Shades of Resolution (Distortion #3)

by Aimee McNeil

  He nodded his head as his eyes flashed from Sabine and Lexie.

  Sabine slapped him across the face with the back of her hand. “Do you understand me?” Sabine demanded.

  “Yes.” His eyes flared dark. Lexie only watched in disgust as these two danced some twisted game of foreplay. Despite the fact that this man was physically larger than Sabine, she exacted all the control. The harsher she became, the more willing and eager he was to please her.

  “You want to make me happy, don’t you?” Sabine cooed as she ran her fingernail along his chest.

  “Always,” he responded quickly.

  “Then do what I say,” Sabine said as she grabbed his chin roughly. Her nails looked like they were about to break his flesh as he looked down at her with exaggerated breath. His gaze dropped to her lips before he began to lean down toward her but she stopped him.

  “Not now. I need to think,” Sabine said, pushing him away.

  The sound of a door closing on the lower floor claimed Sabine’s attention. “Watch her.” She pointed her talon-like nail toward Lexie as she stalked out of the room.

  His eyes swung to Lexie and a subtle smile curled up the corners of his lips. Lexie didn’t know what was worse, Sabine the aggressor, or her well-trained pet. They both gave Lexie the creeps. This entire situation did. They seemed unpredictable and danced on the boundary of insanity. This was nothing like being wrapped up in the carefully laid plans of John Stodden, whose moves were calculated and precise. This was like being thrown into a pit of fire when it was about to rain gasoline.

  Lexie looked at her cuffs and gave them another tug. Her skin was aggravated from the chafing metal. She knew there was no way to be free of them on her terms. She pressed her head back against the wall and let out an exasperated breath. She could still feel the pain lingering from Sabine’s welcoming embrace.

  Every time she closed her eyes, even for a brief moment, she saw Cherry on the floor with blood smeared across her face. She prayed with every corner of her soul that she was well. Lexie was tired of the people she loved being caught in the crossfire.

  This time Lexie was filled with anger. There was no fear of the unknown as she found herself at the mercy of these people. She had already been introduced to this dark side of humanity and had lost her mother because of it. Now she wanted revenge.

  She knew Jackson would come for her this time…there was no doubt in her mind, but part of her didn’t want him to. That part of her needed him to know she could take care of herself, despite the odds stacked against her. There was also the very real fear that something would happen to him, and she couldn’t lose him. She couldn’t lose anyone else in her life.

  Jackson was supposed to have been a safe bet, someone she knew she wouldn’t fall for. She knew he was dangerous, unstable, and capable of things she could only imagine. It was merely scratching a sexual need, but she had been in denial from the start, and she knew that now. He was everything she thought she wouldn’t want, and yet now he was the only one she could picture giving herself to. Lexie had always envisioned herself with someone safe and comforting like Alex, but Jackson had led her to discover more about herself then she ever thought possible.

  Jackson fit her in ways she never imagined; on levels so deep it penetrated her core. It was terrifying and raw to the point that she knew she could never turn back. He was still very much a closed book, with dark secrets she knew should terrify her, but a piece of her now existed in him, just like a piece of her was buried with Alex.

  Lexie looked up at the man across the room as he lit his cigarette. His dark eyes never left her as she was forced to remain in his company.

  “What’s your name?” Lexie asked.

  “Why?” He narrowed his eyes as he took a long pull from his cigarette.

  “I was just curious if you had a name or if I should just call you Sabine’s little pet,” Lexie said defiantly. She wanted to know exactly who she was dealing with, and pushing his buttons seemed like a good place to start.

  “You should be careful or I’ll show you how not so little I am,” he ground out through his clenched teeth. “The name is Neil.” He blew out the smoke and watched it curl in the air around him. “Remember it.” A sly smile curled up the edges of his lips.

  “Well, Neil, is kidnapping women the norm around here?” Lexie asked.

  “Depends,” he said with a tilt of his head.

  “Am I at least allowed to use the washroom?” Lexie raised a brow.

  Neil glanced toward the door and then back at Lexie. “Yeah, I guess.” He threw his cigarette down on the floor and stepped on it before he walked over toward the window and grabbed a key off the ledge. Lexie hadn’t even noticed it until he retrieved it. “Don’t try anything stupid. There are armed men everywhere in this house and they were ordered to shoot first and ask questions later.”

  “Fair enough.” Lexie had noticed the gun tucked into his pants when he had turned his back. She needed to be careful.

  “So what’s it like to have John Stodden as a father?” Neil asked as he grabbed her wrist to unlock the cuffs.

  “Terrible,” Lexie answered honestly.

  “Daddy issues?” Neil smiled mischievously.

  “You have no idea.”

  “Give me your other hand.” Neil said. Lexie tentatively held out her hand and Neil closed the cuff over her other wrist, securing her hands together. “Okay, get up.” Neil stepped back to allow her room to get to her feet. He withdrew his gun and aimed it at her.

  Lexie tried not to show fear as he waved the gun toward the doorway. “It’s at the end of the hall.”

  Lexie walked slowly down the hall. The only thing she could think about was the gun pointed at her back. It left little room for thoughts of escape.

  When Lexie stepped inside the washroom and grabbed the door, she turned around and closed it in Neil’s face unapologetically. She tried to turn the lock, only to discover it was broken. She could hear Neil’s snicker on the other side of the door.

  Lexie walked over toward the sink and turned the water on. Water sputtered out of the old tarnished faucet before it began to run smoothly over her hands. Filling her hands with water, she splashed her face with the cool, refreshing liquid. She needed to think and the first person who came to mind was Jackson. He was the most resourceful person she had ever known and she tried to think about what he would do in this situation.

  Lexie turned off the water and grabbed the towel hanging on the towel bar. It looked relatively clean as she grabbed the end to dry her face. Voices floated up through the grate on the floor and she bent down to listen. She recognized Flint and Sabine’s voice immediately.

  “…you don’t need him, Flint. He was just your puppeteer for fucking years. Let’s get him to give us some money for his daughter. I’m sure he’ll pay a shitload for his little bitch,” Sabine said.

  “He won’t let me get away with that. I need to convince him that Lexie was telling lies. He’ll see it my way when I deliver her and the files to him,” Flint responded. His voice seemed strained as she listened.

  “Why do you want that bastard’s approval?” Sabine was losing her temper as the tone of her voice rang loud and clear. “Do you honestly think he values your loyalty? We both know he doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself. You need to forget about your history with Stodden and think about keeping yourself alive.”

  “I’m as good as dead if I turn my back on him.”

  “He can’t kill you if he can’t find you. I can find a buyer easy for the girl and the shit Stodden wants. Do you know how much people would pay to have that power over him? We can take the money and disappear.”

  A banging on the door startled Lexie and she jumped to her feet. “Just a second.” Lexie flushed the toilet and barely had time to prepare herself before the door swung open.

  “Hurry up. What do you think this is, a luxury hotel?” Neil complained.

  “I’m done,” Lexie said as she stepped out into
the hallway.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Jackson

  The pizza was stale and tasted like the cardboard box it had been sitting in since the night before as Jackson managed to swallow a few bites before tossing it to the pigeons. A large flock of them were beginning to collect outside the motel room. He leaned against the railing and watched them fight over the scraps of food, their wings fluttering madly as they pecked at the tough crust.

  Jackson’s headphones were around his neck. He could barely hear the music, but it was enough to clear his head. For Lexie’s sake, he needed a solid plan. He would not gamble with her life. His entire life he had been diving into danger head first, and if he was honest with himself, part of him wished that he would never surface from the dangers he tempted. The situation that stood before him would have once made his mouth water in anticipation, but now he was determined not to make the wrong move.

  Dane sighed as he settled back in one of the flimsy plastic chairs that sat outside the motel. It groaned unpleasantly and Jackson was surprised it didn’t collapse under the strain of Dane’s size. Dane tipped a bottle of whiskey to his lips and took a long haul.

  “Breakfast of champions,” Jackson said with a smirk.

  “It’s better than stale pizza,” Dane said, wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

  “You might be right. How much are you drinking these days, anyway?” Jackson asked Dane, who’d been nursing a bottle since he rolled out of bed. Jackson knew his history well enough to know that it didn’t take much for him to spiral out of control. Jackson was not much of a talker himself but Dane was worse. He also had a habit of keeping things bottled deep inside and they slowly carved away at him, piece by piece. It was only a matter of time until he couldn’t stand it anymore. Jackson didn’t fault him for trying to forget with a bottle. It was a coping technique they both used.

  This time of year was particularly hard on Dane, and normally a bender would cause him to disappear without a word for days, sometimes weeks at a time. Jackson and Teddy never let on, but they always tracked his every movement on these occasions. They needed to make sure they were there to step in if Dane got himself into trouble. It only came to that one time and Dane was too inebriated to remember they’d come to his rescue. Jackson thought it was best he didn’t remember they intervened. There was something that felt sacred about Dane’s time away from his life, where he sought complete dullness of mind and let himself get lost. He was always a new man when he returned, like he had hit reset on the torment that haunted him. And the cycle would start again until the next year.

  Jackson had known about Dane’s history, but only what he had found on paper when he looked into Dane when they first met. The truth about Dane’s demons was hidden deep inside him.

  “What are you talking about? You drink me and Teddy under the table,” Dane argued.

  “I won’t deny that, but you usually drink when the sun is setting, not rising.” Jackson needed him to be with them for this to work. He hoped Dane understood how important he was in pulling this off. Dane looked down at the bottle in his hand thoughtfully before he tipped it up and poured the rest of the contents on the ground.

  “I have an appointment with that shrink…” Dane said absently.

  “Just make some shit up like you normally do,” Jackson said dismissively, not really understanding what had Dane so distraught about meeting with this new psychiatrist.

  “I can’t. She’s not like the others. She can see through my bullshit, and Giles said if I didn’t meet her, he’d take my badge.”

  “Then talk. What harm can it do? Maybe it will even help,” Jackson suggested.

  Dane narrowed his eyes as he looked at Jackson. “Tell me why Lexie has you all turned around. What is it about her that has got you seeing fucking stars?”

  “See, you’ll be fine. You got that deflection shit down to a science.” Jackson turned around and leaned both elbows back on the railing. “Just talk circles around her until your hour is up.”

  “She’s a professional and sees right through that shit, and I’m serious, man. I want to know why you let Lexie in. She’s his daughter and the last person I would have thought could crack your shell. I’ve been your friend for years and you never let anyone in, and now all of a sudden we’re picking up strays everywhere, and you’re thinking through your actions and shit. She changed you.”

  “Is that what this is about? You have a crush on that shrink and you’re scared she’ll get inside and see all the dark shit you carry around with you?”

  “Fuck, man, talk about deflection. We are a pair, aren’t we?”

  “I’m not going soft, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Jackson said defensively.

  “You can rest assured that no one can ever accuse you of being soft, but if you start sending me birthday cards and shit, I might have to shoot you.” Dane chuckled.

  “Please do.”

  “After this fucked up conversation I’m starting to regret pouring that good whiskey out.” Dane looked down at the wet stain on the ground.

  “Me too.” Jackson frowned. “I’m feeling like a drink myself.”

  “Jacks?” Teddy called from inside their room.

  Jackson locked eyes with Dane before pushing off the railing. “What do you have?” He walked into the room to see Teddy in the exact same place, parked in front of his multiple laptops spread out on the small round table in the corner of the room. The space was less than ideal, but Teddy never complained. He knew what needed to be done. Jackson was never one for technology, all the screens that were up looked like a completely different language to him.

  “Just got a tip on a private bid; seems whoever took Lexie is trying to cash in,” Teddy said, pointing toward his screen where he tapped into a private message board.

  “That means we can rule out that Stodden has her.” They had tracked Lexie’s location to a residential property and took up position at the hotel that was just far enough to stop and get a handle on the situation before they moved in. Something about the scenario seemed off to Jackson and they were now discovering why.

  “I’ve tracked the name of who took the bait. It’s a man named Dillan Neumann.”

  “Who’s that?” Jackson asked with a frown.

  “On the surface he looks like a nobody. His record is clean as fuck, but I dug a little deeper and found out that he has connections with Marcel Quintano.”

  Jackson’s confusion deepened when he heard the name. Marcel Quintano was a man he had been introduced to many years ago, even before he earned his badge and learned the man’s criminal history. His name was practically a household name in Belhaven. Marcel had spent most of his youth behind bars until he wised up to the system and managed to keep his hands clean enough to evade prosecution. He was now the president of a bike club that was located just outside Belhaven, the Heathens. Most of the city feared them with good reason, but fortunately for the police their matters did not interfere with the wellbeing of the general population. Jackson knew him better than either Teddy or Dane realized.

  “Why the fuck would Quintano get involved with Stodden’s shit?” Jackson rubbed the side of his face thoughtfully, trying to find the connection. Jackson knew for a fact that Quintano made it his personal mission to stay far away from anything with Stodden’s prints on it. He wanted to know what changed that. “Find me the connection.”

  “Already working on it,” Teddy replied.

  “What are the chances that Stodden is already on to this lead?”

  “This was kept on the low in a private group. We should have a good head start,” Teddy said.

  “How did you find it?” Jackson asked

  “You aren’t the only one with friends in dark places, and besides, I’m the shit,” Teddy boasted.

  “Whoever crossed Stodden will have probably left a trail, so we should move fast.” Jackson mentally began to check the boxes of his plan, making sure everything was lined up to make
their move.

  “No one has left the property, but a car recently arrived,” Teddy said, pointing toward the satellite view of the house where Lexie was.

  “Dane and I have to go make our pick up. Call me with any change.” Jackson looked up and noticed something on one of his other screens. “What’s this? Is that a hallway in Max’s apartment building?” Jackson recognized the sad looking interior of the building.

  Teddy closed the screen on the computer in question and looked up at Jackson with a guilty look in his eye. “What? I’m just making sure that bastard doesn’t sneak into her apartment again and put another camera in there.”

  “Fuck me.” Jackson shook his head in disbelief as he looked at Teddy. “We’ll be back soon, Stalker.” Jackson smacked him on the back as he grabbed his keys of the nightstand.

  “I’m just looking out for her.” Teddy raised his hands in question. “There’s something about her…”

  “The fact that she has tits?” Jackson interrupted.

  “Ha ha, you’re so funny. I’m looking out for her because she seemed scared.”

  “Yeah, she’s scared of you, and rightfully so,” Dane said.

  “Fuck you, guys.” Teddy waved them off and began typing away as they slipped out the door.

  Giles had arranged for a care package for them and they were going to need it. Though the orders were not official, Jackson knew that everyone was counting on him. Stodden’s power had grown too great and he had contaminated even the people sworn to protect it. Jackson knew he was the last resort.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Stephanie

  Looking down at her bare finger, Stephanie sighed. She missed the ring more than she would ever admit, but it was back where it belonged, and that was what she would find comfort in now. Stephanie looked up and caught Nate looking at her from the driver’s seat. He had concern in his eyes that she wished wasn’t there. It only made her feel guilty.