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Apache

H e paced back and forth. Silvie had been taken from him exactly two hours ago. Apache had stayed with her until she was prepped, and then nurses had taken Silvie down.

Ace had picked his younger brothers and sisters up and had taken them to his home with Artemis. Apache bet his redheaded daughter-in-law was pulling her hair out by now. Either that or Artemis was putting them through mercenary training. It was a toss-up which.

Drake lounged in a chair with Phoe at his side. Texas and James Washington were also present. Gunner was pacing back and forth while Autumn spoke to Phoe. The rest of the Rage brothers had been told to stay home, although he’d received texts from all of them. Apache looked up as Doc Paul walked towards him, removing a surgical mask. A smile crossed Doc Paul’s face, and Apache relaxed.

“Silvie’s fine and in recovery. As you know, SPD is caused by the weakening of the fibrous ligaments that hold the pelvic bones in place. Pregnancy is usually the cause of this. What we have done is cut into Silvie’s lower stomach and realigned the pelvis, we’ve then inserted a plate and used pins to stabilise the joint.

“Silvie will still feel pain at first, but it’ll begin to ease very quickly, and she’ll be able to walk again without being in agony. The operation went well. The x-rays didn’t show the full extent of damage, but it was reparable. They’re going to be moving Silvie out of recovery and into the private room you paid for. You can go wait for her there,” Doc Paul explained.

“How soon until Silvie can walk?” Apache inquired.

“Usually within a day or two of the operation. But Silvie’s used a wheelchair for a long time. Apache, I’ve asked physio to come and access Silvie, as she may need some help learning to walk again.”

“Anything else we gotta know, Doc?” Drake questioned.

“No. Silvie’s recovering well, and I couldn’t be happier,” Doc Paul replied.

“Thanks, Doc. Drop by for a beer sometime,” Apache said and disappeared down a corridor with James and Gunner on his heels.

“Good job I informed the nurses to relax the two visitors-only rule. Otherwise, there’d be a brawl.” Doc Paul chuckled.

Slate

“My client has answered all your questions. Even better, we have provided a detailed accounting of his actions over the last week. There’s not much more to say, gentlemen,” Slate’s lawyer stated.

“Thanks, this was helpful,” Ramirez replied. “We’ll check this out and should be able to clear you.” He tapped the notebook Slate had handed over.

“Interview terminated,” Ben added and switched off the recording. “Slate, don’t relax your guard. Keep tracking your movements.”

“Do you need me to stay?” his lawyer asked, and Slate said no and thanked him. Once he’d left, Slate turned to the two detectives.

“What’s known regarding Jaelynn and this cop?”

“Not much. We couldn’t pry because that would have tipped off her home PD. Jaelynn was reported missing by Lucy Rogers, who claims she’s a friend. It’s Jaelynn for certain, Slate, even though she looks different now,” Ramirez announced.

“What’s Jaelynn’s surname?” Slate asked.

Ramirez and Ben swapped amused glances, and Slate frowned.

“Slate,” Ben answered.

“Yeah?”

“Jaelynn’s last name is Slate.” Ramirez chuckled.

“The fuck it is!” Slate exclaimed, and both men burst into laughter.

“Seriously, Jaelynn’s surname is Slate,” Ben responded, and Slate remembered a comment Jaelynn had made when they met. She’d commented on his name being Slate and that it was funny. Now he knew why.

Slate’s club name was the same as her surname. Talk about fate.

“We need to speak to her,” Ramirez announced.

“Yeah. But I’m not bringing Jaelynn down here.”

“We’ve updated Howser. He’s agreed she can go down as Witness A. But he said if it looks like Jaelynn’s the culprit, all protection is off,” Ben stated.

“Jaelynn ain’t no killer.”

“Hope not, Slate, because we will bring Jaelynn in,” Ben warned.

Slate leaned forward. “Jaelynn’s no murderer.”

“Good. Then you’ve got nothing to worry about,” Ben replied.

“You’re an asshole sometimes,” Ramirez said, and Ben chuckled.

“Aware of that,” Ben responded, standing and gathering his stuff up. “But I’m an honest one.”

“Gotta give him that,” Ramirez agreed.

Slate snorted.

Jaelynn

I felt like kicking Ezra hard. I was now up to the year twenty-fifteen and felt like head-butting my desk. Ezra knew nothing about filing.

I was sorting a much larger pile into bills, invoices, junk, bank statements and so on. The damn year was in three boxes alone. Luckily, only two filing cabinets were full. The other four remained empty.

It appeared I’d need them. I cleared all the scattered piles, and I thought my job was done. Until Ezra mentioned the storage shed had loads of paperwork. But he’d cheerfully stated that it at least was grouped together by the year. Somehow, I guessed that was Slate’s influence.

I’d nearly screamed when I had seen all the boxes stacked up, but Ezra was correct. The years were marked on them, and thankfully, they started at twenty-fifteen. The database on the computer was looking good, and I’d found many repeat customers for Ezra. There were also his regular customers who had Ezra’s men tidy their yards once a fortnight.

I’d been under the impression Ezra did large landscaping deals like for hotels and so on. I hadn’t realised he also ran a gardening business, and I’d had to separate those clients from the landscaping ones. But thankfully, the office was starting to take shape.

The door opened, and as I glanced up, Slate entered. A smile crossed my lips as he walked over and kissed me.

“How’s my girl?”

“Hungry,” I answered, sniffing.

Slate had brought lunch, as he’d begun doing daily.

“Ezra in?” Slate inquired.

“No, he’s out at Apache and Rock’s site.”

“Good. I didn’t want to share,” Slate said and pulled out some hefty-looking sandwiches.

“Jeez!” I exclaimed. “Where did you get them from?”

“Penny. I fixed her sink this morning when at the shop, so Penny spoiled me,” Slate replied with a wink.

“Ah, yes. What is happening with the Jett and Sin drama?” I asked, biting into half a sandwich.

“The doctor has been hit with three lawsuits,” Slate responded and laughed.

“Three?”

“Yeah. One from Jett and Sin each. And another off Drake,” Slate replied.

“What on earth is Drake suing him for?”

Slate chuckled even harder and said something, but I didn’t grasp it because he was laughing too hard.

“What?” I demanded.

“Mental and emotional damage,” Slate hissed as he fell apart again.

“Huh?” I asked, not understanding.

“Sin punishes Jett, and he makes us all miserable. Sin also picks on any person with a dick in her early stages. Seriously, Sin’s a real bitch for four months. Drake said if he must suffer another Sin pregnancy, which shouldn’t have happened, he’s suing for extreme anguish and suffering.” Slate began laughing again.

“No!” I exclaimed, horrified.

“Yup, and Reid has now found out and is consulting a lawyer, too,” Slate added, and I began to laugh.

Honestly, I felt sorry for Sin, but it was funny.

“Is Sin really that bad?” I asked finally.

“Yeah. Usually, she is the sweetest nerd going, but pregnancy turns her into a demon. The only one she can stand for four months is Manny. She hates everyone else. They’ve got a scan in two weeks, and Sin’s making threats. Mac’s hiding from her as well. He’s had people text him if Sin’s headed his way. We’re all taking bets now that Sin has got twins because Mac cursed her,” Slate said.

“That poor woman,” I murmured.

“That woman has the entire MC anticipating her next move while pregnant. She’s a total pregnancy diva, but we all spoil her,” Slate explained, grinning.

“Rage likes children?”

“My MC fuckin’ thrives on kids. If the women ain’t baking them, then we’re damn well adopting them. Half the club’s kids are adopted,” Slate said.

“Wow, like properly?”

“Yeah. We find a scrappy brat and think they’ll do, and we scoop the fucker up. We adopt in multiples as well. It’s like dogs and kittens, you don’t get one, or they’ll be lonely,” Slate stated, and I began laughing.

“Damn, I can’t believe you just reduced kids to cats and dogs,” I cried, wiping tears from my eyes.

“They’re similar,” Slate nodded sagely.

“That’s cruel!”

“But truthful. Anyway. We need to talk. Ain’t no easy way to tell you this, Jaelynn, but a missing person’s report came across Ben’s desk. Ben shredded it but recognised the person. It was you,” Slate said gently.

I dropped my sandwich, all appetite lost.

“Did Ben call it in?” I whispered. My mind was already bracing. I had a couple of thousand cash saved up. That wouldn’t get me far but would give me a jump on Damien.

“Jaelynn, Jaelynn, hey,” Slate called, and I shook myself.

“Slate, I’ve got to go,” I murmured. I started to get to my feet, and Slate pushed me gently down.

“Ben shredded the report before anyone else could see it. Jaelynn, he covered for you,” Slate insisted.

“Why?”

“Because we figured out you are running from a cop. Your reaction to Ben and Ramirez gave away more than you realised. You’re on the run from your ex, who was abusive and an officer. Right?” Slate pushed.

“Yes. Gonna hand me in now?”

“No! But you might want to call your mate Lucy,” Slate said.

Outraged, I stiffened and twisted to look at him. “What did you say?”

“Lucy. She’s the one who reported you missing. Lucy’s really upset you’ve disappeared.”

“Lucy Rogers?” I hissed.

“Yeah.” “That’s the bitch Damien was cheating on me with! She’s no friend of mine, she’s a whore!” I cried.

Slate’s eyes widened as he took in what I was saying.

“What?”

“I bet Damien got Lucy to report me. He wouldn’t want his name linked. Damien’s station can claim they looked into it, but actually do nothing,” I hissed.

“No, this was a nationwide alert. You’re being hunted,” Slate disagreed.

“Why not report me missing himself? A cop’s girlfriend disappearing would get a lot more attention than Lucy reporting me. Cops stick together,” I stated.

“True. But Ramirez and Ben had pegged your ex as a dirty cop. You knew they were officers before they identified themselves, and you were frightened of them. That meant you had experience with the police. Throw in the cash-in-hand job and a fake ID, and you’re on the run from a bad relationship. Ben and Ramirez acted to protect you. Not all cops are dirty,” Slate summarised.

“How do you know I’m not hiding from a crime?”

“Because that ain’t you, babe. Not the girl who gives up two evenings and doesn’t expect a penny in return. She did it because she recognised people needing help. That isn’t a criminal on the run,” Slate refuted.

“Smartass,” I retorted, but my heart was not in it. “Your friends won’t report me?”

“They swore an oath to protect and serve. Ben and Ramirez meant it,” Slate explained.

I sighed. It was now or never. “I met Damien while delivering snacks for a friend’s husband. Lewis always forgot his lunch, and Lacey usually ran it up to him. One day, she couldn’t, so I did. Damien and I got talking. He was a sergeant like Lewis. Damien and I talked, and I left. Lewis forgot his food two days later, and I took it again. Damien invited me to join him for lunch.” I shrugged as I swallowed tears.

“I was na?ve, charmed that somebody like Damien wished to take me out. Damien snowed me completely. I was ten years younger than him. Within six months, I had Damien’s ring on my finger and was living with him. Then the abuse began, a random slap here and there, before escalating. There was gaslighting until I believed I was going insane. Damien started isolating me and telling people I was sick.

“The few times I did call the cops, Damien cried and said I’d thrown myself down the stairs or something similar. Between him and his partner, Wade, everything was covered up. Even Lewis and Lacy turned against me. Lacey begged me to get help. Damien had managed to turn my close friends against me.

“But Dorothy is a federal judge, and she wasn’t buying Damien’s bullshit. When they kept getting turned away, Dorothy finally contacted someone to get support. They helped me escape and got me out of state, and I hid out with them for a while. It was peaceful there, with good food and lots of fresh air. I slowly found myself again.” I puffed out my cheeks as Slate stared at me.

“Did Damien have any medical shit on you?” a man asked, and I leapt up from my chair as Slate reached for me.

The two detectives were standing in the doorway, scowling.

“Calm down, Jaelynn, we ain’t gonna harm you. The reason I’m asking is because if Damien didn’t have a doc examine you, it was false imprisonment, hell, even kidnapping,” Ramirez explained.

“I never saw a doctor.”

“And this person who helped you. They wouldn’t be called Parks?”

I couldn’t control my reaction and jolted.

“Yeah. Thought so. They’ve got a long reach. The Parks family help a lot of people, don’t worry Jaelynn. Not many are aware of them,” Ben said and offered me a reassuring smile.

“I don’t know anyone called Parks,” I replied.

“Keep it that way, babe, what the Parks do is a miracle,” Slate added as he rubbed my shoulders.

“Has Slate informed you why we’re here?” Ramirez asked.

“Because you discovered my real identity?”

“No. Jaelynn, there was another murder. A former member of staff from the bar. Her name was Skylar Dean,” Ben answered gently.

“Okay.” I was confused.

That was tragic, but how did it affect me?

“Jaelynn, Skylar was killed and dumped at the cabin,” Slate said.

I stiffened. “When?”

“The same day we were there,” Slate replied.

“I told you I’d seen something,” I cried, thinking back to the flash of red.

“Ramirez needs to take your statement. The Chief, Howser, has agreed to record your name as Witness A unless we have to go to court. Then it might get a bit sticky,” Slate soothed.

“No point summoning me, I didn’t see anything,” I denied.

“But you’re a witness for Slate,” Ben pointed out.

I gazed at Slate. “Do they think you did this?”

“No. But evidence is leading that way. Someone is trying to set me up. Luckily, I have been keeping a record of everywhere I’ve been, thanks to their advice. I can’t be charged, but they still need to take a statement from you,” Slate explained.

“Slate didn’t do this, so ask your questions,” I ordered, turning to the two detectives.

Ramirez settled into a chair and took a notebook and pen out. “Describe your day from the moment you woke,” he said.

I started speaking as Ramirez and Ben made notes.

Slate

“Move in with me. Just while this is happening,” Slate announced once Ramirez and Ben left.

“I can’t do that. Slate, I’m getting used to being here and learning to stand on my own two feet. I don’t want to give up the small amount of independence I’ve gained,” Jaelynn replied.

Slate bit his tongue so he didn’t bark an order. That would make Jaelynn dig her heels in.

“How about I move in with you?”

Jaelynn’s eyes went wide. “Huh?”

“And we get you a dog, do you like dogs?” he questioned.

“Yeah. I love them. I had two, Molly and Roscoe. They’re with Aunt Elsie and Dorothy now.”

“I’ll contact Calamity, he’ll know if they’ve got any suitable for you. But I’m not happy with you being alone. We aren’t sure if this serial killer is stalking me, you, or Rage,” Slate argued.

He needed Jaelyn to understand how serious this was.

“Move in with me until he’s caught. I’m settled here, and you said that your friend needed a house sitter. I refuse to let him down. Come and stay with me.” Jaelynn looked down and bit her lip.

“Jaelynn?” Slate asked, sensing there was more.

“I’m not ready to move forward… sexually… I don’t want you to think I’m… leading you on,” Jaelynn mumbled.

“Babe, I told you, and I meant it. When you’re ready, okay?” Slate said, pulling her close.

“Yes,” Jaelynn whispered, leaning her head on his chest.

Slate wrapped his arms around her. “My dick may misbehave around you, but I can control him,” he muttered, aware of his cock standing proud for Jaelynn.

Jaelynn giggled and kissed him. “You must hate me.”

“Never, babe. My cock might sulk, but trust me, he’ll be happy to meet you when you’re ready,” Slate assured her.

“Good. Why don’t you go and fetch some clothing and meet me back here? I want to get some of this finished. I don’t want to dwell on today,” Jaelynn said, and Slick admired her strength.

Despite the knocks Jaelynn had received, she was still trying to move on with her life. Jaelynn’s fight was something that really attracted him. She’d get knocked down and would claw her way back up. Slate wondered if he could push his luck.

“Come and work at the strip club?”

Jaelynn’s eyes narrowed, and Slate guessed he’d pushed too far.

“What about the bar and Ezra?”

“You can give notice,” Slate answered.

“No. You’re not going to control me. This is a team effort, or nothing happens. I won’t allow another man to mould me into what he wants. No, Slate, I’m not quitting my jobs,” Jaelyn stated emphatically.

“Worth a try,” Slate replied.

“Yup, but the answer’s no. Thank you for offering, but I am happy with what I’m doing.”

“I’ll be back soon. Don’t leave the office, babe, not for anything. And lock the door,” Slate said and headed outside for his bike. He needed to grab a duffle bag because he wasn’t leaving Jaelynn while this lunatic was running about.