Rain Shadow Book 3

by Tess Oliver

  “Look, I appreciate if you’re trying to protect her. It’s very commendable of you, but she’s in real danger—”

  “I know,” he said abruptly. “There was a whole big ordeal out in front of the diner when those damn bikers showed up.”

  My heart jumped. “What bikers?”

  That question silenced him. He hadn’t been keeping quiet to protect Angel. He was scared for his own ass.

  I reached into my back pocket, and he discretely reached for something beneath the counter.

  “Relax, just bringing out my wallet.” I flipped it open and showed him my badge. He sucked in a breath. “Look, you’re not in any kind of trouble, but the girl is. Who should I talk to over at the diner?”

  “Tracy saw it all. She’s the one that called the cops. But she’s probably off work already.”

  “Cops? What happened? Did they make any arrests? Did they get ahold of the girl?”

  “Nah, the cops were too late. The bikers had already taken off . . . with the girl.”

  Once again, it felt as if someone had punched me in the gut, only this time it was far worse. Before, I’d been worried about Angel being out on her own, and now I knew she wasn’t alone. She was in real trouble. “Did the police go after them?”

  He shook his head but didn’t seem to want to say anything else.

  I stood there staring coldly at him, and he finally answered. “They won’t go after them. The local cops and the bikers have a deal between them. They leave each other alone, and that way there’s no trouble.”

  I shook my head. “Well, what the fuck are they getting paid for?” Seth put a hand on my shoulder to calm me.

  I shoved my wallet back into my pocket. “Thanks for your help.” The bell clanged sharply against the door as I slammed it open. I lumbered toward the diner and Seth followed.

  “This detective work sure leads to a lot of disappointing dead ends.” Seth hurried to keep pace. “No wonder Dad always looked so frustrated when he was working on a case.”

  I wasn’t in the mood for chat. In one second of time, I’d gone from looking for Angel in hopes that she was finding food and shelter to hoping she wasn’t gravely injured or dead. Nightfall was just an hour or so away, and the sun held onto its last few moments of life above the mountains. The diner had only a few customers. From the wall signs, it was more of a breakfast place. A bus boy was clearing off a few of the tables, and a woman who looked dressed as a manager and not a waitress was filling salt and pepper shakers. She seemed pissed that we were coming in so late.

  “We’re out of eggs, so no more breakfast skillets,” she said.

  “We’re not here to eat,” I replied. That comment brought alarm to her expression. “We’re just looking for someone.” I decided to flash my badge again. Sometimes it calmed people, and sometimes it had the opposite effect. But that was usually on people who had something to hide.

  She squinted at the badge and then went back to her task. “You here about the incident this morning with the bikers?” Pots and pans were being slammed into a dishwasher’s sink in the back, and it was hard to hear over the clamor.

  “I am.”

  “You’re too late. The local police have already taken down the report. One of my waitresses saw the whole thing and called them.” She said it with a slight edge of anger as if she was pissed that the waitress had done the right thing. Although, a lot of good it had done.

  “Well, I’m not the local police, and I’d like to talk to this waitress. Tracy, right?”

  She lifted her attention from the salt and pepper and eyed me suspiciously. “That’s right. How did you know?”

  “Didn’t realize it was a big secret. The motel manager mentioned her name.” We’d gotten the bus boy’s attention. He put down his tub of dirty dishes and wiped his hands on his apron. The manager inclined her head toward him. “That’s Tracy’s neighbor. She’ll be in here in a few minutes to give him a ride home. Greg, these men want to talk to Tracy about the incident this morning.”

  “Do you know what happened?” I asked.

  “Tracy told me something about a girl that was taken away by one of the bikers. She’d been in here eating pancakes earlier in the day. Tracy thought she seemed to be running from something. Totally on her own and looking really sad.”

  Every comment and clue was like a stab in my heart.

  A car pulled into the lot in front of the diner. “That’s Tracy. She can tell you more.”

  A young woman with ebony black hair and vibrant green eyes walked inside. A troubled expression crossed her pretty face as she spotted us standing at the counter.

  “Tracy,” the manager called, “these men want to ask you a few questions about this morning.”

  Her expression grew more worried, and the manager finally seemed to catch the concern. “It’s all right, this one has a badge.” She pointed to Seth. “And this one—”

  Tracy reached us. Some of the worry had left her face.

  “And this one is completely stunned by what have to be the most amazing eyes he’s ever seen,” my brother finished for the manager.

  I lifted a brow at Seth. “Really?”

  He shrugged. “It just comes out naturally.” He smiled at the woman. “But it’s the truth.”

  A pink blush colored her cheeks, and she returned the smile. “So, what do you want to know?”

  I showed her my phone to make sure we were talking about the right girl. “I understand she came in here to eat this morning?”

  “Yep, what a doll. She ate a stack of pancakes as if she was worried that they might be her last meal. I felt bad for her. We brainstormed some ideas for her to get work in Tahoe. We were having a nice conversation and then the Bedlam club pulled up on their bikes. Her face faded white, and she raced out through the kitchen. I thought she’d made a clean getaway too. A few of the guys followed her through the kitchen as if they wanted to catch her but then they came back in to eat. I’d convinced myself that the girl had just been scared by the sight of them. A few of them look pretty menacing, especially the big guy with the tattooed head and short blond hair.”

  “Gunner.” Just saying his name made my fists clench. It wasn’t a rival club. It was a disgruntled Bedlam member who had found Angel.

  “Yeah, that’s what they call him. He left early. The other guys were pissed that they had to cover his check. As they left the restaurant, I caught a glimpse of Gunner. He was pulling the girl along behind him. She looked pretty bloodied and scared, so I called the police. By the time they got here, the men had taken off. Besides, the cops weren’t much help anyhow. Everyone’s afraid of those guys. The local police have seemed to decide it’s easier to look the other way when it comes to them. Plus, I’m pretty sure they’re good at paying off the local law enforcement to stay away from their business.”

  “You said she looked bloodied?” It was the hardest question I’d asked all night. It was pure hell thinking that Angel was hurting and that I couldn’t do anything to help her.

  Tracy looked genuinely upset by it all. “There was blood trickling from her chin and her legs were streaked with it. Poor thing. I wish I could have done more.”

  “You did all you could. Thanks.”

  Tracy eyed me and seemed to be trying to assess my involvement with Angel.

  “From the expression on your face, I’d say this isn’t official business for you,” she said.

  I nodded. “You’re very adept.”

  “She told me she was running from her grandfather, which was rather strange.”

  “Strange is a great way to describe him too. She is running from him.”

  “She didn’t mention anything about a gray-eyed, handsome man following her.”

  “No, she wouldn’t. She thinks I’m dead.”

  That statement earned a gasp from everyone at the counter except Seth, who was still busy ogling our pretty witness.

  “Well, I hope you find her,” Tracy said. “She seemed like a really specia
l girl.”

  “Yeah, she is. Thanks again for your help.”

  The sky was nearly dark, and a few inconsistently placed streetlights sputtered to a yellow glow. I glanced over at Seth. “Come on, Casanova, I’ve got to make some calls.”

  Chapter 8

  Angel

  I shivered and mistakenly moved my hand to wrap my arms around myself. The rope ground into my already tender flesh. The room was still unbearably warm, but my body shook with chills. On top of all my misery, I’d caught some virus. Or, a worse thought, it was due to the filthy mattress and my open wounds. Something had me in its grips, and without an aspirin, the fever felt as if it could spiral out of control. My chest felt tight, and my throat was sore. I’d left my familiar set of germs within the compound walls and exposed myself to stuff I’d never been around. That¸ coupled with my lack of food and sleep, which would suppress my immunity, was all it had taken.

  It was nearly comical how easily my mind, as fogged as it was with the high temperature, went straight to a diagnosis and cure. I was miserable, and yet, I was logically planning out what had to be done to keep me from dying, almost as if I was floating outside of my aching body watching myself wither away in the center of the revolting mattress.

  Rick had been thoughtful enough to leave me a bottle of water on the floor near the bed. I hung my head over and nearly rolled off as I reached for it. The water had warmed to air temperature, but it provided some comfort. I lowered the bottle back to the ground and closed my eyes again.

  The door swung open, and a steady stream of light flowed into the pitch black room. I squinted into the brightness. The giant silhouette came closer. Gunner sneered down at me.

  “What did you know about Cash leaving the club?”

  My fever was high enough that it was hard to concentrate on his question. His brow creased as he stared down at my shivering body. “How can you be cold? It’s hot as fuck in here?”

  “I’m sick. I need some aspirin.”

  The man was trying his best to be the hardass club president that he wanted so badly to be, but occasionally, I’d glimpse a sliver of compassion in his face. Gunner had known me since I was a little girl, and he hadn’t yet been able to sever those few memories that connected us forever. Gunner had been the first person to reach me when I’d come stumbling down from Angel’s Ridge on the day my mom jumped to her death. I collapsed into his arms, and he’d carried me the rest of the way to the cabins. And I’d spent more than a few good hours stitching up his chin after it had been split open in a fight. We’d always hated each other mutually, but at the same time, we’d gone through many hellish and even exciting events together. “Shit, Angel, you’re such a pain in the ass.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t plan this. I forgot that the outside world was riddled with fucking germs,” I half sobbed.

  Gunner walked to the door. They’d hooked up a television, and an action movie played loudly in the front room. The smell of pepperoni, tobacco and beer wafted through the open doorway. As sick as I was, my stomach ached with emptiness. My hearty feast of pancakes was no longer sustaining me.

  “Hey, JoJo, don’t you always carry aspirin for those damn girly headaches you always get?”

  “Yeah, I’ve got some.”

  “Bring me a couple, would you?”

  “Is Angel all right?” I heard Rick ask.

  “Don’t worry yourself about it,” Gunner said sharply. After a few moments, he returned to the room and handed me the aspirin and my water bottle. My head felt empty as I sat up. I swallowed the pills and felt instantly nauseous.

  “You aren’t going to puke, are you?” he asked.

  I peered up at him through fever glazed eyes. “If I do, I’ll be sure to aim for your shoes. What were you asking about Cash?”

  “Did you know that he was leaving the club?”

  “How would I know about that? Cash was hardly one to confide in me or anyone for that matter. And after what he did—” my words trailed off. The last thing I needed at the moment was to think about that fateful day.

  “That’s just it. I think it’s pretty damn strange that he left. You’d almost think he ran because he didn’t want Dreygon to know that he only pretended to kill the fed. JoJo thinks it has to do with the murder of the bar owner, but I thought maybe you knew something else.”

  His words were only making my head spin more, and none of it was making sense. “But he dragged Luke out of the compound and—”

  “Just think it’s weird. Cash is gone. I mean it’s as if he vanished off the planet.”

  It was too much to absorb, and there was no way I could let his suggestion take hold. I couldn’t let myself believe it. It would be the same heartbreak all over again if I got my hopes up. I knew Cash had been a witness to a brutal beating by several club members, but the most important code in Bedlam was you don’t rat out another member. And Cash stuck to that rule, just like everyone else. Still, I knew he was unhappy. When he’d volunteered to kill Luke, it had been completely out of his character. No, I had to stop analyzing it. I couldn’t let the notion of it into my heart. I couldn’t bear to lose Luke all over again.

  The aspirin and warm water sloshed inside my empty stomach, and I laid back down to keep myself from getting sick.

  “I’m getting word to Dreygon right now, so be ready. Not sure how all this will pan out yet.”

  “I told you he doesn’t give a shit about me.” My voice sounded weak and shaky.

  “We’ll see. Get some rest.”

  “Thanks for the aspirin, Gunner.” My eyes drifted shut, but I sensed that he was still standing in the doorway.

  “You’re such a pain in the ass, Angel.” It was rare to catch Gunner in a sad moment, but I was sure I’d heard it in his tone.

  “I know, you’ve mentioned that. Good night.”

  Chapter 9

  Luke

  I paced Carson’s office angrily. He walked back in and shook his head. “You can punch walls, kick trash cans, hell, I don’t care if you overturn a few desks, I can’t risk having you out there. It’s all too close to you.” He dropped the fatherly lecture tone and added a touch of sympathy to his voice. His brow smoothed. “Luke, I know you and I know how much Dex meant to you. You’re going to see those guys and—”

  “It’s called closure, Carson. Maybe you’ve heard of it. I wasn’t here when you buried Dex. I didn’t get to come face to face with Belkin and now this.”

  “If you step out of line then the case is blown, and you risk losing your badge.”

  “Fucking hell, Carson, you act like I’m some hothead who just waves his weapons like a drunken gunslinger ready to shoot down anything that moves. I’m not a fool. I know how to control myself.” I scrubbed my hand through my hair. After yesterday’s wild chase over half of Nevada looking for Angel, and finding nothing except that she’s in Gunner’s clutches now, this was too much. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my badge. I slammed it on his desk. “You know what, you can have my badge. I’m done with it.”

  “Luke, you’re overreacting. What if I promise face-to-face time with the suspects once we bring them in?”

  “Not good enough.” I stared hard at him.

  He sighed loudly, walked over to the desk and picked up my badge. He held it out for me to take. “You win.” He picked up his phone. “Yeah, Riggs, can you lay out another set of protective gear. Barringer is going with us.” He paused. “Just do what I fucking say, Riggs. I don’t have time for questions.” He hung up and stared down at the badge in my hand. He lifted a finger and the angry father scowl and tone returned. “One step out of line, Barringer, and you’ll be out of a job.”

  “Yes Sir. So what are the details?”

  “Apparently some neighbors on a quiet street had complained to the local police that motorcycles had been going up and down the street at all hours. Those damn bikes can sound like a locomotive when they’re rumbling through a quiet neighborhood. They’ve been staying in a house at the e
nd of the block. Obviously, the three goons you identified felt pretty confident that Belkin wouldn’t talk. What they didn’t know was that the second agent was still alive. There are others staying at the house, including a few women, so it’s not cut and dry. Let’s go suit up.”

  We headed out of the office. “Hey, Carson, thanks for letting me do this.”

  “I’m pretty sure I would never hear the end of it if I didn’t let you go. You’re as persistent as a gnat buzzing around my head on a hot day.”

  “Yeah, my dad used to say ‘stubborn’ was my middle name.”

  Some of the other men eyed me coldly as I stepped into the equipment room. “How’s it going, y’all?” I said with enthusiasm, my way of basically telling them ‘too fucking bad’ if they disagreed with me going along. My cheery tone only served to piss them off more.

  Wharton, a man who had a tendency to stand back from the action whenever it got too hot, heaved the riot helmet hard at me. It slapped my hands as I caught it. “Really, Wharton? How many times have I covered your ass out there?”

  His face reddened. “We all know how badly you want to get these guys. Just don’t think it’s wise to take you along.”

  “Well, since no one asked your opinion, Wharton,” Carson said sharply, “you can just keep it to yourself. Now let’s get going. We’re losing light.”

  ***

  The SUV was silent as we traveled toward our destination. It was usual for most of us to get lost in our thoughts on the way to a raid, and this one was considerably more dangerous. The Bent for Hell members we were going to arrest had already killed one DEA agent. They faced life in prison or the death penalty. They didn’t have much to lose at this point. And with other people living in the house, it would be much harder to get to our prize.

  My thoughts went back to Angel. I’d called Jericho on our way home, and he had no idea where Gunner was holding out. He was pissed though. After I’d told him everything, he decided to meet with some other members and see what he could find out. I hadn’t heard from him yet. At this point, he was my best bet. I’d discovered, even from my own field office’s reaction to Angel missing, that when the club isn’t doing anything outright dangerous to the public then law enforcement leaves them alone. Apparently, it would just take too much money and manpower to worry about every corrupt, illegal thing they were up to.