by KB Winters
“In more disturbing news today, local hero and community leader, Father Dietrich Mueller was found shot to death in his hotel room. Sources say he was with a woman identified as Bonnie Byrne-Ashby, who is also reported dead. Bonnie Byrne-Ashby is the wife of local tech guru, Calvin Ashby, and leaves behind a six-month-old daughter. It is unclear why the two were in a hotel room, particularly one owned by the victim’s husband’s family, but sources say it was a bloody, brutal crime scene. Join us back here at eleven for more details.”
“Oh. My. God.” I didn’t know which news shocked me more, the fact that Bonnie was dead, or the fact that Mueller was. I knew Bonnie, and though she’d been a pain in the ass for the Ashby family, she’d been nothing but kind to me and a good mother to Ava Rose. “I, uhm, I have to go.” I turned to Jamie and said, “Alone.”
Jameson stood when I did, concern etched on his face. “Text me when you get there.”
I nodded and practically ran to my brand new car, starting it up and pressing on the gas as hard as I could. I wasn’t sure if I was in a hurry to get back to Ashby Manor or if it was fear mixed with adrenaline at the idea that Mueller was dead.
There were so many nights over the past year that I dreamed of his death, dreamed that I’d be the one to kill him, but that was back when I thought I could find Molly own my own.
Or with the help of Kat Ashby.
Neither had happened and now that piece of shit was dead. “No!” The reality of it hit me all at once and right on its heels came panic. My heart raced so fast and so loud, I barely heard the cars honking behind me when I stopped at a green light. Tears started to blur my vision as the thought I refused to allow over the past few months took hold of me. Molly could be dead by now, and if she was alive, how would I find her without Mueller?
The pain in my chest amplified at the thought that my last conversation with my sister might actually end up being the last time I ever heard her voice. “No. It can’t be.” The words came out on a teary whisper as I passed through the gates of the Ashby mansion and parked crooked in my haste to get inside.
As I headed toward the sound of muffled voices, I sent a little prayer up that the baby was here, safe and not at that hotel room with Bonnie.
Oh, God, no.
I ran into the parlor and saw Ava Rose in Cal’s arms while he sobbed, so overcome by his grief that his legs buckled. I raced to him and took Ava Rose into my arms, offering a supportive hand to the man I considered a friend. “I’m so sorry, Cal. So sorry.” I held Ava Rose close until her sniffles faded. Even though she didn’t know why she was sad, the little girl responded to the grief that emanated from her father.
“Sweet girl, I’m so sorry.” I kissed her downy soft hair and bounced her in my arms, our heartbeats aligned so she could feel some peace in this moment.
“Who the fuck did this? It doesn’t make any fucking sense. None!” He tossed his tumbler across the room and it shattered as it made impact with the wall, hundreds of tiny pieces falling to the ground. “How am I supposed to do this without her?” His shoulders fell and his head dropped forward as a new round of tears fell down his already tear-stained cheeks.
Kat snorted and shook her head. “The more important question is what the fuck was she even doing with the pervert priest? At my goddamn hotel? Heads are going to fucking roll. Bitch was probably getting her fix or giving him dirt on the family.” Even though Kat was probably right, her cold and callous words when Cal was so wrapped in grief seemed extremely cruel.
I watched Sadie and Jasper have an entire conversation without saying a word and felt my belly flip with anxiety when Sadie gave a small nod and turned sad eyes to her youngest son. “Not the time, Kat.”
“I just lost my fucking wife, you miserable bitch! What the hell is wrong with you?” Calvin shouted at Kat. I held Ava closer to me.
Kat shrugged in response, but guilt flickered in her blue eyes at her brother’s grief. There had been no love lost between her and Bonnie, but at least she felt something for the sadness that took over Calvin. “I’m sorry for your loss, Cal, but we have to think about what she might have told him and what he did with that intel.”
Cal shook his head and reached for Sadie’s silver cigarette case and lit one of the long cigarettes his mother favored. I didn’t even know he smoked. He groped the wall to help him stand and stumbled, from shock I think, to the bar to fill a new tumbler with amber liquor. “You think about that shit, Kat. I have to think about burying my wife and finding the prick that murdered her. Murdered. Her. You don’t get that do you?”
“Of course, I do Cal, but—”
“No, there are no fucking buts here, Kat! Let’s just hope you never ever know what this feels like.”
His words sounded more like a threat than a sincere wish and it made Kat swallow, her gaze reaching across the room where Terry stood talking to Jasper.
“Calvin Finnegan Ashby,” Sadie said, her sharp voice commanding the room, “stop this nonsense right now. I know you’re hurt and I know you’re grieving, but you are also a father to that baby girl, and she is your top fucking priority. We will find out who did this. Got it?”
He glared at Sadie, a visceral hate searing in his eyes as they took in the stoicism on his mother’s face. And nodded. “Yeah I fucking got it. Thanks for your concern, Sadie.”
The emphasis he put on that word sent a shiver of unease down my spine. That silence in the room wasn’t actual silence, it was the sound of a fracture, possibly irreparable, forming in the Ashby family. And that thought scared the hell out of me almost as much as what Mueller’s death might mean for Molly.
Fuck. I need to get out of here.
“I need you to man up, Calvin. Get over your grief. We have business to take care of, or don’t you give a damn about avenging your wife’s death?”
Calvin glared at Sadie. “Like you care,” he said and finished off the mostly full glass of booze. “You all got what you wanted, so I’ll get out of your hair and let you celebrate without me.” Cal glanced at the sleeping baby in my arms and his eyes welled with tears again. “Without me and Ava.” He motioned for me to follow him out of the salon, and I did, but not before casting one last look at the people gathered in the room.
Terry, Virgil and Maisie looked sincerely sad about Bonnie’s death and Kat seemed indifferent with a hint of residual anger that wouldn’t seem to go away. Vanessa’s eyes were filled with tears, and I couldn’t see Emmett’s face as he held her close, comforting her.
Sadie and Jasper shared a look that made me realize that as close as the Ashby family was, there were still some secrets that only those two knew.
Chapter Four
Jameson
The stench of stale coffee overwhelmed me when I stepped inside the squad room for the morning briefing, along with about two dozen different types of cologne and perfume. Despite the less than welcoming looks—and stares—I couldn’t help but smile because I was here. The Academy was behind me now, and this was my first week of field training, which meant I was closer to my ultimate goal of becoming a detective.
Lieutenant North stood at the front of the room, handing out the details we all needed to know going into the day shift, a stern expression on his face. “We have two rookies starting today. Robbins, you’re with Gonzalez. Ellison, you’re with Jenkins. Keep your ears and eyes open, and your mouths shut.” A quick smile flashed as soft chuckles went up around the room. “And good luck. Let’s all make it home tonight.”
At those words, excitement bubbled up inside of me. This was it, my first day as a police officer. My first day in the field, where I could make a difference. “You hittin’ on me, Rookie?” A tall, lanky man stood in front of me with a teasing smile and arched brows.
“No, sir. Just excited to get started. Jameson Ellison.” I stuck out my hand and for half a moment, I thought the guy would leave me hanging.
He held up a fist instead of taking my hand. “Dion Jenkins. Let me show you where we pick up our
gear for the day.” I followed beside him, doing my best to tamp down my cheesy smile. “I’m not an asshole, at least not for no reason. I want you to listen carefully to every word that comes out of my mouth and we’ll be fine. Yeah?”
“Yes, sir. I’m here to learn.”
Dion looked at me for a long moment and nodded before turning a dazzling smile on the woman behind the counter. “Amanda, sweetheart, car 246.”
“So I’m sweetheart again? You must want a working computer today.” She flashed a wide grin that made her brown eyes sparkle when she turned to me. “Ah, showing off for the rookie.”
“Ellison, ma’am.”
“Nice to meetcha, Ellison. I’m Brady, not ma’am, unless you want me to put you in the Crown Vic from the auction house.”
“Got it, Brady.” She flashed a satisfied smile and disappeared, returning a few minutes later with keys and a shit ton of equipment.
“Thanks.”
“Good luck,” she called after us. “Only listen to Jenkins when it comes to the job, his life is a complete mess.”
Dion laughed and turned to wink at her before we made our way to the parking lot filled with patrol cars. “Amanda is good people. Stuck in the equipment room because she took a couple shots to the midsection a few months back.”
I buckled myself into the seat riding shotgun for the first time, a thrill I wouldn’t forget for a long time. “You two have history,” I said watching all the cars line up to exit into the street. It wasn’t a question. Dion and Brady had the flirty banter down to a science, and there was a look of genuine affection that passed between them that was hard to ignore.
“Yeah, good observation. I’m not ready for her. Not yet,” he said cruising slowly through the city. Then that subject was closed when a call came in. “That’s the alley behind Lucky Lopez. You know it, right?”
Hell yeah, I knew it. “Yes, sir. I know the owner, and I was recently at a bachelor party in one of the private rooms there.” That night had been fun, until it turned into a crime scene.
“North said you had some underworld connections. The Ashbys?”
I sighed and tried to hide my annoyance. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to outrun my family but did the whole damn precinct already know? “I am familiar with the Ashby family, and yes, my brother is the president of the Reckless Bastards.”
Dion flashed a bright smile that made his brown eyes light up. “No shit?” He shook his head and then laughed as the car came to a stop blocking the alley behind the titty bar. “No judgment here. That’s why North put us together, my father, my brother and two of my cousins run with the Killer Jags.”
“Seriously?” He nodded. “And that hasn’t made it difficult for you as a police officer?”
“Oh, hell yeah. Some cops look at me sideways like I’m only here to feed them intel, which is bullshit. It took a little longer to earn their trust, being a minority and coming from a gang banger family, but I did it. You will too.”
I wasn’t so sure about that, but Dion seemed like a straight shooter, and I followed his lead as he exited the patrol car and found a gray-haired man with a thick, bushy beard on the ground leaning up against a dumpster.
“Public intoxication?” I asked hanging back and watching Dion in action.
“Probably.” He hit the dumpster with his stick to wake the man up, and as we drew closer, Dion grinned. “Dammit, Al, what did I tell you about falling asleep back here? It’s an easy way to end up run over or crushed by a dumpster.”
The man flashed a toothless grin, his eyes, one green and one brown, were bloodshot as hell. He was clearly homeless but in good spirits. “That you, Jenkins?” he asked, looking up into the bright sun.
“It is. Where are your glasses?”
The guy shrugged and tried to stand, but his legs were either weak from booze or a hard life on the streets. “Some kids stomped on ’em a few weeks back. Waiting on my insurance agent to get back to me on a replacement pair,” he said around a laugh.
Dion nodded, jaw clenched angrily. “I’ll get you a new pair, but I’m giving them to Ruby so you’ll have to go get a meal if you want to be able to see straight.”
“Yeah, okay. Fine.” Al gave a dismissive wave of his hand, but for some reason, I believed the old dude.
“I’m serious, Al. Whiskey alone can’t keep you alive. You need some food to soak up some of that booze.”
“Defeats the point of drinkin’, don’t it?” Al’s gaze landed on me and a smile lit up his face. “I see they got you training the green ones now. Impressive.”
The banter between the old man and my training officer stuck with me. Clearly, they were familiar with each other, but they didn’t have an antagonistic relationship; it was friendly, almost jovial. That was exactly the kind of officer I wanted to be.
“Yep. This is Officer Ellison. Show him why we shouldn’t haul you in for public intoxication.”
Al tried three times before he made it to his feet and blinked to focus his different colored eyes on me. “I been drinkin’ but I ain’t no drunk. I was just sleepin’ on account of all the rooms over at that Emerald Isle hotel are booked up this week.”
“Well, rookie, what do you think?”
I thought living on the streets was a hard damn life, spending every moment of every day scanning for danger and sidestepping people who meant to do you harm. He’d been drinking, sure, but the old guy didn’t appear to be drunk or dangerous.
“I think we let him off with a warning. And a promise to talk to Ruby at end of our shift.”
Dion flashed a proud smile. “What a softie. I’ll have to train that out of you.” He turned back to the old man. “Al, you got lucky.”
“And I thank ya for it, young man.” He shuffled around the side of the dumpster and pulled a black shopping cart filled with his possessions and a flannel blanket stashed on top to keep everything else in place. “Have a good day, Officers. Stay safe. This city ain’t what it used to be.” He lumbered off, humming to himself before he disappeared from sight.
“You handled that well, Ellison. Al is a hard luck story, but he’s no threat. Good job knowing the difference.”
“Thanks. He been out here long?”
Dion nodded. “Since I was a rookie. I was worried after my last undercover sting he might be gone. But he’ll probably outlast us all.” Back in the patrol car, Jenkins shifted into gear with a smile.
The rest of the day passed without any real excitement, mostly drunk tourists, a few stolen purses on the major walkways in the area and a bar fight. Dion Jenkins was a good and fair cop, and I felt lucky to have him as my training officer.
“How did my first day go?” It was a bold question but I needed to know the truth. I had to be better than the other officers because of who my family was, which meant I needed all the feedback I could get. Good or bad.
“It was good, rookie. I’ll let you know when you need to step it up and be tougher. Guys like us have to prove we’re not soft on crime while everyone else gets the benefit of the doubt. Just remember that moving forward, and you’ll be fine, Ellison.”
I nodded and went to change out of my uniform before texting Madison. I hadn’t heard from her since she tore out of my parents’ house after the news broke of Bonnie’s murder. She didn’t answer. Again.
One more day, and then I would show up at the Ashby place, whether she liked it or not.
Chapter Five
Madison
It was time for me to stand on my own two feet. I had relied on the Ashby family for a lot, too much actually. Thanks to the kindness of Sadie and Kat, I had a good paying job that would allow me to pay rent on an apartment. Definitely something nicer than our crappy single-wide back at the 215.
I didn’t care if I had a tiny studio that charged rent by the week or a fancy place with a doorman and an elevator. I didn’t need much. What mattered was that Bonnie’s death had highlighted how little I actually knew about the Ashby’s, and how foolish I was to trust the
m so implicitly. Hell, her death circled it with a red pen, highlighted it in bright yellow, and then lit it up in neon lights.
Over the past week I’d walked in on hushed conversations, secretive looks, and a lot of sudden quiet when someone—usually me or Cal—entered a room. Something was going on behind my back, too much deception, and I knew if I wanted any answers, I’d have to find them myself.
“Where are you off to?” Cal stood in the doorway of the living room, stretching his long limbs and smiling at Ava’s sleeping form in the bassinet where she napped during the day. I’d been keeping watch over her since noon.
I blinked up at him. “Who said I was going anywhere?”
“Really?” He arched a playful brow at me and gave my body a long look. “You’re dressed in real clothes, not just jeans and a t-shirt but actual clothes. You look like you’re headed to a job interview.”
I looked down at the black pants and pink top I wore, shrugging to concede the point. “Don’t worry, I have no plans to jump ship.” Not yet anyway, and not if I didn’t have to.
“So you are going somewhere?”
“Yeah, I have a few things I need to take care of, so your break is actually pretty perfect timing.” It’s why I’d gotten dressed before he stopped for lunch, to give myself enough time to take of my shit and get back before he went back to his computer cave.
“I’m not trying to check up on you, Madison. I’m just curious.”
“I know, but this is—I don’t know, Cal. I’m not ready to talk about it yet, that’s all.”
“All right. Just know that if and when you’re ready, I’ve been told I’m a good listener.” He flashed a crooked smile, and I instantly felt bad that I put Calvin in the same box as the rest of his family. As far as I knew, he’d been nothing but honest with me. “I also want you to know how much I appreciate you helping out with Ava. She loves you.”