There is another little girl out there, one who may or may not wear yellow ribbons in her hair. She may be with her father, and everything is fine, but she may not. Until she’s found, we all need to keep looking. Our focus doesn’t need to be on my past, but rather on insuring this little girl has the future Raleigh didn’t get. She has family, friends, and she needs to come home.
I clear my throat, swallowing the lump that has formed. “We have to worry about Erica. Time is ticking away.” I slide the envelope from under Earl’s hand. Turning my head, I meet the iris eyes of my every dream and every nightmare. “What’s in here to help us help her?”
“Randal Jones,” Dover answers in his raspy voice.
“Randy? What does he have to do with Raleigh?”
“We’re under the assumption Randal Jones is an alias like the other R.J. initialed alias’s that have been in the areas of multiple assaults and murders across the country over the years,” X informs me, taking the file back rather than have me open it.
My first instinct is to fight with him and snatch it back. The firm grip of Dover’s hand on my hip makes me think otherwise. I may not want to see what is held in the pages of Raleigh’s past. I may not be able to handle knowing every detail.
Bringing my trembling fingers to my mouth, I try to ease my mind. Selfishly, I think about Earl Wilbur. He set me up. The man who is closer to me than I was with my own father conspired to keep me under lock and key in a different way. He can say what he wants about me being able to leave, but why would I?
He has been nothing but kind, supportive, and protective. Earl took my hobby and made it my work, passion, and allowed me an opportunity to live life while doing something I love. He did it all and, at the same time, betrayed my trust every step of the way.
I shake my head, trying to shake off the thoughts. Everything I built my new life on is a lie. How can I trust his judgment after all of this? What does he know about Randy?
My head hurts and my emotions are too much. Feeling the worry over the girl, the anger over Earl’s betrayal, the fear that nothing can ever be the same again, and the pain of another family’s loss—it all makes my temples throb.
My anger builds, but I know I have to find a way to get clear-headed. This isn’t about me; it’s about Erica. I know the possible players, so I can think this through in order to help the missing girl.
“Does Randy have a brother, cousin, roommate?” X asks Earl.
“Not that I know of.”
Pushing up from Dover’s lap, I pace the small space. “You mean, you can trick me into having a life here with you, yet you know shit about Randy? How is it that you can know everything about me and nothing about him?”
Earl hangs his head for a moment before lifting it to meet my glare. “Be pissed all you want, Sonnie. I got no kids; I got no family except the one I made for myself. Your dad asked for a favor, and I gave it to him. I’d do it again and again. Only, this time, I’d do it for me and for you to have what we’ve built, not just at his request. I get you’re hurt. You got a right to be, but it all came from a good place. When you get your head outta your ass, you’ll see, just like you’ll see what you’ve got with Dover is the real deal, so hold on tight.”
I don’t even want to think about Dover right now. There is a girl missing in small town, Alabama who may or may not be with the man who tortured, raped, and murdered my very best friend. The same monster may or may not be connected to the man who, for years, has been right in the next room over.
Danger may have been at my door at every turn, yet I never once saw it, being in such a rush to leave where I came from.
“Let’s go scout his place,” Judge suggests. “Let Sonnie and Earl go about their day, business as usual.” He looks firmly at the two of us.
“We don’t want to spook him if he is involved,” Dover says, explaining the need for me to push everything with Earl aside for the time being.
On a nod, the guys begin filing out of the small room, Earl with them.
Stopping in front of me, Dover squeezes my hand. The intimate touch, the fact that he’s trying to reassure me when he could literally be only hours away from having justice for his sister, pulls at this thing building between us.
“I’m sorry, Em. I’m sorry this all came out the way it did.” He kisses my forehead. “I’m also not sorry. Earl’s a tough bastard. It’s good to know you had someone looking out for you. I know it’s hard to see that right now, but darlin’, none of us were meant to be alone.”
“Is that why you ride with the Devil’s Due?” I ask, biting my bottom lip.
“I ride so the Devil gets his due; there’s a difference. The guys are my brothers; they are my family. We all share the same calling, purpose, drive—whatever the fuck you wanna say. We’ve all been fucked over by someone else’s crime, and none of us will rest until those crimes are paid in full.
“Right now, there’s a man who’s in the red to the Devil himself for what he did to my sister and his other victims. I plan to be the one to make sure he pays his price. I’ll do it any way I have to. If you can’t live with that, you gotta walk away, Em. If I’m not the kind of man you want, and this isn’t the kind of life for you, then please turn around and walk the fuck away. I’ll tell you I damn sure can’t.
“I’ve had a small taste of having something real. That was last night with you. This pull between us is too strong. Even with all that I need to do right now, leaving you so I can do it is killing me.” He presses his lips to mine. “Never felt this shit before. I damn sure don’t know how to let it go.” He lifts his head from mine.
“Neither have I.” My admission takes hold, and I feel a shift inside.
“Walk away, Em,” he almost begs.
I roll up on my tiptoes, wrapping my hands around his neck before pulling him to me. “What if I wanna hold on for the ride, Dover?”
With a moan, he presses his lips to mine. I open, giving him access and sealing myself to him. When we are both out of breath, he pulls back.
“Gotta go. Wanna get lost in you, but I gotta ride.” His iris eyes meet mine, and there is so much emotion in them.
“We have the future ahead of us for that. You go and do what needs to be done,” I say, meaning every word. I may not know how to handle the lie my new life is built on, but I do believe in Dover’s mission. I believe in the man he has become and what he stands for.
After a quick kiss, he leaves while I stay in the back room, trying to sort out my thoughts. I hear Earl move at the door but say nothing.
“Sonnie, I know you’ve got a lot to process.”
I look into the old man’s eyes. I see his remorse; I feel his pain.
The regret in Earl’s face hits me in my heart. I know the last thing he would want is to have brought danger to my door, even unknowingly. Regardless of how or why I’m here, Earl has given me his all. He has protected me from the world, even if I don’t agree with why he did it.
“You don’t think Randy was around when Raleigh was taken, do ya?”
Well, if that isn’t the million-dollar question!
“Guess that’s what the Devil’s Due boys are here for,” I say, trying not to think of the whirlwind the last few hours have been. “I need some time, Earl.” I look to him for understanding.
He hangs his head and, without a word, makes his way out front.
Deciding I need to get my mind off everything, I go to my station to sketch. The white paper in front of me draws my pencil in like a magnet; the pull is one I don’t try to fight. Closing my eyes, I get a vision that comes to me from my heart. The very thing I said I wouldn’t do is now in my mind and heart, gripping me to bring the art to life. With every stroke, every line, and every shade, I know exactly whom this one is for.
It’s not long before I’m consumed. Time passes as I get lost in the iris eyes of the gargoyle I’m creating. Sensing someone, I look up to find Randy in my doorway.
“Hey, Sonnie, how’s it going?” he as
ks.
This would be fine if it were anyone but Randy Jones. In all the time he’s worked here, I don’t remember one time he came to simply say hello to me.
I raise an eyebrow, trying to fight back my own negative suspicions. Maybe I’m too close to the situation to see it clearly. Dover and the guys have no proof Randy is involved with anything. They are going on a hunch and a very hard to follow trail. I’m trying to keep my mind open while Dover and his brothers do what they do best. Only, my heart hurts, still missing my best friend as if it were yesterday.
Time heals all wounds, they say. I beg to differ. Some cut so deeply that, until vengeance is found, no peace can be had.
If Randy is involved, then he deserves whatever comes his way. I just hope emotions don’t cloud anyone’s judgments … even my own.
Smiling up at him, I try to push back my thoughts of the monster he could be and, instead, remind myself of the time he’s been here and the fact that we have had no issues to speak of.
After all, when Erica Hall went missing, he was here at work. Therefore, even with the guys going to check out his place, I doubt it’s him. The clean cut man in front of me couldn’t be the same vicious fucker who tied my best friend up at nine years old, cutting her insides and leaving her to die in a culvert.
He’s too concise. He’s too put together. He’s too clean. Right? Someone like that couldn’t have done all those vile things.
Raleigh’s death was a mess. One big, sloppy mess that even the heaviest of rain couldn’t wash away from those of us who loved her so. Randy wouldn’t be involved in something as dirty as what has happened to these girls. It can’t be him, I tell myself.
“I’m doing okay, Randy. Are you booked up today?” I try to make casual conversation.
“I’m something today, but booked isn’t it.”
He pushes off and heads down the hall. I don’t give it a second thought as my mind takes me back to the work in front of me.
Chapter Fifteen
~Dover~
Thinking our suspect is tucked away at work, we ride up to the lot without trying to hide our presence. Then we walk right up to the front door of the small pop-up camper, but we all take pause at the sounds coming from the small space.
As a cop, I saw and heard more than my fair share of crimes. As a member of the Devil’s Due MC, I have seen the good, the bad, the ugly, and come across shit that stays with you for life.
The noise will forever haunt my nights.
“Such a good little girl. Daddy’s gonna give it to ya real good,” grunts a man loud and clear. “Opened ya up real nice so I can slide right in.”
Trapper’s face contorts in disgust, while Judge is red in fury. My mind blanks, and then I close my eyes and see her face—my innocent little sister’s face that was always full of life, love, and happiness.
As I enter, I’m stunned. I never imagined witnessing firsthand the sick and twisted scene before us.
A large man stands naked over someone—I can’t make out whom. Blood runs down the small legs I do see peeking out from between his. There is no fight to the appendages, no movement—nothing.
Are we too late?
The man is so focused he doesn’t even notice us as he moves the limp legs in an attempt to line himself up. My gut turns, my stomach roils, and I want to vomit.
I also want to kill the pervert in front of me.
Reaching out, I yank him back. He stumbles into the other side of the camper, shaking the entire structure. I feel Judge push past me in the too small space as he steps inside to get to the victim.
I make the mistake of looking over at the little girl. Her features, though swollen, match that of Erica Hall. Blood drips from her mouth and down her legs and arms. She is unconscious, but her body is still pink, so I have hope. Judge checks her pulse. His face doesn’t give me any clue to the results, however.
Adrenaline builds as I fight back my emotions. Then a sudden blow comes from the dirty fucker in front of me. His long hair is greasy, and his unshaven face and body are unkempt and covered in the blood of his victim.
My jaw soaks up the impact as my mouth fills with the copper taste of my own blood from the bite to my cheek upon his blow. It only fuels me on.
“You sick son of a bitch.” I spit out blood, gritting my teeth on every word. Then I swing, connecting with his face.
He stumbles, grabbing a knife off the small table as he falls backward. Falling onto the corner, he begins waving the hunting blade wildly. Behind me, I can sense Judge moving around, trying to revive the girl. Fight or flight kicks in, and I know time is imperative for saving this girl.
“Call an ambulance!” Judge yells.
“On it,” X confirms as I try to keep the villain in front of me contained.
The man slashes out, the tip of the blade catching my arm, but the burn of my arm opening up doesn’t slow me down one bit. Reaching behind my back, I remove my gun and, in one swift movement, slide the safety off, aim, and fire.
As the man falls back, blood pours from the wound in his abdomen. Black eyes meet mine as he smiles, trying to stand up and cut me again. Without hesitation, I again fire.
The kill shot to the head.
Having no time to spare, the guys scoop up the young victim, wrapping her in the one blanket Judge could find. Even though it is filthy, something is better than nothing. Judge then carries her out of the cramped space.
Sirens can be heard getting closer, and I can only pray they make it in time.
Standing over my own victim, I fight back the bile rising in my throat as the naked man lies bleeding out on the floor with a smile on his face.
In the commotion, a small cabinet popped open, and I give it a cursory glance. Inside is a collection of many things, but one catches my eye. In a split second, my heart stops beating, sweat covering my skin.
Tattered and faded, there is a little yellow ribbon with dark locks still in it.
When I look back at the man, now it is my time to smile. “The devil always gets his due,” I spit out. “I’ll see you in Hell, motherfucker. The sooner, the better for me, but if I were you, I’d hope with any hope I had left that I live a long fucking life. You should know, my eternity will be spent causing you all the pain you have given forever and ever, amen.”
Reaching down, I take the ribbon and stuff it in my pocket. Then, once outside, I climb on a nearby picnic table and wait for the cops. I have seen too many pieces of evidence lost in the shuffle to risk losing this one to some pencil whipping rookie. I will run it through the labs I trust, and then I can rest, knowing I got the fucker who killed my sister.
This isn’t how we typically do things, but little Erica is still alive. Needing to have medical attention for her leaves too many questions for us to disappear without putting a target on our own backs. Therefore, we will wait it out, answer the questions, and hope the Hall family can say this is a happy ending in the end.
The EMTs get right to work on little Erica, loading her on a gurney, and before the cops can even arrive, the ambulance pulls away. There is a strong possibility she will pull through. She will forever be scarred inside and probably out, but her family won’t be left wondering how they lost her in the first place.
“You think he’s our guy?” X asks me as we watch the sheriff department pull up.
Digging into my pocket, I pull out the ribbon. Only a small piece can be seen as I extend my hand to my brother. With a handshake, I hand over the piece of evidence to X. Firmly grasping the last trace of my sister in his hand, he releases my grip.
“Pretty sure the DNA on that lock of hair will be a match to my sister,” I inform him quietly. “Handle that in case they take me in.”
When the officer walks up, he points to the gash on my arm that is still bleeding. “You need us to call another ambulance for ya, son?” The man is older, probably late fifties to early sixties, and his round belly sticks out as the buttons strain on his uniform shirt.
I shake my hea
d no.
When he looks into the camper to see the attacker, he blows out a whistle. “Well, looks like this was self-defense, you bein’ hurt and all.” He looks me over again yet doesn’t move toward me like I would expect. “Dispatch got your information when your buddy called it in. Don’t leave town, Mr. Ragnes, till we can get this all sorted out.” Small town deputy just doing his job.
I nod my head. “You want me to come down to the station?” I ask, knowing protocol and quite frankly surprised I’m not in the back of his car or at least detained in some fashion until he can clear the scene. After all, shots were fired. I’m not complaining, though. I still have more shit to do.
“This afternoon, if you don’t mind.”
If I don’t mind? What the hell? Shit like this is the exact reason I left law enforcement behind. Sure, I’m in the clear; it was self-defense this time. If it hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have waited around for the boys in blue. Instead, they would be cleaning up what would become another cold case. For once, I can truly say the justice system is behind me, but this guy doesn’t know shit about shit that went down, and he’s willing to let me walk away.
“I’ll be there,” I tell him as my phone rings with a blocked number.
“Hello,” I answer, watching the deputy tip his hat before walking back to his cruiser.
“You got my brother,” Randy’s voice calmly comes through the line. “I have your woman. If Ralphie dies, Sonnie dies; an eye for an eye. Bring my brother to the shop—no cops—and I’ll let her go. You have fifteen minutes before I put a bullet in her brain.” There is a pause as I fight back my panic. “We wouldn’t want her to bleed out all over Old Dog’s floor like he is, would we?” The line goes dead.
Shit! How does he know? My mind races. He obviously doesn’t have eyes on the place if he thinks his brother is still alive.
Two more cruisers arrive to help Deputy Dumbass collect evidence and remove the body.
In The Red: Nomad Bikers (Devil's Due MC Book 1) Page 10