Page 63 of Trick
“Lack of respect is a deal breaker for me, especially after what I went through when Beau and I were engaged, and I think that’s why it took so long for me to let down my defenses with you.”
I could have kicked my own ass in that moment.
“Thank you for trusting me with your story, Trick. Your secrets are safe with me.”
“I know that, darlin’.” I yawned as exhaustion kicked in. Aside from the fact that it was the middle of the damned night, the emotional rollercoaster I’d been on as we’d talked had left me feeling mentally drained.
“Let’s get some sleep,” I said when she let out a yawn of her own. I kissed her one last time, a soft, affectionate peck on the lips that felt intimate after I’d shared my secrets with her.
Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for sleep to pull me under, only to wake up when my phone rang, a little after six in the morning. Seeing Bull’s name flashing on the screen brought me to full alertness, despite the lack of sleep.
I connected the call but didn’t even manage to get a greeting out before he growled, “I need you in my office as soon as possible. Don’t bring Lauren…it’s bad, man.”
“I’ll be right there,” I said quietly.
Lauren stirred beside me as I slipped out of bed.
“Trick?” she murmured sleepily.
“It’s OK, babe. Bull needs to see me for a minute. Go back to sleep.”
“Did Beau send another email?” she asked, sitting up and brushing her hair out of her face.
I shrugged. “He didn’t say, but I’ll fill you in when I get back.”
I slipped on my jeans and hauled ass down the hall to his office, bare chested and barefoot.
Bull didn’t look much better, in a rumpled T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants that had seen better days.
Based on the dark circles under his eyes, he’d had even less sleep than I had.
He was talking on his speakerphone when I stalked into the room, and he motioned for me to close the door.
“Prez, Trick just walked in. I’ll fill him in.”
“OK, I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes, and Trick, you keep your ass at the clubhouse until I get there.”
King hung up without waiting for an acknowledgement from me, and Bull motioned for me to sit down. He pushed a mug across the desk, then picked up another one for himself.
“I poured you a coffee. Trust me, you’re gonna need the caffeine. If we didn’t need to keep a clear head, I would have added a big fuckin’ splash of Irish whiskey to it.”
I rolled my neck to ease the tension that had gripped me since I’d answered his call, then took a large sip of coffee to fortify myself before asking, “OK, what the fuck happened?”
He flipped the computer monitor around – one of two that he kept on his desk – and pointed at the screen.
“Courtesy ofYour Soulmate,” he muttered as he sat back in his chair.
“I warned you to stop making me jealous before someone got hurt. I’ll bet Dustin wishes you’d listened.” My eyes widened as I read the latest message.
“What the fuck? He’s threatening Dustin now?” I asked Bull, who shook his head grimly, then turned his other monitor around. The police department logo was at the top of the screen.
“It was more than a threat. The email was sent about forty-five minutes ago, and I got the alert right away. After I saw it, I accessed the police dispatch records for any reports of activity at Dustin’s address and found that a 911 call came in around three-thirty this morning. The caller reported finding an unconscious male in the parking garage of his condo building. The cops on the scene wrote it up as a mugging, since the guy’s wallet, keys, and cell phone were missing.”
He paused to take another sip of coffee. “The guy was unconscious, and with no ID he was transported to the hospital as a John Doe. Description fits, though. White guy, about six-foot-one, blond hair, late twenties to mid-thirties. King’s calling Randy Hayes to clue him in.”
Randy Hayes was a homicide detective, who also happened to be Abby’s dad. He was a good cop and stayed on the right side of the law. He also didn’t look too closely at the MC’s activities, especially if he knew we could get justice when law enforcement simply didn’t have the proof they needed to make charges stick.
I dropped my head back to stare at the ceiling, cursing under my breath. “Any idea how bad his injuries are?”
