The Steele Collection Books 1-3: Sarah Steele Legal Thrillers

by Aaron Patterson

  A hand hauled me up and I struggled to get free. I saw Watters in front of me, and he was in a defense stance. I kicked him in the balls. He buckled and went down. I smiled in spite of myself and pain shot from my neck down my left arm … Then my world went black.

  THE DECREPIT CABIN SAT at the end of a long driveway, hidden by trees. The sun set in glorious hues of red and orange, and the stars began twinkling on the horizon. Thick forests teeming with birds and wildlife surrounded the little road. Hotah had spent his boyhood hunting in those woods. His grandma had come to depend on the rabbits and deer meat he’d bring home for supper. It was his getaway, his safe place.

  That’s why he’d asked to meet his employer here. On his territory.

  Hotah put his feet up on a wooden desk and shoved a stack of papers onto the floor. They were in his way, and he didn’t like things to be in his way.

  “You think this is funny? Some sort of joke?” Chaska poured a glass of Jack for himself and downed it on one gulp. “How did she find out you were hired to kill that girl?”

  Hotah grinned. “Who cares? She thinks I work for Watters, so let it ride. Besides, she hit him. Charge her for assault and let her rot. I could play with her in jail and she’d regret ever speaking out against us.”

  Chaska slammed the glass down and glared at Hotah. “You are missing the point. She knows too much, and is learning more every day. By tomorrow, she could have our list of suppliers! Who knows what she would come up with by the end of the week. How am I supposed to protect the tribe if I lose the council? All I need is some outsider snooping around, making trouble.”

  “Let me kill her. That’d fix it.”

  “No. You are done killing. You killed two showgirls? What’s wrong with you?”

  “It would have been fine if that Steele woman hadn’t butted in. She is a problem and I deal with problems, remember?”

  “Yeah, but she did butt in, and now we have to lay low. You are finished.”

  Hotah stood up, took the glass from Chaska, and poured from a bottle of Jack. He sipped it casually. “I don’t think so. I’ve been your errand boy for far too long and what this tribe needs is leadership, which you are lacking.” Before Chaska could react, Hotah brought the half-empty bottle around and hit Chaska across the side of the face, splitting his ear open. Blood leaked out of a large gash and Chaska wobbled.

  “Sit, old man.”

  Chaska fell into his chair, and Hotah kicked the door shut and locked it. This was going to be more fun than the girls. Taking out his hunting knife, he walked around to the big man and grabbed his hand.

  “Try not to struggle. I might accidentally cut off two fingers instead of just one.”

  MY HEAD POUNDED AND my eyes stung. I blinked a few times before I realized where I was.

  Jail.

  Timothy was in the next cell over, and he smiled at me through the bars as I sat up.

  “I see you’ve been making some progress in the case.”

  “Ha, funny. I think all I did was show my hand.” I rubbed the back of my neck and winced when my hand touched the lump. That was going to leave a nasty bruise. “I think I made an impression on Watters. He’ll be walking a little bowlegged for a few days.” The place smelled like mold and dust, making my nose itch. I slowly sat upright on the metal cot with a skanky blanket at its foot. When was the last time it had been washed?

  I filled Timothy in on the information I found at Yona’s house. He took it all in and said, “Maybe that’s why I am in here, half because what I found out about the tribe and the other half because of Yona. Chaska was in love with her—still is, from the sound of it, and she and I . . .” His voice trailed off.

  “Do you love her?”

  Timothy nodded. “I never intended for it to happen. She was helping me. She really believes there can be peace between Chaska and Watters. I don’t know if it will ever happen—so much blood has been spilt.”

  I tried to put it all together in my mind. “So Chaska is in love with Yona. Watters was sent to business school on Chaska’s dime and comes back to run the casinos, but then takes them over. Chaska has the council and Watters has the money, controls people through their living, and if they step out of line, he calls their blood rights up for question.”

  “Something like that, and don’t forget the drugs, prostitution, and who knows what else. There are dirty hands on both sides. It makes me want to get out of here and forget this ever happened.” Timothy sighed and hung his head.

  “And let them get away with murder? Look how many are dead. It’s not the council that’s suffering—it’s the people. Yeah, they get loads of money, but it’s all a sham, a way to control them, and if they mess up or fight back, they’re killed. This has to stop, and you and I are the only ones who have any ability to do it. But first, we have to get out of here.”

  “How do you propose we do that?”

  Before I could answer, the elevator at the end of the hall opened and light flooded in. The shadow of a man crept along the floor, and a second later, Hotah stood staring at the two of us as if we were monkeys in a zoo.

  “Well, well, well. The two troublemakers.”

  “What do you want, Hotah?” I spit out his name as if it tasted bad.

  “We’ve never been introduced, not officially. I’m your god, and you’ve angered me.”

  Timothy sat still and I laughed. “Ha. If you’re God, then I’m Elvis come back from the dead.” I knew I shouldn’t mock him, but he was so arrogant, and I couldn’t believe he believed his own crap. I bet he drove a jacked-up 4X4 and popped his collar.

  “Laugh all you want.” He pulled something out of his pocket. Was it a pale cigar? “But I’m out here and you are in there. If you still think you’re in control of things that happen around here, you’re as dumb as you look.”

  “Something I shall soon remedy.” I stood up and sauntered over to him. “You might not be so confident if I were on the other side of these bars.”

  This time he laughed. “You’re funny. Maybe I’ll do you like I did the others.” He tossed the object at me. I caught it as it tumbled down my shirt, leaving a little red trail. Was that a—? I screamed and lurched back, dropping it on the floor.

  It was a human finger.

  “WE’VE GOT TO GET out of here,” Timothy said.

  “It would seem like a good idea.” We were once again alone. I’d thrown the finger out of the cell, but could still see it from the corner of my eye. “Do you think Yona or Mika will help us?”

  Timothy sighed. “I’m not sure. Yona loves her people, but hates what is going on. Did I ever tell you about the book Mika wrote?”

  “I’ve heard of it. Do you think it can help us?”

  “It’s all about a fictional tribe and the abuse of women, greed, and well, it’s about this place, but with different names and locations. It did really well and even won some book awards. She used the money to start a woman’s rescue shelter with Yona. It’s a small building outside of town. It was there before the casinos went big. Now no one is in need of money.”

  “Didn’t the book anger the tribe? They had to know it was about them.”

  “Yeah, but it was fictional. I suspect Chaska had something to do with the fact that she wasn’t shunned for it. He has a blind eye when it comes to her.”

  I sat down on the edge of the metal bed and rubbed my temples. I had to get a hold of Joshua, Solomon, and Mandy. This was not looking good.

  “You think I can get them to give me my phone call?”

  “What do you want to do, order a pizza?” Timothy said. My stomach rumbled, and I didn’t think that was a half- bad idea.

  “Yeah, with a key mixed in the tomato sauce.”

  Hours passed, and Timothy and I were no closer to finding a way out. For the first time, I was starting to get worried about my own safety. I knew that if it went a few days, Solomon would come looking, but in that time, they could have us killed and buried out in the desert somewhere.

&n
bsp; My eyes were getting heavy and I had a headache. I lay down and tried to think. The last time I’d felt this helpless was when my father died. I know how bad it is to stuff feelings, but sometimes what is good for the mind is bad for the soul.

  The elevator bell dinged and Timothy and I both jumped. The click of heels on concrete made me tense up. I smelled coffee and cigarettes. Was it Hotah again?

  Watters stepped into the light. He had two cups and was dressed in jeans and a nice button-up shirt. He handed me one of the cups and I almost hugged it. Never had coffee tasted so good. Why was he being nice, and what did he want?

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  I nodded and took a sip of my drink. It would take a lot more than an apology and coffee to fix what he’d broken, but it was a start.

  His eyes were sad. “I know what you must think of me, but I’ve had some time to mull things over. In the council meeting, Yona said something that bothered me.”

  It was hard to look him in the eye when the last time I saw him, he’d backhanded me. But I tried. He was my only chance out. “Oh, so you listen to women after all?”

  He ignored my comment.

  “She accused me of hiring Hotah. As if he was my henchman or something.”

  “You claimed him.”

  “No, Miss Steele. I trained him for the show, and I hoped he would go to college like I did and get away from the tribe. But her accusation got me thinking. If she knew that he was hired and it wasn’t me, it must have been Chaska. Now before you speak or makeup your mind, please hear me out.”

  I took another sip of my coffee. Timothy listened in from the next cell, leaning toward us. From the corner of my eye, I could see him trying not to draw attention to himself.

  “This feud started out small—just some hurt feelings—and now it’s out of control. I take ownership of my part, but I’ve never killed anyone or hired anyone to kill for me. Yes, I have fought back and called into question some of the members’ bloodlines as a way to get the tribe split and see it my way. I even have used money and the casino jobs as a way to control them. I see now that it was wrong, and I plan to end it. The most important thing is that we fix what is wrong in the tribe, not go to war over who sits as chief.”

  If my jaw could have hit the floor, it would have. This was unexpected and a little strange. I didn’t trust him. “Why now? What brought on this change of heart?”

  Watters sighed. “My sister Yona. She is a noble woman and good at protecting the girls in the village. They need it. But now, even she is not able to save them. Like her, I do not want to see more people hurt. But I am in bed, as you may say, with some bad people. Changing things will take some time, and it could cost me my life. But I am willing to do what I have to. That’s one thing I have always been good at.”

  He wasn’t cozying up to me for a listening ear. “What do you want me to do?”

  “I want you to prove that Chaska was behind the murder of that girl. I believe he has people spying for him and she was one of them. But I need proof to be able to have him tried before the council.”

  I eyed him. “And what do you get out of it?”

  “I will become the acting chief.”

  So he was still trying to take the council. I wondered if this was all a ploy or if he really wanted to see change. I thought about it and shot him a counteroffer. “Make Yona chief and let Timothy come with me and you have a deal.”

  He frowned. “You drive a hard bargain, Miss Steele.”

  “I always do.”

  THE DRIVE HOME WAS like a dream. Unreal, as if I watched my body from afar.

  Joshua and Timothy talked in hushed voices in the front. Joshua came to get us as soon as I’d called him and gave him an update.

  Hotah was a monster, and I knew that the only way to stop a monster is with a bigger monster. Something in me liked the thought, liked whatever I was gearing myself up for—what I might become.

  I stared out the window as the black sky speckled with stars. It looked empty out there. All that remained were my thoughts. Thoughts of Yona and her burden. She begged me and Timothy to stop Hotah and Chaska. She said this would happen to more women if we couldn’t get someone better as chief.

  “Without a new chief, someone who cares about how women are treated and are not controlled by money, the tribe will be torn apart.”

  “Why don’t you do something yourself, Yona? You’re not helpless.” I was angry at her for expecting me to do something when these were her people, her family. “You started the shelter, and the leader of the council is in love with you. If anyone has the power to change minds, it’s you.”

  Yona hung her head. “I know, but I’m caught. If I keep quiet, I have money coming in, and I can use it to help. If I get cut off, it all goes down. No more shelter, no help for the girls. I can’t risk it. That’s why we need outside help.”

  Yona wasn’t telling me everything she knew. I could see that she was hiding something, and her guilt was not just about this. But what else could there be?

  Once we were on the road, Timothy looked at me in the rearview mirror. “Sarah, you’ve got to let this go. The best thing you can do is run. Keep away, and forget that I ever contacted you. When I reached out to you, I had no idea what it would mean. I can’t have your life and your friends’ lives on my hands.”

  “What about you? What about Yona?”

  Timothy shrugged. “I’ll do what I can, but for now I have to keep my distance. I’ll publish my story and see if I can raise some awareness. And hope some other news sources pick it up and it creates a buzz. Yona will never leave the reservation. I was a fool to think she ever would.”

  My heart broke for him. He found love only to have it torn from him by the very one he loved. She had to stay in order to protect her family and by staying, she would lose the man she loved. Why did it have to be so hard?

  BY THE TIME I got home, it was after four in the morning. Timothy was sleeping on Joshua’s couch, and I was so tired that I had trouble inserting the key into my apartment’s deadbolt.

  “Come on, little key, get in there.”

  I realized that it was already unlocked, and before my mental warning lights could flash, the door opened and Solomon pulled me into his arms. My body flexed and it took a full minute before I melted into him. Something about his warmth made me feel completely relaxed.

  Tears welled up and I let them fall. Without a word, he scooped me up in his arms and carried me inside. I wanted to be strong, not to let him see me like this, but I was just too tired to care.

  “Baby,” he whispered. It wasn’t a question, just a soft note of affection.

  Placing me on the bed, he pulled off my shoes and socks and started taking my pants off. I let him. After I was tucked in, he slid in next to me and held me. I fell into a fitful sleep. For now, nothing mattered. I was in the arms of the one person I felt safe with. I was home.

  “GOOD MORNING, HOTTIE.”

  I opened one eye and groaned. Solomon stood beside my bed, holding a mug, and it smelled of coffee—glorious coffee.

  “Go away. I want to be dead a little longer.” I pulled the covers over my head and Solomon laughed. Not even coffee sounded better than the covers and more sleep.

  “Come on, sleepyhead. It’s getting late and if you stay in bed any longer, you’ll miss my coffee-breath good-bye kiss.”

  I cursed. “And you might miss my zombie morning look.”

  “You do look a little undead. It’s the hair.”

  I threw a pillow at him and he caught it. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he looked at me and brushed my cheek with the back of his hand. I couldn’t help but melt. “You are so beautiful.” He kissed me and said, “For a zombie.”

  “Whatever. You were lucky I let you spoon me all night. My other boyfriends had to date me for a few years before they were allowed past the gates.”

  “I see. Well, I thank you, my lady. It was a great way to fall asleep. Now, tell me about your adventure
.”

  For the next hour, I told him everything that happened. Hotah killing two girls, the finger he threw at me, and my deal with Watters. Solomon listened and nodded in the right places, and as I was talking, something dawned on me, and I about kicked my own butt.

  “What is it?” Solomon said.

  I shook my head. I must have zoned out. “Why did he kill her?”

  Solomon looked confused. “Who?”

  “The girl, Lina Sever. She was talking to Timothy, but that was in secret and she was a known spy for Chaska. And even if they knew, they wouldn’t kill her for that. So why did they kill her? How did I miss this? I mean, it should have been the first question I asked myself.”

  “Maybe she was a double agent of some kind, working for Chaska and Watters. If the other side found out, they would take her out, from what you describe. It would make sense.”

  I nodded. “That has to be it. I’ve gotta call—”

  Solomon held up his hand. “Hold on now. I really don’t like the idea of you going on with all this.”

  My jaw clenched. “What?”

  Solomon sighed. “I don’t want you to work this case anymore. It’s too dangerous.”

  PUSHING SOLOMON, I STRUGGLED out of bed, but the sheets were twisted around my legs. I was seconds from losing it, and I really didn’t want to have another fight when things were going so well with him. But he had to stop trying to protect me.

  “Let me clue you in. You don’t get to tell me what I can and can’t do. You get to support me, help me, but not put me on the sidelines just because you think I might get hurt.”

  Solomon stood up and glared down at me. I was still caught in my blasted web of a bed. “Hurt? Hurt? No, Sarah, this is more than that. You could get killed. Girls have died, and their murderers get away with it. What part of this don’t you get? You’re not a cop. This is not your job—”

  Wrong. It is my job. I was hired to help Timothy—”