a jacket, and boots, but I’m still not loving the idea of getting on the back of one of these bikes, especially not with a man who can’t stand me. I’ve never been on a motorcycle; you could say I’ve seen far too many accidents involving them and I’m not really all that keen on risking my life. I also know I’m not going to get a choice because Alarick wants me there, and I can’t say no to anything right now, not if I want to keep the club safe.
The large group of bikes rumble to a stop outside my house, and I stare over at them, shocked by how powerful they look in a group like this. They’re scary and they’re dominant, like a pack of wild wolves that you would never dare mess with. I’ve seen them together before, but never like this. Their jackets are like a sea of leather, a warning to anyone who dares mess with them.
I rub my arms and see Briella wave to me from the back of Alarick’s bike, then I see Merleigh riding with Bohdi. I raise my hand, nervously, and then watch as Kendric pulls up, throws his leg over the bike, and strides toward me with a purpose that makes me uneasy. He stops in front of me, intense eyes locking with mine. “Let’s go.”
“I don’t ... I don’t know about this. I’ve never been on a bike before.”
“Get on the bike, Zariah.”
Bossy. As. Fuck.
“Look, maybe I can just follow you in my car. Yeah, I’ll do that. I’m not comfortable with this. I’ve seen what happens on those things.”
Kendric leans down, so his face is close to mine. “Get on the fuckin’ bike.”
Oh, no. Hell no.
“Excuse me?” I snap, crossing my arms. “You want me to get on the bike with you when we both know you can’t stand me. For all I know you’re going to do something to hurt me.”
“I’m not a fuckin’ monster,” Kendric growls. “I don’t hurt people for no reason. I’m not your fuckin’ boyfriend. Now, get on the fuckin’ bike before I put you on it myself. You don’t want to look stupid in front of everyone, do you?”
My mouth drops open, but before I can say anything else, he shoves a helmet down onto my head. I gasp and my hands fly up to slap his away so I can do it myself. He turns on his heel and walks toward the bike, climbing on and starting it up. The loud rumble is barely heard beneath all the other bikes. I walk over, legs wobbly, and when I reach the bike, I stare at him. I can’t see his eyes anymore through his dark glasses.
“Get on,” he yells over the sound.
I swallow, glance at Briella who gives me a thumbs up, and then I throw my leg over the bike and position myself behind Kendric. I didn’t realize until this moment just how close I was going to be to him. My body is pressed against his, and I can feel every inch of his hard back. My fingers tremble and I wave my hands around aimlessly for a few seconds, not really sure where to put them. Kendric reaches around, grabs my hand and jerks it around his waist.
Oh, god.
I put my other arm around and link my fingers in front of him. My heart is racing and I’m so nervous I could vomit. Everything is alive inside my body right now, I don’t know what to feel, I don’t know if I’m nervous or excited. I do know that I’m wrapped around a biker who, right now, can’t stand me. Yet, I feel strangely good. I like the feeling it’s giving me deep inside my chest. We won’t get started on my vajayjay, because that’s betraying me in all kinds of ways now.
Damn thing doesn’t know what’s good for it.
The bikes take off with a loud roar, and I squeal into my helmet and tighten my arms around Kendric’s waist as we pick up speed. Then, oh then, I feel the freedom in my bones. I’ve never felt something so exhilarating in my life. All at once, I understand why they do this, why they risk their lives, why they ride these loud machines. It’s for this feeling, the one I’m
getting right now. It’s attacking my whole body. Joy and excitement, a rush I’ve never experienced.
I can’t stop the huge grin from spreading across my face. I want to throw my hands into the air and scream at the top of my lungs, I want to whoop with utter joy. So, this is what freedom feels like?
Every single moment I hang out with these men has me realizing exactly why they do what they do.
They live a life so many of us could never begin to imagine.
They don’t answer to anybody but themselves.
They have a family that isn’t bound by blood, but something much stronger.
They’re a brotherhood that would literally die for one another.
I’ve never had that in my life.
The ride is over too quickly, even though we’ve been on the road for two hours. I could stay on here all day, curled around Kendric, not worrying about anything but the wind blowing against my body. Nothing in the world can touch me, and I love how that makes me feel.
We arrive at a large warehouse and the bikes all come to a stop, shutting down. Suddenly it’s way too silent. My ears ring as I get off the back and pull my helmet off. Right now, standing amongst them all, I don’t feel like a cop. I feel like family. Just family. Like I’m part of this club. Part of them.
I kind of like how that feels.
Kendric turns to me when he removes his helmet and says, “Not so terrifying, now was it?”
I shake my head; I can’t stop the smile spreading across my face. Something in his expression changes when he sees it, like his face goes a little softer, like he’s surprised to see me smile like that.
He makes a huffing sound, but not an unhappy one, almost like a silent chuckle, and then turns toward Alarick who is walking toward us, Briella in tow. They stop in front of me and Briella asks happily, “So, did you love it?”
“I have to admit I kind of did,” I say.
She claps her hands with a thrilled squeal.
“Down to business now,” Alarick says, interrupting his woman’s happy dance. “We’ve got shit to get through here. The man we’re about to talk to has information that we need. He happens to have inside knowledge, and we hear he may very well know Blanche well. Nobody speaks but me. You’re all here for backup, nothing more.”
