Wicked Shadows (Steele Security Book 5)

by A. D. Justice

  “No,” she breathed, defeat overtaking her. “No.”

  20

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “You’ve been there every day for the last three days, and she hasn’t even made eye contact with you. You’re going to draw attention to us that we don’t need.” Nick ran his fingers through his hair and stomped across the floor of his ratty apartment.

  “I know how to operate an undercover investigation, Nick.”

  “But you’re not running one, are you? You’re only here to get your girlfriend. Fuck my case. Fuck the last two years of my life. Fuck my career. As long as you get what you want.”

  “I can’t leave her there any longer and risk something happening to her.”

  “You’re not thinking clearly. You will get her killed by pulling her out now. You’ll get both of us killed. Who will be there to protect her, then? You’re too close. You need to get out.”

  “What you’re really asking is if you need to push me out,” Shadow countered. “The hell you will. I’m not leaving without Elle.”

  “And you’re not leaving with her yet. I need more information—like exactly who is behind this and why.”

  “You know who—Barry Jacobson and Vince Rossi. Who else do you need?”

  “The DEA requires this little thing called evidence. We can’t prosecute someone and stop them unless we have everything on them—and more. If you bothered to check the rules, you’d know that.

  “Look, I let you come in on this case as a favor. Not so you’d blow it all to hell. You’ve seen her. You know she’s okay. She’s fed well, she’s taken care of, no one has hurt her. They’re moving the other girls there with her soon. We’re tracing the money, unraveling the tangled web of fake companies to get to the offshore account. We know something’s going down—likely this week. Just be patient so I don’t have to shoot you myself.”

  “I’m going over there to relieve Bone. He said you have an officers’ meeting this morning.” Shadow slid his fingers into his leather gloves and picked up his keys. “I’m sure I’ll see you after the meeting.”

  “Expect a phone call from Headbanger as soon as the meeting is over. Spider has been fucking up more over the last couple of days. He’s on his way out. Oh, and Shadow?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”

  Shadow grinned, the mischief playing in his eyes once again. “Cross my heart.”

  Nick glared at Shadow’s back as he walked out. As if he didn’t have enough to manage with all the fast-paced, confusing pieces of the case, his old friend added more stress to an already unbearable situation. He was doing all his thinking with the head between his legs instead of the one between his shoulders. But Nick had to get his own head in the game at play that day instead of worrying about Shadow doing something crazy.

  Shadow strode into the old clubhouse and found Bone in the large common room. The bedroom doors that lined the long wall were all closed, leaving Shadow to question which one Elle used to hide from him that visit.

  “Fuck, I’m glad you’re here. I’ll never complain about our new clubhouse again. This building is a fucking dump. The last rat that ran by was as big as a fucking gopher. Damn thing may carry me off in my sleep.” Bone paced back and forth, speaking fast, and his eyes darted aimlessly around the room.

  Great—he’s as high as a fucking kite, Shadow thought.

  “Yeah, well, I’m here to cover for you while you’re at the officers’ meeting. Whenever you’re ready to take off is fine.”

  “I’m ready now. Have fun, man. They’re both in that room.” Bone motioned to the room farthest from the kitchen area, at the end of the long room. “We have an unspoken agreement to stay away from each other. The mouthy one pisses me off, and I don’t want the prez taking my head off over her.”

  Shadow stood in the same spot, staring at the closed door, when he heard Bone’s Harley fire up. The familiar thump, thump, thump of the engine rattled the metal door in the garage when he rode away. The metal grinding against metal sound of the door closing drew his attention. He moved quickly through the room toward the kitchen until he reached the door leading out to the garage to see who had joined him.

  And why.

  The door swung open, and Axle stepped into the room. He had a knack for seeing everything while remaining in the background. Extra-cautious and suspicious of everyone, Axle had every classic sign of a man who’d served hard time in a maximum-security prison—and didn’t want to go back.

  “Wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Shadow tried to keep the disappointment out of this tone. He wanted time alone with Elle more than anything.

  Axle narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly. “I’ll just bet you didn’t. What are you up to, Doorman?”

  “Nothing. Just entertaining our guests in Bone’s absence.”

  “Uh-huh,” Axle replied. “You can go if you want. I got it.”

  “I just got here. Maybe I’ll hang out for a while.”

  “Suit yourself.” Axle shrugged and opened the drawer to go through the delivery menus. “Hungry?”

  Shadow chuckled. “Always.”

  “I’ll ask the ladies what they want.” Axle walked to the last bedroom door and knocked lightly. The door barely cracked open at first, then opened wide when they realized who stood on the other side.

  Lori and Elle walked out into the main room, their postures at ease and small smiles lighting their faces. They weren’t afraid of Axle in the least, despite his rough appearance and outlaw gang ties. Shadow’s heart leapt up into his throat watching Elle, knowing he couldn’t tell her the truth but dying to pull her into his arms.

  After he’d dropped Lori off and Elle had seen him in the act, he knew the crushed expression she wore was because she believed his act. Why wouldn’t she? He looked and dressed the part. Elle had been abducted by the very men he openly called brothers. Then she watched him put an unconscious Lori on the bed.

  After Elle’s momentary breakdown, she found her strength and her anger flared. When she stood, she beat her fists against Shadow’s chest and let her rage flow. “How could you help them do this to me? To her? Did she think you loved her too?” Though her heart was broken, her defiance was strong. She wanted to cause him as much physical pain as he’d caused her emotionally.

  As much as Shadow wanted to tell her the truth, he already knew what Nick had scolded him over that morning. She couldn’t know the truth and risk giving them away. Lori didn’t know which men had nabbed her—she couldn’t have identified either man if she’d had to. If he’d told Elle, she would’ve reacted differently toward him and raised everyone’s suspicions.

  So he turned his back on her and left, leaving her to think the worst about him. Without telling her he’d walked away from his life to save hers. Without her knowing about the beating he’d taken—and given—to join the club. He’d kept the branding mark hidden while it healed. The scar would require plastic surgery to correct. The faded black-ink prison tattoos he’d had strategically placed were a special ink developed by the CIA. The removal would be painful, but if it meant she was safe, he’d gladly endure it. And more.

  Three days later, she still refused to make eye contact or acknowledge his presence. But she seemed to enjoy Axle’s company. A small part of him was thankful she’d found someone who could comfort her in the middle of the worst time of her life. But a bigger part of him was angry with himself for not being the man she needed. The war playing out between his head and his heart was unrelenting.

  She walked with Lori into the kitchen, keeping her distance from him. Lori cast furtive glances in his direction, apprehension and fear rolling off her in waves. His size was intimidating. His intense glare exposed his deadly inclinations. People naturally moved out of his way when they saw him coming. Her reaction to him was typical, even if it stung strangely.

  He opened his mouth to speak to Elle, but his phone rang and stopped him just in time. “Yeah,” h
e snapped. He listened wordlessly to the instructions from the other end for a moment. “Understood.”

  He turned to Axle and pocketed his phone. “Never mind my order. I have to go. I’ll see you later.”

  Spider sauntered through the hall of the mansion they called the country club. He’d already rendered Beth unconscious and moved her to the van. He whistled as he made his way to Katrina’s room to collect her. Then to Carrie’s room. With the three women sleeping in the back of the van, Spider started his trek to move them to the old clubhouse, reuniting them with Elle.

  When he strolled in with Beth thrown over his shoulder, Elle visibly withdrew away from him, toward Axle, until she realized who he carried. She watched silently as he brought them in, one by one.

  “What’s happening? Why are you bringing them here? What are you doing with us?” she demanded sharply.

  “Nothing at all, sweetheart,” Spider replied with a smirk. He stepped outside and called Headbanger. “It’s done, boss. All the girls are here. You can make the call for the sale now.”

  “That’s good news. I’ll get the ball rolling. Head back over here to the clubhouse so we can make our final arrangements with your uncle.” Headbanger disconnected and turned to Bone. “Go get his uncle.”

  “You got it.”

  Once Bone left, Headbanger turned on the television to catch the promised news update on the search for Elle Sinclair and her makeup artist, Beth Condra. He’d been following the updates religiously, waiting for any clue the authorities were closing in on them. He’d agreed to include Detective Gough in their scheme as a precaution, someone who had the inside track to cover their asses while putting her own on the line.

  He turned up the volume when the ticker at the bottom of the screen showed the district attorney’s name.

  “Thank you, Mayor Porter. As the district attorney, I’m here to assure you the chief of police and I are working together to ensure the missing entertainment industry professionals are found and returned, safe and sound. I can’t go into details about the steps we’re taking, but know that we’ve heard your concerns loud and clear. We’re taking this situation very seriously and have had agreements from all the major studios to increase their security presence. We encourage everyone involved with the industry, regardless of job title, to be diligent about their surroundings and to move around the lots in groups, never alone.”

  The governor, mayor, DA, and chief of police all stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the stage, showing their solidarity. To the side of the stage stood Detective Gough, her shoulders held back in her staunch military stance, her back rod straight, and her face expressionless.

  “One of the city’s best detectives has been assigned to the case. She has the highest percentage of cases successfully solved and is one of our most decorated officers. We will update you as we can without jeopardizing the case.”

  The DA closed the press conference by saying she wouldn’t accept any questions, and they filed off the stage and into the justice building behind them. Headbanger watched Detective Gough’s body language when she walked away. He didn’t trust anyone for a reason—most everyone had disappointed or double-crossed him at some point. The club was his family, a proven brotherhood of men who had his back and proved water was thicker than blood.

  He put all of his trust in his brothers, making any act of betrayal acutely devastating to him. Like a wild animal when it’s wounded, he became more dangerous when he was hurt. After he discovered he’d been fooled, his trust had been thrown back in his face, he was wounded. A wounded wild animal. That kind of betrayal couldn’t be forgiven and forgotten. It was premeditated, well planned-out, and overtly deliberate. They wanted to make him look like a fool, to play him—but they’d be the ones played when he was finished with them.

  He moved to the back room and began setting up his interrogation tools. One way or another, he’d get the answers he needed. And when he was finished, his ferocity would never be doubted again.

  “Hey, Prez,” Spider said when he entered the club.

  Headbanger glanced up at him. “Everything go okay?”

  “Smooth as glass.”

  “Good. Take a load off.” Headbanger gestured to the open chair. “Just watching a little TV, waiting for Bone to get back.”

  “Want a beer?”

  “Sure. I’ll take one.”

  When Bone arrived, he forced their guest into the clubhouse and locked the door behind them. “Look who I found,” Bone announced when they entered the club’s media room.

  Spider looked up and saw his uncle, who was beaten and battered and wore a terrified expression, compliments of the gun held to his back. “What the fuck? Uncle Barry? What’s going on?” Spider stood and met Bone’s hard stare with one of his own. “What the fuck have you done to my uncle?”

  “He did what I told him to do,” Headbanger replied from behind him. “We need to talk.”

  They led Spider and Barry into the interrogation room. All color drained from Spider’s face as realization of what was to come set in. Bone shoved them both into the waiting chairs and strapped them down.

  “I have a few questions you’re going to answer. Some I already know the answers to, some I don’t. So I dare you to lie to me.” Headbanger reared his fist back and smashed it into Spider’s face amid his protests to wait, to explain what was wrong. But he didn’t stop. Spider’s pleas didn’t register through his rage.

  “Stop!” Barry bellowed. His tone, a mixture of terror and alarm, caught Headbanger’s attention.

  “Did you think I forgot about you?”

  “You haven’t even asked anything yet. You haven’t told us what’s wrong.”

  “You’re absolutely right,” he replied, leaning down to stare directly into Barry’s eyes. “Where the fuck is my money?”

  “What money? What are you talking about?”

  He grabbed Spider’s mangled face and turned it toward Barry. “Tell him, Spider. Tell your uncle why he’s about to die with you.”

  “Boss, wait. It’s not what you think.”

  “Let’s go over the facts. Renegade is the treasurer and you’re the secretary. At first, I did question Renegade’s loyalty, so I had an outside contact comb through everything from my companies all the way to my offshore account. You did a good job of covering your tracks and making me suspect someone else. But you also did a good job of keeping club records.

  “Money started disappearing from my account immediately before Renegade became the treasurer, so it couldn’t have been him. The timing was close, but no dice. You’ve mastered signing my signature. The outside auditor noticed the change in it over time to more closely match my real signature.

  “So you set up a new account in my name and transferred money from my actual account a little at a time. When the amounts started adding up, you covered up my account balance by showing me the fake account instead. Renegade wouldn’t have had any reason to suspect a second account, thanks to your club records.”

  One of Spider’s eyes had already swollen shut, but his one good eye was open wide and filled with fear. “No, boss. I was just trying to protect you and your money. It’s still in your name. It’s yours. This is how money is laundered, small amounts transferred to different accounts over time.”

  “You know what, Spider? I could almost believe that—if you hadn’t booked a one-way flight to the Bahamas leaving one week from today. You almost made it, didn’t you? You almost pulled off a great heist. But not quite. I trust no one implicitly, I double-check everything. Surely you know that about me if you know nothing else.”

  “No, boss. You’ve got it all wrong.”

  “You know I hate a liar. The more I have to spend time proving I know this beyond a shadow of a doubt, the worse it’ll be for you.”

  He motioned to Bone, and they pushed Spider over onto his side. Bone grabbed Spider’s wallet from his back pocket and stepped back, his disgusted glare firmly set on his victim. Bone dug through the wallet, remov
ing Spider’s license along with the fake identification he’d had made.

  Spider’s whole body sagged in defeat as his prez read the name on the fake license. “Bobby Blalock. Is that your name, Spider?”

  He shook his head from side to side.

  “Whose name is it?”

  “Yours.”

  “Spider, what have you done?” Barry asked, surprise and dread equally infused in his whisper.

  “I’m sorry, boss. I was just trying to protect you.”

  “It’s a good thing I don’t need your protection, isn’t it?” He nodded to Bone, who stepped out of the room and got Shadow.

  When Shadow walked in and realized who sat beside Spider, his skin pricked, knowing the case was unraveling quickly.

  “Doorman, take Spider out and get rid of him. I have other plans for Uncle Barry.” Headbanger mocked Barry, emphasizing his name with a blatant sneer.

  Bone slid a pair of zip-tie handcuffs over Spider’s wrists and tied a gag around his mouth. Shadow drew Spider to his feet and shoved him through the door with Spider’s grunts begging for his uncle’s safety.

  “Now, Barry, how much do you think the studio will pay for your safe return? Bet they’d pay a pretty penny if we return all their talent at once, wouldn’t they?”

  Shadow couldn’t delay his departure any longer without drawing attention to himself. Once outside, he put Spider in the club’s truck and slid behind the wheel. Spider glanced over at Shadow and grunted when he tried to speak. Shadow shook his head and sighed loudly. He should be in that room, preventing them from killing the studio executive, but he was with Spider instead.

  “Barry Jacobson is your uncle?” Shadow verified.

  Spider nodded, grief covering his features.

  “You screwed over your uncle, didn’t you?”

  Spider nodded.

  “And it never occurred to you they’d suspect he was in on it after you disappeared? Or that they’d take it out on him because he’s your uncle?”

  Spider shook his head, understanding of what he’d done beginning to sink in.