“Mmm, maybe someone else. Unless you have him come early. Like way early.” I gave her a curious glance, and my eyes narrowed.
“Why? He do something I should know about?” At my question, she looked slightly uncomfortable. She wouldn’t meet my gaze, and she shifted from foot to foot.
“He kinda lost his shit the other night.”
“Kinda?” I crossed my arms and raised a brow as I waited for her to elaborate.
“Yeah. Tash was dancing, and some dude got handsy. Bull would’ve handled it, but he didn’t get a chance. Soap was all over the dude—hauled him outside and would’ve beat the dog shit out of him if Bo wasn’t coming in from his break and stopped him.” She looked worried.
“Had he been drinking?” I already knew the answer, but I needed verification. She closed her eyes and sighed.
“He always does. First drink starts the minute Tash takes the stage, and he doesn’t quit.”
“Goddamn it. I’ll deal with him,” I promised before I grabbed the bank bag.
“What I don’t understand is why he doesn’t just claim her and get her ass outta here,” Zena said.
It was my turn to sigh. “I don’t know,” I lied. It wasn’t my story to tell.
We said our goodbyes, and I left for the bank, then headed home.
When I pulled into the lot of the clubhouse, I frowned. There was a cruiser parked in front of the doors.
Not wasting time, I got off my bike and tugged off my helmet. I hung it on the handlebar, finger-combed my hair back, and stood.
Stepping into the dim, cool interior, I saw the broad back of a sheriff’s deputy talking to Vinny and Hacker.
“Is there a problem?” I asked. Baker turned to face me, and I saw the lines between his brows.
“You got a minute?” he asked in his deep baritone.
“Yeah, let’s go in my office.” Baker nodded, and they all followed me down the hall.
“You on the clock or off?” It was my way of asking if this was an official or unofficial visit.
“Off.”
I nodded.
“They found the girl from the Leon.” His eyes went back and forth as he looked from one of my eyes to the other. I didn’t like the fact that he didn’t say they found her safe.
Baker was a tough bastard. I’d known him all my life. The way his face was ashen and the lines framed the edge of his mouth wasn’t a common look for him. The fact that he palmed his jaw and scrubbed over his mouth was disconcerting as well.
“You gonna tell me the details?” I asked, tired of waiting. Knowing it was bad, I grabbed the shot glasses and whiskey from my drawer. While I waited for his response, I poured us each a shot.
Keeping one for myself, I slid the rest across the desk.
Baker’s shoulders slumped a bit, and he reached for the small glass. Vinny and Hacker grabbed one too.
Without a word, we each downed the rich amber liquid and slammed the glass to the desktop. Baker’s green eyes met mine.
“It was bad, brother,” he croaked out.
He proceeded to tell us she was found in Fort Defiance Park by some hikers. She appeared to have been raped, assaulted, and asphyxiated. Preliminary autopsy would be done in the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office down in Ankeny to confirm. The evidence had all been collected and sent to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations for examination.
“Jesus,” Vinny said as he leaned against the wall. My gaze locked on Hacker’s, and he gave a slight raise of his chin.
“I’m out, unless you still need me,” he said. I motioned that he was free to go. Vinny glanced at Hacker as he exited the office. We both knew he’d be going straight to his computers to start creeping into their database.
“How the hell is this shit happening here?” Baker asked, looking sick to his stomach.
“I have no idea, but I’m going to do my best to find out,” I promised. He nodded, then took a deep breath.
“I’m out, too,” he finally said. “And as always, you didn’t hear any of that from me. They won’t be publicly announcing it yet.”
“Bro, I got you.” We had a longstanding and good working relationship with the sheriff’s department. They appreciated the shit we did to keep the county safe and tended to look the other way if our methods got a little on the wrong side of the law. As long as innocent people didn’t get hurt, that was.
The local cops, however, were an entirely different story. They had a hard-on for us a mile long. If they could fuck us, they were gonna do it.
Baker left, and I went to Hacker.
“Find anything?”
He looked haggard and drawn as his eyes lifted from the screen.
“According to the preliminary reports the sheriff’s department filed, none of her belongings were with her.”
“With her being found outside of town in an area that was searched, she couldn’t have been far from the area while she was missing. We need to figure out where she was.”
“And fast.”
On my way home, I stopped by Hailey’s place, but it was dark, and she wasn’t home. I’d been hoping to let off some steam with her, so it left me feeling disgruntled that she wasn’t there.
I didn’t like that feeling. It shouldn’t drive me crazy that she wasn’t home and I didn’t know where she was. I shouldn’t need her to the level of desperation.
A handful of times in her pussy and I was an addict—her, my drug of choice.
The next night, I texted her to see if she wanted to hook up. When she told me it wasn’t a good night, I started to tell her I could be there for her. Hell, I’d started to offer to pick her up some of the ice cream she had said was her favorite.
Instead, I erased every word that made me sound like a pussy-whipped idiot and replied with “fine.” Then I proceeded to stop into Fareway and grab a pint of that disgustingly sweet shit anyway.
Except when I arrived at her house, there wasn’t a light on in the place, all the blinds were drawn, and I didn’t see her car. Granted, it could’ve been in the garage, but the house gave off the vibe of being silent and empty.
“Fuck it,” I said and headed home.
Entering the kitchen through my garage, I tossed my keys on the counter and dropped the melting ice cream in the trash.
Walking past the framed picture of me and my brother, I paused. It had been taken when I was in high school, right before graduation. With a heavy sigh, I went to take a hot shower. All night, I wondered who Hailey had been with the last two nights.
We’d said no one else.
Maybe that meant she was done with me.
Hailey
“The Long Defeat”—Thrice
I’d gone straight home, pulled all the drapes, kicked off my shoes, dropped my clothes to the floor, and climbed in bed. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fall asleep. It was all I wanted.
“God, if you make my head quit pounding, I’ll never drink cheap wine again,” I muttered from under my pillow.
Finally unable to stand it anymore, I got up and took one of my sleeping pills I had in case of emergency for insomnia. I hated them because the dreams were horrendously vivid and the occasional sleepwalking wasn’t great either. Once, I’d gotten up and started cooking macaroni and cheese.
Seriously, I’d woken up the next day to find the orange cheese powder all over my hands, pajamas, and bedding. The mess from my attempt was scattered on the stove and floor. I didn’t remember doing any of it. That was the last time I’d taken one, but I was desperate to sleep and get this headache to stop.
Downing a full bottle of water, I shuffled back to bed.
Darkness had descended and I was starting to feel sleepy when I thought I heard a motorcycle draw near. It seemed to idle outside my house, but then took off. Disappointment spread through my chest, because it would’ve been nice to have Luke hold me like he had the other night.
My eyes grew heavy, and I was out.
The next morning, I was a new woman.
There were no signs that I’d gotten up and done anything weird, and I didn’t remember dreaming anything crazy. Thank the good Lord above.
Dressed in a sleeveless gray dress, I topped it with a summer-weight sweater, swiped a layer of gloss on my lips, a little mascara on my lashes, and called it good.
Luke could kiss my ass since he didn’t seem to have time for me, I drove to work bright and early. Alba wasn’t in yet, so I dropped the mail on her counter and headed back to my office.
With a sigh, I dumped my purse on the desk, shed the sweater to the back of my chair, and moved to the window. Pulling back the curtains and opening the blinds, I stared outside deep in thought, worried about Danielle.
“Hailey. I need to talk to you.”
I jumped and screeched in surprise as I spun to the door. My hand splayed over my heart as I fought to slow its pace and catch my breath. “Jesus, Luke! You scared the shit out of me!”
He at least looked chagrined. “Sorry, I thought you heard me come in. You really shouldn’t leave the door unlocked when you’re here alone.”
“Well, then I guess it’s a good thing you’re here. Now I’m not alone,” I snarked.
Hands shoved deep in his dark, tattered jeans, he chewed on the inside of his cheek nervously. My gaze narrowed on him as I tried to figure out what was going on.
“Why are you here so early after not having anything to do with me for the last two nights?” I’d told myself I wasn’t going to bring it up because we weren’t in a relationship, but my word vomit overrode my brain.
“What the hell are you talking about?” he barked as he took a step toward me. The closer he came to my airspace, the less control I had over my body and mind. I took a self-preserving step back.
“You blew me off the other night, then I didn’t hear a word from you last night either.” I inwardly winced, knowing I’d told him it wasn’t a good night. My mouth refused to stay shut. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t help coming off as a bitchy girlfriend, which I definitely was not. But he’d created an addiction within me worse than any drug.
I’d become addicted to him.
Two steps farther and he was in front of me, toe-to-toe. Heart fluttering wildly, I moved again, but my back hit the wall. He leaned forward and trailed his fingertips up the bare skin of my arm. A shiver shot through me.
His dark-blue gaze dropped to where my nipples were embarrassingly screaming for his attention. Those perfect lips twitched slightly at one corner before he ran his fingertips over the peaks on my chest. I gasped as I fought the need to shamelessly shove them into his hand.
“You think I blew you off?” he whispered seductively as he leaned forward to run the tip of his nose along the shell of my ear. He deeply scented me before exhaling across my neck. Rough skin lightly snagged along the soft knit fabric of my dress as he moved up to wrap his hand lightly around the front of my throat.
Words escaped me as my breaths came in rapid succession. The pressure of his grip increased only slightly as his thumb stroked under my jaw.
“Cat got your tongue, Hailey?” His mouth teased featherlight kisses along my jaw before he nipped my ear. “I think it was you who was evading me. You didn’t come home for the last two nights. Where were you, Hailey? Who were you with? And tell me. Does it feel like I was blowing you off?” He pressed his erection into my hip as he whispered in my ear. My eyes fell shut as my lips parted wantonly.
A throat clearing made my eyes pop open and dart toward the sound. Officer Edwards stood in the doorway, face impassive and eyes cold. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” he said, and I thought I detected a slip in this calm demeanor. “But I need to speak with you, Ms. Monroe.”
Luke’s head slowly swiveled toward the police officer in the doorway, his nose skimming the surface of my skin the entire way. Nervously, I side-stepped out of his cocoon.
Not a care in the world, Luke sighed. “Give us a second, Eddy.”
Officer Edwards didn’t say anything at first, but his nostrils slightly flared at Luke’s shortening of his last name. His jaw ticked, then he nodded. “Of course.”
He turned and stepped out of the room. Luke moved over and closed the door.
“Did you just metaphorically piss on my leg?” I questioned, aghast at his audacity.
He took a deep breath, ignored my question, and ran a hand over his face. “I have a feeling he’s here to discuss what I came to tell you—before you distracted me.”
“What?” I huffed indignantly. “I did no such thing!”
“Babe, you only have to breathe to distract me.”
Burning like a flame, I knew my face was red at his admission.
He briefly told me about the developments with Danielle but asked me not to let on that I knew. Unable to get past what he’d told me, and knowing he’d likely held back some of the details, I started to cry.
“I’m so sorry. I wish this wasn’t the news I had for you.” He used his thumb to wipe away my tears, then reluctantly opened the door for Officer Edwards, but kept a supportive arm around me when the police officer came in.
“I’m very sorry to interrupt,” Officer Edwards said with what seemed like a bit of an attitude. “I didn’t realize you were busy.”
“Oh! Um, Luke and I were just going over details for the fundraiser,” I stammered.
Luke glared at me, then Officer Edwards.
“Could I speak to you alone?” he asked me as he shot daggers at Luke.
“No,” Luke replied before I could answer.
My eyes flashed to him in question, but he was holding the officer’s gaze.
After clearing his throat, the officer spoke but only met my eyes, effectively ignoring Luke’s presence.
“I thought you might like to know they found what they believe to be Danielle’s body late last night, and I wanted to see if anyone had remembered any other details from the day she disappeared.” Officer Edwards lifted his chin slightly as he finished.
Though Luke had given me a heads-up, he’d said not to give away that I already knew. Playing my part well, I acted surprised. My gasp of horror, however, was real. It wouldn’t matter how many times I was told she was gone, I’d forever be dismayed by the event.
“Shouldn’t one of the detectives have come by to speak to Miss Monroe?” Luke asked.
I couldn’t be certain, but Officer Edwards seemed to get red in the neck. “The detective is busy, and I said I’d come by,” he said through gritted teeth. “Since I’d be in the area for my rounds anyway.”
Luke didn’t reply; he simply stared coldly at the other man.
After a moment of confused and emotional silence, I took a shaky breath and interrupted their pissing contest with my reply. “No. No one has said anything to me about seeing or remembering anything from that day.”
“I’m sorry to have bothered you, Miss Monroe. Because of the delicate nature of the case, I’d appreciate if you kept this knowledge to yourself for now. I’ll be in touch.” His eyes cut to Luke, who completely snubbed him.
As soon as we heard the main door close, Luke enveloped me against his body and pulled out his phone. “Find out why that fucker Eddy was over here telling Hailey they found Danielle,” he barked into the device.
Confused, I drew back to look at him with a frown.
He spoke to the other party for a few minutes, but his side of the conversation was stilted. After he ended the call, he pressed his thumb and middle finger into the inside corners of his closed eyes.
“Will you be okay today?” he asked.
I nodded, though I was sickened by the loss of Danielle.
“Look, I need to know if we’re still good. If you’ve met someone who gives you something I’m not able to, just let me know. I promised you I’d be monogamous, but that goes both ways,” he rumbled.
“What are you talking about? What would give you the idea I’d been with someone else?” I demanded as I stepped back out of his hold and wiped away a stray tear. My arms cros
sed defensively.
“You haven’t been home the last two nights,” he said, his jaw muscle jumping as he seemed to stare into my damn soul.
With an indignant scoff, I gave him an incredulous glare. “Not that it’s your business, but I was at my girlfriend’s place the night you were ‘too busy’ for me, and last night I was home sick.”
His eyes closed and his face pinched before he ran and hand roughly over it. “Right. I’m sorry, I tried to stop by both nights but the first night you didn’t answer and last night, your place looked deserted.”
Something ridiculous bubbled up within me, and I found myself smiling like an idiot while I still experienced residual sniffles. “You stopped by both nights?”
“Yeah,” he gruffly admitted. The truth of what he was implying hit me.
“You were jealous,” I said in wonder as he scraped his teeth over his bottom lip and turned his attention out the window.
“No, I wasn’t. I just wanted to make sure we were still on the same page. But I need to get going. Will you be home tonight?” He raked through his hair with his fingers, causing his bicep to bulge and the vein that ran down the center to pop out.
Trying not to drool at the way his muscles moved under his inked skin, I nodded with a watery but wondrous smile.
“Right. See you then?” He waited for me to reply.
“Of course,” I said before biting my bottom lip.
He looked like he was going to say something and made a move like he was coming toward me but stopped himself. Then he spun on his heel and left.
I dropped to my chair, blew my nose, and stared into space, overwhelmed by the information that had been dropped on me. There had been bad and good, but neither really balanced the other.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to tell myself it did no good to worry over things I couldn’t change, yet still, I worried. The safety of the other residents was on my mind.
Yet, despite the horrible news Officer Edwards delivered, I found myself with a dreamy smile off and on throughout the day. The revelation of Luke being jealous was the cause.
Twisted Steel: An MC Anthology: Second Edition Page 6
