Chapter Thirty-Five
After several stichesand a three-day stint in the hospital, Raven was as good as new. Each time Muerto looked at her, his gut would clench at the memory of how close he’d come to losing her. She was his stability in a world filled with chaos, and with each day, his love for her grew stronger. At times he couldn’t remember how he’d functioned without her in his life. She was the light to his darkness, calmness to his storm.
He kissed her. “Did you arrange everything with Breanna for the biker rally next month?”
“Yes. She’s so nice. We had a long conversation, and we made plans to have lunch next week. I can see us becoming good friends.”
“She’s cool. Steel got a good woman, but I have a better one.” He fisted her hair and pulled her head back so he could kiss her deeper.
“Do you guys want to go in the back?” Crow joked as he went behind the bar.
“I still can’t believe Jaime lied about everything.” Brandy sat on the barstool shaking her head. “I mean, she’d sworn me to secrecy last year when she told me that you two had an affair. I totally believed her, and that’s why I kept flirting with you.” She gazed at Raven. “No offense, but I figured if Muerto broke the rules with Jaime, he might break them with me. But once you came on board, I stopped all flirting. I just can’t get over it. I really believed her.”
“It’s strange as fuck. I never led her on once. Wexler told me that she’d told her friends we were lovers. Made up some elaborate fantasy where we were a couple, living together, and planning to get married. I mean, I suspected she had a crush on me, but I never pictured anything like this.”
“She was a fuckin’ looney tune. Do you think she believed all that?”
Muerto shook his head. “I guess, but it’s hard to imagine someone would be that far out there. The badge said that Jaime’s mom is in a mental institution in South Dakota. From what he learned, Jaime did a stint in a mental ward for attacking her ex-boyfriend and vandalizing his house. She’s definitely fucked-up.”
“So she really believed I took you away from her?” Muerto nodded. “You know, after I found the rose in the blood at my house, I started to wonder if it was Deanna who’d done it. I knew I hadn’t left the window unlocked, so I figured it was someone who had a key to my place. Deanna never liked me, so I thought she was messing with me.”
“It was Jaime who did it. Wexler found a copy of the keys to my Harley, the pool hall, and your rental. She must’ve snagged my key ring when she was working. And she was stalking you and me. She had a shitload of pictures of me over the past year. Damn, I never saw that coming.”
“And she faked being attacked. I still can’t believe it,” Brandy said.
“She fuckin’ caused a lot of damage around here. I knew something wasn’t right about it.” Crow scrubbed his hand over his face.
“She wanted it to look like someone was after the pool hall, meaning you or me. So, in her warped mind, after she killed Raven, the suspicion wouldn’t be on her. It’d be on the ‘guys’ who broke in and roughed her up a bit. Fuckin’ sick.”
“Having a series of similar robberies in the area probably gave her the idea. Spraying that shit on the wall was stupid because the dudes didn’t do it at the other businesses. I guess she couldn’t help herself. She must’ve been real pissed at you to spray all that shit around here.” Crow shook his head.
“And don’t forget the attention she received from you after you rescued her. I know I keep saying this, but Ireallycan’t believe any of this.” Brandy crossed her arms. “And for something like this to happen in Alina. Unbelievable.”
“Who’d she kill in South Dakota?” Raven asked softly.
“Some old woman in her apartment building. She must’ve had a thing about old women.” Muerto reached around and grabbed a Coke.
“Poor Mrs. Kilpatrick. I still can’t fathom why she would kill such a nice lady,” Raven said in a low voice.
“And I hung out with her. We’d go barhopping sometimes. Gives me the chills.” Brandy rubbed her arms.
“I guess as long as you were single, she could keep the fantasy alive of you and her having a relationship, but when I came along and we started dating, I threatened all that. It’s just too weird. It’s almost like it never really happened, you know?”
“Yeah, but now it’s behind us and we can move on.” Muerto crushed the empty water bottle and tossed it in the recycle bin.
“I hope she pleads guilty. I don’t know if I can stand a trial.” Raven rested her chin in her hand.
“Aren’t they sending her back to South Dakota?” Brandy asked.
“The sheriff said the DA wants to try her for Mrs. Kilpatrick’s murder, and the attempted murder and kidnap charges they filed for what she did to me. Since she’s here, they’ll do all that first, and later she’ll have to go to South Dakota and face charges there. It’s going to be a long haul, that’s for sure.” Raven exhaled loudly.
“We’ll be by your side,” Brandy said. “Jaime needs to be locked up for a very long time. She really needs help.”
Raven’s phone interrupted the group’s conversation. Muerto saw her jaw tighten. “I have to take this. Be right back.” She hurried out of the place.
“You got it bad for her, bro.” Crow winked at him. “You gonna do something about it?”
“Maybe, but keep your fuckin’ mouth shut about it. Sometimes you, Goldie, and Chains gossip worse than a bunch of ladies.”
