Page 45 of Crow's Haven
“Where did this happen?” Zen says. He’s already got his laptop open.
I start pacing in front of the bar. “That’s all I know. I didn’t ask, I was gonna wait until she calmed down.”
Zen looks up. “You sure about all that? I did her background check myself and she was golden. She never even had a parking ticket.”
I palm smack my own forehead. “Shit, I forgot to mention that she’s been using a relative’s name. Said she was really called Sharon, but I don’t know her real surname.”
“You had a right to be furious,” Siege says slowly, calmly, watching me closely. “But I’m guessing your reaction didn’t exactly inspire a heartfelt conversation.”
My anger slips, leaving raw vulnerability in its place. “I lost my shit. Scared her. Gave her a fucking piece of my mind for dragging me and my boys into her shit.” My voice grows ragged, honest. “Yeah, if you want to know the truth, I fucked it up.”
Rigs steps closer, resting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Listen, brother. Nobody blames you for protecting Scout and Chase. But you gotta remember, Sharon did right by you. She took care of your boys and loved you enough to proudly wear your property cut. You should have leashed your anger.”
“I know,” I say roughly, guilt twisting in my gut. “Goddammit, I know. But the thought of cops dragging her away right in front of my boys scared the shit out of me.”
“Did you even give her a fair chance to explain?” Siege asks. “It sounds like there may have been mitigating circumstances.”
“I was gonna do just that. She was crying so hard, I sent her to the bathroom to wash her face and get her shit together.”
Rage’s voice drifts from the side. “That’s pretty fucking cold, brother.”
I glance at him with surprise. “I was angry and thought giving her a moment to herself would help smooth the process along, ya know?”
He shakes his head. “No, bro. I don’t understand how smoothing the process along was more important to you in the moment than your old lady’s fucking feelings. You’re supposed to hold your old lady when she cries, not send her off to the bathroom to wash her damn face. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“You can talk. Remember how mad you were when you discovered Prissy had been keepin’ your kid from you for all those years?” It was a low blow, but it was the truth.
Instead of going on the attack he gives a single nod.
Rigs adds gently, “We’ve all made mistakes and your old lady deserved more than your anger. She deserved basic human compassion and a chance to explain. But what’s done, is done.”
I sigh, “I know that now. I couldn’t think straight when I heard her talking on the phone.” Emotions swell in my chest and I look down at my feet. If I thought I was guilty before, it’s nothing like after getting a well-deserved dressing down by my club brothers.
Siege’s voice softens with understanding. “We get it, Crow. You have two boys she took care of and then finding out she was being accused of murdering a little boy, must have beena total mind fuck. But right now, we need to find her and see if she really is a killer.”
“It was a mind fuck,” I tell him roughly, swallowing past the thickness in my throat. “I didn’t know what to call it, but I was freaked the fuck out at the thought of someone who killed a kid being around my boys.”
Rigs interjects, “She’s not a killer. I already told you that.”
“If she’s innocent, we help her prove it. But if she’s guilty, we turn her over to the police,” Siege says.
I look my club president in the eye and tell him, “After I had a chance to calm down, I realized there was probably more to this story than met the eye. I love Sharon and I don’t think she’s ever intentionally hurt a kid, much less murder one.”
Siege says, “It looks like we’re all on the same page. Is there anything else you learned about her background you haven’t told us? Anything that we should know?”
I run my fingers through my hair, worried about whether to tell them the most damning part.
Siege encourages me, “We can’t help you if we don’t have all the facts.”
“I overheard her say the police were thinking she might be a serial killer.”
I let my words hang in the air for a minute before adding, “Clearly, if I don’t think she killed one kid, I don’t think she killed more than one.”
Siege’s expression hardens, “If she’s a nurse, the police might think she’s an angel of death type serial killer. That doesn’t mean she is one.”
Tex is one of the brothers who has gathered around to hear about my problem. He’s a former cop, so when he speaks up, everyone pays attention. “I’d say chances of that are remote. The FBI estimates that there are between twenty-five and fifty active serial killers in the US at any given time and there are only about sixty-five or so known medical serial killers in recorded history. The chances of your old lady being one are practically non-existent. If you want, I can work you a profile and we’ll see if she fits it.”
Siege clears his throat. “Why don’t you do that, Tex. If nothing else, just to set his mind at ease.”
