Page 46 of Loki’s Spellbinder (Hunters Creek Archangel’s Warriors MC #14)

“I’ve heard the name and know they’re a large club with many chapters. Is it going after them in general or a specific chapter? Are we working with law enforcement to build a RICO case?”

“A RICO would be an incredible score for this office if we can make it stick. As for whether it’s the entire charter or not, they seem to want us to start with a chapter in Huntsville, Alabama.

Cedric Alves has had a visitor a few times over the past year and a half.

He wasn’t someone locked up with him. Nor had he been tied to an MC before going to prison.

“The guy I’m talking about is out on parole from another prison, and it was due to good behavior. The thought of someone like him being granted a parole, period, let alone early, is mind-boggling. He killed his wife and almost killed his teenage son.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. No, it couldn’t be. I swallowed to moisten my dry mouth. “What is this guy’s name?”

Eli shuffled through a stack of papers on his desk. It took all my restraint not to scream at him to clean up his desk. I didn’t know how he stood the clutter, let alone find anything. Finally, he pulled a piece of paper free from a stack.

“His name is Nelson Newman. I was going to have you see what you can find on him now that he’s free. I wonder if he has contact with his son?”

I thought fast and said, “I wouldn’t see that happening.

The man killed his mom. There’s no way his son would want anything to do with him.

You said he almost killed his son, too. Let me see what my investigator can find,” I immediately offered.

I didn’t want Eli or the task force we were working with to focus their attention on the Warriors, Pagans, or anyone else they were friends with.

“Are you ever going to tell me who your investigator is? They do excellent work,” Eli hinted.

“Eli, I told you, my person doesn’t like attention, and while she trusts me, she doesn’t trust others. She works for me when I’m in a bind and need in-depth digging.”

“I know, but she should at least allow us to pay her for her work.”

“She’s not doing it. She’s paranoid about people. That’s the best way to describe her. She won’t work with anyone else, and if I out her, she won’t help me,” I warned.

Eli had been asking who my investigator was for months and getting more insistent. I knew he was ambitious, but using her to further his credibility wasn’t happening. I saw the flash of annoyance on his face before he hastily wiped it away and gave me his superficially pleasant smile.

I didn’t mind someone being ambitious. I was.

But the longer I was around Eli, the more I saw that he was willing to do things and use people to get what he wanted.

Anything to make him look good was all that mattered.

Eventually, someone like that would go too far.

I’d been excited while in Hunters Creek to get a few responses to my resume.

I had been happy that I’d soon be telling Eli goodbye.

However, it looked like I was back to square one after what happened between Loki and me.

If I had any motivation, I would be posting for jobs here, but it was too much at the moment.

Wanting to finish this, I moved the conversation to a conclusion.

“If that’s all, I’ll get out of your way.

I know how busy you are. I have to depose a witness soon and want to ensure everything is set.

I’ll contact my investigator tonight about what you want done.

As soon as I know something, I’ll let you know. ”

“That sounds good. Any idea when you’ll be able to return to the office?

It’s hard not to be able to drop in and meet whenever the mood strikes.

I know you were shaken by the accident, but with Alves’s case behind us in a few weeks, you’ll surely be ready.

You won’t need bodyguards or have the stress of someone targeting you. ”

I knew I wouldn’t be able to extend my absence beyond the end of the month.

Whether I had another job or not, I’d have to tell him I quit.

However, that time wasn’t now. I wanted to see the conclusion of Cedric’s case first. “I’ll be fully functioning by the end of the year,” I assured him.

In my mind, I added, but it won’t be with you.

“Good. Can’t wait to have you here every day. Well, I’ll let you get to work. It’s good to see you, Braelyn. Once you’re back, you and I will have our overdue talk.”

I gave him a vague smile and stood. Eli walked me to the door, and when he opened it, I had to endure the feel of his hand on my lower back.

Chaos was waiting for me. He didn’t waste time claiming me and sweeping me away.

I pointed in the direction of my office.

He hadn’t been here before. When we were safely behind closed doors, he asked how it went.

I gave him the rundown, but asked him not to say anything to the clubs.

I’d speak to Wrath tonight so he could warn the others what was on the horizon.

Chaos was even less happy to hear the news than I was.

It took all I had to make it through the next few hours. Thankfully, the deposition went better and quicker than I had hoped. We got on the road back to Lake Oconee by three thirty. I was half an hour ahead of schedule. I’d take the little win.

I was slumped in the backseat. Utter exhaustion had hit me.

It seemed to be the worst in the afternoon.

I was blindly staring out the window as we made our way out of Marietta and past the outer part of Atlanta.

Slowly, I felt my eyelids get heavier until they closed, and I went into a semi-dream state.

My eyes were still closed, and I was floating when I heard a loud popping sound, and the SUV swerved. Keno screamed, “Get down.”

Instantly, I fell over on the seat as he fought to right the vehicle.

I heard back-to-back popping sounds, then screamed as the window I’d been staring out of earlier exploded.

I fought to get off my seatbelt and to the floor.

I recognized it as gunfire, and there was more coming from around me.

I rolled onto the floor and curled up as small as I could as I waited for a bullet to come through the door panel and kill me.

I prayed and kept thinking how I wish I’d seen Loki one last time.