She stood there completely frozen. Her lips parted, but nothing came out. The guys on the dock turned their heads to the sound.
“Either we go now, or we die. Make a choice.”
“Fuck!” She grabbed my hand, and let me pull her along. I ran as fast as I could, and I was happy that she could keep up with my pace.
“How good of a driver are you?” I asked.
“What?”
“Driving? Are you any good? Because we need to get the fuck out of here fast.”
“I’m good,” she said, just as we reached the car. I let go of her hand, and jumped into the passenger seat. A second later, she was in the driver seat, flinging the car in reverse, and high tailing it the fuck out of there.
When she got back onto the highway, her grip tightened on the steering wheel. “You killed that guy.”
I shrugged. “It was either him or us.”
“How can you say that? I could have had him arrested. You didn’t have to kill him.”
I scoffed at the absurdity of that statement. “Darlin’, he didn’t give two shits that you were a cop. He saw the uniform before you even told him, and he still pointed a gun at you.”
“You still didn’t have to kill him. What are we supposed to do now? I have to report this.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do. In case you forgot, I am a cop. It is my job to uphold the laws.”
“Welcome to the world where law doesn’t exist.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it.”
“No, it’s not. I don’t know how much your father has told you, but shit like that happens more than you think. You need to let go of everything that you know from your old cozy job on the force because it doesn’t apply here.”
“My job was far from cozy.”
“Good, then you should understand that the law isn’t always right. That guy would have killed you. Better yet, he would have killed me and probably used you as a fuck toy, so if you ask me you should be thanking my ass.”
“Thanking you!” She veered off at an exit.
“Where the fuck are you going?” We needed to put distance between them and us without any side trips.
The car came to a screeching halt on a dirt patch on the side of the road. Sitting on the side of the fucking road, we might as well had put targets on our backs.
“You just made me a witness to a homicide. I can lose everything.”
I shook my head. “That body will be gone before sunset. Nobody will ever know it happened.”
“How?”
“They’re running an illegal operation down at those docks. Do you really think they want to draw attention to themselves?”
“So, what? Are you saying they’re going to dispose of the body themselves?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Regardless if the body is found or not, you still killed an innocent person.”
“He was far from innocent. Besides, what’s the difference between that or killing someone in war?”
“What are you talking about?” Her eyebrows furrowed, and I didn’t like the way she was looking at me, like she knew something. She took a deep breath before continuing. “In a war, you know what you’re getting yourself into. The possibilities of not coming out are there. It’s…”
“The same fucking thing.”
Her eyes caught mine, and words sputtered on her lips, before she rested back into her seat. “Doesn’t make it right.”
“Never said it did, but this is the world I live in. A world that you agreed to be a part of.”
“I knew my dad looked the other way, and I’ve read all your files. I know about all the unsolved crimes that pinpoint to your club, yet, without solid evidence, nothing was ever proved. I’m beginning to think my father had a hand in that.”
I nodded. Stanson had been helping us cover up crime for years, but he understood that we would do anything to protect the town. Even if it meant breaking the law to do so. If people died, it didn’t matter because they were on the wrong side of the law anyway. If anything, we were doing the world a favor.
“You don’t have to agree with what we do. You just have to understand it.”
Silence plagued the air around us. I honestly thought she would drive me back to the station, and put her notice in. Go back to where she came from, and never look back at Black Hills. Instead, she leaned forward and opened the glove box. She grabbed a stack of napkins, and handed them to me.
“You have blood all over your face.”
“Just another day at the office,” I said, and it reminded me of Miles. He always said shit like that. I guess it kind of stuck with me. I took the napkins, and then the bottle of water she handed me. Ten minutes later, I was as clean as I was going to get without a shower and some soap.
“I’ll be right back.” I got out of the car, and put the napkins into a pile on the ground, before lighting them on fire. I watched them burn for a minute, making sure there would be nothing left but ash and got back in the car.
“You seem to be a pro at this.”
“You have no idea.”
“Yeah. I realize that now.”
She went to put the car into drive, and I grabbed her hand. Her hand tensed beneath mine, and she blinked up until the dark browns of her eyes met mine. “We might be on opposite sides of the law, but we have the same goal.”
“Really. And what’s that?”
“Keeping Black Hills, and the people who live there, safe.”
“No matter what the cost?”
“No matter what.”
She took a deep breath and let it out. “Just try not to kill anyone else.”
“I’ll do my best, darlin’. That’s all I can promise.”
“I guess that’s good enough for me.”
She eased the car back onto the road, and we headed toward home. I’d be surprised if she stuck around any longer, but, then again, the girl kept surprising me so who knew.
Maybe she didn’t need a babysitter after all.
6
Ryan
It had been two days, and no word of a body had come through the station. The guilt ate away at me for not reporting such a horrific crime, but, even if I did, nothing could be done without a body. And, what was I supposed to do? Arrest Beast for the murder? He was protecting us. He protected me. He was right. If he didn’t put a bullet in that guy, then there would be no guilt to toy with. I’d be as good as dead.
My mind flashed to how easily Beast killed, and how he didn’t hesitate. Not even for a second. After the body slumped to the ground, it was as if nothing happened. Like he didn’t just take the life of some guy he didn’t know. It had no effect on him whatsoever. I’d worked with officers who had been on the force for over two decades, who had seen and done the unspeakable, yet they still looked affected in the end. Not him, though. I guess there was a reason why he went by the name Beast. He embodied the definition: large and dangerous.
I tried to shake the memory from my mind, but I couldn’t. All I kept seeing was the blood smattered across Beast’s face, and how he didn’t notice it was there. I wondered how much blood and death he had seen in his life. Was this just another day for him? Was taking a life just something he did without any thought or remorse? Had he become so oblivious to it that his take on reality had turned jaded? His eyes held so much darkness, but how dark did they really go?
Then, I remembered what he said. What’s the difference between that or killing someone in war? Was he speaking from experience?
“You okay?” Reed asked, and I turned my head from the car window, letting the million unanswered questions float away.
“Fine.”
He rubbed at his clean-shaven skin and, after a few days with him, I began to notice he did that when he had something to say, but wasn’t sure how to approach it.
“Spit it out.”
“You’re kind of quiet. You’re not mad at me, right?” I glanced up at him, and tried not
to laugh. He wore the uniform, the badge told me he was a cop and went through all the necessary training, but he had such an innocence about him that made it obvious he’d never last in a big city.
“For throwing a fit about driving?” I asked.
“I didn’t throw a fit.”
It was just after eight o’clock when Reed and I got a call about a fight at Mikey’s, one of the local bars just on the outskirts of town. I wanted to drive, but Reed insisted. Like if I drove, it would somehow strip away his masculinity. It made me laugh; especially thinking how easily Beast jumped in my car without even batting an eye the other day. Probably because he was secure with who he was, and didn’t need to prove anything to anyone.
“I’m not mad.” We had a job to do and we couldn’t let our personal feelings get in the middle of that. The last thing I needed was for him to be worried about me being mad at him when we arrived at our destination. It was only a bar fight, but people got stupid when they drank. I needed Reed to be focused on the task.
“Okay, good. It’s just, I wasn’t expecting a partner and especially not…”
“A girl?”
“I was going to say someone with more seniority over me.”
“Oh.”
“I’ve been here longer than you have, but because you have more experience I get the boot.”
“Did you honestly think they would promote you to sheriff with only a year under your belt?”
He shrugged. “Black Hills isn’t exactly Detroit.”
“No, it’s not.” Though, after what I experienced with Beast, it was possible it was worse. The only difference was the crooked cops who covered up the crime. And, now, I would be one of those crooked cops. It was a lot to take in and come to terms with. I thought I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to come here, but I didn’t realize how far off from the truth I really was. I didn’t anticipate killing in cold blood, and dealing with the smuggling of illegal immigrants.
“So, yeah, maybe I thought… You know what. It doesn’t matter what I thought. I just want to keep my town safe especially from those thugs.”
“Thugs?”
“That damn motorcycle club. The Righteous Outlaws. My uncle says they’re ruining the town.”
I thought about my words before I spoke them. “The Outlaws help keep the town safe.” Reed went to interrupt me, and I held my hand up. “Hear me out. If it weren’t for the Outlaws, more gangs would inhabit the town. There would be fights over turf and drug roads going right through the center of town. Montamos, Gordita’s Army… those gangs stay outside of Black Hills because of the Outlaws.”
I couldn’t believe I was defending them, but I couldn’t have Reed mixing himself up with the club, and trying to arrest them every chance he got. I might not agree with the club. Hell, it might’ve been a thousand times worse than I anticipated, but the proof was in the paperwork. The crime rate in Black Hills before the Outlaws arrived was off the charts. Since they arrived, the crime rate had dropped substantially until it plateaued. Every now and again, there would be an upset in the records, but it was quickly followed by a lull of no activity. There was no denying that the Outlaws were a dangerous group, but in recognizing that, you also had to notice the good parts. The parts that were easily overlooked by many who only saw criminals in leather.
“Look into the records if you don’t believe me. And your uncle should know. He’s lived here for how many years?”
“Born and raised, so fifty somewhat years. He left to go to college, but then he came back and opened his business. The Outlaws had already moved in.”
“Check the crime records during that time your uncle was gone. It’s easy to jump to conclusion when you don’t have all the facts.”
“Facts or not, they’re still criminals and on the wrong side of the law. As an officer, can you really sit there and defend them?”
“As an officer, my job is to protect the community and the people within the community.”
“And are you really doing that if you side with the Outlaws?”
“I never said I sided with them.”
“You didn’t have to. Your father may be the sheriff around these parts, but people talk. His dealings have been questionable.”
“Are you trying to insinuate something?” I asked, attempting to control the annoyance and anger that was surging through my veins.
“I’m just saying. Unlike Detroit, this is a small town and people talk. The last thing you want is to be the focus of those conversations.”
“And, why would that be?”
Reed pulled into the parking lot of Mikey’s bar, and threw the car into park. “You have a good reputation. I wouldn’t want to see it ruined. Now, let’s go get this taken care of.”
There was a lot he was saying in between the lines, but I didn’t have time to dissect his sentences, and figure out exactly what that was. Reed got out of the car, just as the door flew open and two men stumbled out into the parking lot in a mess of fists and grunts.
“Police!” Reed yelled, but the guys could give two shits about us. They were too lost in their own world, trying to claim victory.
I holstered my gun, because I had no intention of shooting anyone tonight, and went in. I knew self-defense, but more than that, I knew how to bring a grown man to his knees. I just needed to find my spot and make my move.
The men yelled about a Tanya, and I assumed it was the curly hair blonde who was in the doorway screaming for them to stop.
The guy in the red flannel shirt shoved the guy in the black t-shirt, and flannel shirt guy went flying through the bar door. Tanya let out a high-pitched squeak as she dove out of the way.
“Marcus, you stop this right now!” she demanded, but Marcus wasn’t having any of it. He went right back into the bar, and Reed and I jumped into action. Hopefully, Marcus would have it out of his system and we could gain control of the situation.
Reed and I made our move right as Marcus swung his hand back to strike. Reed grabbed his arm, and snapped a cuff on it, while I shoved the other guy to the opposite side of the bar. Blood dripped from a cut beneath his eye, and the swelling was starting. Tomorrow, he would feel like he was hit by a wall.
Reed lost control, and Marcus charged again, just as my guy raised his fist. Hot, searing pain shot through my eye and into my head, causing me to stumble back. That son of a bitch just hit me! It wasn’t on purpose, but that didn’t matter.
“Enough!” I yelled, throwing my hands out and making a human barrier between the two meatheads. “Reed, cuff him and do it right this time!”
“Ma’am, I’m sorry. You just got in the way.”
“Shut up!” I said, grabbing my assailant’s wrists, and bringing them behind his back.
“You have the right to remain silent,” I said and finished reading off the Miranda rights before the pain in my eye made me forget them completely.
“You okay?” Reed asked.
“Fine. Take their statements while I put this one in the car.” I grabbed the guy that slammed his fist into my face, and urged him toward the door. When we got to the car, I put my hand on his head, so his drunk ass wouldn’t smack it. “You can sleep it off down at the station tonight.” Before he could say anything else, I slammed the door and headed back inside.
I spent the next ten minutes speaking to Tanya and a few others, trying to get the whole story. Apparently, Marcus is the jealous type and didn’t like the fact that Randy sat down at the bar next to Tanya. Especially since Marcus already suspected them of having an affair. Not that Tanya denied it. According to everyone in the bar, Marcus was a good guy and Tanya and her games fueled his jealousy issues. I didn’t care about their personal lives. I just wanted to know what started the fight. So, once I got the information, I went to meet Reed in the parking lot since he had taken Marcus out to the car.
Tanya called out to me, as I pushed the door open. “Are they both going to jail?” she asked, biting her nail. Black streaks of mascara covered her
pale face.
“Afraid so. They’ll sleep it off tonight, and they’ll be free to go tomorrow.”
She nodded.
“Not that it’s any of my business,” I said, catching Tanya’s blue eyes. She looked young and she was, at only twenty-two. She had a lot of growing up to do, especially if she thought she could mess with people’s emotions, as it seemed she was doing. “Pick one, and let the other go before they both realize they deserve better.”
“But.”
I held my hand up. “Just something to think about.”
She didn’t say anything else, just spun on her skinny heel and disappeared back into the bar. I’m sure to have some poor sap console her. My eye was swelling shut, and I needed to get some ice on it.
Reed met me at the car. “I’m sorry about that,” he said, motioning to my eyes. “He tore himself out of my grasp, and I couldn’t get to him quick enough.”
“It’s fine. It’s not the first shiner I’ve ever had, and I’m sure it won’t be my last.”
“Here, put this on it.” He handed me an ice pack from our emergency kit after he popped it. It got cold instantly, and I pressed it against my swollen flesh. I hissed at the coldness against the sensitive area, but almost instantly felt a little relief once I got passed the initial contact.
“I really am sorry.”
“I said it was fine.”
“I know, but I shouldn’t have let that happen. Even if I didn’t want a partner, you are my partner. We have to look out for each other. I won’t let it happen again. I promise.”
Emotion that I had been so good at keeping hidden in a faraway crevice pushed forward at his words. It made me think of Chris. He always had my back and, the one time I didn’t have his, it was fatal. I closed my good eye, and let out a loud breath, doing my best to force those emotions aside.
Beast (A Righteous Outlaws Novel #4) (The Righteous Outlaws) Page 5