Page 15 of T-Bone
“Yeah, this way.” He absently but his big hand on my lower back, hot and searing, and led me into a small room appointed with a bed, a sofa and a small three-legged table. “I’ll be back.”
I nodded but I was already unpacking the case files and laying everything out so I could memorize it because that was the best way to brainstorm theories. I wasn’t sure how long I stayed like that, hunched over the files and I didn’t care. I would sleep once I had answers.
Chapter Ten
T-Bone
“That’s what they said?” Diesel leaned back in his chair inside the office rather than our meeting room since this wasn’t church, more like a debriefing. “A blood debt?”
I blew out a long breath and nodded. “Yeah, and they came to deliver that message exactly.” My clothes were still covered in smoke but thanks to Faith’s quick thinking, my throat and eyes didn’t burn too badly. “I don’t know if they followed us or if they came looking for information like we were.” I still didn’t know despite what I said to Faith, but I was pretty fucking sure.
“So what’s the plan?” Rocky folded his arms and watched me carefully.
I nodded and told them about the folder we found hidden at the studio. “There’s evidence of new identification and an indication that Ashley was helping someone.” My gaze landed on Pike, who looked like pure shit. “I haven’t looked at the full file yet but that’s my plan for tonight.”
“Let us know what you find,” Diesel instructed, his tone grim the way it always was. “What about this woman, Faith?”
“She used to work at LVPD,” Slate offered and pointed to the screen on the wall behind him. “Left shortly after Red Rock closed the case on her sister’s presumed death and the disappearance of her niece.”
I nodded. “Yeah, she was pretty devastated about the resolution. Thinks Red Rock PD was in the pocket of Ghost Riders back then, possibly still is. She’s determined to find her niece.”
Rebel’s brows knitted into a frown. “And we trust this woman?”
“She’s a straight shooter, works as a private investigator now because it lets her keep looking for Gemma.” She was strong as fuck, determined, and annoying in her determination. But I couldn’t fault anyone for doing what she was to help a child. “Told me straight up that she doesn’t give a shit what she sees here as long as I don’t screw her over. I believe her.”
Diesel nodded once. “If that changes, let me know.”
“Okay,” Rebel began with his hands up in the way he did just before he pissed somebody off. “But why is this MC business?”
“Because, asshole, if the Ghost Riders killed Ashley because she was keeping a little girl safe, that is damn well club business.”
“Maybe she’s just chasing ghosts and roping us in to help.”
I nodded. “I get it, except there’s evidence that Ashley and Chloe knew each other well enough to having matching tattoos. And you know, the Ghost Riders attacking us last night.”
I turned to Pike because it had to be said. “She’s going to find out who killed Ashley no matter what she finds out about her family.” The way she’d almost come to tears inside Ashley’s studio made me wonder how the hell she investigated murders with a soft temperament like that, but then I’d seen her kick thatbiker in the balls, and I was even more intrigued by the walking contradiction that was Faith Welsh.
“Great,” he grunted and took a swig from the bottle of whiskey on the table in front of him. “She’s not going to bring Ash back to life, is she?”
The room settled into a heavy silence at his words. Ashley didn’t come around the MC a lot, but we all knew her well enough to feel her absence right along with Pike. “Nah man,” I said with a heavy heart. “But it might feel good to beat the fuck out of her killer before we put a bullet in his brain?”
He shrugged and stood up, yanking his bottle off the table. “I guess we’ll see.Ifyou find him.” He stared at me for a long minute, staring me down as if I’d betrayed him somehow. Then he stormed off.
The room was still quiet, but Gio broke it in his usual way. “At least you can rub it in his face forever when you bring him his sister’s killer.”
A few chuckles broke out around the room and some of the tension fled. We always joked around but none of us downplayed what our brother was going through right now. “I plan to find him. Or them.” And to do that, I’d have to trust Faith as much as I was asking her to trust me.
Speaking of the woman, I glanced down at my phone to see that we’d been back for more than three hours, and I hadn’t seen or heard her since she locked herself away in the room. I gave her the first hour because I figured she was pouting and maybe needed to decompress after the fire and the fight. Then, I was too distracted with everything else until now.
Maybe she was pissed off because she didn’t like that I forced her to come to the clubhouse when she so clearly disliked bikers, or maybe she was also suffering the effects ofsmoke inhalation and was in there suffering alone. That worry propelled my feet forward until I stood outside the door and stopped, weighing if I should knock first and risk rejection or walk in and risk her wrath. In the end, I chose both. I knocked as I pushed the door open, which worked out perfectly because she didn’t answer.
She couldn’t.
Not because she was unconscious from smoke inhalation or sleep, but because she sat on the painted wood floor surrounded by papers that fanned out like sunshine all around her, her eyes glued to them all such focus she still hadn’t heard me enter. She absently scribbled on the notepad beside her, her gaze never leaving the papers spread out in front of her.
“Faith.” I called her name twice and she didn’t respond, so I took a step forward to make sure she didn’t have on those fucking discreet earbuds. “Faith,” I called louder this time.
She didn’t gasp and she didn’t startle, she just slowly dragged her gaze from the papers until our gazes met. “Hey. I hope you don’t mind but I found a notebook and pen in that desk over there that I needed. Come here,” she said without waiting for an answer.
