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Pulling her coat closer across her chest, she started the trek back to the dollhouse. She wasn’t about ready to give up. The Greenback Cutthroats MC would give her Diablos one way or another.
Chapter Thirteen
Kevlar
He blamedhimself for Kita spiriting away like she did. It didn’t lessen the pain, but he’d at least seen her since she left Macha’s clubhouse. She’d been walking from the Rusty Cantina to a convenience store down the road, her friend in tow. He gave her plenty of space. Clearly, there was something bigger going on, and she didn’t trust him enough to confide in him.
“You think she’s undercover?” Rubble asked, killing the engine to his bike. They’d just arrived at the mountain lodge from patrolling Snowshoe. Not one lick of misbehavior which made their day much easier.
“It’s possible I guess.” He nodded to Brewer as they passed. “I never thought of Kita as being a cop. She’s tough as nails, but law enforcement was the last thing she wanted to do when I knew her.” They reached the front door. “She was a business major back then.”
Rubble entered the lodge first, the scent of pumpkin and caramel instantly invading them. The entire place was decked out in Halloween-themed wedding decorations. Kevlar had been wary at first, but Isa, the old ladies, and nymphs made the lodge their own little Halloweentown. It was the ideal amount of spooky, chic, and festive.
“I did a little digging,” Rubble started, then paused when Isa—Doc’s old lady to be—smiled at them in passing.
“About what?”
He chewed his bottom lip, eyes darting around the room. “Nikita’s dad.”
Sweat beaded on Kevlar’s brow. “Tell me.”
“Not here.” Rubble waved him toward the den at the back of the large house.
Once they were safely stowed in the room with one wall dedicated exclusively to antlers, the big man let out a breath. “Nikita’s father is Estevan Morales, the president of Diablos MC.”
“You’re sure?” He asked even though the look on Rubble’s face said it all. He sank into one of the leather chairs and the pieces fell into place. Why he never met Nikita’s parents. Why she disappeared. Why he never heard from her again. She was in hiding. Her father was the reason she disappeared.
Kevlar rubbed the back of his neck, the tension there suddenly from a new source. He ground his teeth together, filtering through every emotion he’d felt over the last fifteen years. They wreaked havoc on his better judgment and suddenly talking to Kita was the only thing he wanted to do. He needed to hear it from her sweet lips. Needed to see the truth in her eyes.
“Very.” Rubble handed him a thick envelope. He hadn’t even noticed it before. “It’s all here. Doc’s contact in Iowa has connections with an Italian mob who worked closely with Diablos a few years back.”
Kevlar emptied the contents into his lap. Photos among newspaper articles stared back at him. He picked up a candid photo, and Nikita’s college-aged face shone back. “Shit.”
Rubble stayed silent while he went through the rest. Articles of the trial and Estevan’s family weren’t the worst of it. There were also trial transcripts and photos that looked to have been taken by a private investigator. They all pointed to Diablos MC. There was even a photo of Nikita wearing a leather jacket with the Diablos emblem—her young face shining pride, Estevan driving the motorcycle.
By the end, his stomach threatened to leave him permanently. Bowing his head, he let it all sink in. His Nikita wasn’t so innocent after all.
“I’m surprised you never saw any of this after she disappeared.”
Kevlar clenched his hands. “I was deployed not long after and the news was the last thing on my mind. Shit like this wouldn’t have even interested me.” He jabbed a finger at the stack of papers. “Now, a kidnapping, that would’ve drawn me in, but this…nah, brother.”
“She’s either working for Diablos or the government,” Rubble finally said, placing a full tumbler of whiskey on the side table. “I hope the latter.”
“But she was called as a witness.” Kevlar rifled through the papers. “And so was her mom. She couldn’t be working for Diablos after all this.”
Rubble shrugged. “Stranger things have happened. Family is family at the end of the day.”
He shook his head, not believing that for a moment. “What about her disappearance?” He grabbed the whiskey and drank half. “Where’d she go?”
“That I don’t know. Couldn’t find out any information about where she and her mother went after the trial.” Rubble smoothed his beard. “I suggest you speak with her. It’ll fill in the blanks. If she’s indeed in Diablos, we’ll deal with it. If not, we’ll find a way to help her out.”
“Not sure she wants my help.”
“After the other night, I think she’ll accept it.” He sipped the whiskey. “If you hadn’t been there… I don’t even want to think about what could’ve happened to her.”
“Neither do I, but it’s all that runs through my mind.” Kevlar stood and walked to the window. Prospects were outside hanging white twinkle lights for the wedding ceremony. “She went back to the Cutthroats for a reason. I don’t think sheer loyalty is Nikita.” He shook his head. “No, she does what’s right. If not for her, then for what she believes in. Always been like that.”
“Reaper needs to know.”
