I catch the clerk I need to see as she’s about to go to lunch. One flash of the ol’ dimples later I have what I need and I’m hiking back up State Street to get the fuck out of here.
“Mr. Frazier, you’re a difficult man to track down.”
Who the fuck? I turn to see who’s talking to me and find a guy sitting on a bench. He folds the newspaper in his hands and sets it next to him.
“Do I know you?”
He makes a subtle motion for me to join him.
I don’t really have time for this, but I’m intrigued and apparently feeling lucky. I mean, the guy could want to stab me for all I know.
He’s tall, slender, dressed all in black, including dark shades. He keeps his gaze focused straight ahead even when I take the space next to him.
I stare at him for a few minutes, trying to note anything distinguishable about him. There isn’t much. Hardly any wrinkles, he could be thirty, forty, or fifty-something.
My day just turned into something out of a spy movie I don’t remember buying a ticket for.
Guard up, I search the area for any pals he might be traveling with. I’m not in the mood to be hassled by the cops again. There’s a good chance I strangle Mr. Man-in-Black if he even attempts to arrest me for anything.
“What do you want?”
“Not interested in who I am?” he asks.
“Not really.”
“That’s fine with me.” He passes a large black envelope to me.
“What is this?”
“Don’t open it now. Maybe not ever.” He sighs and brushes something off his pants. “It’s a complaint brought by a female legislative employee a few sessions ago. Against a high-ranking senator at the time.”
Everything in me freezes up. We’d been careful. Yet someone managed to connect the Senator to Lilly to me. I knew I should’ve just gutted that motherfucker and made it look like mugging instead of going with the explosion. Stupid. My heart isn’t even beating. All I can see is Chance. The way he screamed and cried the night I was arrested.
At least this time I won’t be arrested in front of my family.
“Empire PD initially caught the case. Someone higher up the food chain took over when they got wind of the suspect.”
I remain silent. That’s what I’m supposed to do, right?
“She wasn’t the first…or last to have an encounter with the senator. Although his last few were significantly more violent.”
Anger blazes through my veins. That motherfucker didn’t die painfully enough.
“Why’d they go after him for bribery if he was a serial rapist?” I finally ask.
“Do I really need to explain to you that we have a system that is bizarrely disinclined to confront sexual assault? Especially when we’re talking about a man at Kelly’s level?” There’s a note of anger coloring his words that helps me relax. Maybe he’s not here to arrest me after all. Or maybe he just feels bad because he has to arrest me.
“She was brave to come forward at all,” he says, not waiting for me to answer.
I grunt in response.
“Why are you telling me any of this? Sounds like you have some survivors you should be talking to.”
The corners of his mouth slowly curve up. “What’s the point? He’s toast now.”
Fuck it. I really don’t care if he arrests me at this point. I’d love to let the world know what a scumbag Kelly was. “Funny how that happened.”
“Not funny at all. It’s still being investigated.”
“I thought some political activist group took the credit?”
“They did and that angle’s being researched, but doesn’t seem credible.”
Fuck.
“What do you want?” I try again.
“Not a thing, Mr. Frazier.” He reaches over and taps the envelope, still not turning to look at me. “That’s the last copy of the young lady’s report. The electronic file was sealed and later deleted when the case was moved. The other electronic file has also now been purged.”
“How’d that happen?”
He shrugs. “Happens sometimes. System isn’t as foolproof as the average citizen thinks it is.”
“Who are you?”
“The officers who interviewed her might remember the case,” he says, ignoring my question. “And there is the matter of her employment records. Not much can be done about them unless she wants to forfeit all the years she put into the retirement system. Even then, that one’s tricky. But on paper, all anyone knows is that she worked for the senate for a few years.” He flicks the envelope with his fingers. “This never happened. Do you understand me?”
This can’t be real. “I think so.”
“Good.”
“What do you want from me?”
Finally, he turns my way and even through the dark glasses I feel the heat of his gaze. “Not a damn thing. They might have had a better case with the fraud but he was never going to do time. A lot of women finally received the justice they’d been denied.”
“Who the fuck are you, The Punisher?”
His thin, pale lips quirk. “No. That’d be you.”
Maybe I shouldn’t antagonize this guy.
He pauses. “This isn’t a green light for you to eliminate any more scumbags.”
I raise an eyebrow.
“Just thought I should mention it.” He stands and stares ahead again. “Take care.”
He walks off without another word, shaking my hand, or even looking at me.
I stare after him for a while.
Part of me screams, “Get the fuck out of here!” Another part of me decides to sit still and play it cool for a minute.
My gaze strays to the envelope.
Don’t do it.
I don’t think I can handle knowing the gritty details of what happened to my wife. If I do, I’m afraid it will send me down a rage-spiral I’ll never recover from. Kelly’s dead. He won’t be hurting Lilly or anyone else ever again. I sure as fuck don’t want Lilly to see it or know anything about what just happened.
I fold the envelope and tuck it inside my inner pocket.
Chapter Fifty-One
Z
“Z, what’re you doing up here?” Rock asks, stepping out onto his front porch.
“Took care of the permit. Thought I’d visit the house site.”
“Lilly with you?”
“No.”
He waves at me to come inside.
“It’s so quiet,” I whisper.
“Hope’s napping upstairs with Grace. Want me to go over to the house with you?”
“Sure.”
He laces up his boots then follows me outside.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“Couldn’t be better.” He glances over. “What about you?”
I’m not sure how to explain my visit with the Man-in-Black, as I’ve decided to call him. Or if I should tell anyone about the visit at all.
Although, if there’s one person in the world I can trust not to say a word or ask too many questions, it’s Rock.
“Something weird happened.”
“With the life we lead, you’re going to have to define ‘weird’.”
We walk in silence for a few more feet. “I ran into this…guy, an investigator, cop, member of the Justice League. I’m not sure what he was.”
Rock stops and puts his hand on my arm. “What guy?”
“I’m not sure.” I take the envelope out of my pocket. “He gave me this.”
Rock stares but doesn’t reach for the envelope. “What is it?”
“All he told me is that it was a report a young woman made against Senator Kelly.”
“Shit,” Rock mutters. “And?”
“That’s it. He claims all electronic copies of the report have been nuked. Says this is the last one. Said Lilly wasn’t the first or last.”
“Motherfucker.”
“Yeah, my thoughts exactly.”
“We should’ve gutted him.” He lets out a humorless la
ugh. “Or borrowed Teller’s method.”
The way Teller had taken out the Vipers MC president had been…creative, effective, and made a statement for sure. “Yeah, I wish I hadn’t acted so quickly. It should’ve been bloodier and a lot more personal. Woulda brought less heat.”
“Shoving a senator’s cock down his throat would’ve still grabbed some headlines.” He smirks. “You did it the right way. Only way you could with him being under so much scrutiny.”
His gaze drops to the envelope. “What are you going to do with that?”
“I don’t know.” My fist curls, crumpling the corner of the envelope. “I feel like a fucking pussy who should just man the fuck up and read it so I know what happened. She has to live with it, so I should too.”
He nods.
“But I’m also afraid I’ll do something stupid.” My free hand curls into a fist. “And I can’t kill him again.”
“How much did she tell you herself?”
“Not much. She can’t or won’t talk about it. When she tried, it sent her into a panic attack. I don’t want to push her for no reason.”
“She have any bad reactions any other times?”
“Like, when we’re together? No, never.”
He sighs. “Maybe you should respect her wishes. Leave it alone. If she wants to tell you, let her, but if she ever finds out you read this without her knowing, she’ll feel betrayed.”
“I can’t show this to her.” A fucking letter-opener on my desk triggered her, no way would I let her read whatever’s in this envelope.
“I wouldn’t. She already knows the truth. Survived it. She doesn’t need to do it again to satisfy whatever morbid curiosity you have.”
The words sting but also hit the nail perfectly. My sick obsession to know everything so I can carry it for her is useless. Me learning the details won’t ever erase it from her memory.
“You want to put it in your safe?” He gestures toward the clubhouse. “Deal with it another time?”
That’d be an easy solution, wouldn’t it? But then I’d always have it in the back of my head. Not that anyone ever goes in my safe but what if someone else ever found it? Another thought occurs to me while I’m working this out in my head.
“You don’t seem surprised that some random dude I’ve never met before tracked me down and handed me a key piece of evidence that happens to give me a strong motive to off the senator.”
He cocks his head but, otherwise, his expression doesn’t change.
“Kind of a strange thing for some random government worker to figure out all on his own.” I scratch my head. “And to share with me that all other copies have mysteriously vanished. On the day I conveniently needed to come up here and run an errand for you.”
“What are you asking me, Angus?”
“Nothing.” Even if Rock managed to use his contacts to somehow make all this happen, he won’t tell me. “A big favor to call in. Tricky to find the right person at the right time…”
He hums an affirmative noise and shrugs. “Or maybe you ran into someone who actually owns a conscience.”
“He seemed to have strong feelings about the subject,” I agree.
He nods, then turns toward the land I had cleared to build my house. “What are you thinking?”
“Putting the building on hold for now. Priest made it clear he won’t be sending me home any time soon.”
“It can always be a vacation home for you guys.” He smirks. “But you might like something a little more secluded.”
“I’m really hating this.”
“The whole outlaw life consists of the paradox of wearing that three-piece patch on your back.” Rock’s low voice could damn near hypnotize a person.
“I guess.”
“Beholden to no one. Living outside society’s rules.” He pauses and lets out a deep sigh. “Except we’re bound by our rules. Club first. Sometimes we serve the club when we’d rather be free. On the open road, away from everyone and every responsibility.”
“That’s the dream.”
“This is the dream too. For the most part, we do live outside of normal confines. We don’t answer to anyone unless we choose to. We don’t give false respect to some asshole because we need to keep our nine-to-five, right?” He levels a harder look at me and lowers his voice. “We’re not afraid to do what needs to be done to right the wrongs society can’t. Not every man has the courage to avenge his wife.”
“Not everyone is capable of defending what they love as viciously as we do.”
“Exactly. We have a good life. After all the shit life threw at us early on, we finally have a true family. We built that.”
I swallow hard. He’s right. It’s what we talked about when we were teenagers. “We do. I trust you. I trust my brothers with everything in me.”
“Sometimes this life requires sacrifice.”
Chapter Fifty-Two
Z
As we walk back to Rock’s house, somehow a burden’s been lifted from my shoulders.
We go around to the back patio so Rock can check on a few things. “I like this.” I nod to what he’s basically turned into an outdoor kitchen. “You’ve been busy while I was away.”
He shrugs.
I tap my finger against the truck-sized grill encased in stacked-stone cabinetry and granite counters. “This thing work, or is it for showing off?”
“You expecting me to cook you breakfast or something?”
“That would be nice.” I slip the envelope out of my cut. “But I was thinking maybe more of a barbecue.”
He drills me with that steady gray stare. “You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
An hour later, the papers are nothing but blackened pieces of confetti.
“Are you grilling this early?” Hope’s soft voice reaches us before she slides the door open. “Hi, Z!” She hurries out and envelopes me in a warm hug. “What are you doing here?” She steps back and brushes her hair out of her eyes and pulls her sweatshirt around her tighter.
“Rock missed me and begged me to come up and play,” I answer with a straight face.
“Are you two going for a ride?”
“We weren’t planning to.” I glance inside at the clock. “I should probably get home.” After the day’s events, I’m itching to see Lilly. Get my hands on her. Make sure she’s happy. Do whatever I can to make her smile. “Can I say hi to Grace first?”
“Of course, you can.” She takes my hand and pulls me into the house.
Hope watches me with soft eyes while I cradle baby Grace and rock her from side to side. “I really want to see you and Lilly have more babies,” she whispers.
“Me too. Trust me, I’m trying.”
“Oh my gosh.” She covers her mouth, holding in her laughter. “How did I know you’d say something like that?”
I grin at her.
“God help Lilly,” Rock mutters.
Even though it’s me, Rock watches me closely with his daughter. “I don’t know why, but I get the feeling Grace isn’t going to grow up the pampered princess everyone expects.”
Rock’s intense expression doesn’t change. “Harsh world out there. I want her to be able to protect herself.” He meets my gaze. “But I’ll dismember anyone who hurts her.”
“Shit, maybe I need to rethink my father-in-law plans.”
Hope chuckles, not alarmed by Rock’s threat. “Hear that, Grace? Between your overprotective father and your overprotective uncles, you’ll be living with us forever.”
There’s a pang in my chest. I’d been planning for all of our kids to grow up together.
“Lilly’s supposed to bring Chance up next weekend. I hope you’re coming too?” Hope asks as if she knew where my thoughts turned.
“Probably.” I glance at Rock “We’ll see what the week brings.”
A few hours later, I’m pulling into the driveway and shutting my bike down. Felt good to be on the road but I’m damn happy to be home.
Lilly’s in
the backyard in red shorts that show off her sexy fucking legs, watching Chance and Alexa run their trucks over a freshly dug pile of dirt. “You letting them tear up my yard?” I tease as I lean down to kiss her.
“They’re having fun.”
“Where’s Heidi?” I ask when the kids get up to hug my legs.
She jerks her thumb over her shoulder. “Making babies with Murphy, I think.”
“That’s a visual I didn’t need.” I choke on my laughter. “In front of the little ones, really?”
“I’m sure they’ll hear worse.” She shrugs. “Murphy had a whole date night planned.”
“They’re definitely off making babies, then.”
“Baby?” Alexa asks peering up at me.
My chest squeezes as I squat down to pick up both kids. My son who I love with everything in me. My niece who takes up a large space in my heart and who I’d die to protect the same as anyone else in our family. “You want a little sister or brother?”
Chance and Alexa whip their heads around and stare at each other. I press a kiss to each of their little round cheeks. “I’m kidding. You guys don’t get a vote.”
Chance scowls at me while Alexa giggles and asks me to set her down.
“Uncle Z’s so mean, isn’t he, Alexa?” Lilly holds her arms out and Alexa eagerly scampers up into her lap.
Not thrilled having his mother’s attention on anyone else, Chance squirms until I set him down. He runs over and joins their party.
“You look good like that.” I lift my chin and Lilly raises her eyebrows.
“How was your day?” she asks. “Anything exciting in Empire?”
Her tone stops me in my tracks and I study her face for any signs she knows about the mystery guy I spoke to. She’s calm and smiling while she waits for me to answer.
“Hope said you stopped by,” she finally prompts
“Yeah.” I grab a chair and pull it closer to Lilly and the kids. “Went to check out the house site. Talked to Jasper and told him to put the construction on hold. Picked up a permit for the new clubhouse for Rock.” An image of the mysterious man in black materializes in my head and I shake it off. “I love you.”
Zero Apologies Page 28