Page 21 of Savage in the Streets
“Let’s see, it says here he died from heart issues, and after his death, your father took the helm but couldn’t command the respect that your grandpa did, allowing someone to take over. The motorcycle gang, under Bruce Riker’s leadership, renamed themselves the Blood Angels.”
“You got most of it right.”
“Tell me how it came to be that your father swindled a bunch of seniors and went out of his way to blame you.”
“He came to me almost a year ago. I hated him, but some part of me wanted to reconnect, if only to ask questions. He was sweet. Kind. For a good couple of months, he acted like the father I’d always wanted, making me pancakes for breakfast, telling me how proud he was of me.”
“Then what happened.”
“He started talking about the old gang. I noticed a spark in his eye, but I chose to ignore it, calling it nostalgia. More and more, the Angels came up, and I knew he was up to no good.”
“What was he up to?”
“He wanted to make an alliance with Bruce. He told me that if I married him, I’d live like royalty. That I’d be worshipped. That my children would inherit the gang, as was their right. That I’d be dubbed the Savage Queen, and no one would dare disrespect me.”
I blink my eyes in disbelief. “He was trying to get you to agree to an arranged marriage?”
“He remembered what it was like for him growing up. How his own father commanded respect. No one dared cross him. He never had that.”
“And he was trying to get it through you…”
“He figured he’d gain prestige, but you see, he’s not half the man my grandfather was. My grandfather was terrifying but also kind. He’d never hurt a lady, and he’d damn near castrate a man who’d harm a child. There was a lot of blood on his hands, but it was all from dirty men. My father ruled by terror, with never a kind word or action.”
“And Bruce wanted this? To marry you, I mean.”
“Absolutely. I’m my granddad’s only granddaughter. Bruce might have taken the men, but if my grandpa rose from the dead, not a single one would stay by Bruce’s side. By claiming me, he solidifies his hold on his men.”
“Huh…so where does the swindling come in? If this played out like you say it did, he framed you intentionally.”
“Five months ago is when he introduced the idea of me marrying Bruce. It made my blood boil, so I cut off communication and threatened to slice his throat if he came back.”
“Slice…his…throat… Yeah, we’re not gonna wanna say that in court.”
“He left. Haven’t seen him in months.”
“So you think he did the swindling, had the money deposited into that account, and withdrew most of the money after deposit?”
“Yes. It had to be him. For someone to be able to do that, they’d have to have intimate knowledge of my social security number and possibly my birth certificate. He’s also dabbled in this before, though he hasn’t been caught.”
“I won’t have all the details until we hold a discovery hearing, but one of the victims said a woman approached them, and when provided with a picture, she confirmed that it was you.”
“She’s lying. Plain and simple.”
“I can’t help you if—”
“You’ve already made it clear that you think I’m a lying piece of trash, so I might as well return to my prison cell because you’re not going to get a confession out of me.”
Her voice is thick and full of contempt. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was offended. That maybe she was innocent.
“What about your brother?”
Her face darkens. “You mean the man who hired you?”
“Do you think he’s in on it?”
“My father probably wouldn’t want to involve him if he’s trying to become the alpha male. He’d just see him as competition. Plus, my brother is sloppy.”
“It looks like your brother tried to form a gang of his own.”
