Looking at Zac, I have to admit I respect the man. It takes a lot of guts to bust the beloved pastor. I’m just thankful I can go back home once the bust is made.
You’re gonna leave Reece?
The thought is sudden and has me frowning as I wonder where the hell it came from. It’s not like I was dating her. I’ll probably see her once more to apologize, but then I’m heading back to Spartanburg.
It’s only a twenty-minute drive from my place to Reece’s house.
Irritated that the thought of going home upsets me, I shake it off and focus on the back entrance to the church.
“First truck’s approachin’,” Zac says over the radio.
“Copy that,” I reply.
I have to admit, Clay and his group were smart using the charity runs from the church to transport the meth. Apparently, Doug Liles, Shane Roberts, and Joe Randall go way back. Only Shane took the fall for the group, and that’s why Doug took in Clay. I wonder how long the group has been running their meth labs.
“I’ll find out soon enough,” I whisper as the last truck pulls into the back of the church.
“Wait for my signal. We need them to load the trucks first,” Zac says.
There are cops from all four precincts so there’s no way anything can go wrong. Fuck, I hope not. I’d hate for this to be a waste of time. The evidence Reece gave us is only enough to put Randall and Roberts away. We need this bust to take Liles down as well.
We wait another thirty minutes before Zac says, “Go! Make sure y’all arrest every person.”
As I run from behind the wall where I was hiding, I pull my gun out and keep it low. Zac’s like a damn bullet, running ahead of me. He gets to the parking area first and starts to yell, “Police. Get face down, hands above your head.”
I follow behind him and soon the other cops pile in.
I head straight for Roberts. Raising my gun, I shout at him, “Police! Get your ass on the floor, Roberts. It’s over.”
The idiot doesn’t listen and starts to run. I quickly holster my gun and set off after him. He’s faster than I expected and I only manage to tackle him a mile down the road from the church. We both slam into the concrete, but I push myself up and pressing my knee into his back, I keep him from getting to his feet.
“Why do y’all always run?” I say as I pull the ties from my pocket.
Roberts starts to struggle, breathlessly saying, “Get the fuck off me. I’m gonna sue your ass.”
Using more force, I pin his arms behind his back and manage to restrain him. Yanking him up to his feet, I say, “You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Anythin’ you say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speakin’ to the police and to have an attorney present durin’ questionin’ now or in the future.”
Keeping hold of his arm, I shove him forward. “You go ahead and sue me, but first you’re gonna walk your ass back to the church.”
“You’re gonna regret fuckin’ with me,” he threatens.
With my free hand, I flick a finger against the back of his head. “Stop whinin’. You’re a grown ass man who fucked up and got caught. Deal with it.”
“You think Reece is gonna forgive you when she finds out you were undercover?” he asks.
“She already knows,” I say, not letting any of my worry about Reece show in my voice.
“Did the bitch turn me in?” he asks, trying to glance over his shoulder at me.
Moving my foot, I sweep his feet from under him, and he falls flat on his face. I grab hold of his arm and yank him back up. “You need to watch where you’re walkin’.”
“This is police brutality,” Roberts roars while he tries to yank his arm free from my grip.
“Give me a heads up if you’re plannin’ to put in a complaint against me so I can at least beat the shit out of you.”
We reach the church, and I shove Roberts into the back of a police car where Liles is already sitting.
“Oh look, you’ve got company.” Placing my hand on the roof of the car, I lean down and look at the two men. “Use this time to come up with a good story.” I smile at them and grin extra wide when I see Roberts’ face red with rage. I slam the door shut. “Damn, I really enjoyed that.”
We work late into the night placing everyone involved under arrest and securing the evidence. It’s all a blur, but we got Roberts, Randall, and more importantly, Liles.
I drive back to the precinct with Zac and the three men in the back. We get them into separate interrogation rooms, then Zac heads back to the one Liles is being held in.
I follow behind him, wanting to hear how deep this thing goes.
Zac slams the door open and stalks over to Liles, I have to move fast when he grabs hold of his shirt, yanking him from the chair.
“You fuckin’ buried my wife,” Zac hisses, anger radiating off him.
“I can explain,” Liles says, looking pleadingly at Zac. “I didn’t have a choice.”
Zac shoves Liles back into the chair, then says, “State your name.”
“Doug Liles.”
“Why didn’t you have a choice?”
I can see Liles’ mind working overtime to come up with an excuse.
“They threatened me.”
“And it never crossed your mind to go to Aiden, or Wyatt, or any of the Holden’s, or myself? You could’ve gone to Cole!”
“I have a right to an attorney.”
Zac lets out a cynical chuckle. “Yeah, right. You call your attorney. Keep in mind, either you tell us everythin’ first, and just maybe we can lessen your sentence. Whoever talks first gets the deal.”
“How do I know you’re not bluffin’.”
“You don’t,” I say. I point to the door. “Zac, I’ll go hear whether the others are willin’ to talk. Be right back.”
“Yeah, you do that,” he says, then takes a seat across from Liles. Looking at him, Zac says, “You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”
I leave the room and go to the observation room so I can watch them.
CHAPTER 20
“Damn, I have shitty taste in men.”
REECE
“Dad’s been arrested, along with Clay,” Birdie says over the phone.
“What?” I’ve been waiting for the call that Clay’s been arrested, but why Pastor Doug. “Your dad? Are you sure?”
“Yeah, he just called me from the police station.”
I hear the worry in Birdie’s voice and start to walk toward Mom’s room so I can tell Nurse Hensley I’m heading out.
“I’ll be at your place in ten minutes,” I say. “Try not to worry until we know all the facts.”
I quickly peek inside the room. “I’m headin’ over to a friend’s house. I’m not sure how long I’ll be. I’ll call if I’m gonna be back late.”
“It’s okay. Take your time, dear,” Nurse Hensley says.
I grab my bag on the way out and think about how hard this is going to be for Birdie if Pastor Doug is really involved.
I pull up to the B&B Birdie owns and don’t bother knocking. I walk right in, and call out, “Birdie.”
Cole, Birdie’s fiancé, comes out of the kitchen. “Hey, Reece. Good seein’ you again.”
“Hey, Cole. How is she?” I ask, peeking inside the kitchen to see if Birdie is there.
Cole shakes his head. “She’s in shock. This totally came out of left field.”
“The cops must’ve made a mistake.” Birdie comes down the stairs, and I rush to give her a hug. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah. Cole’s comin’ as well. He’ll be able to talk with Aiden and Wyatt to find out what’s going on.”
Holding Birdie, I look at her pale face. My heart goes out to my friend. She’s had more than her share of shit from this life.
“I’m here for you,” I say, and it reminds me of all the times she said those exact words to me and how I just dismissed them.
Cole locks up
behind us, and I hand him the keys to my car, then get in the back so Birdie can sit next to him.
The drive to the police station is filled with tension. When we walk inside, Cole goes to find out whether we can see Pastor Doug while I take a seat with Birdie.
As Cole approaches us, Birdie rises. “What did you find out?”
Cole leads Birdie back to her seat and sits on the other side of her, comforting her. “We have to wait.” He places his arm around her and pulls her close.
I watch how Cole silently supports Birdie, and I feel a twinge of jealousy. I want what Birdie has, but I honestly think she took the last good guy on this planet. I’m happy for her though, she deserves to be loved.
I’m sipping on weak coffee when Alec comes walking out of the hallway. I almost spit the liquid out and start to cough when it goes down the wrong hole.
He’s dressed in chinos and a black t-shirt and has a badge hanging on a chain around his neck.
Seeing him as a detective really drives it home that all the time we spent together was an act.
I watch as he talks to another cop, then signs something. He turns to the counter, and I hear him ask, “Where are the visitors for Liles?”
The cop at reception points in our direction. Alec looks our way, and when our eyes meet, I stand up.
“Birdie, I think the detective is here for you. Is it okay if I wait outside?”
I feel bad trying to make a run for it instead of supporting my friend, but before Birdie can answer me, Alec reaches us. “Y’all here for Doug Liles?”
“Was he really arrested?” Birdie asks, her face filled with hope that it’s all a mistake.
“Yes, Ma’am. You can see him for a couple of minutes.” Then Alec looks back to me. “Are you here to see Roberts?”
I shake my head. “I’m here as a friend.”
“Where do we go?” Cole asks.
“Head straight down that hallway. You’ll see another counter. Just sign in, and the officer will help you from there,” Alec says, pointing to our right.
Cole and Birdie start to walk in the direction Alec indicated, and I’m about to go wait outside when Alec places his hand on my arm. “Can you give me a minute?”
Damn, this is awkward. I didn’t think I’d run into Alec, or I would’ve avoided coming here.
Alec’s hand slips down my arm and taking hold of my hand, he pulls me behind him. We walk into the first room on our left. There are two chairs and a table, and I quickly realize it’s an interrogation room.
I pull my hand free from his and cross my arms.
“You’re still angry,” he states.
My eyes snap up, and I glare at him. “Still?” I shake my head and start to walk to the door, but then swing back to Alec. “I have the right to be angry.”
“You do,” he agrees, totally ruining my moment of telling him just how pissed off I am.
“Don’t do that,” I snap.
“What?” A smile pulls at the corner of his mouth, which only makes me see red.
“Don’t agree with everythin’ I say. Don’t tell me how sorry you are for lyin’ to my face every single day.” I walk to the door and pull it open, but then I add, “In the future, if we run into each other, let's just pretend we’ve never met. It shouldn’t be hard seein’ as we’re both so good at livin’ a lie.”
“Before you go, I need to ask you some questions,” Alec says, sounding official.
Taking a deep breath, I close the door and walk over to the table to sit down in one of the chairs.
“We need your statement. I’m just gonna get a pen and paper.”
I spend an hour writing everything I know down in detail. When I’m done, the questioning starts, and Alec doesn’t hold back.
Hah, what made me think he’d take it easy on me?
Lawrence Tymes
Shit!
After calling Clay’s attorney, I start to worry the cops might come for me as well. What the hell am I going to do?
Packing a bag and drawing a lump sum of cash from my account, I drive out of Lyman.
“I’ll lay low until the attorney can get Clay out of jail,” I mutter anxiously. “Yeah, he’ll be out in no time, then things will go back to normal.”
My mind turns to the cash I have on me, and before long a new worry bleeds through me.
What if Clay can’t get out?
Shit, I don’t have enough cash to get me out of the country.
“Fuck, what am I gonna do?” Anger mixes with the panic. “It must’ve been Reece who turned on Clay. If he doesn’t get out, I’ll make her pay up so I can skip the country. There’s no way I’m getting’ arrested. I won’t last a day in jail.”
CHAPTER 21
“Looking at her,
I know I’ve been lying to myself.
I care.
I care so fucking much.”
ALEC
After Reece leaves the room, I bring my hands to my face and rub my eyes. Damn, I’m tired. That was really hard, but at least we’ll no longer require her involvement in the investigation.
We’re both so good at livin’ a lie.
She’s right. I try to remember the last honest thing I did, and reading to Mrs. Nicolson comes to mind. Knowing Reece will be at the station waiting for her friends, I decide to take a break and check in on her mom.
I drive over to her house, and when I get there, it feels weird ringing the bell. As Nurse Hensley opens the door, I smile at seeing her familiar face. “Hey, I’m here to check on Mrs. Nicolson.”
“Oh, sure, dear, go on ahead. She has missed you.”
Walking through the house, I realize how much I’ve missed being here. I wonder when it went from just another job to becoming a part of my life.
When I walk into the bedroom, Mrs. Nicolson’s face splits into a smile. “Alec.”
I stop dead in my tracks, hearing my name for the first time from her lips. I’m so damn proud of all the progress she’s made. “Wow, look at you,” I say as I walk closer and lean down to press a kiss to her forehead. “If you get any prettier, I’m gonna have my hands full with men linin’ up at the front door.”
Laughter bubbles over her lips. “Such a flirt. You okay?”
I sit down on the side of the bed. “I’m good, just busy at work.”
“What work?”
“I’m a detective,” I answer honestly. I can’t bring myself to lie to her.
She tilts her head, and a knowing look settles in her eyes. “Clay?”
I nod, then changing the subject I say, “You’re gettin’ good at talking. How are the exercises?” I take hold of her hand. “Squeeze.” Her grip is much stronger.
“Workin’ hard,” she says.
“I can see that. You keep it up, and we’ll be dancin’ together one day.”
A sad look darkens the blue of her eyes. “Not that good.”
“You’ll dance again. I promise.”
“Pfft.” She rolls her eyes at me, trying to hide the hurt.
Taking the book from next to her bed, I open it to where the bookmark is. “What are we readin’ today?”
“No,” she says, then she reaches for another book with a shirtless guy on the front. “This one.”
I take it and stare at the cover. “Damn, Mrs. Nicolson. You’ve been holdin’ out on me.” I open to the page, and grimace when I see the words ‘luscious lips’.
She laughs at my facial expression then wags her eyebrows at me.
It’s been a week since the bust went down, and I’ve finished with all the paperwork.
With the flash drive from Reece, and the recording of Liles, Randall, and Roberts discussing the transporting of meth, we have a solid case against them.
I got home yesterday and stopped by my mom’s to check on her. Now, I’m lying on my bed watching the feed from Reece’s house on my laptop screen. I’m going to have to stop at some point. Just not today.
Reece is working through the exercises with her mom, and when they fi
nish, Mrs. Nicolson says, ‘Call Alec.’
Hearing my name, I shift up and lean back against the headboard, pulling the laptop onto my lap.
Reece shakes her head, as she sits down next to her mom.
‘Stubborn.’
‘I’m not stubborn,’ Reece argues.
Suddenly there’s sound coming from next to me, and glancing at the receiver I realize Mrs. Nicolson must’ve pressed the button, so I can hear their conversation. I let out a burst of laughter.
“Damn, she’s sneaky,” I whisper.
‘Call Alec,’ Mrs. Nicolson says again.
‘No, Mom. I have no reason to call him.’
‘For dinner.’
Reece sighs, and turns her head, so she’s looking at her mom. ‘You shouldn’t like him that much. He lied to us.’
‘Doing his job,’ Mrs. Nicolson defends me, and it fills my heart with warmth knowing she understands.
‘He still lied,’ Reece argues.
‘Upset because you like him?’
Suddenly I’m very interested in Reece’s answer, and I even lean forward.
‘It doesn’t matter whether I like him.’
“It does,” I say. “Answer your mother, Reece.”
‘Know you like him,’ Mrs. Nicolson says as she takes hold of Reece’s hand. ‘He’s good.’
‘I thought I liked him,’ Reece finally admits. ‘The night of the fundraiser, I actually believed I was fallin’ for him, but I was wrong.’
Hearing how she really feels, hurts more than I expected.
“Fuck this shit. I’m going over there,” I say, and closing the laptop, I get up.
The drive to Reece’s house feels longer than twenty minutes. Ringing the bell, I prepare myself for Reece’s wrath because I showed up without an appointment.
Reece opens the front door, and looking at her, I know I’ve been lying to myself.
I care.
I care so fucking much.
“Hey,” I say, stepping inside before she can shut the door in my face.
The Lies We Tell Ourselves (A Southern Heroes Novel Book 3) Page 9