by Bella Jewel
Well, Alarick would want to clean up the mess he’s making then. I make a note to warn him about that.
“Kendric?” I ask, my heart aching at the thought of him sitting in prison.
“He’s angry—god, he’s so angry. I’ve never . . . I’ve never had someone hate me so much in my life. He . . . he just hates me.”
My heart aches for her. Anyone with two eyes can see that she and Kendric had some sort of weird connection. I don’t know what it was—I just know that when they’re together, you can practically feel your skin burning from the sparks flying off them. He helped her a lot when we were looking for Dax, and I know they spent some time together, though I don’t think it went any further than that.
For him to hate her now, I know it bothers her.
“He’s so mean,” she whispers, hanging her head. “I deserve it, too.”
“First of all, you do not,” I say, clicking my fingers in front of her face so she looks up at me. “You’re doing your job. It’s not on you at all. This is something that went horribly wrong for everyone. The club knew they were working with a cop, and they knew how much you were risking to help them out.”
“I’m no better than Bennett, and whoever else is helping Dax and Peter. I’m no better, Waverly. I’m helping a club that does plenty of illegal things. I’m supposed to be on the right side of the law, but here I am, risking everything for them.”
“They’re good people, Zariah. That’s the difference between them and most of the criminals you deal with. They’re good people, and they keep to themselves.”
“They’re still doing illegal things.”
“But are they hurting innocent people?”
She exhales, running her hands down over face. “No.”
“Listen, you’re going to figure this out. You know how I know that?”
She looks to me, her eyes so broken it hurts my heart. “How?”
“Because you’re strong, Zariah. You’re good at your job, and you’re a brilliant human being. You’re going to figure this out, and this will all be okay. You just have to trust yourself and what you know. Trust who you are, because you have worked hard to get here.”
“It’s just such a mess. I don’t know how we’re going to get Kendric off these charges. He admitted to working with Dax. He admitted to being part of this. Even if we find Dax, unless he makes a full confession, Kendric is going down.”
“We’ll find Dax, and he will make a full confession. We will find a way to have him give a full confession. Everyone has a weakness, Zariah. We’ll find his. We’ll get Kendric off. In the end, without evidence, what can they charge him with? He’s protecting the club, they know that, but they’re going to see the club has no link to Dax when they look into it properly. We have to trust that.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” She exhales. “I just don’t know how we’re going to get past this. They’re convinced the club is in on it, which means they’re going to be looking into them.”
“And me?” I ask, holding my breath.
“Like we said, if it comes back on you, it’s because they were told you were forced to help. You just need to keep your distance from the club, until it’s sorted out.”
It’s not going to be easy to do that.
“That’s not going to be easy . . .” I tell her.
“You have to do it, Waverly. Trust me, you have to do as I’m asking if you want to be left out of this. They’re going to question you, too. If they ask, you were so drugged you don’t remember anything. You got tangled up with Dax, and he tricked you into believing he cared about you. Say nothing unless you absolutely have to.”
I nod, swallowing. “Okay.”
She sighs. “I should get back to work. I just wanted to see how you were doing.”
“I’m okay. It’s all going to be okay.”
“Yeah.” She nods. “Yeah, I hope so.”
So do I.
I really, really hope so.
“WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR face?” Officer Blart asks, narrowing his eyes as I sit across from him at the station later that day when I was called in to make a statement. It didn’t take long for them to track me down and ask for me to come in.
“Dax tried to take me with him last night, and . . . we fought. I got away, but I don’t remember much after that.”
“Why were you with Dax?”
“He took me to dinner,” I tell them. “We went to a hotel and we were going to spend the night, but he told me his real plan and I freaked out. That’s when he tried to get me out of town.”
It’s a lie, but it works. If they check the restaurant and the hotel, they’re going to see that I was with Dax, and my story will check out. It puts me completely away from the club.
“What happened to your phone?”
I shake my head. “He took it.”
I know they want it so they can get records, but they’re not going to find it because it’s long gone. We made sure of that.
“What do you have to do with the King’s Descendants club? We’re aware that you’re living with a member, Mykel. Why is that?”
I shake my head, staring at them in confusion. “He hired me as a live in housekeeper.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Is there a contract for this?”
“Yes,” I lie. It’s easy enough to make one.
“Have you seen or noticed anything unusual in your time working at the house?”
I shake my head. “No, he’s never there.”
“Have you been to the clubhouse?”
“Once.”
“What for?”
I shrug. “Just a cookout. It was pretty tame, really.”
“Did you ever see any of the members with Dax when you were with him at his house?”
I shake my head. “Never. I only saw him and Peter.”
Officer Blart stares at me, narrowing his eyes. He doesn’t believe me, but I don’t care. I’m sticking to my story and because I’ve been hidden so well because of Dax, there will be no evidence that I have anything to do with the club other than working for them.
So Alarick told me that I had to tell the truth, to a degree—that I was hired to work for Mykel, and that’s all my involvement with the club.
But to go into great detail about Dax.
So that’s exactly what I’m doing.
“How did you meet Dax?”
“At a bar,” I say. “I was . . . having a hard night, and he came up to me, and we hit it off. He treated me really well, and I honestly didn’t see anything wrong with him until he showed me the girls he was keeping at his house.”
He has me give him the location of the bar, and the date. Good thing he’ll actually see Dax approaching me.
“What did he tell you?”
“He said he was going to sell them. He said he killed Bennett and needed to make some money quick. He was scared, after Bennett died, that his tracks would no longer be covered.”
“Is that when panicked?”
“No,” I say. “I panicked when he wanted to take me with him. I didn’t want to go on the run. I didn’t want to leave, and he just lost it. He tried to drown me.”
Officer Blart is recording all of this, and at my statement, he looks up. “Drown you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Where?”
“In the hotel. I was having a bath and he held me under the water.”
He murmurs something to himself.
“What else can you tell me about Dax and what you saw?”
“That’s about it. He kept most of it secret.”
“Do you have any idea where he might have gone?”
“No.”
“Do you think he’ll try and make contact with you?”
“I have no idea.”
He nods, and writes something else down. Then he looks up at me. “If he tries to contact you, we’ll need to know. We’ll also need any email accounts or laptops you have to check for information.�
��
“Okay.”
Good thing I have none of those. Well, I do, but they were never used.
“That is all the questions we have for now, but don’t go far, Waverly. We’re not finished talking to you.”
I nod, and stand. An officer escorts me back to the front desk of the station where I sign out and then leave.
The moment I’m out, I exhale.
That was harder than I thought, but I think I did the right thing.
God, I hope I did the right thing.
The quicker this goes away, the better.
21
WAVERLY
“What did they ask you?” Alarick questions the moment I arrive back at Mykel’s house.
I sit on the sofa next to Mykel, and he puts a hand on my knee, squeezing it.
“They just asked the basics. Do I remember what happened when Bennett was killed? I said no, I don’t remember. They asked how I knew Dax; I told them the truth. They asked if I had ever been involved with the club outside of working for Mykel, and I told them no except for one cookout. I also told them I’ve never seen any club members at Dax’s house. It was pretty basic questioning. I imagine they’re going to ask more later.”
Alarick nods. “Good. Keep it as simple as you can. They have nothing to charge you on, and you don’t have to give detailed information. Just stick with your story and we’ll worry about the rest.”
I nod and meet his eyes. Alarick is strung out and exhausted. His hands are all beat up, and I can almost guess he hasn’t slept.
“I’m sorry this happened, Alarick,” I tell him.
“Not your fault, Waverly. You did everything we asked of you. I should have known that Dax was onto it. I should have realized.”
“It’s nobody’s fault. Have you spoken to Kendric?”
“Waitin’ for his bail to be posted, and then he’ll be let out until his court hearing. That means we only have so much time to find Dax. We don’t want Kendric goin’ down for this. Once he’s had a trial and is locked up, it’ll be fuckin’ hard to get him back out. We need to make sure that it doesn’t get to that point.”
I exhale and my shoulders slump. Dax is smart, which means he’s not going to be easy to find. If we can find him at all. He would have made sure he had all his bases covered, and no doubt he’s going to ensure that he’s well hidden. Which means it’s going to be next to impossible to locate him.
“Have you any idea how you’re going to find him?” I ask.
“Aviana,” Mykel tells me.
I blink, looking to him. “Briella’s best friend.”
“Peter’s niece. Aviana is the only one left in Peter’s family alive and when we find her, we’ll be able to get her to help us find Dax. She is the only one who knows Peter inside and out, and she’s the only one who might know where he went.”
“Are you going to be able to find her? Briella said there was suspicion she might have been sold . . .”
“It’s goin’ to be easier to find her than Dax.”
I nod, pursing my lips. I mean, it’s not a bad plan, but it could take time to find her and then even more time to find Dax. Do we have that much time to spare?
“What if we get into his house, see if we can find something?” I offer.
“His house will have been raided, and he’s not stupid. He would have made sure there was no trail leadin’ to him,” Alarick answers.
“There have to be other people, people who are involved with him, people we can question . . .” I go on.
“Yeah, we find the fuckin’ rat in this club, and that’s a good lead. As well as people who were workin’ with Peter. We’ll find him, but we’re goin’ in on every angle this time, not just one.”
Makes sense. “Well, I’m here to help, whatever you need.”
Alarick nods and then stands. “Just keep your head down for now. Keep your name cleared.”
I give him a reassuring smile, and he nods once at Mykel before leaving.
I feel horrible for Alarick right now, because he’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders, and he’s on a time limit. Once that time runs out, he’s going to lose one of his club members. Kendric doesn’t deserve to be locked away, but if we don’t find Dax, that’s exactly what will happen.
I look to Mykel, and he leans forward, pressing his lips against mine.
It feels good.
A nice distraction.
“Do you think we’re going to get through this?” I ask him.
He nods, eyes locked on mine. “We always do, babe.”
I sure hope he’s right.
“WE’VE GOT MEN OUT LOOKIN’ for Dax. We’ve got men askin’ questions. We’ve got men doin’ their jobs working every single angle that we can possibly play right now,” Alarick announces to the entire club later that night. “We’re goin’ to find him, and we’re goin’ to make him suffer. Until then, you are all required to hand over your phones. We’ve got a fuckin’ rat in this club, and mark my words, when I find out who you are, you’re going to wish you were fuckin’ dead.”
I swallow, and Mykel tucks me closer into his side, his arm firmly around my waist. Alarick isn’t messing around. Someone he trusts and cares about has betrayed him, and I have no doubt when he finds out who that person is, they will indeed wish they were dead.
I wouldn’t want to be that person.
Hell to the no.
Cohen has a bucket and he walks around to every member, and one by one, they drop their phones in.
“We’ll be searching your rooms, your houses, and every other fuckin’ thing you’ve touched. You want to come clean, do it now, but if you don’t, rest assured I will fuckin’ find out who you are.”
I glance around the room at the group of bikers, looking for someone who looks . . . off. Maybe one of them will be squirming. Maybe one of them will hesitate. Maybe one will swallow or look away, but they all stand tall and proud, and not one of them crumbles under the pressure. Whoever is doing this, they’re confident that they’re not going to be caught, which is a little scary.
It means they’ve thought about it.
Really, really well.
Once the phones are taken, Alarick orders the members to start searching houses, and Cohen leads a group of them out to begin the search. When he’s gone, Alarick orders a check on the club, too, and Mykel and I start sifting through some rooms to see if we can find anything at all that might indicate a rat. Samson questions all the girls who come in and out, and Briella and Merleigh search the sheds.
Alarick isn’t letting this one go, and so he shouldn’t.
Mykel and I move to some of the bedrooms, and I start at a desk, shuffling through the drawers as Mykel goes through the closet.
“Whoever is doing this, they’re confident,” I say to Mykel.
“Yeah, which means it’s unlikely we’re goin’ to come up with anything.”
“Has this ever happened before?” I ask.
Mykel finds a box and tips the contents out. “Once, apparently, when King was runnin’ the place. An old member was stealin’ drugs and sellin’ them to a known enemy.”
My eyes widen. “What happened?”
“What do you think happened?”
I purse my lips. “He got chopped into a thousand tiny pieces and fed to the fishes.”
Mykel grunts and a grin spreads across his face. “What sort of fuckin’ club do you think we are?”
I laugh softly. “I don’t know. I just always wanted to say that.”
“Well, that wasn’t quite how it went down, but I imagine he’s not walkin’ the earth anymore.”
“Ohhh, juicy.”
“It doesn’t scare you, does it?” Mykel asks, flicking through some papers.
“What’s that?”
“Death. Violence. The club?”
I shake my head. “No not really. I mean, if you were all hurting innocent people I’d be a little concerned, but you’re not. You’re dealing with bad people. I don’t mind the worl
d being rid of bad. The less, the better, you know?”
Mykel stops what he’s doing and walks over, standing in front of me. “What if I told you I’ve killed people?” he murmurs, cupping my face in his hand and tipping my head back so I’m looking up at him.
“Well,” I say softly, “I’d say it’s a little bit of a turn on, knowing you’re so badass.”
His eyes flash. “That so?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“How much of a fuckin’ turn on?”
“Why don’t you stick your hand in my panties and find out?”
“Fuck,” he growls. “You’re drivin’ me crazy.”
“That’s the point, isn’t it?”
He grins and leans down, capturing my mouth in a feral kiss. I take it, pressing my body against his and letting his hands cup my ass so he can grind his cock against me. The kiss gets deeper, and more passionate, and my god, I don’t want it to stop.
But, like all good things, it must end.
A knock at the door has us pulling apart, and a moment later Briella pops her head in. She sees us, pressed together, and her brows go up. “Oh, oh, my. I have missed a lot.”
I laugh softly and pull away from Mykel. “Is everything okay?”
“The cops just pulled up. Alarick wants you to go out back. If they see you here, they’re going to ask way too many questions.”
My heart flutters, and I nod. Mykel takes my hand and we go out the back of the club. I can see the flashing lights as we disappear out the gate, and find a spot to sit in the bushes behind the club until the cops leave.
We find a large rock and take a seat. We’re far enough away that the club isn’t visible, so now we just wait. Without a warrant, the police won’t be able to search, so us being out here is just a precaution. Right now, they’re clutching at straws, trying to piece the case together but failing. The club is smarter, stronger, and they’ll pull through this.
One way or another.
“Are you looking forward to going to New York?” I ask Mykel, taking a deep breath in, loving the way the bushland smells. It’s fresh, and pine-like, and I adore it.
Last night after an incredible love-making session, Mykel and I decided we’re going to go to New York to see if we can find his parents while all this is going down here. It gives us distance, and Alarick agreed that it’s probably good for me not to be around the club for a while. It is the perfect time for us to start our own little search. It’s the perfect time for us to get away and let what’s happening here calm down a little.