Gerald Lee paid the money. Cass still doesn’t want to see him, and her brother is a complete tool ignoring her every time he comes into the diner. Which is stupid as she’s normally the only waitress working, and Izzy hates him, so they both work around him, and eventually he leaves without being fed. Howie thinks it’s hilarious. Turns out Howie owns Betty’s Diner, has for over a year. Betty asked if he could keep it quiet, and Howie being the good guy, has agreed. She comes in from time to time acting like she owns it, and Howie just smiles.
I’m sitting in a booth eating breakfast when Izzy comes in. The woman has bloomed since she moved to Tourmaline a month ago. The smile on her face widens when she spies me. Izzy makes a beeline for me.
“Hey, stranger!”
I stand and engulf her in a hug.
“Hey, Izzy. How’s life out at Dane’s?”
“You mean, Kat’s?” teases Izzy.
“Let me rephrase that, how’s life out at the Reynold’s household?”
“Smart man! Good. They’ve been fantastic. Never thought I’d get to hang out with Kat Saunders, but she’s so freaking nice.”
“You here for breakfast?”
“Yes and no. I’m here to see Cassia. We’ve been looking at possible shop fronts in town to lease, but Carlos knows the man who owns the hall at the end of town, and he might be interested in letting us lease it. It’d be perfect. It’s big and has that shed out the back for all of the equipment. I think we should look at it together.”
I grin at her as she talks enthusiastically about her plans. I was surprised at how quickly Izzy fit in here. She and Cass have become fast friends.
“Carlos?” I ask.
“Really, Zeke, out of all of that the only thing you heard was Carlos?” Izzy places a hand on her hip and tilts her head to the side.
“No, you talked about the hall at the end of town, a shed, and Carlos.”
Izzy shakes her head and sits at my table.
“He’s… he’s a good guy,” Izzy admits haltingly.
“For the town sheriff, yeah, he is,” I agree.
“No, he’s more than that.” Heat creeps up her face. Izzy shakes her head and waves a hand in my face. “Enough talk about Carlos, he’ll be here soon. Have you found a place to stay in town?”
“You’re meeting him for breakfast?”
“Cass said you two were going to look at something yesterday, how was it?” asks Izzy, completely ignoring my question.
As if on cue, Cass comes out from behind the counter, and Carlos walks in the front door. Izzy and I both stand as we greet our partners. Partner? I cast a glance at Carlos, and from the way he’s looking at Izzy, I think partner is a damned good description.
“You need more coffee?” asks Cass.
“Yeah, petal, that’d be good.”
Cass presses her lips to mine. It’s a quick kiss, and like always, I can’t get enough of her.
“Carlos? Izzy?” asks Cass, holding up the coffee pot.
Carlos breaks eye contact with Izzy and nods. “Yeah, Cassia, and the breakfast special, please.”
“Yes, please, and pancakes with lots of maple syrup.”
Carlos laughs, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Woman, how much maple syrup can you eat?”
“I told you I didn’t eat all your syrup, I dropped it!” giggles Izzy.
Carlos wraps his arm around her shoulders and walks Izzy to a table. All of the other diners are watching the town sheriff as he sits with Izzy. I’m sure tongues are going to be wagging all over town.
I sit back down, and Cass fills up my cup.
In a quieter tone, she says, “They look good together. Izzy looks happy.”
I look over at Izzy, and she’s talking animatedly, waving her hands in the air. Carlos grabs one of them, and as she turns sideways, I see the blush that creeps up her neck and onto her face. Yeah, Izzy looks happy.
I sip my coffee and watch Cass’ ass as she bustles around the diner. She’s already told Howie and Jonas she’ll need to cut back her hours when they get their business up and running.
It turns out Gerald Lee had her do all the leg work for this venture, and Cass thought he was going to let her run it, but changed his mind and said he didn’t want to expand his business interests in Tourmaline. Without my knowledge, she arranged a business meeting with Dane and asked if the Savage Angels would invest in her and Izzy. Dane said yes for a twenty percent stake in the business and an understanding that she would employ members of the MC when and if she and Izzy decided they needed help. It was a win-win for everyone.
I finish my coffee, leave money on the table, pat Izzy on the shoulder, and make my way out onto the sidewalk. A hand clamps down on my shoulder, it’s Carlos.
“Sheriff, did I do something wrong?” I ask, staring at his hand.
“No.” Carlos’ hand drops to the back of his neck where he rubs it. His face is concerned. “I heard about your intruder from Addy.”
“Okay?”
“Now isn’t the time, but I need to sit down with you… and bring Dane. We might have a problem. Can you meet me at the office at say, one o’clock?”
“I’ll need to check with Dane. I’ll call you if he’s busy.”
“Make sure he isn’t.” Carlos looks serious. He nods and goes back inside the diner.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I dial Dane.
“Yeah?” Dane asks.
“Hey, Prez, Carlos wants a sit-down at the office at one. He asked that you be there, too.”
“What did you do?”
I chuckle. “To the best of my knowledge, nothing. He mentioned the intruder that was in my backyard.”
“And?”
“That’s it. Then he said he wanted a sit-down with you and me.”
I hear Dane breathing on the other end of the line making a ticking sound.
“Okay, see you at one.” Dane pauses. “Zeke, you better not have done something.”
The line goes dead. I haven’t done anything. I’ve kept away from Gerald and Jeremiah Lee and tried to make Cass happy. I look through the window to where Carlos is sitting with his back is to me, and all I can see is Izzy’s smiling face as she entwines her fingers with his. Maybe it has something to do with Izzy? But then why would he mention my intruder? I shake my head and walk toward the compound.
When I arrive, Kade is sitting on his bike, talking to Rush. Kade is in black jeans, a black t-shirt, and his cut. Rush, on the other hand, is in another beige linen suit, light pink shirt, and a beige and pink vest. Both men look comfortable, friendly even. When they spy me, Kade raises his hand in a greeting, and Rush walks toward me and embraces me in a hug.
“Zeke, my boy! How are you?”
“Good, Rush, good. What brings you to the dark side?”
Rush barks out a laugh and shakes his head. “Came down to see you and ran into Kade here. Did you know Destiny is studying to be a lawyer?”
“Yep,” I state matter-of-factly.
“Of course, you did! But seeing as I’m starting up a practice here, it makes sense to hire her! I could show her the ropes and help her with her brother’s case.”
For the past month, Rush and even Doc Green have made it their mission to get to know everyone in the MC. Part of me is happy that they are making an effort, but not everything in my life is roses and sunshine. There are also darkness and death here too.
“Well, I guess that’s up to Destiny. Have you spoken to her yet?” I ask as I glance at Kade, who nods.
“Oh, yes! Smart as a tack, that one! Are you free for dinner?” asks Rush.
“Yeah, we are.”
Kade grins and shakes his head. It’s not over the dinner invitation but over the ‘we.’ Cassia and I have become inseparable since we got back to Tourmaline. She’s good for my soul, and Kade approves.
“Great! See you at six!” Rush goes to walk away, then turns back around. “Kade, would you and Destiny like to join us?”
Kade nods. “Yes, we would. See you then.”
“They’ve fit right in,” states Kade.
I nod and look at him. “Yeah, he’s trying really hard.”
“So are you. He’s a good man.”
“Yeah. Hey, ahh, Carlos wants a sit down with Dane and me. You want to come along?”
“What about?”
“He said it was about the intruder in my backyard.”
Kade swings his leg back over his shiny blue bike and stands up.
“You don’t think that’s what it was about?”
“I’ve got no reason to doubt him. The only thing I can think of is that Lee might be kicking up a stink over something.”
Kade shakes his head. “Nah, he’s been nothing but nice to us since the last meeting.” Kade draws his eyebrows together and nods. “What time?”
“Said to meet him at the office at one.”
“I’ll be there.” Kade gets back on his bike and starts it. “Later.”
I’m waiting outside the Sheriff’s Office with Kade when Dane and Jonas arrive on their Harleys.
Dane shrugs as he gets off. “Safety in numbers, yeah?”
I chuckle as does Kade. “Yeah, Prez,” I agree.
All four of us walk into the office with Dane taking the lead. It’s a small town, so we know all of the deputies under Carlos, not that all of them like us. The deputy on the desk isn’t a fan and finishes his paperwork before he looks up at us, annoyance in his stare.
“Yes?” he asks in a bored tone.
“We have a meeting with Sheriff Morales. Is he available?” asks Dane without smiling.
The deputy picks up a phone and hits a number. “There’s a group of bikers here for you.”
The back-office door opens, and Carlos steps out. The deputy still has the phone to his ear.
“Let them through,” says Carlos in a raised voice.
The deputy stands and opens the gate. We all file down to Carlos as his men either smile and nod or completely ignore us.
“Come in.” Carlos moves to one side so we can all fit into his office.
Sitting at his desk is a hard-looking man with a round-shaped scar on his face. It looks like a bullet wound. I try not to stare, but it is the only flaw in his features—high cheekbones, clearly of Indian descent, black hair tied neatly back into a ponytail.
“Take a seat,” says Carlos gesturing to the four empty seats in front of his desk. Clearly, he knew we’d come as a unit. “This is Special Agent Wilson Blackbear.”
We all shake hands and sit down. Carlos takes his seat behind his desk, facing all five of us.
“What’s going on, Sheriff?” asks Dane.
Carlos sighs, puts his elbows on the desk, and steeples his fingers. “Wilson and I came up together through the LAPD. I called him after these were left on my doorstep.” Carlos opens his desk drawer and pulls out photos. He hesitates for a moment before he hands them to Dane.
Dane turns them over to reveal photos of dead ravens. I feel my stomach drop, and Dane looks at me quickly.
“They’re ravens?”
Special Agent Blackbear clears his throat and looks at me. “Sheriff Morales rang me when he found ravens at your backdoor. It’s not the first time Sheriff Morales has been gifted these. The photos you’re looking at were taken at his residence a week ago. The next one was taken eight years ago. Also left as a gift for Sheriff Morales, although back then he was a detective.”
“I don’t understand,” I say.
“Zeke, they’re a calling card from a serial killer from LA. One who disappeared years ago. I thought he must have died or… I don’t know. But he’s back, and he’s marked Cassia.”
Special Agent Blackbear stands up. “Doesn’t mean she’s still on his hit list. It was a warning, probably meant for Carlos. It was a sheer accident he even found them. You never reported an intruder.”
“We handle this sort of thing in-house,” replies Dane.
Blackbear nods and looks at Carlos.
“I overheard Cassia telling Izzy. So, I went for a look around and found them. He’s been dormant for a long while. But I have a feeling if you hadn’t been home, Cassia would have been next.”
My gut turns to stone. I look at Dane, and his jaw is ticking. A fucking serial killer in Tourmaline? We don’t have that kind of town.
“Did you bring this here with you, Carlos?” asks Dane as he stares at the pictures.
“I think he might have tracked me down. I don’t know why. I never got close to him. I spent years tracking him, so did the feds. No one knows why he’s shown up again, but I’m obviously the key.”
Dane glances at me, then asks, “Is Cassia in danger?”
Carlos frowns and folds his hands onto the desktop. “Maybe? We don’t know or he could have just been letting us know he’s back and could have killed her.”
“Could it be a copycat?” I ask.
“No, the birds were never released to the public. It could be a partner or someone he told things to. We don’t know for sure,” replies Blackbear.
As I stare at Carlos, I can tell there’s more to this story. He’s looking at Blackbear with impatience and a lets out a huff.
“What aren’t you telling us, Sheriff?” I ask.
Carlos glances at Blackbear, shakes his head, and leans back in the chair.
“Three ravens mean—”
“Need to know, Sheriff,” replies Blackbear sharply.
“Fuck that, Wilson. They need to know.”
“Not your fucking place to tell them. This is an FBI matter now, Sheriff. You will do as you’re told.”
Carlos’s face twists into rage. “I called you in as you were my friend. This is my town, and I think they have a right to know. They’re the ones being targeted.”
“Enough!” yells Blackbear.
Dane stands, leans over on the sheriff’s desk with his fists and elbows locked. “What do we need to know, Carlos?”
“Three ravens mean he’s killed three women, and we just haven’t found their bodies yet. A stripper from your club, The Cherry, has been missing for a week—”
“Candy,” states Dane.
Carlos nods. “And I’ve had reports from two families that their girls are missing. They’ve been known to hang out with the Savage Angels. I didn’t put them all together until the ravens turned up on your backdoor,” Carlos glances at me, “and mine.”
“Fucking hell, Carlos!” yells Special Agent Wilson Blackbear. “Keep your fucking mouth shut!”
Dane turns on him, contempt dripping from his words. “This is Carlos’ town, but this psycho is targeting those that associate with us. We protect our own, so Special Agent Blackbear, if Sheriff Morales hadn’t told us and more of us went missing, we’d crucify him. He did the right thing.” Dane looks back at Carlos. “How can we help?”
“I need to know who were the last people to talk to the women. I’ve been trying to run this investigation quietly, but your people won’t talk to us. Hell, Tobias, told me to fuck off.”
Tobias Dupont is the manager of The Cherry, and although he isn’t one of us, he does know how to keep our secrets and is loyal.
I listen to the conversation, but all I can think about is Cassia and her safety. I stand, and everyone stops talking and looks at me.
“Is Cassia safe?”
Carlos shakes his head. “We don’t know. It could be a ploy, so while we’re looking in one direction, he goes in another. We don’t know.” Carlos spreads his hands upward and outward and shrugs.
“What do you want from us?” I ask.
“We need you to keep what we’ve told you in this room. And we need access to the people who last saw these women. I have their names and lastly, we need to know if someone new has been hanging around the club?”
I shake my head and look at Kade.
“Not that I can think of
,” replies Kade, then he asks, “How long ago did the first woman go missing?”
“Three months ago. He’s taken a woman every month since then,” states Carlos.
“How long between kills?” asks Jonas.
“We don’t officially know they are dead,” replies Blackbear tersely.
“Come on, Wilson! You know how this guy works!” thunders Carlos.
“It might not even be him! Eight years is a long time to be dormant. It could be a copycat or an understudy, we just don’t know.” Spittle flies from Blackbear’s lips as he growls out his reply.
I push the chair back and step around it. My only thought is to keep Cassia safe, and right now, I need to find her. With my hand on the doorknob, Blackbear grips me by the upper bicep.
“You need to keep this to yourself.”
“I get that, but I also need to make sure Cassia is okay. It’s been a fucking month since that happened.”
“Which means if he’s operating in the area, he’s already taken another woman, so Cassia is safe. We’ve kept an eye on her,” Blackbear says in a steady tone.
“What the fuck?” says Kade.
Blackbear continues to look at me. “We used her as bait, but he didn’t bite.”
“You. Used. My. Woman?” I ground out.
“Zeke, calm down. We made sure she was safe. We couldn’t tell you. Couldn’t risk tipping our hand,” replies Carlos as he stands.
I can feel the doorknob in my fist as I grip it, and my knuckles have gone white as I barely control my anger.
Kade stands and looks at Blackbear. “Take your hand off him before he uses your head as a punching bag. Sheriff, you should have told us.” Kade claps me on the back. “Come on, brother, let’s go find Cassia and Destiny. Make sure our women are okay.”
I nod, words won’t form as my rage battles within me. I leave Dane and Jonas with the lawmakers. My only thought is to get to my woman.
I watch as Kade and Zeke leave the Sheriff’s Office. Both look mad, and from the way they tear up Main Street, something’s not right. Maybe they know about me? But not who I am. No, they don’t know that. It’s funny how time can pass, but people can remain the same.
Same boring lives. Same boring people.
Savage Lies: Savage Angels MC #7 Page 21