Page 5 of T-Bone
I left Justine to her emotions and her crime scene of a home but then I stopped. “Justine, did Ashley have a roommate or a child?”
“Not officially, but there was a woman who stayed with her for a few months, at least that I knew of. Like I said, she was a low maintenance tenant, so I didn’t visit the place often.”
“Thank you.” This was the part I missed about good old-fashioned police work. Chasing down lead after lead until one led you to a detail that made all the difference.
***
As I drove to my next destination, I thought over what I’d learned so far. The woman who lived with Ashley must’ve been the one who had Gemma. Was she Ashley’s killer? Had Marcus’ biker friends sold Gemma as payback? I didn’t have all the details yet, but my hands tingled on the steering wheel as I got closer to Steel City.
“What the fuck?” The place was overrun with bikers, which was unexpected. Two towns over from Red Rock and sharing the border with Las Vegas, Steel City was an aging industrial town that had managed to survive the death of the American factory. There were bakeries and cafes, marijuana dispensaries, beauty, and tanning salons. Unlike Red Rock, this place looked to be booming, even if right now it was overrun with motorcycles and bikers galore.
Chloe’s entire life had changed when she got mixed up with a biker who abused her. Even when she was pregnant, Marcus hadn’t let his temper stop him from beating her black and blue. He’d done his best to come between us, to isolate her from me because I refused to accept his bullshit charm. I’d given her a burner phone to circumvent his efforts, and he never knew. Still, every new bruise or black eye scared me because I knew the truth. Statistically was only a matter of time before he killed her, and then he had.
Somehow, it seemed appropriate that I was now surrounded by them. Men of all shapes and sizes, and even colors. They weren’t just all white gangs these days even though many were still divided by race, there were several multi-cultural gangs wearing the same leather vests. Bikers were more organized than your average gang, with a respected hierarchy and executive board that made decisions the rest of the members respected. They were more like mafia than your average street gang, but they were a gang. Brutal and violent and criminal.
The roar of the engines was loud, mixing in with the rock music that blared from speakers and about two hundred different conversations. The smell of smoked meat and sugary treats wafted on the air and when I rolled down my window, the scent of cigarette smoke hung heavy in the air.
This can’t be good.
I passed a sign that read Steel Thunder Moto Rally, which explained why the bikers were all here, but not why this particular town. It had to mean something, I was sure of that much, but I set it aside for later and focused on why I was in Steel City.
Will Kutner was Ashley’s half-brother. They grew up with their mother but had different fathers. Despite their seemingly close relationship, the only proof of it was regular phone calls at least three times a month. I pulled into Steel City Motors, which was listed as his current place of employment, and froze behind the steering wheel. The garage door was open to reveal a dozen bikers and their motorcycles, preparing for the rally that was taking over the town, I figured.
I breathed in and out slowly and then stepped from my car, approaching slowly because I knew these guys were no fans of law enforcement even though I was no longer a detective. I kept my spine straight and my shoulders squared, and then I cleared my throat. I swallowed hard as more than a dozen sets of eyes swung my way, angry and hostile but also curious. It wasn’t the first time I stood in front of a group of pissed off criminals but that did nothing to stop the telltale nervous tingling in my extremities.
They hadn’t moved to kick me out yet, which I took as a good sign and removed my PI badge, flashing it at them. “I’m looking for Will Kutner and word is that he works here.”
Silence was the only answer.
Stone cold silence.
Chapter Four
T-Bone
Acop. The last fucking thing we needed, on today of all days, was a visit from a fucking cop. She might be hot as fuck underneath the cheap suit and thick chestnut ponytail, but she was still a cop. The enemy. A complication we didn’t need, not now. Steel Thunder started in an hour and Diesel would kick our asses if we showed up late.
She was looking for Pike for some reason and she wouldn’t say until she saw him, I could tell that much by the way she stood, tall and proud. I stepped up first before one of my brothers did, my tall frame towered over her. “No cops.”
She wasn’t petite, at least five feet five inches by my estimation, and more than that she wasn’t scared of me. She didn’t flinch, which would’ve been hot as fuck if she wasn’t a goddamn cop.
“You lost?” She had to be if she was showing up here. Alone.
She shook her head and looked at me head on. “I’m not a cop.” Her voice was low and smoky but shot through with a heavy dose of steel.
My hands clenched into fists. “So you’re a reporter in search of dirt? Sorry honey, we don’t have shit for ya.” Reporters showed up regularly, especially after saving a doctor and an elementary school teacher.
The woman studied my face carefully and I wondered what she saw. Did she see a criminal and a biker, or did she takeone look at my size and assume I was a goon? “I’m not a cop and I’m definitely not a reporter, I’m just someone searching for Will Kutner.” She stood tall—five-seven to my six foot six frame, I realized—and she never wavered. Her green eyes watched me closely, in search of any sign that I was the man she was looking for. “Are you Will Kutner?”
“Nope.” I crossed my arms and smiled. “What I am is looking for ten million bucks, top shelf tequila, and a bungalow on a Mexican beach.” I glanced at her outfit, plain white shirt, black pants and a black jacket that screamedcop. “Looks like we’re both shit out of luck.”
Her jaw clenched and her green eyes darkened. “I’m told that Will is the half-brother of Ashley Monroe. Is that correct?”
Shit, Ashley. “Why are you asking about Ashley?”
The woman took a step back and studied the rest of the guys who were now watching with keen interest, sizing her up, checking her out and wondering what the fuck she was doing here at the worst possible time. I didn’t know what she was looking for, but she locked on Sniper first and then Pike. I watched as her eyes bounced back and forth between them before she sighed again and turned back to me. “You’re not Will.”
It wasn’t a question, but I shrugged. “Could be.”
