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“What did they ask you?” Alarick questions the moment I arrive back at Mykel’s house.
I sit on the sofa next to Mykel, and he puts a hand on my knee, squeezing it.
“They just asked the basics. Do I remember what happened when Bennett was killed? I said no, I don’t remember. They asked how I knew Dax; I told them the truth. They asked if I had ever been involved with the club outside of working for Mykel, and I told them no except for one cookout. I also told them I’ve never seen any club members at Dax’s house. It was pretty basic questioning. I imagine they’re going to ask more later.”
Alarick nods. “Good. Keep it as simple as you can. They have nothing to charge you on, and you don’t have to give detailed information. Just stick with your story and we’ll worry about the rest.”
I nod and meet his eyes. Alarick is strung out and exhausted. His hands are all beat up, and I can almost guess he hasn’t slept.
“I’m sorry this happened, Alarick,” I tell him.
“Not your fault, Waverly. You did everything we asked of you. I should have known that Dax was onto it. I should have realized.”
“It’s nobody’s fault. Have you spoken to Kendric?”
“Waitin’ for his bail to be posted, and then he’ll be let out until his court hearing. That means we only have so much time to find Dax. We don’t want Kendric goin’ down for this. Once he’s had a trial and is locked up, it’ll be fuckin’ hard to get him back out. We need to make sure that it doesn’t get to that point.”
I exhale and my shoulders slump. Dax is smart, which means he’s not going to be easy to find. If we can find him at all. He would have made sure he had all his bases covered, and no doubt he’s going to ensure that he’s well hidden. Which means it’s going to be next to impossible to locate him.
“Have you any idea how you’re going to find him?” I ask.
“Aviana,” Mykel tells me.
I blink, looking to him. “Briella’s best friend.”
“Peter’s niece. Aviana is the only one left in Peter’s family alive and when we find her, we’ll be able to get her to help us find Dax. She is the only one who knows Peter inside and out, and she’s the only one who might know where he went.”
“Are you going to be able to find her? Briella said there was suspicion she might have been sold . . .”
“It’s goin’ to be easier to find her than Dax.”
I nod, pursing my lips. I mean, it’s not a bad plan, but it could take time to find her and then even more time to find Dax. Do we have that much time to spare?
“What if we get into his house, see if we can find something?” I offer.
“His house will have been raided, and he’s not stupid. He would have made sure there was no trail leadin’ to him,” Alarick answers.
“There have to be other people, people who are involved with him, people we can question . . .” I go on.
“Yeah, we find the fuckin’ rat in this club, and that’s a good lead. As well as people who were workin’ with Peter. We’ll find him, but we’re goin’ in on every angle this time, not just one.”
Makes sense. “Well, I’m here to help, whatever you need.”
Alarick nods and then stands. “Just keep your head down for now. Keep your name cleared.”
I give him a reassuring smile, and he nods once at Mykel before leaving.
I feel horrible for Alarick right now, because he’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders, and he’s on a time limit. Once that time runs out, he’s going to lose one of his club members. Kendric doesn’t deserve to be locked away, but if we don’t find Dax, that’s exactly what will happen.
I look to Mykel, and he leans forward, pressing his lips against mine.
It feels good.
A nice distraction.
“Do you think we’re going to get through this?” I ask him.
He nods, eyes locked on mine. “We always do, babe.”
I sure hope he’s right.
~*~*~*~
“WE’VE GOT MEN OUT LOOKIN’ for Dax. We’ve got men askin’ questions. We’ve got men doin’ their jobs working every single angle that we can possibly play right now,” Alarick announces to the entire club later that night. “We’re goin’ to find him, and we’re goin’ to make him suffer. Until then, you are all required to hand over your phones. We’ve got a fuckin’ rat in this club, and mark my words, when I find out who you are, you’re going to wish you were fuckin’ dead.”
I swallow, and Mykel tucks me closer into his side, his arm firmly around my waist. Alarick isn’t messing around. Someone he trusts and cares about has betrayed him, and I have no doubt when he finds out who that person is, they will indeed wish they were dead.
I wouldn’t want to be that person.
Hell to the no.
Cohen has a bucket and he walks around to every member, and one by one, they drop their phones in.
“We’ll be searching your rooms, your houses, and every other fuckin’ thing you’ve touched. You want to come clean, do it now, but if you don’t, rest assured I will fuckin’ find out who you are.”
I glance around the room at the group of bikers, looking for someone who looks . . . off. Maybe one of them will be squirming. Maybe one of them will hesitate. Maybe one will swallow or look away, but they all stand tall and proud, and not one of them crumbles under the pressure. Whoever is doing this, they’re confident that they’re not going to be caught, which is a little scary.
It means they’ve thought about it.
Really, really well.
Once the phones are taken, Alarick orders the members to start searching houses, and Cohen leads a group of them out to begin the search. When he’s gone, Alarick orders a check on the club, too, and Mykel and I start sifting through some rooms to see if we can find anything at all that might indicate a rat. Samson questions all the girls who come in and out, and Briella and Merleigh search the sheds.
Alarick isn’t letting this one go, and so he shouldn’t.
Mykel and I move to some of the bedrooms, and I start at a desk, shuffling through the drawers as Mykel goes through the closet.
“Whoever is doing this, they’re confident,” I say to Mykel.
“Yeah, which means it’s unlikely we’re goin’ to come up with anything.”
“Has this ever happened before?” I ask.
Mykel finds a box and tips the contents out. “Once, apparently, when King was runnin’ the place. An old member was stealin’ drugs and sellin’ them to a known enemy.”
My eyes widen. “What happened?”
“What do you think happened?”
I purse my lips. “He got chopped into a thousand tiny pieces and fed to the fishes.”
Mykel grunts and a grin spreads across his face. “What sort of fuckin’ club do you think we are?”
I laugh softly. “I don’t know. I just always wanted to say that.”
“Well, that wasn’t quite how it went down, but I imagine he’s not walkin’ the earth anymore.”
“Ohhh, juicy.”
“It doesn’t scare you, does it?” Mykel asks, flicking through some papers.
“What’s that?”
“Death. Violence. The club?”
I shake my head. “No not really. I mean, if you were all hurting innocent people I’d be a little concerned, but you’re not. You’re dealing with bad people. I don’t mind the world being rid of bad. The less, the better, you know?”
Mykel stops what he’s doing and walks over, standing in front of me. “What if I told you I’ve killed people?” he murmurs, cupping my face in his hand and tipping my head back so I’m looking up at him.
“Well,” I say softly, “I’d say it’s a little bit of a turn on, knowing you’re so badass.”
His eyes flash. “That so?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“How much of a fuckin’ turn on?”
“Why don’t you stick your hand in my panties and find out?”
“Fuck,” he growls. “You’re drivin’ me crazy.”
“That’s the point, isn’t it?”
He grins and leans down, capturing my mouth in a feral kiss. I take it, pressing my body against his and letting his hands cup my ass so he can grind his cock against me. The kiss gets deeper, and more passionate, and my god, I don’t want it to stop.
But, like all good things, it must end.
A knock at the door has us pulling apart, and a moment later Briella pops her head in. She sees us, pressed together, and her brows go up. “Oh, oh, my. I have missed a lot.”
I laugh softly and pull away from Mykel. “Is everything okay?”
“The cops just pulled up. Alarick wants you to go out back. If they see you here, they’re going to ask way too many questions.”
My heart flutters, and I nod. Mykel takes my hand and we go out the back of the club. I can see the flashing lights as we disappear out the gate, and find a spot to sit in the bushes behind the club until the cops leave.
We find a large rock and take a seat. We’re far enough away that the club isn’t visible, so now we just wait. Without a warrant, the police won’t be able to search, so us being out here is just a precaution. Right now, they’re clutching at straws, trying to piece the case together but failing. The club is smarter, stronger, and they’ll pull through this.
One way or another.
“Are you looking forward to going to New York?” I ask Mykel, taking a deep breath in, loving the way the bushland smells. It’s fresh, and pine-like, and I adore it.
Last night after an incredible love-making session, Mykel and I decided we’re going to go to New York to see if we can find his parents while all this is going down here. It gives us distance, and Alarick agreed that it’s probably good for me not to be around the club for a while. It is the perfect time for us to start our own little search. It’s the perfect time for us to get away and let what’s happening here calm down a little.
“Yeah, I haven’t had the chance to look for them, and I’m ready to know what happened. Time to start closin’ some doors.”
I agree.
It’s time to close some old ones so we can open some new ones. “We’ll find out what happened, and we’ll get your answers.”
I want to help Mykel bring his family home, or at the very least, to find out what happened to them, and honestly . . . being alone with him for a few months isn’t exactly punishment. God, I can only imagine how incredibly delightful that will be. Fuck knows we deserve it after everything that has happened in the last few months.
Mykel slides a hand up my leg and turns to me with a feral grin. “Enough about that. What do you say we finish what we started?”
I grin back. “Well, I mean, what else are we going to do out here while we wait?”
His smile gets bigger, and I love seeing it. I love the way it makes his eyes light up. The way it makes his face softer.
Seeing his smile makes everything inside me feel good.
I love it.
I love everything about him.
What more could a girl ask for in this very moment?
Oh right, to finish what we started.
How could I forget?
Later, then.
THE END