Page 22 of Rascal

We turned into the street near the hotel when King slammed into me and took me off my feet. A car squealed, and brakes screeched, and then a loud engine roared away.

As all that happened, I hit the ground hard under King’s body, and my head bounced off the pavement. King grunted and landed on me, driving the breath from my body.

“Holy shit! Are you okay?” voices demanded as I blinked up at the sky. What had just happened?

“King?” I demanded.

“Give me a moment.”

“King, you’re suffocating me,” I gasped.

With a grunt of pain, King rolled off me. Faces appeared above me, but I was unable to protect either of us. Breathing was all I could manage currently. Someone had actually tried to kill me. And no guesses who.

Chapter Five.

Rascal

“I need an alibi for you for yesterday afternoon,” Lio said, holding my gaze.

“What happened?” I demanded.

“Someone tried to kill Hallie Milton and Kingston Albert. Where were you, Rascal? I gotta rule you out,” Lio answered.

“Good job, I’ve a cast-iron one.”

“I haven’t told you the time.”

“Well, I was at the compound until half eleven and then twelve till six I was at the tattoo parlour. Wraith was inking me and doing a live shoot as he did.”

“That’s fine if you can give me the link,” Lio replied.

“Someone tried to kill that bitch? Looks like Hallie’s got more enemies than she let on,” Bear said.

“No. Just you.”

“Then she organised it to make it come back to me. Amateur. She should have checked where I was,” I sneered.

“She didn’t say it was you. Hallie claimed she didn’t see the driver, and King didn’t either. The SUV had tinted windows. But you’re the obvious culprit.”

“Yeah, because I stick to the truth and state that lying bitch tried to kill me. I ain’t backing down. Go tell that cunt no matter what she pulls, I’ll keep speaking the truth until she’s back beyond bars,” I hissed.

“Got to admit, Rascal, your case is falling apart. Two witnesses, deliberately lost footage, that wreath, you saying that’s Hallie at the florist and now an attempt on her life. Shit ain’t looking good, bud,” Lio declared.

Chance’s eyes narrowed before I could speak. “My prospect ain’t a liar.”

“Your prospect might have been mistaken and sent an innocent woman to prison. He admitted he’d been drugged. That alone should have thrown his eyewitness testimony out the window. The fact it didn’t, you have friends in high places,” Lio stated and eyed me with suspicion.

“What are you saying?” Chance demanded.

“That Rascal’s case is weak. Hallie’s been out a few weeks and so far, she’s the victim,” Lio said.

“Bull-fucking-shit. Anyone can see Hallie’s building a case against me. The fact you can’t speaks a shitload to your investigative skills,” I sneered.

“Don’t push me, Rascal. I owe you shit. It’s Chance I’ve got bonds with. I’m telling you, get a lawyer, because you’re looking like you’re harassing Hallie,” Lio said.

“Fuck you,” I growled out and walked away. Behind me, Chance and Lio bickered. I didn’t care. Once again, Hallie was disrupting my life. I hit my bike, ready to ride out, when Pyro stopped me.

“Follow me,” he ordered. I went to refuse, but the big man glowered, and I shut up. Pyro was one of the most dangerous brothers here—it wasn’t worth the bruises to argue with him. I followed him out of town and to a warehouse in between Spearfish and Jolly Dump.