Page 54 of Declan's Dove

“Not physical wounds. At least none that I’ve seen,” I tell him. “But she’s been through some serious shit with this fucker before.”

“How can you be sure if she hasn’t told you everything yet?” Gabe asks skeptically.

“I called in a favor from an old friend. He’s the one who found her for me. He’s also the one who helped her and Carter escape the son of a bitch.”

“Jesus.” Gabe breathes deeply. “What about Carter? Is he good?”

“Carter is with Caleb and Liz until I get back.”

Gabe chuckles. “Smart move on your part. It also explains why Ma’s visits to the basement were shorter today.”

“Yeah, I thought having a kid around would help. Plus, he loves animals. I figure Caleb gets an extra set of hands and the kid gets spoiled by Liz. Win-win.”

“Okay. So, the kid’s handled. Now, what do you need from the club? How can we help?” Gabe gets down to business. “Actually, back up. Tell me what you know, then I’ll decide what our next steps need to be.”

I chuckle to myself. It’s one of the things I appreciate about Gabe. It doesn’t matter what trouble any of us get into, we just bring it to him and he tells us what the club will do to help. He takes control, but it’s not because he doesn’t trust us to make our own decisions. It’s because as the president, it’s his job to take care of his men and their families, and he takes that shit seriously. Brotherhood means everything to this club. I’m so fucking glad I found my way to be a part of it.

“Like I said, I have a friend who works off the books for various agencies. He was able to fill me in on a few things, but not everything.” I want to tell Gabe everything I know, but part of Kayce’s agreement to work with me was that I keep him and his men’s identities to myself. The fewer people who know who they are and exactly what they do, the safer they’ll be in the long run.

“Her husband is a dirty cop, and not just the kind who writes bullshit citations,” I explain. “If the payoff is high enough, he’ll dispose of evidence, arrest some unsuspecting asshole who pissed off his boss, or conspire to bring young women and children into the harbor for trade.”

“Fucking bastard,” Gabe spits out. “And who’s paying him?”

“That’s the mystery,” I tell him. “My source says it’s not just one person.”

“So, he works for the highest bidder? That might make it easier to get to him.”

“Maybe. But from the information I’ve gathered, it’s sounds like one person is controlling all the others this bastard is working for.”

“Do you think he’s connected to Cusenza?” Gabe asks.

“Not sure.” I pause. “But …”

“But what, Dec?”

“Parisi helped Violet and Carter when they got away.”

“I thought you said it was an old friend of yours,” Gabe damn near shouts.

“He got her out, but Vincenzo gave them a new identity and a place to live.”

“Fucking hell!” This time he does shout. “At what cost Declan? What does she owe Vincenzo? We both know that motherfucker doesn’t work for free.”

“I don’t know yet. But Pres,” I pause, hoping he’ll take a breath and calm down. “Vincenzo was working with George to put an end to the trafficking bullshit.”

“And he got George fucking killed and damn near got Skyler killed, too.” Nope. He’s still pissed.

“I know. But what if Violet’s husband was planning to traffic her and the kid? Maybe Vincenzo got involved to prevent that from happening,” I suggest.

“She would still owe him a debt, Dec,” Gabe argues. “His not a generous person without cause. There has to be something in it for him. Find out what it is.”

“I got you, Pres.”

“Ok,” Gabe says a little more calmly. “So, first things first. What’s this fucker’s name?”

“James Swanson. He works out of Baron’s Edge, but he has connections all the way to Devil’s Canyon and is currently running for Sheriff. If he wins, he’ll have access to everything. County jails, policing unincorporated areas, serving warrants and court papers, and providing security to courts in the county. He could even be made responsible for evictions or seizing property upon court orders. He would be a mob boss’s wet dream. Access to all those places, he could fuck up records, release prisoners, and pay off the DA for specific judgments.” I only know all this because Kayce did some digging of his own to find out what kind of shit Swanson could stir up if he gets elected to office. “He has a decent shot at winning too. On paper, he’s got a clean record, lots of awards and shit.”

“If I had to guess, I’d say whoever’s paying him is pulling strings to get those accolades for him as well. If they’re controlling him, they’ll want him in a position of authority—higher up the food chain—someone who can cover more tracks and will have more intel to offer them for a price.”

---