Page 6 of T-Bone
She shook her head. “Fine, we’ll do this your way.” She turned back to the boys and watched each of them like a teacher in front of class. “I stopped at Red Rock PD hoping they’d be more helpful given the circumstances, but they wouldn’t even turn over the case file. So I thought maybe Will would be more helpful in figuring out who murdered his half-sister.”
A wrench fell to the ground in a loud clatter that echoed on the concrete floor and bounced off the walls. The silence waslouder than I ever knew silence could be. Pike was there on shaky legs, tears brimmed in his eyes even as anger took over. “Murdered?”
The woman’s expression softened and filled with sympathy. “They haven’t reached out to you yet?”
“Obviously fucking not,” he snarled now that his anger had a target. “Who the fuck are you and why are you here?”
She nodded as if that was an expected question. “My sister Chloe was in an abusive marriage, and three years ago she was murdered. At least that’s the story. Anyway my niece was three years old at the time, and she disappeared. There’s been no trace of her since, until now. Gemma’s hair and DNA were found in Ashley’s house.” She rolled her eyes. “Red Rock PD declared it a murder-suicide, Chloe’s death I mean. But they didn’t seem to give a damn about Gemma.”
“What the fuck,” Pike snarled and stormed off, Sniper and Vandal followed him but not before they shot a glare in the not-a-cop’s direction.
She took a step forward. “Mr. Kutner, please. I think we can help each other.”
I put a hand on her shoulder, it was surprisingly delicate for such a sturdy woman. “Give Pike a minute,” I told her, my tone softer than I meant it to be.
She shrugged off my touch. “I can’t believe they didn’t notify next of kin. Fucking Maynard,” she grumbled under her breath.
“You talk a lot like a cop for someone who isn’t a cop.”
“Anymore,” she said and turned to me. “I’m not a copanymore. I’m a private investigator.” Her green gaze was so serious but underneath it a hurt that slammed into my chest.“I quit after what happened to Chloe and Gemma. I knew something didn’t smell right about all of it, but Red Rock PD closed it quickly and even my own PD tried to convince me the Red Rock narrative was the right one.” Her hands balled into fists, the only real display of emotion she’d shown since she got here.
I observed the woman who was more than serious. She was determined even though she was pinched tight and strong. She was beautiful too even if she worked hard to downplay her looks, and her pain. It came out sometimes, visceral and bone deep, but she kept it sealed tight behind a steel wall.
I understood it, all of it. Too fucking well. I had my own sister I’d lost too soon, except I got answers and justice, and guess what? It didn’t make me feel any fucking better. My mouth opened and before I could think better of it, the words were out. “I’ll help you.”
She froze and took a step back to look me straight in the eyes, her gaze heavy with suspicion. “Why? What’s in it for you?” Before I could answer she opened her mouth and said the last thing I expected to hear. “Let me guess, Ghost Riders is a rival MC and if you get a chance to take them out, you will?”
She was smart as hell, which was attractive as fuck. I smiled and shook my head. “Not even close. I have my own reasons for wanting to help, take it or leave it.”
She folded her arms tight around her body and glared back at me. “And if I take it?”
“Then you listen to me. You do what I say, and I’ll open the necessary doors to get you the answers you need.” She didn’t need to know about Alina or that Pike was my best friend.
She bristled at the idea of ceding control, which gave me a thrill. This might even end up being fun. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
“Noted. But this is my world and if I say stand down, you stand down. Got it?”
She nodded.
“I need to hear you say the words.”
Chapter Five
Faith
He was actually serious. Those piercing gray eyes sparked with sincerity but there was a darkness in him that I didn’t trust. I knew men like him, had grown up around them, went to the academy with them and put a ton of them behind bars. “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t deal with people I can’t trust. Especially bikers.”
“All bikers,” he asked, his tone was incredulous.
I nodded easily. “It’s hard to trust bikers when my sister was beaten to death by one. I’m pretty sure Ghost Riders have several members of Las Vegas PD in their pockets, and all of Red Rock. Why else would they fail to inform Mr. Kutner about his sister?” It was another piece of the puzzle and that only made me more sure that something was off about Ashley’s murder too.
“I get it, believe me I do. But you don’t have a choice. The rally is happening for the next four days and Ghost Riders are here. If they catch you sniffing around and asking questions about shit that might implicate them, they won’t hesitate to take you out.”
I snorted. “I can handle myself, thanks.”
He stood back and folded his arms, those omnipotent gray eyes tried to see deep into my soul. “I have no doubt you are a very capable woman but,” he said slowly, a smile curling the corners of his mouth.
“But,” I asked, my tone sharp enough to cut.
