The fact that he’d put his hands on Ginger had me seeing red. I reached down to my boot and removed the knife that I kept tucked inside. I put the tip of the blade against his belly and dug the tip in just until it drew blood. He scrunched up his face and whimpered like a baby. Even now he was too much of a cowered to fight back. He was the kind who didn’t initiate shit, he followed whoever he was with, attaching himself like a leech to someone else who had more guts. I fucking hated weaklings, even if it was going to make my job easier. “Tell me where Daryl is, or I’ll fucking gut you now.” I dug the blade in to remind him that it was there.
“Step back, brother!”
Ace’s sharp, unexpected bark made me follow his command without question. I glanced down, seeing that Jack was pissing himself, the spray hitting the dull, linoleum floor and splashing onto my boots. I got up in his face. “I’ve had piss on my boots before,” I snarled. “Unless you tell me what I want to know, your blood and guts will be on them next.”
He swallowed. “He’s n-n-not he-here, I sw-swear!”
“Already know that, asshole,” Ace said from somewhere close by.
“That’s not what I asked you.” I dug the knife in a little deeper. He cried out. “You tell me where he is, and maybe you get to live.” I might let him live another day, but I would be back for him.
“I-I think he-he’s working!” he whimpered.
“Wrong answer, fucker!” I dug in deeper. “I already know he lost his job.” I leaned in close, using my weight to crush him against the wall.
His eyes grew big as fucking light bulbs. “I-I think he-he got a new one! At a-a tire sh-shop.” I didn’t believe it, considering that Daryl was probably hiding-out after all the shit he’d done. He wouldn’t be working out in the open right now.
“You expect me to believe that?” I snarled, applying more pressure. “He’s a snake hiding from people he owes money to, and he has to know that there are people looking for him for what he did to Della. So try again.” I reminded him of the knife in my hand. “Last chance.”
He shot off the name of a shop that I was unfamiliar with off of A1A. “It’s his uncle’s shop!” This meant that he was hiding out there more than he was working. I made eye contact with Ace, who’d been standing by silently. His nod confirmed that he knew where it was.
I pinned my gaze back on Jack. He looked like a sniveling, crying, red-faced looser. No balls. Killing him wouldn’t even be satisfying, but he’d been involved with Ginger’s abduction, and I couldn’t let that slide. I’d made up my mind to leave him alive until Daryl was out of the way, but now I was having second thoughts about it. My gut warned me that as soon as we left he’d be on the run, but the fact remained that we still might need him.
“You better not warn him or his uncle that we’re coming. Don’t call anyone. Daryl shows up here before we find him, you get in touch with Vinny at Pirate’s Cove. You got that?” He agreed with a nod. “Don’t run. If you make me hunt you down I’ll cut your dick off and stuff it down your throat.” The whole time he was nodding, the relief evident on his traitorous face. “Don’t make me regret leaving you alive.”
He slipped down the wall onto the floor when I finally released him and stepped away. I slipped my knife back into my boot, turning toward Ace. “You coming with me?”
He nodded. “You trust him?” he asked, nodding towards Jack.
I grinned, heading toward the door. “About as far as I can throw him.” We left the apartment and headed down the stairs. “I only left him alive in case we still need him later.” After we mounted our bikes I dug out my phone. “I want to text my girl before we head out.” Ace’s response was to pull out a cigarette and light it.
Hows it goin baby?
I gave her a couple of minutes, and then her response came through.
Ok. Della seems to be in a lot of pain today. I’m glad they’re keeping her sedated. Where r u?
Taking care of some things before I go to the realtors.
I could almost see her smile in response.
What kind of things?
Got a lead on Daryl. What kind of car does he drive?
A full minute went by before she responded.
A faded Chevy s10, blue, with gray primer on the passenger side door. Plz b careful.
Fuck, my woman cared about me.
U know it angel. Got backup. Dont worry.
I’d told her about the backup for her own relief, because I sure as hell didn’t need backup for a coward like Daryl.
Stevies here. We’re going to grab lunch.
I was glad she wasn’t alone. Skipper, another Sentinel, had relieved Gabe from protection duty that morning, but he wasn’t there to keep Ginger company, he was there to keep her safe, which meant he needed to be aware of everything going on around her. His orders were to stay with Della at all times.
Where? I dont want u leaving the hospital alone.
Then I guess its good we decided to eat in the cafeteria here.
Ok, have fun. I just wanted to check in on u.
You’re so sweet.
U think so?
I wasn’t sure that I liked her description of me.
Dont let anyone hear u say that. I have a bad ass reputation baby.
Ur definitely bad ass. It turns me on.
This was getting interesting.
Yeah? What about it turns u on?
Everything! Ur scruffy beard, ur steely eyes and the way they make me shiver when u run them over me, ur raspy voice.
She stopped, and then continued.
Ur domineering ways. The way ur muscles flex, even when ur just raising a glass or bottle to ur lips. I like ur washboard abs, ur thick, powerful thighs and the confidence u exude when u move. I especially like the girth of ur big, thick cock when ur pounding into me. Its bad ass on its own.
Holy hell, I was hard as a rock by the time she was through.
Fuck angel, u sure know how to turn this bad ass on. If I was there Id have u on ur back in no time. Hell ur going to pay for this first chance I get.
What did I do? Im innocent!
I laughed gruffly, drawing Ace’s interest.
Ur a tease. We’ll see just how innocent u r next time I get my hands on u.
I could almost hear her laughing.
What makes u think Im not looking forward to that?
Fuck! She knew exactly what to say. Ace tossed his smoke away and gave me a look with raised brows. I knew he wanted to be off.
Baby u hold that thought till I get there. Ive got to go.
Ok. Just plz b careful.
I will.
I slipped my phone back into my pocket, and addressed Ace. “Ready?”
“Yep.”
We started our bikes and roared out of the complex onto the main drag. I let him lead the way. Ginger’s concern warmed me. I’d never had anyone worry about me before. She was a special woman, and I was a lucky bastard.
I didn’t deserve her.
But I was going to keep her.
Chapter 27
Ginger
“That was Rebel,” I explained to Stevie with a small smile, slipping my phone back into my purse. I was sitting in the chair next to the bed, and she was on the small, box-like sofa that sat against the window. “He just wanted to check in.”
Her smiled told me that she’d seen more than I’d wanted her to. “I figured as much. I don’t know him as well as Vinny does, but from what he’s told me, I know he’s a good man.” She laughed softly. “You know Vinny, he says it how it is.”
I nodded in agreement, wondering if Rebel had told Vinny about our history together, and if Vinny had then told Stevie. I really hoped that he hadn’t. It was a time in my life that I would have rather forgotten. Rebel didn’t strike me as the kind of man who would share something so horrid and personal with someone else. What had happened between us was the kind of thing that you might share with a special friend, like I had done with Della, but not an acquaintance. Talking to he
r about what happened to me with the Red Devils had been necessary and cathartic.
“I’m seeing a whole new side of Vinny lately,” I joked. If anyone could, Stevie would understand what I meant. I had only worked for him a little over a year, whereas she’d been with him for eight years. “He’s a good man, too.”
“Not going to argue with you there,” she agreed. “I just wish he’d stop letting his past get in the way and put a ring on it.”
That was an interesting remark. “What sort of things from his past are getting in the way?” I’d heard that he had an unsavory past before he’d bought the bar. I knew that he’d been in prison for almost killing the man who’d raped Stevie. In my book, that had been justified, though. The man who’d raped Stevie had turned out to be a serial rapist, his youngest victim had only been ten. Vinny was a hero in my eyes.
Stevie shrugged, still smiling. “He thinks he’s not good enough.”
I rolled my eyes. “But he’s good enough for you to sleep with, right? What is it with these men who think like that? We’ve all done things that we’re not proud of, we all have pasts, but we also deserve to be happy and to have a good life. Even if it does mean that we love an asshole.”
She burst into laughter, and soon I joined in. Rebel could be an asshole when he wanted to be, and he felt the same way about himself as Vinny did. He wasn’t exactly a law abiding citizen, and he was bossy and rough around the edges, but I wanted him anyway. I wanted to move in with him. I wanted his baby.
I wanted his baby?
Suddenly, the image of a little dark-haired boy with blue eyes entered my thoughts, a mini Rebel running through the house at a hundred miles an hour, leaving behind an echo of giggles and a big mess. Wow. That was the first time that I’d ever allowed myself the thought of actually having a family. I wanted that with Rebel. I wanted it all. And why couldn’t we have it?
A small sound coming from Della quickly sobered us, and we glanced at her to see that she was grimacing, obviously in the throes of a bad dream. I suddenly felt guilty for laughing and thinking about my future while she was lying in a hospital bed, beat to hell. I reached for her hand and took it in mine, hoping the small, comforting touch would calm her. I squeezed her hand gently, and after a minute she stopped fidgeting.
I relaxed back in my chair, keeping hold of her hand. “Rebel said he had a lead on Daryl,” I spoke softly, glancing to where Stevie was sitting. “I think he’s on his way there now.”
Understanding shone in her green, thickly lashed eyes. Before she could say anything there was a light tap on the partially closed door.
“Yes?”
The door opened and a man walked in. There was a welcoming smile on his clean-shaven face, but it didn’t quite meet the brown of his eyes. He was dressed in a neat suit, his brown hair slicked back with product. Seeing Skipper behind him and the wink that he gave me helped alleviate the sudden nervousness I felt at their unexpected arrival. He was hovering protectively, and I knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to us.
“Hi.” The stranger held his hand out toward me. “Detective Benson, I’m investigating Miss Murray’s attack.” His gaze shifted to Della briefly before returning to me.
“Ginger Pruitt,” I smiled back, shaking his hand.
He glanced expectantly at Stevie.
“Stevie Nicks,” she said. “Not the singer, obviously.” They shared a laugh.
He glanced again at Della. “How is she doing?”
I heard the sincerity in his tone, understanding that at the same time it was a formality. He could hardly jump right in with his questions without at least inquiring about the victim first. It would have made him seem like an insensitive bastard. “She’s still in a lot of pain, they’re keeping her sedated.”
He nodded, turning to me. “And what is everyone’s relationship to Miss Murray?” He included Stevie and Skipper with a look.
“Della works at Pirate’s Cove with me,” Stevie was quick to reply. “We’re just work friends, we don’t associate much outside of work.” I almost smirked at how quickly she had replied, leaving little reason for the detective to question her further.
The detective rested his gaze on Skipper. It was obvious from the way that he dressed that he was a biker, and his cut revealed that he was in the Sentinels. Skipper finally shrugged and said, “I’m Ginger’s friend, just here to offer support.” His lips quirked as if he found this funny.
It was obvious from the detective’s expression that he didn’t believe Skipper, but he didn’t press him. He turned to me expectantly.
“Della and I are best friends. We work together and live right across the hall from each other.”
He raised a brow and took out a pen and small pad. “The officers who brought Miss Murray in weren’t able to get anything out of her, other than that she didn’t know her attacker. She was too out of it, and then they had to rush her into surgery. Has she said anything to you that might help us?”
“She sleeps most of the time,” I answered truthfully.
“So do you have any idea who did this to her?”
“Yes,” I responded. Skipper crossed his arms, the movement drawing my attention to him and the warning look in his narrowed eyes. He didn’t need to worry, I had no intention of giving up Daryl to the police. “A fucking coward.” Skipper’s mouth turned up into a grin, while Detective Benson’s turned down in disappointment. It was obviously not the answer he’d been expecting.
“The responding police said the call came in from a Michael Woods, do you happen to know him?”
Yes, intimately. “Yes. He’s a‒” A what? A nomad? My lover? My partner? “Friend,” I finally settled on. I could tell by the speculative gleam in the detective’s eyes that he suspected that we were more.
“Mr. Woods called it in. Any reason to think that he might be the attacker and Miss Murray is protecting him?”
That made me angry and I snapped, “No!” before I could stop myself. I immediately calmed down, realizing that sounding defensive would only make him more suspicious. “They barely know one another.”
Nodding, he made some notes in his little pad. “I understand that the attack occurred in your apartment, but you weren’t there?”
“No.” I hated lying, God, I hated it, but it was necessary if Rebel was going to find Daryl and make him pay for what he’d done without bringing suspicion to himself. Sure, he was connected to Della’s attack simply by being there and phoning it in, but the police didn’t know that Daryl was her attacker. I shot a nervous glance at Stevie and Skipper. Skipper gave me a wink.
“How did she get in?”
“We both have a key to each other’s apartments, but I sometimes forget to lock my door when I leave. Della probably thought I’d be there to help her.” That was the truth, and came out naturally.
“Forgetting to lock your door can be dangerous,” Detective Benson advised. “Especially in that neighborhood. I’m glad you weren’t home, or you might have ended up like Miss Murray.”
A chill came over me when I realized how I may have ended up, had Daryl had his way. I just smiled when he glanced up from his pad, hoping that he’d finish up soon and leave. Della moaned, drawing our attention, but she didn’t move, and after a moment he said, “Well, if you can think of anything else, please call me.” He handed me his business card. “I’ll come back in a couple of days, hopefully by then Miss Murray will be more alert and will be able to talk.”
“I will. Please keep us informed of the investigation.”
He made eye contact with everyone in the room. “Nice meeting you. I’ll be in touch.”
He left the door slightly ajar, the way that he’d found it. Skipper got to his feet to follow him.
“I thought he’d never leave.”
Della! Her eyes were open, and there was the beginning of a smile on her swollen face. I got up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “How are you feeling, honey?” Stevie moved up next to the bed, too.
“
A little better than yesterday.”
“It’s gonna take time, honey,” Stevie said, leaning over to kiss her on the other cheek. “But each day will get better.”
Della nodded. “I know. Have they said when I can go home?”
“Don’t rush it,” I said, wanting to laugh in spite of it.
She just nodded. “Daryl?”
The fear in her eyes broke my heart. Stevie was on the other side of the bed, and we exchanged a quick look. I squeezed Della’s hand to reassure her. “You don’t have to worry about him, honey. Rebel and Vinny and a whole bunch of other people are looking for him. And one of Rebel’s friends from the Sentinels is always here keeping watch, so you’re never alone.”
I could tell from the way that her expression relaxed that this eased her worries. She gave a soft sigh of relief. “I hate him.”
“We all feel that way,” Stevie agreed. “Are you comfortable? Can we get you anything?”
“Just a little pain, but I’m good.”
A little pain. I knew that she was downplaying her situation. Even I could see that the slightest move hurt her.
Skipper came back into the room and walked directly to the bed next to Stevie. “Well, hey there, darlin’, you’re awake.” His full-faced smile transformed him from the stern, unfriendly-looking biker into a handsome, caring man. It also took away from the scariness of his large, threatening frame. I gave him kudos for going out of his way to set Della’s mind at ease.
“Della, this is Skipper, one of the Sentinels I was telling you about.”
“I know,” she murmured, surprising me. “We met earlier this morning.” She didn’t take her gaze off him as she spoke.
Oh. That didn’t surprise me, but the electric current that I felt running between Della and Skipper did. I wondered if Stevie was feeling the same vibes that I was. I stared at Skipper as he stared down at Della, searching for a sign that would convince me that this was just his normal way of dealing with the sick and wounded, and not that he was interested in Della, which was impossible, because they’d only met that morning.
Ruthless Page 22