Page 18 of Rogue’s Path (Sweet Chaos #1)

Rogue

“Why do we have to replace the whole carpet?” Torque slides on the shoulders of the disposable suit. “Can’t we just cut out the spot and replace it?”

Wouldn’t that have been so much easier? Berzerker and his old lady had to have carpets that were discontinued five years ago.

After contacting fifty carpet remnant stores up and down the coast, I’ve finally given up and found a new carpet one shade off that they agreed would be fine.

“It’ll be good practice for all of you to do a full forensic clean. ”

“Every single thing?”

“Normally, yes. But we don’t want the smell to change in this room, so the only thing we will be cleaning is the cement under the carpet. Everything will be moved out and returned to the exact location as if it had never been touched.”

“This kid has a ton of junk. It’s going to take all week.” Vandal jumps up and down trying to get into his.

It’s a good thing he put his hair net on first, or he’d be spreading DNA everywhere.

“The good news is we have four hours before his parents return.” Which is hours more than we’d have if we were cleaning up bodies and trying to avoid the police.

This is a skill they need to learn. “Once everyone is dressed, you’re going to go inside one by one and take pictures of everything, every drawer, every item of clothing.

But you aren’t to move anything. Got it? ”

The men nod.

“What if something falls when we’re taking pictures?” Ryot is a bit of a klutz.

Before they came, I went in and did my own recognizance to ensure we avoided mistakes. “Don’t let anything fall.” They’re going to drop something. “This job is all about precision. Vandal, you’re up first.”

He zips up the suit and pulls on his mask. “I’m ready.”

“No, you’re not. What are you missing?”

Vandal searches around without a single clue.

“Guys, I want you to work together to make sure each of you has all your protective garments on properly.” So I don’t go out of my mind reminding each of you to put your gloves on. It’s going to be a really long day.

***

“Did you kill them?” Havoc asks as I step into his office seven hours later.

Over and over again in my mind. “They’re alive.” Just barely.

“This making you wanna have kids?” Havoc sets down the order sheet he’s looking at.

“Not in the least. I’ll leave that to you. How is Creed handling all of this?”

“Well enough. Though he’s so much like me sometimes.”

Which is a good thing. His mother didn’t have much to recommend her but a pretty face.

Which lost its appeal when she cheated on Havoc.

Leaving Creed alone in the house at four, so she could go buy drugs, got her banned from our territory forever.

She isn’t a kill-on-sight, even though I voted to add that order. “And the problem with that is?”

“Creed offered to go undercover and infiltrate the drug dealers.” There’s a little puff of pride mixed with the fear in his voice.

“You nipped that in the bud.”

“Yeah.”

There’s a knock on the door.

“Come in,” Havoc shouts.

Bear pokes his head in the door. “Got a minute?”

Havoc always makes time for a brother. “What’s up?”

“It’s about the night we protected those women.” Bear taps his leg, which is his equivalent of pacing.

Great. What else went wrong?

“So there was this woman.”

They’re all women…well, except for the one guy. He more than held his own in the bar fight.

“She was a chatty drunk. You know that stage they get before stupid drunk. This chick was self-aware enough to have some coffee and food to try not to get sloppy drunk.”

Why do I need to know this?

“Anyway, before she got the coffee, she was friendly and chatty.”

Get to the point!!!! I don’t want to hear about this woman.

“In the middle of her rhetoric, which made me laugh, she told me she had a stalker.”

WHAT?

“And you believe her?” Havoc leans forward.

“I think so. She was…I don’t know, believable. And cute. I would have asked her out, but it felt like taking advantage of her inebriated state.”

That’s why I didn’t ask Peaches out. But now, this game of ours is fun. I’d have been down at Ivy Café these last two days kissing her if it wasn’t for all the club business.

“Makes sense. What do you want to do now?”

Bear wants to find the girl, just like I want to find Peaches. Or at least know her name. Why hasn’t she told me?

That woman keeps me guessing. Kissing her tomorrow…

“I want to find her.”

Same.

“Make sure she’s okay.”

More like make sure she isn’t mad at me for ghosting her.

“Then take care of her problem or ask her out. Probably both.” Bear facial hair moves…he’s probably smiling. You never can quite tell.

Asking Peaches out sounds like a good idea. Just as soon as she tells me her name.

Why is she being so secretive?

“Go find her and report back.” Like Havoc was going to say anything else.

“Then can I have it?” Bear steps forward, holding a hand out.

“Huh?” Havoc tips his head to the side.

“The dossier. The one with the pictures of all the women. That you got from the Deathadders.”

“There were only two pictures.” Havoc reaches into his desk, pulling out the file. “You better hope she’s not in there, because if Maddox or Vex think you’re trying to steal their women…”

No woman is worth their rage.

Havoc flips open the file. They’d certainly be a beautiful death, but I’d take Peaches over either of them.

Bear shakes his head. “Nope, she’s not there. Could you reach out and get some names or pictures?

“I’ll try, but neither of those two is very friendly when it comes to that. They might cave because she’s in danger.” Havoc doesn’t look convinced.

I’m not either. The rantings of a drunk woman are rarely trustworthy.

“If they won’t help you, I’ll start searching for her.”

Bear’s persistent. He’ll keep looking until he finds her. If Peaches ran away, I might set him on her trail. Though what fun would that be? I’ll find her myself.

“Understood. We’ll help in any way we can.”

Which means the club will wade in if there’s trouble.

As if we don’t already have enough of that.

Bear nods and leaves.

Havoc swings his chair around. “Do you think this woman has a stalker?”

“Most likely not. She was probably drunk and thought someone was following her around. Which we know wasn’t true.” Paranoid drunks are no fun.

“You’re probably right. How is everything going with the arrangements for the funeral?”

“I’ve notified all the other clubs and made arrangements for the escort before and after. You know, when it’s a kid, people show up.”

He nods. “The old ladies are already ordering food. You want to stock our bar.”

“I already sent Firefly and Cyclops with two trucks.” With all the clubs coming… “I’ll send them again.”

“Good idea. We’ve got room inside for each club prez and V.P. to stay, and some will stay at the hotel and motel in town, but most will camp on the grounds.”

Havoc must be seriously worried. All of this is standard. “We’ll have the grounds mowed and the outdoor bathrooms cleaned.” We built them several years ago for club events. “Everything will be fine.”

“That could have been Creed. If something had happened, if his mother had stayed just a few more years, it could have been Creed that we’d be burying on Saturday.” Havoc leans back against his chair. He’s probably imagining Creed in the casket Berzerker’s old lady picked out.

“But it’s not him. Creed is alive and safe. We’re going to stop these guys permanently before they can hurt anyone else.”

Havoc nods. “I hope you’re right. I hope you’re right.”

I am. I’ve got to be.

“What about that woman of yours? Did you invite her?”

Invite her? “No. I haven’t even seen her since it happened. And this wouldn’t exactly be the way I’d want to introduce her to the club.”

“I get that. But the times we look the weakest are when we’re the strongest.”