Does he even want kids? Not like it matters. If he doesn’t, then I’ll just take care of it on my own. Right?
“Right!” Piper said to herself in the mirror.
No matter what happened, she would be okay. Because honestly, what other choice did she have?
Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the shower and turned on the nozzle. She needed to quickly get cleaned up, so she could get home and then get to work.
Cases aren’t going to solve themselves.
As Piper jumped into the shower, her mind thought of the kids that were missing. She needed to find them. One way or another, she needed to bring them home. She needed to reunite families. She needed to do her job.
Turning off the water, she stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel. When she entered the bedroom to get dressed, Aidan was just doing up the last button on his shirt.
Piper took a second to just stare at him. The man really was sexy as sin. It seemed like the last couple of days had been a dream. She never thought that she would ever be standing naked, in nothing but a towel — in Aidan Wright’s bedroom.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Aidan grinned.
“Like what?” Piper asked.
“Like you want to eat me,” he laughed.
“Probably because that is exactly what I want to do,” Piper admitted. “But, unfortunately, we don’t have the time.”
“Not right now,” Aidan said walking over to her and pulling her against his chest. “But tonight, we will.”
Piper sighed as he kissed her lips.
“Now,” Aidan said, pulling away. “Get dressed, temptress!”
“Yes, Sir,” Piper replied, earning herself a smack on the ass.
Giggling, she quickly put on her clothes from yesterday, minus the underwear and grabbed her keys. After brushing her hair and pulling it up into a ponytail, she was ready to go.
* * *
It was a great morning so far, Piper thought as she took the elevator up to the third floor. Morning sex, a quick stop for some to-go breakfast and then a stop at home to change her clothes and grab an overnight bag for another night at Aidan’s, and then a ‘see you later’ kiss when he dropped her off outside of the building — definitely a great way to start her day.
With a ding to indicate it was her stop, Piper stepped into the chaos of the department and her great morning came to an end.
Jackson Maxwell was standing in Cooper’s office and from the looks of it, the conversation was not going well.
“What’s going on in there?” Piper asked Franklin.
“Not sure,” he replied. “Maxwell came in demanding to speak to the Chief.”
Piper knew exactly why Jackson was there. The arrogant mother fucker was trying to weasel his way out of trouble.
Not happening.
Piper sat at her desk and started up her computer. No matter what Jackson tried to do, he wasn’t getting out of the damage he caused to Piper’s car. The charges were hers to press, there was nothing Cooper could do to prevent that, and Piper wasn’t dropping them.
Deciding to ignore the heated exchange between the two men, Piper started digging into her files. She had children to find.
A loud bang broke her concentration. She watched as a red-faced Jackson stormed out of Cooper’s office and directly toward her.
“Do you really think you can get away with this?” Jackson demanded.
“Keep moving, Maxwell,” Cooper’s voice echoed through the room.
“Do you really think you can sweet talk your way out of being charged with damaging my car?” Piper countered, standing to face him on equal ground.
“Watch your step, Penelope,” Jackson threatened.
“Are you threatening me?”
“That is what I would like to know,” Cooper said, now standing directly behind Jackson. “I suggest you leave my department now, because if you say another word you will be leaving it in handcuffs.”
Jackson’s eyes narrowed as he stared Piper down. Not that she was concerned. The man had balls the size of raisins; so, Piper stared right back.
“Have something else to say?” Piper asked.
Jackson moved around her and headed for the elevator. As he waited for the doors to open, Cooper called his name. “Stay away from my detective. Speak to her again or go anywhere near her and I will arrest your ass myself and charge you with stalking, harassment, and threatening a peace officer. We understood?”
The doors finally opened, and Jackson entered, never saying another word. As the doors closed, a sadistic smile spread across his face causing a knot to form in her stomach. Piper knew this wasn’t over. Not even close.
“What a fucking dick!” Franklin muttered.
“You have no idea,” Piper replied, shaking her head, still uneasy.
“You okay?” Cooper asked.
“Yeah.” But truthfully, Piper was anything but okay. Something about that look set off all her warning bells.
“Good. Come into my office for a minute.”
Piper followed him in and as he allowed her to enter first, shutting the door behind him. She really didn’t want to talk about the shit with Jackson. All she wanted to do was solve the missing children case and bring them home. She was just about to tell Cooper that, when he spoke first.
“Find anything on the kids, yet?” he asked.
“No,” she admitted.
There was nothing to tie the children together. They went to different schools, lived in different parts of the city, different ages, races and ethnicities, no parent connection that she had found. The children were taken from different locations. Some were taken right out of their front yards, one went missing while she was at school after she asked the teacher for a hall pass to go to the restroom, another never made it home when school was over. After telling all of this to Cooper, the room grew silent.
“So, no connections,” Cooper said, more to himself than Piper. “Anything similar from eye-witnesses?”
“In four of the seven cases, witnesses say they had seen a white cargo van in the area with a sign that said, ‘Hampton’s Heating and Air’. After a Google search, I found nothing. There is no such company here or anywhere even remotely close to here.”
“Is that it?”
“Yeah,” Piper replied. “No further details. No plates. No description of any occupants. Absolutely nothing.”
“Fuck!” Cooper sighed.
“My words almost exactly.”
Cooper was about to say something when his office phone interrupted him. Holding a hand up, he answered. Piper couldn’t hear what was being said on the other end, but from the look on Cooper’s face, she knew it wasn’t good. And, from the way he kept looking at her, she knew that whatever was being said involved her.
Piper waited impatiently as he finished his phone call, but the moment he hung up, she asked, “What was that about?”
“A child’s body was found in Hyde Park along the river,” Cooper said, running a hand over his face.
“One of mine?” Piper’s heart sank.
“Don’t know yet,” Cooper replied. “Head over there and see if you can ID her.”
“Okay.” Piper opened the office door and hurried to her desk.
Grabbing her gun and badge, she took the stairs down to the basement and jumped into the car she had been assigned. Heart pounding, she left the parking garage and headed to the river. Sending up a silent prayer, she hoped it wasn’t one of her girls, not that it really mattered. Someone somewhere would be getting the most devastating news of their lives tonight. A mother’s heart would forever be broken.
* * *
Arriving at Hyde Park, Piper pulled her car over to the side of the road that ran parallel to the river. Several law enforcement agencies were already on-scene. As she made her way through the on-lookers she searched the area, studying the faces of each person. Too often, perpetrators came back to witness the havoc they inflicted. She looked at all the vehicles nearby, tr
ying to see if a white cargo van was present, but didn’t see anything that really stood out to her. Making it to the yellow taped off area, she showed her badge to an officer who held up his hand to stop her and kept walking. She didn’t have time for pleasantries.
“Piper!” a voice called her name.
She looked around to see Rayden Wright waving for her to come to him. Changing directions, she approached him and offered her hand in a shake.
“Do you know who the girl is, yet?” Piper asked.
“Not yet,” Rayden replied.
“Mind if I take a look?”
“Not at all,” Rayden said. “Think she’s one of yours?”
“I hope to hell not,” Piper admitted. She did not want to have to tell one of the parents she just met that their daughter was found — dead.
Rayden walked beside her to where the body was located. This was a part of the job that Piper always hated. Death was a natural thing, but not for a child. Rayden crouched down and after asking if she was ready, he pulled back the cover to reveal — Amber McMillian.
“Fuck!” Piper swore. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
“I take it she’s yours?” Rayden asked.
“Amber McMillian,” Piper confirmed. “Age fourteen. She’s been missing for a week.”
“She hasn’t been here for a week,” said Emily Roberts, the Harris County Medical Examiner on-scene. “I have time of death between six and seven PM last night. I’ll have a more accurate time once I get her back to the office.”
“Call me as soon as you know something, please?” Piper asked.
“Absolutely,” Emily replied. “Call you, too?” she asked Rayden.
“Yes, but Piper first,” he answered. “We’ll be working this case together.”
Piper didn’t know what to say. Normally, once a victim was found, the case would be transferred to homicide and Piper would be removed.
Emily called her assistant to help with loading Amber’s body. Piper had to now go tell the child’s parents that she had failed them. That she wouldn’t be able to give them back their little girl.
“You okay?” Rayden asked, concerned.
“No,” Piper admitted. “This is the part of the job I hate.”
“Having to tell family members?”
“Yep.”
“I understand that, all too well.”
“So why are you keeping me on?” Piper asked. “It’s your case now.”
“Because you started this case,” Rayden said. “You have the details on it. And other children will end up just like this girl if we don’t stop them. So, I figure we can work together.”
“Alright,” Piper replied. “Fair enough.”
“I’ll meet you at Aidan’s tonight?” Rayden asked. “Around seven?”
“How do you...” Piper shook her head. “Never mind.”
Rayden laughed, walking off towards the group of other Harris County officers and Piper took off back to her car. She really didn’t want to know how Rayden knew about her and Aidan.
Piper had to go talk to Amber’s parents and get back to the office to comb through files and information again. There had to be something she was missing.
Walking back to her police issued loaner, Piper was mentally going off the files in her head. As she pulled open the car door, a note on the windshield caught her attention. Looking around, she didn’t see anyone that may have left it. Grabbing it, she flipped open the folded scrap and her blood ran cold.
Keep digging and another body will be added to the count. This one is on you, Detective Kimber. Care to make it two?
Bile filled Piper’s throat. Turning in a circle she desperately looked for the person responsible, but there was literally nobody there other than the on-lookers closer to where the body was found.
Jogging back to where she last spotted Rayden, she held up the note for him to read, without saying a word.
“What the fuck?” Rayden asked, also checking out the crowd.
“What?” another Detective asked, leaning over to read it, too.
“The fuck?” he replied.
“He’s here somewhere,” Rayden said. “Get the officers to question the crowd. He’s got to be in there. Video cameras on. I want facial images of everyone.”
The other Detectives and officers on-scene listened intently as Rayden shouted out directions, but just as he issued the last order a loud boom filled the air and rumbled the ground.
Screams erupted, and the crowd started to scatter. Piper and Rayden both took off in the direct of the explosion.
Piper’s car was in flames.
“Holy shit!” Rayden breathed.
Piper stood there — frozen.
Chapter Ten
Aidan
After dropping Piper off at work, Aidan headed to The Bayou Bar. He still had to find another building for the new place, needed to get paperwork done, and get the place ready to open.
Getting out of his car, he walked to the front of the building and unlocked the gate. As he pushed it open, he heard a rumble coming down the street towards him. Glancing up, Aidan smiled as the line of motorcycles pulled to a stop along the street.
“How’s it going?” Aidan called over the sounds of the bikes.
One by one, each of the bikers shut off their rides and the two at the front of the line, stepped off their bikes.
“Good,” Sapphire said.
“Alright,” Tank replied.
“What brings the whole of the Iron Angels to my door step?” Aidan asked.
“Can we step inside?” Sapphire requested.
“Sure,” Aidan answered pushing open the door and allowing Sapphire and Tank to enter first.
Walking behind the bar, he switched on the remaining overhead lights and offered the couple a soda. After filling three glasses and handing over theirs, he asked, “So what’s up?”
“I need Piper to return to the Angels house,” Sapphire replied. “And I need your help to make it happen.”
“Okay,” Aidan drew out, confused. “Why does she need to return and why do you need my help?”
“We have reason to believe that Piper may be in danger due to a case she is working on,” Tank answered.
“Danger? Exactly what kind of danger?” Aidan asked, the fine hairs on the back of his neck standing up.
“The kind that will get her killed,” Tank remarked.
Aidan watched as Sapphire became anxious and stood from her seat and began to pace in front of them.
“She’s working on a child abduction case,” Sapphire finally spoke.
“I know,” Aidan replied. “Seven kids, so far.”
“This isn’t a normal kidnapping case and Piper will need help,” Sapphire said, coming to a stop in front of him. “Outside of law enforcement, type help.”
“Okay,” Aidan replied. “But why do you need my help? Just tell her what is going on and that you want her back at the house for her safety.”
“Piper won’t go for that.” Sapphire shook her head. “I mean, I’ll tell her the truth, but she won’t agree to coming home just because I am worried about her.”
“Then order her home as the Angels President, not as her sister,” Aidan suggested. He still wasn’t sure where he fit into all of this.
“Piper would tell me to go fuck myself,” Sapphire laughed. “Sister first. President second. That is how our relationship has always worked.”
“Okay,” Aidan repeated. “But again, what do you need from me?”
“Piper will listen to you,” Tank answered. “We saw how comfortable she was with you last night. Maybe, if you tell her that moving into the Angels’ house, temporarily, would be in her best interest — she’ll agree.”
“Ah.” Aidan nodded his head. “Are you sure she is really in danger?”
Tank pulled a file from his back and laid it on the counter. Opening it, Aidan saw pictures of missing children, a lot more than just seven. There was information on a human-trafficking organization. And at the
very end, were pictures of Piper and a torn piece of paper addressed to Sapphire telling her that soon, she would be burying her sister.
“What the fuck?” Aidan asked, eyes round and heart filling with fear.
“The pictures and note came in the mail this morning. No return address and no prints,” Tank said, gathering the papers and placing the folder back under his riding jacket.
“I need her home,” Sapphire urged.
“I’ll get her there,” Aidan replied, and he would. Even if he had to chloroform her ass, he would get her there and make sure she stayed safe.
“Thank you,” Sapphire said, her eyes filling with tears.
“Hey. None of that,” Aidan told her.
Laughing, she placed her hand on top of his, “And please, come stay at the house with her, too. I’m not just worried about her.”
Aidan didn’t know what to say. Part of him was touched by Sapphire’s concern and another part thought it was rather odd; and in more ways than one, funny. Sapphire didn’t know anything about him. If she did, she would know how ridiculous that statement was and how unnecessary her worry was. Deciding to just smile and nod his head, Aidan walked Sapphire and Tank to the door with a promise to lock it behind them.
Placing his hands on his hips, he looked around the bar as he blew out a long breath. So many thoughts swirled through his head.
What the fuck kind of case was Piper involved in that could get her killed?
Who was behind the child kidnappings and why?
Pulling his phone from his pocket, he called Rayden. His brother would know what to do in this instance. But he didn’t answer. After several rings, the phone connected to his voicemail.
“Hmmm,” Aidan said out loud. “Odd.” Rayden always answered his phone, even on a case. Hitting redial, he waited but got the same results. Pressing end, he went to the contact of an old friend. Connecting the call, he waited for her to answer.
“Ello,” the voice purred on the other end.
“I need your help,” Aidan replied.
“Oh, and what kind of help would that be, my love?”
Piper: Iron Angels MC, Book Two Page 6