AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I try to lose myself in a suspense thriller, but I can’t concentrate on the story. Instead, all I can think about is Max and the betrayal I feel. Why didn’t Max tell me who he was from the start? I remember the day Max came to the clubhouse and asked to prospect for the club. Even though Wildcard was the one who normally dealt with the prospects, it was Puma who met with him. Was it then that Max told Puma about our connection? If so, then why didn’t Puma tell me? Didn’t he trust me?
I slam the book shut, disgusted with myself. Why didn’t I stick around long enough to hear the reason? Puma’s been in my corner since the day he came to my rescue in that parking lot. He’d never betray me. He and Max must have had a reason for keeping our relationship a secret. Instead of trusting Puma, I betrayed him by taking off. Fuck me.
Then there’s Rafe. I left him without telling him where I was going. I saw the question in his eyes when my father accused me of attempted murder. But even though he didn’t know the facts, he didn’t act on Wayne’s accusation. Thinking of Rafe, I groan out loud. Our relationship hasn’t been easy. On paper, we shouldn’t fit. I’m an Enforcer for a 1% MC while he’s a cop. But from the first time we met, we’ve clicked. Not that our relationship has progressed much since that day. There is an invisible line that neither of us will cross over. We fool around, but we haven’t done the deed. We both realize that crossing that line will change our lives completely. One of us will have to make the biggest choice. By choosing me, he’d be turning his back onlaw and order. By choosing him, I’d be turning my back on my brothers. I’m lucky Rafe hasn’t asked me to choose yet. I’m just as lucky that Puma hasn’t demanded I cut Rafe loose. Here I am, feeling sorry for myself because I believe no one trusts me, when in fact, I’m the one who showed a lack of trust in everyone. My brother, my President, and the man I’m falling in love with. Shit.
Even though I’m not looking forward to spending the next day groveling for forgiveness, my mind is at peace. This is the reason I love camping when facing stress. The simplicity gives me the calmness to work through my problems. Pouring myself another cup of tea, I lose myself in a story about a female camper trying to escape a stalker by hiding out in the woods. I’m at the point where she thinks she’s escaped but hears a twig snap. That’s when I realize I’m no longer alone. Gripping my gun, I let my senses take over.
“Well, look what we have here.”
I shift slightly to ensure my gun is still in place as three punks saunter into my camp. They’re each wearing baggy jeans and hoodies with expressions that tell me they’re up to no good. I can’t tell their age, but I’d put them in their late teens, maybe early twenties. Any other woman finding themselves alone in this situation would probably be concerned. However, I’m the Enforcer for the Demon Dawgs, and kicking some punk asses is just what I need to vent my anger.
CHAPTER FOUR: RAFE
I consider going after Wayne, but I know Spark is monitoring his movements. He’ll let us know if the fucker needs further encouragement to get lost. My concern is for Viper. I see her hug Angelica goodbye. The pain on Viper’s face as Angelica protests the need to leave tells me how much she’s grown to care for the child, her half-sister. Fuck. Viper acts tough, but I can see she’s ready to fall apart. When she disappears into the clubhouse, Puma stops Max from following her.
Before I can reach Puma and Max, Viper rushes back out the door and past me. I follow, calling her name. She either doesn’t hear me, or she’s ignoring me. Hopping on her bike, she speeds out of the gate.
I turn to see Puma and Max watching her go. “Where is she going? Why the hell didn’t you tell her who you were?” I’m screaming at Max, but Puma stops me from advancing on the prospect.
“Don’t,” Puma growls. “He has his reasons. The biggest one is the fucking asshole who just left. Max knew Viper would hunt him down if she learned he was still breathing. He wanted to stall her until after she became a patched member and had the club’s support. Max told me everything the day he asked toprospect for the club. I agreed with his reasoning. Still do. Once Viper gets back, she’ll listen, and while she might not forgive either of us immediately, she will eventually.”
“But where did she go? Is it safe for her to be out there alone?”
Puma chuckles. “Shit, man, have you met our Viper? She’s fine. She’s likely up at Red Rock Canyon. Our girl likes to go camping when she needs peace.”
I nod as I remember Viper telling me that same thing. She rarely needed to escape into nature, the club offering her the peace she needed. But not today.
“Why don’t you go check in with Spark? I know he dug up the dirt on Wayne, which convinced the judge to reject his claim. See if he has more. He’s the one who discovered Angelica’s identity. He’s looking for her mother. If she’s still alive, she might be a better option than that asshole Wayne.”
“Hey, Detective, that was a show,” Spark says when I fall into the chair next to his desk.
“What a fucking mess. I’m glad Desdemona and Diego got here in time.”
“Would you have handed over Angelica?” Spark asks me, pinning me with a look of disbelief.
I shake my head but say nothing. Would I have handed her over? The CPS Agent had a warrant to deliver the child to her father. I’d have been risking my job if I didn’t follow through. However, I knew Puma had Angelica safely locked away. Likely in the panic room I suspect the club has. I hadn’t planned on sharing that information with the CPS bitch. This wouldn’t be the first time I skated around the law for the club.
“You guys are a bad influence on me,” I grumble.
Spark laughs. “More like Viper has you by the shorthairs.”
I grunt because he’s not wrong. Even though Viper’s shorthairs and mine haven’t been intimate. Not because I don’twant her in that way, but because I know crossing that line changes everything. She’s a member of a 1% club, and I’m a cop. I need to decide if being with her is more important than keeping my job. Because I don’t think I could stay a cop if I cross over that line.
“Please tell me you have something I can use to make sure Wayne never gets hold of that little girl,” I say, desperate to change the subject.
Spark studies me for a long second before giving me a nod. “We don’t have everything yet, but we will. Pirate in NOLA is helping me. He has access to Blakely’s bank account. I’m focusing my attention on Wayne’s now that I know he’s the father. If we can find a payment sent from Blakely to Wayne, then we might convince a judge that Wayne sold Angelica to him. Blakely already admitted he bought the girl and the amount he paid for her.”
“Great, let’s get him to admit it to a judge…” I break off when I see Spark wince. “He’s dead, isn’t he? Never mind, don’t tell me.” I stop him with my hand. “Fuck! You guys make my job hard.”
Spark shrugs, unconcerned. “Here are the details from his confession. Maybe you can figure something out.” He hits a few keys, and I hear my phone ping with an incoming message. I read the confession from Dr. Blakely, who I assume was under duress when he admitted to misdiagnosing several kids before prescribing them fentanyl. He also admits to purchasing Angelica from her father and using her before selling her on to the human trafficking ring run by Nero Golubrev. I swallow down the bile that threatens as I read through it. Part of me is glad the NOLA Chapter of the Demon Dawgs made him suffer.
“This gives us a broad timeframe for the transaction. Blakely couldn’t remember the month he bought her, only that he had her for over a year,” Spark says. “We know from talking withAngelica that she doesn’t remember her name. My guess is that Dr. Blakely didn’t use it. Avery and Dice said when they found her, she suffered from head trauma. She remembered very little from the time before they found her. Although, she seems to have blocked out her time with him until she saw him again in his office.”
“What about Angelica’s mother? Any luck finding her birth certificate?”
“Yeah, her mother is Angela Turner. I’m not finding much on her. She has a driver’s license.” He taps a key to display the image of a pretty blonde woman who’s not much older than Viper. “I have a record of her working at a diner in Henderson, but that was over a year ago. Nothing since. I’m still looking.”
I take her information. “I’ll head back to the station and do some research. See if I can find more about her whereabouts. If we find her, we’ll have a better chance of keeping Angelica out of that bastard’s hands.”
