Spinning on my heel I head for church, itching to know what information my brothers have managed to dig up about the idiot crashing into the tattoo shop and entering Hadley’s home. I didn’t want to leave her this morning but knowing I’d get some answers while learning a thing or two was good motivation to come to the clubhouse.
I take a seat at the full table and take a piece of paper Ganza hands me. Glancing over the details I can’t stop myself from wondering, “What the fuck did this Fraser fucker want to get at the house of the woman he murdered?”
“Backtrack a little there, Vachs,” Wyatt grunts. “I’ve read the complete file and Fraser Roshany never confessed to killing the woman himself. He keeps to his first statement where Fraser said he found her right before she blew out her last breath.”
Archer takes over from Wyatt when he adds, “Ligature marks around the woman’s neck were similar to the ones on Fraser’s hands. Both clearly from the murder weapon. The murder weapon was a chain, which was never found at the scene. He said the marks on his hands were defensive wounds, he fought the real killer when he escaped from the building and managed to catch him on his way out. They fought and the killer escaped anyway. The jury wasn’t convinced, hence the going to prison part. Manslaughter and this being a first offense made him walk out of jail after rotting in there for a decade.”
“And the first thing he does is try and get back into the house where the shit happened he was convicted of? Hadley mentioned yesterday how she recognized him, you too, when he attempted to walk in the first time. Then he creates destruction as a decoy and enters Hadley’s home. If he’s so persistent he will try again,” I growl, anger rising inside me. “And what the fuck for?”
“Agreed,” Archer grunts. “The Kray twins are keeping an eye on the surrounding area, along with that other prospect, Jan. They have a recent picture of Fraser. We need to dig a little deeper into this fucker’s life and the woman who was killed. Ganza, you and my old lady will dig into the digital world. Wyatt, Arrow, Baton, you three are on this case and I want you to give it your full attention. That means you too, Baton.”
Baton gives a grunt in reply. He’s been struggling the last couple of months. Longer if you add what happened to him on a job he was assigned to. I’ve read up on all the details since Archer asked me to look into it. It involves him saving the mayor’s daughter and developing deep feeling for the woman along with it.
The mayor cut off all ties and made sure Baton wouldn’t come sniffing around his daughter, but she looked him up a couple of months ago and asked for his help. She had a stalker and we accepted the case. Her father sent her out of the country to keep her safe while we were able to find and catch the stalker. The case is solved but the woman is still out of the country, or it seems that way or maybe the mayor is using it as an excuse to keep her away from Baton.
“And you,” Archer snaps in my direction, dragging me back into the discussion at hand. “I want you on full protection duty.” The corner of his mouth twitches. “Depay’s request.”
Fuck. I don’t know if I should be pleased her father wants me to protect Hadley or creeped the hell out he’s willingly tying his daughter to another brother. Bottom line? I’m actually satisfied with keeping her close. Spending time with her last night ignited another burning need rising inside me to keep her safe. And I now have free range to fully take her safety and welfare into my own hands.
“I will stay in the loop of things,” I demand. “I won’t let it get in the way of the protection deal or the case I’m already working on.”
Archer gives me a nod. We talk things through for a few more minutes before the discussion shifts to a few other cases we’re all currently working on. Broken Deeds MC always handles a few cases at the same time and rarely there’s one huge case needing all of our attention. Though, it’s good to have backup from other brothers at all times.
Like now, I can get onto my bike knowing my brothers are going to dive into the fucker’s life who disrupted Hadley’s. All while I’ll keep her safe and spend more time getting to know her.
When I step foot inside the shop, I can see they’ve worked hard getting repairs done in a small timeframe. There still needs to be some work done, but part of the wall is rebuilt along with the windows and door. No one can tell a car went through it only yesterday.
“We just got back from walking your dog. I’m pretty sure you won’t get Hank back. Fuck, man…I’ve wanted her to have a dog for so long but she always said she couldn’t. Do you know they have hearing dogs? Dogs especially trained for deaf or hearing-impaired owners? And still she thought she shouldn’t adopt a dog, throwing it on long work hours. But as you can see Hank fits in nicely right here in the shop, sticking close to her.” Depay sighs and rubs a hand over the back of his neck.
“I didn’t know,” I mutter. “Maybe we could look into it and train Hank, make him learn a few things to alert her when needed.”
He smacks my arm. “Now you’re talking. And I heard what you and Broke did this morning. You’re not too bad, Vachs. Making efforts for my daughter and stepping up like that.”
I narrow my eyes but Depay is walking out of the shop. I should have told Broke not to mention it to anyone, but on the other hand, I ain’t got no secrets to hide either. I just wanted to learn a few words in her language in case we don’t have our phones handy.
And to be honest? I spent some time glancing through our chat history last night when I crashed on the couch. I never was one for mile long conversations. But when it comes to Hadley…our chats go on for a long damn time. Even if most is through text or her reading my lips. I smile at the reminder of last night and head for her apartment above the shop.
I now have a key to enter and the second I do, Hank comes rushing toward me, making Hadley swing her gaze up due to his movements. Yeah, I see what her father means by the benefits of Hadley owning a dog. A siren could go off right next to her head and she wouldn’t so much as twitch, but lending an animal’s hearing by seeing his movement and actions adds to shit in life.
I sign “Hello” and her eyes widen before they fill with joy and I get a stunning smile. Good thing Hank is demanding my attention because the woman makes some fundamental emotions tear through my veins. None I’ve ever experienced and I’m man enough to admit I like the feelings she triggers inside me.
I scoop Hank up–he’s a heavy handful and way too big for a lapdog–and stalk to the table where Hadley is working on a sketch. When I get closer, I see it’s an underwater scene. I point at the sketch and then at my chest to ask her what I’m thinking and she lets her head bob. Fucking hell, she worked on a sketch to finish the ink on my leg.
I sign a thank you and she quickly reaches over the table to grab her phone to shoot me a text. Putting Hank down, I pull out my own phone and read her message. I place my phone on the table and instead of texting back, I let her read the words from my lips.
“I asked Broke to teach me some words. I would like to learn more but a handful were all I could get into my brain at such a short time. The only things I managed to learn are; thank you, hide, run, eat, and go. Basic things that might come in handy if we can’t text.”
She signs and for the first time I understand what she’s saying and fucking hell that makes my heart squeeze.
“You’re welcome. And I should have learned that one too,” I regretfully tell her.
She taps my arm and gives me the same sign as “Thank you.” She grabs her phone and types, “You can simply say thank you back, or say fine, I’m fine, look.”
My gaze travels from my phone to Hadley as she holds out her right hand, sticks her fingers out and taps her thumb onto her chest. She types another message and I read it when she suggests I can also say “it’s nothing.” And then I watch as she curls her hands into an O and slightly shakes both slightly apart from each other at breast level.
I mimic her movements and her eyes twinkle as she nods. I give her a grin and tell her, “I guess I do
n’t have to ask Broke to teach me some more, huh?”
Her smile falls and I realize how the words might be interpreted differently when they fell from my lips.
Without thinking I cup the side of her face. “I mean you can teach me now. I’d still like to learn more words to talk and listen.”
There’s the twinkle in her eyes and the stunning smile again. Something so simple and yet so valuable.
“And maybe you could help me teach Hank a thing or two too,” I suggest and she releases a little strangled squeal before she launches herself at me.
I wrap my arms around her body and bury my face into her hair. Damn, this bundle of woman feels good in my arms. Sliding my fingers into her hair, I slightly pull her head back and place a kiss on her forehead.
“Wanna order food and watch a movie? I have to do some work on my laptop but I can have it done when we wait for the food to be delivered.”
She nods and steps away from my body to head into the kitchen, quickly returning with a few menus to choose from. We agree on Chinese and Hadley orders some online while I fire up my laptop and grab the file of the case I’m working on.
Some papers slide out and the screen of my laptop also shows details of the case I’m working on. Hadley’s eyebrows scrunch up before she steps away, making a fist and rubbing it above her breasts. Wait, I know what she means.
“No need to be sorry,” I tell her and connect our gaze.
My breath fucking catches because of the smile on her face. And it’s then I realize she used ASL as a reflex and I actually recognized the gesture as the word sorry.
I point at the laptop. “I’m working on a case. Even if you’re not a part of the club or club business, you live and breathe loyalty. I have no problem with working in your presence and the stuff you might see since I know you’ll keep it to yourself.”
She grabs her phone and so do I as I wait for her text until it pops up and I read her words. “They never asked me to be involved in any cases they solve. Unless I have to help out by reading someone’s lips through a video or during a meeting. Kinda like an interpreter they have around when needed. I do recognize the man in the picture on your laptop.”
“The mayor,” I affirm and she nods.
Her gaze goes to her phone and when her message comes through I can’t hold back my shock when I look up to gape at her, grunting, “You’re fucking with me?”
She shakes her head and points at the mayor’s daughter and then draws a line on her left breast.
“That’s where you inked the patch on Baton’s chest with the mayor’s daughter’s name in it?” I ask, still shocked at what she’s telling me. “Baton has a property patch with Ellory’s name in there?”
I glance down at my phone and read the next message she texts along with another one. Fuck. Sometimes the thought crosses my mind how it’s a bit fucked-up to be talking like this and voicing shit is a lot easier, but then again, she must think the same thing about me not being able to sign. At least we have ways to communicate.
I pat the chair next to me and turn mine so I’m facing her, knowing I need to so she’s able to read my lips. “Since you’ve been keeping his secret, and I’ll keep yours, how about you work with me and not tell anyone else?”
Her head bounces with excitement.
Pointing at the laptop, I start, “Archer gave me the task to look into these two cases. With Baton asking you to ink the patch onto his pecs, you know about his obsession with the mayor’s daughter.” I wait for her nod and continue. “It first started when Baton got the assignment to rescue Ellory when she was kidnapped. And a few months ago she had a stalker. The mayor sent Ellory out of the country and she hasn’t returned. Well, that we know of since they could have used a private jet or whatever. There have been some pictures posted on her social media, but all of them seem random, food or nature shots and nothing personal. With Baton’s obsession and both the kidnapping and the stalker, it’s a shitpile Archer wanted thoroughly investigated by a fresh pair of eyes. And since I’m fairly new to this MC, Archer wanted me to run a few checks.”
She looks intrigued and I’m about to spill some more details but our food is here. I head for the door to handle it and when I get back, Hadley already grabbed some plates along with a bottle of water for each of us.
We each fill a plate and start to eat while I flip through the files on my laptop. My phone indicates I have an email and when I check I notice it’s from Ganza. Knowing it’s about Fraser, I open the email and scan through the details.
Delicate fingers wrap around my wrist, dragging my attention away from my phone. Hadley is wearing the words “Is everything okay?” all over her face.
“The man who drove through the tattoo shop and who was in your house is called Fraser Roshaney. He just got out of jail and was sentenced for manslaughter. They say he killed his girlfriend but he has always denied it was him. I just received more information from Ganza. Fraser was an accountant with a company he had with a partner, Gene Bricks. Ganza managed to get into some digital vault and glanced at their data. He’s pretty sure they were in some money laundering shit. And the tattoo shop? It used to be an art gallery before Archer bought the building, but before that it was a small veterinarian clinic owned by Fraser’s girlfriend.”
Hadley’s eyes widen and she types on her phone, shooting me the message, “You think he searched for something his girlfriend hid in here?”
“It crossed our mind, yes,” I agree. “Let’s finish our food first.”
She nods and we finish up. My thoughts are on both cases, though Hadley’s case has more priority, I’m also very much intrigued by the mayor’s daughter since I now know Baton has claimed her as his old lady without telling anyone.
It’s a piece of information I can’t tell my president yet since Hadley asked me to keep it between us. I will for now because it’s basically Baton’s business and I was told Archer himself had claimed his old lady with a patch tattooed way before he and Bee got together. Though his reasons were different with Bee being from another MC and them growing up together, first love and all.
My thoughts bounce back to Fraser and this apartment being his girlfriend’s home years ago. I wonder what he was searching for and why the hell does the man think it might be still here since this property had been in other hands before it became Archer’s.
I guess I have to dig a little deeper for all these questions, or even start a search party of our own to see if something was indeed left behind on this property. With the fucker trying to get it, it might be best if we found it before he does.
I glance up at Hadley. “Are you up for a scavenger hunt?”
Her eyes widen before they start to twinkle, thumbs in the air as she bobs her head. My grin is wide when her gaze falls to my lips. Her eyes fill with desire and it makes my body fill with heat and the craving to start a scavenger hunt of my own, involving solely Hadley’s body; from head to toe until I’ve discovered and found every single inch of her body to satisfy my curiosity…among other things.
CHAPTER FOUR
– HADLEY –
We’ve spent over an hour rummaging through my apartment and found nothing. On a positive note, I did get to clean places I normally skip. These kitchen cabinets were on my list for next week to go through and clean, but I’m tackling it now instead. Hank is lying on the floor but keeping an eye on my every move.
Vachs strolls into the kitchen and I glance up to his lips. “Nothing, you?”
I shake my head and grab the plunger from way in the back. My gaze is fixed on Vachs and his eyes widen as he steps closer.
His lips move and I only catch the words, “What did you do?” before I turn my head toward the cabinet since I might have jerked the thing a little too rough my way and I felt it collide with something.
Vachs squats down right next to me and the both of us glance inside the cabinet where the back is crooked. I must have pushed it out with the plunger. Vachs reaches inside and shoves the w
ooden plate slightly aside, revealing a large dark vase.
His head turns to me but he’s so close, our noses almost touch. My heart starts to beat erratically and my belly flops as if a flock of butterflies is holding a somersault championship. His scent is intoxicating and drawing me in.
Before he can move, say something, fall back on his ass, or anything else that can rip us out of this moment…I capture his mouth with mine and close my eyes when I feel the softness of his lips.
For about two heartbeats he doesn’t do anything but then his hand is cupping the back of my neck to drag me close and tilt my head to deepen our kiss. His tongue plunges inside and he starts to devour me.
I’ve only been kissed a handful of times but it’s nothing compared to this. Where a kiss is basically testing the waters of what might be, this right here can only be described as “screw testing the waters, we have a raw need to commit and indulge.” Until another tongue is thrown into the mix and we have no other option but to break the kiss.
Vachs’ laughter vibrates over my lips and I’m enthralled by the genuine happiness on his face. There are lines around his eyes and a twinkle in those deep caramel windows to his soul, and a rumble flowing through his chest where my hand is resting on.
Hank worms his way in between us and we both start to pet him. Vachs suddenly stands and lifts Hank to put him in the kennel we bought for him. He’s a good pup and doesn’t mind being in there. Like now he spins around a few times–clawing with his front paws–until he has shoved his blanket in a nice pile, before he lays down to sleep.
I watch, curiosity spiking as Vachs reaches into the cabinet and pulls out the large dark vase that was hidden behind the cabinet. He holds it between us and I reach out to let my fingers slide over a name and a date, suddenly realizing what it is.
My eyes find his and Vachs cringes as he let the words fall from his lips, “There’s a dead thing inside.”
Broken Deeds MC: Second Generation #2 Page 3