“What!” he barked into the phone.
“You need to keep calm.” Diablo said, making Phoenix tense up.
Every muscle in his body was now clenched as he waited on Diablo’s explanation. He knew if the man was telling him to be calm that shit was about to hit the fan in a big way. Now that he had Sin to worry about, it was harder to stay steady. He had more to lose if something big went down now that he’d patched his woman. He waited for him to continue, but when Diablo didn’t instantaneously start giving him the details, something inside him stilled. Normally Diablo wouldn’t immediately assume, he’d go ape shit. Phoenix was typically the steady one. It was the reason he’d held his position in the club for almost six years.
“It’s Sin.” Diablo began before pausing.
“Is she alive?” he asked, his voice cracking just a bit on the question, and his whole being seized up as he waited for the answer. He felt like his world was collapsing and his chest clenched because he couldn’t breathe.
“She’s fine, but something happened tonight—,” Diablo began, but Phoenix broke in.
“Stop fucking dancing around it and fucking tell me what happened.”
“I’m trying to tell you dumbass, but you keep interrupting me. Now, as I was saying, something happened to—,” Diablo said, letting out a frustrated sigh when Phoenix interrupted him again.
“You already said that shit, now tell me what the fuck happened.” Phoenix commanded, feeling like his head was about to explode if Diablo didn’t get to the damned point.
“Jesus asshole, I’m trying. Now shut up and listen. Two Raiders MC members broke into your house intending to kill your old lady—,” Diablo began again.
“Is she fucking hurt?!?” Phoenix roared, the blood draining from his face and his lips feeling numb as he gripped the phone to his ear and tried hard to inhale air as he waited for Diablo to respond.
“No, now shut the fuck up and listen. She heard them making some racket because she’d apparently put some alarm on that woke her up. Your old lady being the insane girl that she is climbed out of bed with her gun and hid behind her dresser waiting on them to come in. She then watched as they shot up the covers she’d lumped up to look like a body before she proceeded to shoot them both, one in the heart and the other in the head. Both men are dead,” Diablo paused taking a breath and Phoenix felt his heart stop its’ crazy rhythm as he realized his woman was safe. He almost sighed with relief that Sin was as paranoid as she was.
“The neighbors called the cops after hearing gunshots and Sin had to dump your illegal guns and the weed you had stashed in the hall closet. She’s a smart one. She texted Rage from a burner that the shit needed to be collected from the back before the cops got there. She then acted completely hysterical about killing those men when the police showed up. They did a search, but they didn’t find anything because she’d removed it all. However, those two men were dead and because they knew she was involved with the club, the cops took her in to the station.”
“I’ll be there in two hours.” Phoenix growled, ready to hang up.
“What? No, Phoenix she’s fine. She already called her lawyer to get her out and she doesn’t need you rushing back here to her side when she’s being investigated for two murders. You need to play this cool. She’s going—,”
“What the fuck do you mean she called her lawyer? Why the fuck isn’t Bradley handling this shit? Did Rage not call him to get my fucking old lady out of jail? What the fuck?” Phoenix roared, his head about to explode at the thought of his sweet babydoll in jail without help. He was already up and getting dressed with quick angry movements.
“My god man, chill the fuck out. Do you really think that Rage didn’t immediately call Bradley to get her out? What the fuck, man? You know we have your back, always. She had some fancy lawyer who showed up within the hour and started getting her out before Bradley could even show up. He told Rage that this guy Stanley Hayworth is one of the best defense attorney’s money can buy. I don’t know how, or why she knew him, but he’ll likely have her out before dawn. She also made sure that the cops handed Rage the tape from the security feed the second he arrived and told him to give it to the lawyer himself because she didn’t trust the cops,” Diablo finished, pride and a bit of laughter coloring his tone.
Phoenix felt that pit of anger in his belly calm a little, but it still wasn’t gone. He needed to get the fuck out of here and back to his woman. Knowing she was going to be out of jail soon helped, but it didn’t reassure him that she was okay. He wouldn’t trust that until she was safe in his arms and he had kissed every inch of her. Being familiar with the state laws on intruders he knew that she was safe as long as her lawyer could prove she’d been in harm’s way. From what Diablo had told him it would likely be a slam dunk for any decent defense attorney to argue.
She’d been in her home and they’d attacked her. The cops might want to try to pin her with murder charges, but they weren’t likely to stick. He knew she had a camera that showed the doorway of the bedroom as well as the other rooms in the house. If they’d stood in the door and shot into the room like Diablo said they did, then it was on the recording. The cops however would ask why she’d shut it off after the shootings had occurred, but he knew her well enough to know that she’d have some reasonable excuse for that. Likely something along the lines of, I knew my lawyers would need the tape, so I stopped it and made sure he got it by giving it to a friend for safe keeping.
Damn his woman was smart, but he needed to get back to her before he lost his shit because knowing she was safe and actually seeing it were two different things. He was already stuffing his shit into his saddle bags as he lifted them and headed to the door. He’d collected his shit while he’d been talking to Diablo. If she’d been hurt or god forbid dead, he likely would have left all his shit here when he road after whoever had done it. Nothing would have stopped him from killing those men. It wouldn’t have mattered that he didn’t have his shit, but since she was safe and alive, he could take the time to collect it all. Slamming out of the hotel with his saddle bags over his shoulder, he hooked them to his bike with the phone still to his ear.
“I should be there in three hours.” Phoenix grunted.
“Fuck man, just stay there and finish the damned job. She’s fine—,” Diablo growled, sounding pissed off, but Phoenix didn’t care.
“No, she’s my old lady and I will not be sitting here waiting on some assholes to arrive while she’s in fucking jail. It’s not fucking happening.” Phoenix snorted.
“Damn it, man. I liked it better when you weren’t tied to a woman. You were much more agreeable.” Diablo grumbled.
“Too fucking bad asshole. If this was your sister you’d be just as ready to come home dickhead! So shut the fuck up.”
“Yeah, yeah. I can’t argue with that, but it doesn’t change my last statement. When you weren’t getting pussy on the reg you were much more agreeable.”
“We both know I always got it on the reg, fucker.”
“Yes, but having one pussy versus many has to be dull as fuck.” Diablo replied.
“No, not really.” Phoenix said, unable to stop grinning. Sin might be the only woman he was fucking, but she made him happy, which was more than he could say for random bitches.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sin stared at the man who’d introduced himself as Detective De Santos, her body relaxed. She hadn’t spoken in the last five minutes while the man had rambled on about who he was and that he was here to help her. Ha, yeah right. He was here to pump her for information and she damned well knew it. He was trying to get her to sing like a canary about the Devils Arms MC so they could arrest Phoenix and the boys. He made her repeat the story she’d told before they’d booked her, likely looking for any inconsistencies. Sin had kept it as close to the truth as possible without telling him anything that could incriminate her, so it wasn’t hard to keep her story straight.
“Ms. North, I know tonight’s been a
rough night, but I want to help you.” The detective said for the third time since she’d sat down. She wanted to snort in disgust because she wasn’t stupid. She knew them bringing her in here without her lawyer wasn’t about anything except getting information. How they thought she’d be stupid enough to fall for that she didn’t know.
“I’m not speaking with you about anything except my statement until my lawyer’s in here.” Sin said again, earning a glower and a frustrated sigh from the detective. Not that she gave a shit that he was frustrated. The son of a bitch was just like all the other cops she’d met in her life. Always trying to get her to squeal on her family. Not freaking happening. Where were they when she’d needed them when she was twelve? Where the fuck were they when she’d almost died on the streets? More importantly, where were they when she was being abused every day as a child? That was when she’d needed them and where had they been? Not helping her, that’s where.
Not that all cops were bad she supposed, but the few bad apples and the stupid bureaucracy they had to abide by made them almost useless in any given situation. The detective set a photo in front of her and she glanced down seeing it was one of the men she’d shot tonight. She didn’t flinch or react to the photo in any way.
“This is Reed Black and he’s a known affiliate to the Raiders MC. That’s the kind of guys the people you’re dealing with are bringing into your life Ms. North. Is it really necessary to protect those men? The Devils Arms MC has its hands in more illegal endeavors than any other club in the state. I know you might be scared of them, or maybe you just want to think they’re good men, but they aren’t. They’re the reason these men broke into your home tonight. They’re the reason you had to shoot someone who invaded your home tonight.” He said, his bushy mustache moving up and down.
Sin didn’t bother speaking, she just stared at him silently. She’d already told him she wasn’t talking to him until her lawyer got here and she wasn’t going to talk till Stan walked into the room. Not that she’d be saying much when he came in either. Once he was here, she’d be heading out the door with him as soon as he got her release papers filed. Her shooting those two men was self-defense and it was pretty cut and dry. They’d shot the bed four times before she put bullets in them. No judge could reasonably say she hadn’t been within her rights to take those shots. She started tapping her foot against the table leg as the detective stared at her expectantly.
“Well?” He asked after a long pause, in which they stared at each other afterwards in complete silence.
“Law—yer,” was Sin’s response.
“You’re making a huge mistake not talking to me Ms. North. I know this man has somehow hoodwinked you into believing he’s a good man, but he’s not. You need to level with me and we can work something out. Otherwise you’ll likely go to prison for killing those two men. It’s sad really, how he’s turned you against the only people who might be able to help you.” De Santos shook his head looking disappointed. Sin didn’t give a damn what this man was trying to do, he’d just insulted her and her old man, which pissed her the fuck off. How he thought she’d betray the man she loved she couldn’t fathom, but he was expecting her to.
“Oh, you think Phoenix turned me against the police?” Sin snorted. “That’s really funny because I’m pretty sure what made me not trust your type is exactly what’s happening right now. You’re lying. I know that those kills were clean. They shot four holes in my freaking bed and no court could say I wasn’t within my right to defend myself from bodily harm. So no, I won’t be going to prison. Now, can we just sit here quietly and wait for my lawyer.”
De Santos glared at her as he sat across the table from her, his hands now resting on the edges with a white knuckled grip. She didn’t give a fuck. He could be pissed all he wanted. She’d stopped caring what anyone thought about her life when she was twelve. That was the day she’d run away from home. If Papa Bear hadn’t found her, she’d likely be dead by now because of cops like him. They worked in their system and it didn’t matter that she was getting beaten almost daily. They’d told her when she was eight that they’d protect her, but they hadn’t. She’d been taken from her mother and father twice by the time she was eleven and both times they’d jumped through whatever hoops they had needed to, always managing to get her back. The police meant well she supposed, and they had their uses, but sometimes taking the law into your own hands was the only way to survive.
“You don’t have any proof that’s how it happened and in a court of law you have to prove it.” De Santos snarled.
Sin just waited, looking at her nails. She was done talking to him about this. The door opened and an older man walked into the room. Sin blinked a little startled to see him here. He did a double take, as shocked as she was to see her sitting in the little interrogation room. He grinned at her, sending a wink her way before quickly losing it when De Santos turned to look at him.
“Don’t bother. She’s not talking. They have her hoodwinked just like all the others we’ve managed to pick up. Why these women insist on trusting these assholes who break the law is beyond me.” De Santos complained.
Sin snorted out a little laugh trying not to burst out laughing at the detective. He had no idea that he was talking to a man who had acted against regulations more than once. She knew for a fact that Roberts had helped Papa Bear and Jack on more than one occasion. Finding her parents had been one of them. What happened after the boys found her former caregivers—ha, more like torturers—hadn’t concerned him.
She hadn’t even asked what happened to them because she’d known. She’d told him some of the things they’d done to her once she’d accepted him as her family. One night not long after they’d talked about some of the things they’d done to her, she’d woke screaming. Papa had come running into the room with a gun and she’d shakily explained that she’d been having a nightmare. He sat down next to her on the bed with his arms curled around her, holding her as she sobbed. When she’d finally calmed down, he’d looked at her and she’d never forget what he said. His eyes had been heavy with anger when he spoke. ‘Sinny-bear, they won’t ever hurt you or anyone else ever again,’ he’d said before kissing her forehead and rubbing her back till she fell asleep. She’d known then that they were dead, and she hadn’t cared.
“I see,” Roberts said as he winked at her. She couldn’t stop the little grin as she leaned forward, resting her head against her arms to hide it from De Santos. “Well, they sent me in here to move her to the room that isn’t recorded to meet with her lawyer. He’s already got her release processing.”
“Yeah, go ahead. Like I say, she isn’t talking anyway.” De Santos said, flinging his hand into the air as he left the room in a huff.
“He’s a bit abrasive, but he’s not a bad sort. Just takes himself way too seriously kiddo.” Roberts said as he removed her hands from the restraints that was attached to the table. He re-cuffed her hands when she was standing leaning in a little closer. “How ya been, kid? You’ve been leading them boys on a wild goose chase I hear.”
“Got to keep those assholes on their toes, don’t I?” She asked as he led her out of the door.
“Indeed, little miss. Indeed.” Roberts said as he guided her out of the interrogation room and down the hall to the room where Stan waited. He opened the door and she saw the ginger haired man in an expensive three piece suit sitting at the table.
“Thanks Roberts.” Stan said as the restraints were removed once again.
“Sure thing. Stay out of trouble little miss. I don’t want to have to see you go to the big house.” Roberts said as he exited the room. Sin grinned at him and waved.
“Serenity North, you know I really expected to get this call sooner.” Stan said from across the table, his head shaking back and forth.
“Stan, I always knew how to stay out of trouble, but it was never any fun, so I didn’t.” Sin laughed before she got up and hugged the older man. He hugged her back, but when she sat back down, he looked at her
with a serious look.
“You know I have to tell them about this right? I can’t keep it a secret. They’ve been looking for you for over a year and a half now.” Stan grimaced.
“No, no you don’t have to tell them, and you’re not going to.” Sin said, her eyes narrowing as she leaned back in her chair to eye him with her arms crossed over her chest.
“How do you figure that? I can’t let them keep looking for you when I know exactly where you’re at Serenity.” He frowned, and his manicured brows lowered.
“One word, Cabo. You rat me out and I tell Papa and my brothers about Cabo.” Sin said, grinning evilly. Stan gasped and glared at her darkly.
“You wouldn’t dare! That would get you in as much trouble as me.” He exclaimed, his face a little pale.
“No, no it really won’t. You and Jack maybe, but not me. You know Papa never gets mad at me, no matter what I might have done. It doesn’t matter that I was the one arrested. It was the two of you who were sent to keep me out of trouble and we both know who he’ll blame.” Sin snickered as she looked at Stan who was pale and a little sweaty now. She felt a little bad for holding what happened in Cabo five years ago over his head, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
“You always were a damned good negotiator. I told your father that I was glad you didn’t become a lawyer because you would have put me out of business.” Stan grumbled, finally accepting that he was going to have to stay silent about tonight. He opened his briefcase and grabbed a mint. He offered her one and she shook her head in denial, afterwards putting them away.
“Oh, don’t look so depressed. I am going to call them and tell them about all this soon. I just need to settle some things and get this trial out of the way first. Then I’ll tell them everything.” She said, rubbing her cheek where it itched.
In the Devils Arms (Devils Arms MC Book 1) Page 16
