by Lia Ellison
“Is anyone watching you? How about you put that device down somewhere close to the fence and we test it out? If it doesn’t work, you’ll move it somewhere else.”
“Okay. Let me try.” I glanced around, and when I was sure no one was watching me, I pretended I was looking at my shoe and slid the device out of my pocket.
Carefully lowering it to the ground, I pressed a small button on it.
“It’s on,” I said, and then I waited.
All I could hear from the other end of the line was the sound of typing.
“It’s not close enough,” Nia said with a groan.
I gritted my teeth, looking past the fence. And then an idea struck me. “Wait, what if I just tossed it over the fence? Would it break?”
“It’s a sturdy little thing, so it might not. But I’m not sure. Are you willing to risk it? I mean, I can always get another one, but it would take a day or two. Can you wait that long if things go wrong?”
“Yeah, I think so.” I wasn’t sure about it, but I wasn’t about to try to break in either.
There was just way too much security around here, and it was a wonder no one had spotted me and come to check.
Actually, it was probably a matter of time before that happened, so I had to get out of here as soon as possible.
Once I picked up the device, I held it tightly in my hand. Hoping for the best, I took a few steps back and then tossed the small box over the fence.
The sound it made when it hit the ground made me cringe, but if it had broken, there was nothing for me to do anyway, so I broke into a run to get away from there as fast as possible.
“Lexi?” I heard Nia’s voice and lifted my phone closer to my ear.
“What?”
“It’s working. Get out of there.”
Relief surged through my shoulders. “Perfect, and I’m already on my way.”
“This won’t take long. I just hope there are some kind of records here for me to get into,” Nia said. “They can’t have everything on paper.”
“Let me know as soon as you find something.”
“Of course.”
I lowered my phone and then I was racing for my car. Once I was got in, I leaned back in my seat, gasping for breath, my chest heaving.
My phone rang then, making me jump. My heart was in overdrive in an instant. Could Nia really have something so quickly? And hopefully, it was some good news.
“Yeah, Nia? Tell me,” I said.
“It’s Denzel!” she shouted.
“What?” I had no clue what she was talking about.
“The guy’s name!” she said. “It’s Denzel. Some guy named Denzel was killed. It wasn’t Ryker.”
My shoulders slumped in relief, and I closed my eyes for a moment, resting my head against the seat. “Oh, thank god. Thank you, Nia. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome,” she said cheerfully. “I’m so glad it’s not your boy.”
“Me too. Can you figure out more about the guy? Who he really is? I mean, how important he is to his gang?”
“Yeah, I can try. But why?”
“I need to know if Ryker had anything to do with it,” I said.
“Wait, do you think this guy attacked him or something and that Ryker killed him?”
“If they were rivals, then maybe yeah.”
And if Ryker had really killed someone in jail, then that was only going to make things harder for him. But maybe it had been in self-defense.
Maybe he hadn’t had a choice.
Or maybe it hadn’t been him at all.
Someone else could’ve been after that gang member, or whoever he was.
“Okay. I’ll look into it.”
“Thanks. I’ll be right there.” After I ended the call and pocketed my phone, I gripped the steering wheel, staring at the road in front of me.
Ryker was alive.
That was the only thing that mattered.
If something had happened to him, I had no idea what I would’ve done.
The thought had been on my mind all the time, but I hadn’t believed it to be true, and I’d always held onto the hope that he was fine.
But the idea of losing him was almost unbearable, and maybe, just maybe, I had my answer about whether I could really care for him, despite everything that had happened between us when we were teens.
But what did it matter now how I felt about him?
Would Ryker ever get out of prison?
I had no idea.
Chapter 4
I MADE MY WAY TOWARD the bar where my target was supposed to be as I adjusted my blonde wig.
If I was lucky, no one was going to recognize me or even expect that I was here, but I had to find out more details about what had happened with Denzel. And maybe, just maybe, I could find out something that could help me figure out what was going on with Ryker and if he was fine.
Hell, if I got really, really lucky, then I might be able to see him too. But I wasn’t going to get my hopes up.
Since Nia couldn’t find a way to get any info about who had killed Denzel, probably because there were no online records about it just yet or maybe there’d never be, I had to resort to different means.
Nia had managed to figure out one of the cops who was secretly working with the Scarlet Cobras. Aside from being a crooked cop, the guy was also a drunk. After his job, he’d go to the bar and drink until it was time for him to go home.
Maybe the Cobras didn’t trust him much because of that, but I thought that if I approached him while his mind wasn’t too clear, I might be able to get some info out of him.
There was always a chance that he didn’t know anything, but since he was involved with the Scarlet Cobras, he’d probably wanted to be informed about what was going on in case he needed to come up with a plan to protect himself if Ryker talked.
I didn’t think Ryker was going to do something like that or even try to strike a deal to reduce his sentence, but this cop couldn’t be sure of any of that.
Hell, even I couldn’t be sure since, after everything that had happened, I had no clue if I knew Ryker at all or if I’d just gotten glimpses and pieces of who he might really be.
But there was no time to think about that now.
I had to know if Ryker had had something to do with Denzel’s murder because something about it was bugging me, especially considering how calmly Ryker had let the cops take him.
Okay, maybe he knew that resisting or escaping would only make things worse since nothing could be done to stop the files that I’d sent from spreading everywhere, but I still couldn’t help but think that there was more to it.
As I pushed the door open, I looked around the bar.
My dress was a bit too revealing, with a deep neckline, so multiple gazes turned toward me.
The cop I was looking for was sitting at the bar and staring at his glass, not paying me any attention. Who knew what he’d seen at his job that he so badly wanted to forget?
Or maybe it was something else that drove him to this bar every night.
I took a seat right next to him, pretending I didn’t even notice him. My phone was in my hand, and I was scrolling through an article about the murder.
After I ordered my drink, I finally glanced at the guy.
His dark eyes were trying to focus on me.
“Hey, did you hear about that gang member who was killed?” I asked the bartender, who shook his head. “Look.” I showed him the screen of my phone.
“Who cares?” the bartender said as he placed my glass in front of me. “One scum less.”
“Yeah, I know. But I bet a cop killed him. That’s why they aren’t saying anything or giving any more info. I heard the guy lived around here. His name was Denzel.” I eyed the bartender, but there was no recognition in his eyes, which didn’t really matter.
But the cop next to me finally straightened his shoulders, his attention fully on me. “Not true,” he said.
“Oh?” I turned toward him, lifting an ey
ebrow at him. “What do you know about that? Cops kill people all the time and blame it on someone else. That’s exactly what happened to my cousin. He was in prison and then they found him dead in his cell. Ruled it a suicide, but I know that it wasn’t. They killed him and they covered it up. The same thing probably happened with this guy too.”
“That’s not true!” The drunk cop raised his voice as he glared at me.
“What are you? A cop?”
“I am, and you’re wrong. It was the Scarlet Cobras’ guy.”
I stopped breathing for a moment. Ryker? Had Ryker really done it? Were my suspicions true? “Who? Their leader?”
The cop nodded.
“Was it in self-defense?”
He looked at me as if I were crazy and let out a laugh. “You talk too much.”
His attention went back to his drink. I wasn’t going to get anything else out of him, was I?
Except, I’d already heard what I’d come here for, hadn’t I?
Ryker had killed Denzel, and it hadn’t been in self-defense.
I downed my drink, letting it burn its way down my throat. And then I jumped to my feet, slapping the money on the bar.
On my way to the door, I glanced back at the cop, who was looking after me with a suspicious look in his eyes. Even though his drunken brain, he’d probably figured out something was off or that I’d been fishing for information.
It was better that I disappeared as far away from here as possible before he started asking questions or came after me.
Once I was out, I breathed in a gulp of fresh air, a shudder running down my spine.
Ryker had killed a rival gang member.
On purpose.
Maybe.
But why?
He had to know that would only make things more complicated for him. Maybe the cop didn’t know the whole truth.
Maybe they were all hoping they’d get rid of Ryker once and for all so they were willing to lie about what had happened.
Or maybe I was looking for excuses where there weren’t any. Ryker was a killer. It was just who he was.
Why was I trying to deny it? Why was I trying to fool myself into thinking that he was actually a good guy?
My phone vibrated, and I immediately checked it.
A message from Nia flashed on my screen. She’d managed to find more info about the dead guy.
And it turned out Denzel wasn’t just any gang member. He was one of the leaders.
The gang in question was a threat to the Scarlet Cobras and willing to fight them for their territory.
Was Ryker just trying to do what was best for his gang, even if that meant he’d get himself deep in trouble?
Would he really put his gang above everything else? Sure, why not? He’d already done it before, hadn’t he?
Especially if he’d lied to me that he hadn’t had a choice but to torment me in school.
I pocketed my phone, unsure what to think.
Everything Ryker had done and the reasons he’d done it were still mostly a mystery to me. I didn’t even know if I could trust him, which was the most annoying thing of all.
But maybe, one day, I’d figure out the real truth.
Chapter 5
“LEXI! YOU’RE NOT GOING to believe this!” Nia yelled, and I rushed out of the kitchen to check what she was talking about.
“What’s going on?” I asked, wiping my hands on my shirt.
“He’s getting out,” she said, giving me a bewildered look.
I blinked at her, unsure what she was talking about. “Who?”
“Ryker. He’s getting out. They’re going to release him. He’s a free man.”
“What?” My jaw went slack.
That was just impossible.
There was no way all the charges could be dropped just like that, especially when there was so much proof.
How could they do this? All the evidence was on the Internet. People were going to know the truth.
“Yeah, I know. It sounds crazy, but it’s happening.” She shifted so I could take a look at the article that was covering almost the entire screen of her computer. “They dropped all the charges against him because they say he’s not the guy they’re looking for.”
“What? But how? There’s video and everything—”
“Well, apparently, it’s not enough. Or, better said, Ryker’s lawyers claimed that it was a case of a mistaken identity. They say the guy in the video is someone else and that it’s too dark to see his face. They’re now searching for some guy who looks almost like him. See?” She pressed a button and an image of a guy popped up.
He was nowhere near as handsome as Ryker, but he had dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, and the shape of his face was similar. He also had the Cobras’ tattoo on his arm.
What the hell?
“But that’s just...” I didn’t know what to say.
A part of me was happy that Ryker was getting out, but the other was scared of the whole thing.
If Ryker could just get away with anything like this, then who knew what he could do to me?
And the calm way he’d acted...
When he’d said he deserved it...
I let out a curse.
“What? What are you thinking?” Nia asked.
“That son of a bitch!”
Nia’s eyebrows shot up. “I thought you’d be happy, but this doesn’t look like your happy face, so what’s up?”
“He played me. He fucking played me!”
“What are you talking about? I’m not following.”
“He knew that I had all that info on him, and he knew it wouldn’t be enough, or maybe he was already planning with his lawyers on how to make it all go away. They convinced one of the gang members to sacrifice himself for his boss. So when I pressed that button, it didn’t matter to him because he’d been expecting it. Hell, maybe he was hoping I’d do it. And there he was, talking about how he deserved to go to prison or whatever. Ugh. I can’t believe I was so stupid to believe anything he said!” I raked my hand through my hair.
“Wait, slow down. Are you saying Ryker wanted to get arrested?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m talking about! He found a way to get in there and kill Denzel, and now he’s getting out!”
“We don’t know for sure if he killed Denzel. It could’ve been someone else. A drunk cop isn’t a good source of information.”
“I know, but I’m sure. I can feel it. My gut is telling me he planned all this. Once he found those files on my phone, he came up with a whole plan on how to use it. Maybe he even arranged for his cops to do their work, or he found a way to blackmail the judge or other cops, or I don’t know. But I’m sure he was planning all of it. That was why he didn’t confront me about it. He didn’t need to. Hell, maybe he was hoping I’d release the info.”
“So you basically inadvertently helped him come up with a plan to get rid of one of his rivals?”
I nodded. “Maybe the plan was to send the other guy instead of him all along, but I didn’t give him a chance to execute it. Still, he was able to play along and get exactly what he wanted. And now, he’s getting out as if nothing happened. Mistaken identity?” I snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“Okay. I’m confused right now.” Nia cocked her head at me. “You wanted him out, right? Because you’re not quite sure how you feel about him. But now you would prefer if he stayed in jail?”
I let out a groan. “I know how it sounds. All I’m saying is that I didn’t want anything to happen like this. Does that mean he lied to me about everything? Did he want to make me feel bad about what I did? I don’t even know anymore. It’s all so messed up. What if he comes for me? What if I was right that he wanted to hurt him? Sure, he used my actions to his advantage, but was he still going to be mad at me for spying on him? What if he plans to use me for something else?”
“Um, maybe you’re overreacting? I know this is a huge shock. Believe me, I’m shocked too. But can’t you talk to him first? If he
loves you, he’ll want to clear up things with you.”
“And if he doesn’t, then what? What if he just kills me? Maybe the only reason he didn’t do it the last time was because he knew the cops would get there and his little mistaken-identity plan wouldn’t work if there was yet another body to hide? Maybe he knew I cared about him enough and that he could manipulate me so I wouldn’t do anything stupid to harm his plan. Hell, I was so damn worried about him: When I thought he died, I almost lost my mind! His plan was working so damn well. I can’t believe I fell for it.”
And I’d known exactly who he was and what he’d done to me.
Damn.
I was an idiot.
A total, complete, and utter idiot.
A naive girl who’d fallen for the lies of a pretty criminal.
“Whoa, slow down. He couldn’t have planned for all that, could he? I mean, he couldn’t have known how you’d react. And he had to know you’d find out about his plan before he got out.”
“Right. So basically if he wanted me dead, he would’ve sent his men to take care of it. I don’t think that would’ve been a problem for him to arrange out of jail.” I pressed my lips together into a tight line.
“No. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying that maybe he does care about you, but he wasn’t sure how the whole thing would play out or if his plan would work. Or, I don’t know. You should definitely be careful. Maybe he’ll give you a call and explain everything, but if you meet with him, make sure you do it in a public place where he can’t hurt you. He’ll want to lie low after this. Just because he got away with it all this time doesn’t mean he can repeat it.”
I bobbed my head, but my mind was a mess.
Who was Ryker really?
And what was he going to do now?
Chapter 6
I STARED AT RYKER ACROSS the table in a very crowded bar.
As soon as he’d called me and asked to meet with me, I’d picked the place with most witnesses ever.
Maybe I wanted to believe that what Ryker felt for me was real, but I wasn’t about to put my life at risk if I didn’t have to. He hadn’t objected, and now we were here.
He was as handsome as ever, his dark eyes boring into mine, and I itched to run my fingers through his dark hair and pull him to me for a long, fierce kiss.