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It doesn’t seem like much has been accomplished by the time they break for lunch. No wonder the trial has been scheduled to take at least a month.
After Kelly and his two lawyers walk past us, I nudge Murphy. We end up following behind them to the cafeteria downstairs. It doesn’t seem wise to get too close, so I can’t hear anything that’s being said at their table.
Murphy watches me in silence while he eats a hockey puck-sized hamburger. My tray sits in front of me, untouched. Spilling blood is the only nourishment I need.
“What’s the plan?” Murphy asks.
“I’m not sure yet.”
This probably seems like a waste of our time, but Murphy goes with it, sitting back to check his phone.
My patience is rewarded a few minutes later when the two lawyers check their watches and stand up. They say a few words to their client before walking away.
Finally. The fucker’s alone.
Murphy stands with me and casually picks up our trays. He takes them over to the garbage cans while keeping his eye on the senator. Good to know we’re in sync on this one.
We fall in step behind our mark and follow him out of the cafeteria. Right before the elevator, he ducks through a door to the right.
Is he trying to make a break for it?
No, he’s stepped into the men’s room.
Perfect. The opportunity I’ve been waiting for.
“I’ll stay out here. Make sure no one else comes in,” Murphy says.
I couldn’t find a way to casually ask Lilly what happened to all the shit from her office. The letter opener she told me about is probably long gone. But obviously the one in Sway’s office is similar enough to drive home the point I want to make. That’s why I grabbed it last night and stuck it in the briefcase, figuring the officers wouldn’t think much of it if it was thrown in with a bunch of other office-y junk. And if they had confiscated it, I would have rolled with Plan B.
Luckily, I was right and they didn’t look at it twice.
Now, it’s nestled inside my breast pocket.
No, I’m not stupid enough to kill the guy in the middle of the day in a crowded federal courthouse. I’d never put my or Murphy’s freedom at risk by being that reckless.
I do plan to have a chat with the fucker.
He’s washing his hands at the sink and doesn’t even bother to look up when I enter. It’s nice that he’s so carefree and unafraid. Guess no one’s ever terrorized him in his whole miserable life.
That’s about to change.
I’ve obsessed over this for days, but I still allow things to happen organically. More fun for me that way. He glances up and scowls. I guess I look a little menacing in the small space. I widen my stance to increase the threat.
Then I strike.
In a quick movement, I grab him and shove him into one of the bathroom stalls. The space is too small for the door to close behind us, but that’s fine. I don’t need it to.
With one hand, I press his face against the cool tile wall and use my free hand to jam the letter opener into the side of his neck. Not enough to make him bleed or leave a mark that will invite questions, but enough for him to feel the threat.
“Who are you?” he asks, frantically thrashing under me. I allow the weight of my body to sink into him and he squirms. “What? What are you doing?”
“Don’t worry,” I whisper against his ear. “You’ll enjoy it.”
He struggles even harder. “No. Oh my God. Get off me!”
“What’s wrong? Don’t like it when someone bigger forces himself on you?”
“Stop, please. Please don’t,” he begs.
“Tell me, Senator, do you stop when someone begs you to?”
He goes completely still. “What do you want?”
“I want justice for the actual crimes you’ve committed.”
“I’m on fucking trial!” He sounds so outraged at the indignity of it, I want jam the letter opener in his neck all the way.
No. Lilly and Chance need me. My club needs me. I hang onto my desire to make him bleed by a thin thread. I’m stronger than my base instincts.
“We both know that quid pro quo bullshit is nothing. You pissed off someone higher up and they’re gettin’ even. This whole trial’s a joke. Think hard, Shane. Who else have you hurt?”
“No one!”
I take the letter opener and wave it in front of his eyes. But fuck, who knows how many women he’s violated over his entire career? I highly doubt Lilly was the first. The letter opener might mean nothing to him.
After a beat of silence, he asks in a strangled whisper, “Are you her brother?”
Ahh, maybe he remembers after all. “Nope.”
“Oh, God.”
“Not him either.”
“I didn’t—”
I use the hand pressing into his skull to choke off his words. “We’re way past cheap denials, Senator. We both know what you did.”
Outside, raised voices infiltrate the heavy wood door. Fuck. Time’s up.
Kelly takes a deep breath like he’s about to scream for help and I grip his throat tighter. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”
He closes his eyes.
“I’m not killing you today, Senator. Probably not tomorrow either. I plan to enjoy the trial. You’ll see me again, though. Don’t worry.”
“They’ll put me in protective custody!”
What a pathetic plea.
I step back and spin him around so fast he loses his footing and lands hard on the open toilet. Leaning over, I slap his cheek a few times. “That’s cute you think it matters. It won’t matter. Now that I know who you are and what you’ve done, there won’t be a place anyone can put you that I won’t find you.”
Chapter Seventeen
Z
“Glad you’re finally back, Prez,” Shadow calls out.
Is that disrespect I sense in his snide tone? He’s such a jerk in general, it’s hard to tell if this is his normal or if he has an issue with me.
“Miss me, bro?” I sneer.
“We may have a problem, Prez,” Rooster says.
Now Rooster, I’ve been able to depend on. I trust his judgment. Still don’t care for the way he’s standing around uneasily staring between Shadow and me. “Don’t stand there with your mouth open. If we have a problem, get everyone to the table.”
“Panic and Eazy are on the road,” Shadow reminds me.
Fuck, if something’s going down, I’d really like to have everyone here.
“That’s fine.” They’re on a planned run. Nothing I can do about it at the moment.
While Shadow stalks through the clubhouse calling brothers to the table, Rooster jerks his head toward the office and I follow him inside.
“What’s going on?”
“He says he got word that Vipers are meeting with DeLova on our turf. Tonight.”
“Bullshit.”
“DeLova’s not thrilled we’re no longer collecting money for him.” Rooster shrugs. “So anything’s possible.”
Shit. That’s a call I made to try and distance us from the mafia. “You don’t seem a hundred percent.”
“DeLova’s not dumb. I can’t see him getting close with an MC that has the reputation the Vipers have. Especially when he knows the history between our clubs. He’d kick that action back to his son-in-law or some of his lower guys before going to the Vipers.”
“Where are you at tracking down that black caddy?”
“Fuck, Z. You got any idea how many black caddies people rent every month? It’s taking forever to comb through them all.”
“This is a brother’s life we’re talking about. I don’t give a fuck how long it takes.”
He steps back. “I’m tracking them down as fast as I can. That’s what I was working on when Shadow started in with this Vipers nonsense.”
I let that sink in for a second. “He know what you’re working on?”
“Of course. He’s been helping me go through them when he has ti
me.”
My gut screams Shadow shouldn’t be anywhere near that task. “Have Jigsaw and Huck help you. Tell Shadow it was a dead end.”
Rooster stares at me.
I cock my head. “Did I stutter?”
“No, Prez. I got you.” He hesitates and glances away. “I’ll recheck the ones he went through.”
“Good.”
Murphy knocks and pushes the door open. “What’s going on?”
“I’m gonna go talk to Jiggy,” Rooster says, brushing past Murphy as he backs out the door.
Murphy watches him go, then shuts the door.
“Teller with you?” I ask.
He swivels his head from side to side, like he’s searching for an invisible Teller. “We’re not attached at the hip you know,” he says once he’s finished the theatrics.
“Since when?”
Shaking his head, he pulls out his phone and sends a text to, I assume, Teller.
“What’s got you so cranky?” Murphy asks. “Thought you’d feel better after your chat with the politician.”
“Better. Fuck no.” All I felt was rage that I couldn’t gut him on the spot. I motion Murphy closer. “Shadow insists DeLova is meeting with the Vipers tonight.”
“Jesus. What’s his hard-on for the Vipers about?”
