Savage Life

by Kelly, Kathleen

  “Sheriff just called. He wants to see you at his office.”

  Zeke stands, a puzzled look on his face. “Did he say why?”

  “Something to do with your time in Black Ridge, but…”

  “But?”

  I chuckle. “Never trust a lawman.”

  Zeke nods. “Think I should take a lawyer?”

  “Yes. Rush has been itching to help us. How about we call him and see if he can come with?”

  “Sounds good. I’ll do it now.”

  Zeke goes over to the sinks and begins to scrub his hands and arms. The grease under his nails will never come out, not unless he stops swinging spanners. When his arms are dry, he pulls out his cell phone. I’m not close enough to hear what he’s saying, but from the grin and all the head nodding, I’m guessing Rush is free.

  Zeke walks toward me. “Rush is good to go. Told me to swing by and pick him up. Do you think he realizes I ride a Harley?”

  I scoff. “Is the Pope a Catholic? That old man has been itching to go for a ride. Dirt told him he only lets women on his bike. Hell, he even hinted at Kat.”

  Zeke shakes his head. “Has Kat ever had anyone on the back of her bike?”

  “Only the twins and only around the driveway at home.” Zeke nods and goes to walk away. “Zeke?”

  “Yeah, Prez?”

  “Go shower and change. Make sure you wear your cut. And I want you to take Kade and Jonas with you.”

  “Why?”

  “Power in numbers. I like Carlos, but he’s got a job to do. And—”

  “Never trust a lawman.”

  “You got that right.”

  With a smirk, Zeke goes inside the clubhouse to change. Although he and Cassia have finally gotten a place for themselves, he still keeps some of his gear here. Most of the key members of my MC do.

  Looking up at the sky, I see clouds on the horizon. They look dark and ominous, and I have a sinking feeling in my gut. Let’s hope they aren’t a sign of things to come.

  Zeke

  Waiting outside Rush’s law practice are Destiny, Kade, and Jonas. No sign of the man himself. I pull up and turn off my bike. Destiny smiles at me, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

  Both Kade and Jonas appear to be avoiding all eye contact as I sit there staring at them wondering what the hell is going on.

  “What gives?” I ask.

  Kade shrugs and Jonas shakes his head and looks up Main Street. I narrow my gaze on Destiny who shakes herself, kisses Kade on the cheek, and runs inside. I’m about to ask my so-called friends what the hell is going on when Rush comes out. He’s dressed in leather pants, boots, a pink shirt with a lemon tie, a leather vest, and a black leather bomber jacket.

  “Zeke! My boy! Let’s go face the sheriff.”

  Rush is my biological father. When he found out, he moved himself and an old family friend, Doc Green, to Tourmaline to be closer to me and try to form a friendship. I like the man, he’s good, honest people, but some days he tries too hard.

  I glance at Jonas, who can no longer suppress his grin. The man puts on his sunglasses, kick-starts his bike, and goes tearing up Main Street, no doubt laughing all the way. Kade has his lips firmly pressed into a straight line, but he’s nodding to himself like a madman and can’t look at either of us.

  “See you up there,” he mutters before following Jonas.

  I don’t want to burst Rush’s bubble. He looks so damn proud of himself, so I nod and keep my mouth shut. I start the bike, and Rush climbs on.

  “Okay, hold on, but not too tight. Put your sunglasses on in case there are bugs. Good thing you wore leathers. Main Street has some potholes.”

  “Too much?” he asks as he throws a leg over the bike.

  “Nah, but if they were any tighter, you’d be walking,” I say as I pat his leg.

  “Son, I wouldn’t be able to walk if they were any tighter.”

  I burst out laughing and slowly make my way up Main Street. By the time we get to the Sheriff’s Office, Kade and Jonas have themselves under control. Rush gets off the bike, and he’s all business. A professional lawyer with a client, even if he does look like an extra from the Village People.

  “Zeke, I’m here as your official representation. If it truly is just a conversation, I’ll keep my mouth shut, but if it’s more than that, I’ll step in. Is that fine with you, son?”

  “Sounds like a plan.” I look at Jonas, and he nods.

  Kade opens the door, Rush goes in first, and we proceed after him. Deputy Lucy Dalton is on the front desk today and, as always, she’s got attitude.

  “Devon Rushard, counsel for Zeke Russo. We’re here to see the sheriff.”

  Lucy stands and makes a point of putting her pen back into its holder before she looks up at us. She smiles sweetly, but I know she doesn’t think much of the Savage Angels MC.

  “Mr.?” Lucy asks.

  “Devon Rushard,” replies Rush in a stronger, firmer tone, all joviality long gone.

  “Right, right, you’re new in town. Just opened?”

  “That’s right.”

  Lucy leans over her desk and lowers her tone. “You really should be more careful of who you associate with. It’s a small town. You don’t want people thinking you’re like your clients, do you?”

  Rush’s face goes beet red, and he grips the front of the counter.

  I lean in and smile at him warmly. “Dad, do you need a glass of water?”

  Lucy looks shocked, and Rush’s eyes bulge out of his head at me calling him dad.

  “Dad? He’s your father?” asks Lucy incredulously.

  I smile at her, exposing my teeth and nod. “Yep. Dear old Dad. Now, Deputy, can we see the sheriff instead of wasting time with the likes of you?”

  She gives me a scathing look and walks to the back of the Sheriff’s Office. I glance at Jonas, but he’s looking past all of us to the sheriff.

  Quietly, he leans in so only we can hear. “Something’s not right. The sheriff has a fed in his office. I think this is a set-up, Zeke.”

  Sheriff Carlos Morales walks toward us. No smile, hand resting on the gun on his hip. He sees me eyeing his hand, but he doesn’t move it. I think Jonas is right.

  “Zeke, so good of you to come. Deputy Dalton tells me you’ve got a lawyer with you. If you have nothing to hide, why bring him?”

  “Carlos, this is my father, Devon Rushard. He just happened to be with me today. We’ve been out riding. Seemed natural to bring him along,” I reply with a fake smile.

  “And what about Kade and Jonas?”

  “Safety in numbers, Sheriff,” says Jonas as he folds his arms across his chest.

  Carlos nods, purses his lips, and says, “Fair enough, but you don’t get to come into the room.”

  “The room?” I ask.

  “Yes, the FBI wants a sit-down.”

  And there it is.

  The FBI wants to talk to me.

  And they don’t want me to have my brothers in the same room.

  “Surely, if this is a casual conversation, Sheriff, it doesn’t matter if his counterparts are with him?” asks Rush.

  “It might be a little bit more than that,” admits Carlos.

  “You sure you want to do this, Sheriff?” asks Jonas.

  Kade snickers and nods in agreement.

  “Not up to me. You and Jonas be sure to tell Dane that.”

  “What I’ll tell the President of the Savage Angels is that you lied to him to get one of his men here alone. If we hadn’t come along, would you have arrested him? Beaten him up in one of your interrogation rooms, or better yet, pinned some crime on him he didn’t do?”

  Carlos’ face turns into a scowl and shakes his head once. “Deputy Dalton! Could you please escort these two gentlemen from the premises?”

  “Yes, sir,” shouts Lucy as she opens the bullpen followed by the front door and points outside like she’s trying to get her dog off the couch.

  Jonas chuckles but Kade, well, Kade has gone stock still.
His jaw is ticking, and he’s looking at Carlos like he could dissect him. I place a hand on his arm. He locks eyes with me.

  “It’s why Dane sent you both. Go back and tell him what’s going on. Rush will come after if they don’t let me loose. Be calm, brother.”

  Kade nods once and heads for the door and stops to tower over Lucy. She stares at his chest while still pointing, and you can see she’s trying to make herself melt into the wall.

  Slowly, he turns his head to Carlos. “We won’t forget this, Sheriff.” He gives Lucy one last look, scoffs, and walks out.

  Jonas grins at Carlos and shakes his head. “He’s right, Sheriff, we won’t forget this.” He too leaves the building.

  “Fuck,” mutters Carlos while he watches them through the windows as they stand outside on their phones.

  “May I ask what you want to talk to my client about?” asks Rush.

  A woman—tall, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and dressed in a black suit—walks up behind Carlos. “We’d like to talk to Mr. Russo about his recent trip to Black Ridge and his relationship with the missing women of Tourmaline,” she answers for Carlos. “My name is Special Agent Jennifer Argos. Please, gentlemen, if you’ll come this way?”

  Rush glances at me, and proceeds through the bullpen with little choice. I follow. The fed looks over her shoulder to make sure I’m there. Instead of taking me to Carlos’ office, they continue through to Interrogation Room Two. Room one is filled with feds and a whiteboard with my face and all the missing women on it. I’m sure she intended for me to see it as we passed. Rush stops and looks in, and one of them shuts the door in his face. He makes a clucking sound and grins at me. I haven’t seen Rush in action as a lawyer, but something tells me he’s going to be good.

  Special Agent Argos waits outside the door to usher us inside. It’s funny how we all take our seats. It feels like a game of chess, and I’m waiting to see who makes the first move or mistake. Argos sits opposite me while Carlos faces Rush. Under the table, Rush pats my leg, and I glance at him. He winks and looks at the fed expectantly. She tilts her head to the side, and he raises his eyebrows. I find it funny. It’s an old trick—he who talks first loses.

  Argos levels her gaze on me and says, “When did you arrive in Black Ridge?”

  “Why?” asks Rush.

  “It’s a simple question,” states Carlos.

  “Is it?” Rush counters.

  “It was a Wednesday. I went straight to The Countryside Diner. Doc Green and Isabelle Finemore can both attest to that fact.”

  “Ah, yes,” says Argos as she begins shuffling through paperwork and pulls out a photograph of Izzy and Doc laughing. It was taken here in Tourmaline.

  I nod, and so does Rush.

  “Weird your attorney, a doctor, and a waitress followed you here, isn’t it?”

  “How so?” asks Rush.

  “Well, it makes one wonder what he has on you for all of you to up-end your lives and move to a smaller town with fewer opportunities.”

  Rush smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. He picks up the picture and hands it to me.

  “We should have this framed. It’s a lovely photo of both of them.” Rush pauses and squints at Argos. “I moved here to be closer to my son. Doc moved here as he has no family left in Black Ridge, and he’s retired so these… opportunities you speak of, aren’t important to either of us. It’s about family.” Rush looks at Carlos. “As for Isabelle, perhaps you should ask our good sheriff why she came to Tourmaline.”

  Carlos shifts in his seat, and Argos shoots him a look. I snicker as it’s obvious she didn’t know Izzy and Carlos are a thing. Both of them look at me, but there’s a gleam in Argos’ eyes that wasn’t there before, and I know something is coming.

  “And your fiancée was abducted and tied up in a mine? You just happened across it and saved her?”

  I shake my head and frown at her. “You’ve read the report. She was kidnapped, tied up, and left for dead. I was taken to the mine by my so-called father, my sister, and a deputy. He’s the one who kidnapped Cassia and tied her up, not me.”

  “Your so-called father?” asks Argos as she stares at Rush.

  “The man I believed to be my father, Michael Russo,” I grind out.

  “Right, right…” Argos taps her fingers over her mouth. “But he’s dead, right? And your sister is missing, and so is Deputy Brian Howlett. How convenient.”

  “Are you charging my client?”

  “You mean your son?”

  Rush stands and places a hand on my shoulder. “Same thing. I think we’re done here.”

  Carlos stands. “Zeke, stay and answer the questions. I get you’re angry, both of you. But if you don’t, things are going to get so much worse.”

  Argos shoots Carlos an exasperated look. “Gentlemen, please sit.”

  I push out my chair from the table, cross my leg over my knee, and fold my arms. Both men sit while Argos gives me the death stare.

  “Why don’t we get down to it? What is it exactly you think I’ve done?” I lean back and raise my eyebrows at the fed.

  “Do you want to know what we found the mine?” asks Argos.

  “A dead cow? Dog? I have no idea.”

  “We found three dead women. The three women who were missing from Tourmaline, and they just happened to turn up in a mine in your hometown. What a coincidence?”

  I drop my leg to the floor and lean forward. “You think I killed those women and put them in the mine?”

  “Did you?”

  “No!” I burst out laughing finding the whole thing ludicrous.

  “Oh, you think this is funny?” Argos asks in a quiet, deadly tone.

  “No. This is funny,” I reply, holding my arms wide. “Okay, Miss FBI, how did I get them to Black Ridge? I sure as hell couldn’t have fit them on my bike. And why would I tie up Cassia, brainwash her into thinking that a deputy had done it and then rescue her?” I scoff at her ridiculousness and sit back. “There are so many holes in this story. I could drive a truck through them.”

  “Well, you were in LA at the same time this killer was operating there.”

  “I haven’t been in LA for years,” I reply, exasperated.

  “Oh, that just happens to be when the murders stopped.”

  Rush places a hand on my arm. “My client isn’t saying anything else. Charge him or let him go.”

  Special Agent Argos stands. “Zeke Russo, you’re under arrest for murder.”

  I get to my feet, and I can hear Rush yelling, the fed laying out all my crimes but none of it makes any sense. Someone grabs me from behind and puts plastic zip-lock cuffs on me as I try to process this debacle unfolding in front of me like some sort of television series.

  How the hell can they think I’d do this?

  “Zeke… you keep your mouth shut. Do you understand?” says Rush loudly but firmly.

  I nod, and stare at Carlos. “Dane will not like this. I didn’t do this. Fuck, Carlos, you know me!”

  Carlos’ nose flares, he raises his chin, and flexes his hands. It appears he’s barely controlling his anger. “This isn’t my call. It’s in the FBI’s hands. I’ll talk to Dane.”

  I scoff at him. “Yeah, you do that.”

  Carlos leaves the room. I’m forcibly pushed into the chair, and Rush removes his jacket. Anger is rolling off him in waves.

  “Dad?”

  Rush is staring at Argos with pure hatred. I can tell he’s not listening to me, he’s focused on Argos, and he’s angry.

  “Dad?” I say more forcefully.

  Rush shakes his head and looks at me.

  “I need you to make sure Cassia is okay. Don’t let her hear about this from a town gossip. I need you to do this for me. Do you understand?”

  “Y-Yes, son. After we’re finished here, I’ll go straight to her.”

  I shake my head. “No. You need to go now. It’s a small town.”

  “You need me here,” states Rush.

  “Yes, I
do. But I’ll keep my mouth firmly shut until you get back.”

  “Why are you prolonging the inevitable?” asks Argos.

  “Fuck you, fed,” I bark at her, spittle flying from my lips.

  “Zeke,” Rush exclaims.

  I twist my head to him. “I need you to go now.”

  I don’t know if it’s the look I’m giving him or the sound of my voice, but he nods.

  “Not a word.” Rush points at me, then looks at Argos. “He’s got representation, so you can’t talk to him without me present. You remember that, Special Agent Argos.”

  “I’m fully aware. Although, you could waive your right to counsel?”

  “Not going to fucking happen,” I grind out.

  Argos stares at me for a moment then back at Rush. “Well, the sooner you carry out his wishes, the sooner we can get this sorted.”

  Rush puts his jacket on, stares me in the eyes, nods once, and walks to the door. I listen to his footsteps as they go down the hall, all the while looking at Argos who’s grinning at me.

  “You sure you don’t want to talk to me, Zeke?”

  I grin at her, lean back, and close my eyes.

  Rush

  I am walking as fast as I can to Betty’s Diner. These damn leather pants are hot on my body, and I’m regretting wearing the awful things. The diner is at the other end of town from the Sheriff’s Office. I’m going over all the charges that FBI woman leveled at my son. It’s true I don’t know him well, but there’s no way in Hades, he has done these things. Zeke has too much of his mother in him, and I like to think I see myself in there also. He’s a good man.

  “Whoa! Slow down there, Rush. What’s got a bug up your ass? And what are you wearing?”

  I look up and see my oldest friend, Doctor Ernest Green.

  “The FBI just arrested Zeke for the murders. I need to get to Cassia and tell her. I have to hurry ‘cause I need to get back to him. And I have to change outta these godforsaken pants.”

  Ernest’s eyes bulge out of his head. “They arrested Zeke?” I nod as I continue on my way. “Wait!”

  I stop and give him my best glare. “Ernest, I don’t have time for this. Walk with me or don’t, the choice is yours, but I’ve got to get back.”