Page 25 of Wicked Ends (Hellions of Hade Harbor #4)

Marcus

“Marcus, I just talked to Eddie. He said you picked up the bag at the away game?” Cole called to me as I headed in the direction of Ari’s friends to see where she’d gone.

I paused. There were few things I hated more than my brother roping me into MC business, and it seemed to be happening more and more. This was about that heavy-ass bag I’d picked up from the locker room in Portland.

“Yeah, I’ve got it.”

“You look inside?” Cole wondered.

I shook my head. “I don’t want anything to do with your shit,” I reminded him.

He sighed. “Yeah, well, I hope you stored the hundred grand somewhere safe. Who the hell doesn’t check inside the bag?”

“A hundred grand,” I repeated. Crap. I’d left it on the floor in the back bedroom. Luckily, there was a padlock on the door, so no one could have gotten in.

“You want me to get it for you? Since I can’t be trusted with big-boy money?”

Honestly, I’d like it gone, but the way Cole spoke to me always grated.

“No, no need. Contrary to what you think, little brother, I do trust you. I trust you more than anyone. Keep it safe until I need it. No one would expect you to have it… you’re the hockey star who’s going places, not a dead-end loser Bailey like the rest of your family.

” His grin told me he was joking, but the solemn sadness in his eyes told me he wasn’t.

He stood, adjusting his cut, reminding me of the thing always standing between us.

“I’m heading out. You go and get your rest before your big game tomorrow,” he tossed over his shoulder.

“I thought you didn’t care about how I play?”

“That doesn’t mean I want to see my team lose,” Cole said back, giving me a small grin before making for the door.

His right-hand man, Maddox, and Gage, number three, followed.

I waited for them to go and then made for the back.

I passed through the kitchen and along the dark hall that led to the bedroom I’d bunked down in more times than I cared to recall.

I dialed the combination into the padlock and pushed open the door.

Stopping in the doorway, I peered inside the dark room.

Something felt different.

I flipped on the light and glanced around.

The bed was roughly made; I hadn’t slept in it since the night with Arianna.

The same shit was still on the dresser and chair by the window.

But that wasn’t what felt different. I went to the bags stacked haphazardly by the closet.

Most of them were full of random shit, old hockey gear and patches for the Harbor Hounds.

But there was one bag that was important. A hundred grand important…

And it was gone.

I stared at the space where it had been, sure I was mistaken.

It couldn’t be gone. How could it be gone?

Even Cole didn’t know the combination of the lock on this door, and it had been perfectly functional and not broken at all.

I threw the other bags onto the bed and ripped them open, rifling through each one.

Next, I moved to the closet and cleared it out, dumping out every bag I came across.

Nothing. There was nothing here.

It was gone.

I shoved a hand through my hair and cast around the room for some sign of who could have taken it.

The window was barred, and the glass was unbroken.

No one could have gotten in that way. The door hadn’t been fucked with, which meant that someone put in the combination.

Seeing as I’d changed the number only a week ago and hadn’t told anyone…

except one person. It appeared the list of suspects was short.

Ari.

An incredulous laugh left me. Not only had my birthday girl snuck away when I’d told her to wait for me, she’d fucking robbed me at the same time.

Another chuckle came, turning into full-out laughter.

And to think, I’d fallen for her little sob story about being scared…

It seemed Arianna Moore wasn’t as sweet as I’d thought.

She had an edge. Maybe she’d just needed to meet the guy who’d bring it out in her.

I was that guy. And I had a real fucking edge, too… something Professor Moore was about to find out.

I locked the door and went back through the kitchen, stopping when Polly, the longest-serving waitress at the joint, drifted in front of me.

“Did you see a woman leave, small and curvy, dressed like a librarian?” I asked her.

Polly always knew what was going on.

She thought for a second and then smiled. “You mean the new professor over at HHU? She’s a peach, according to Earl.”

“And how does your husband know her?” I asked.

Polly opened her mouth to speak and then seemed to think better of it. She hesitated, and I put a hand on the metal counter behind her and leaned in.

“Polly, tell me… you know you’re going to tell me eventually, so don’t waste both our time.” I gave her my most charming smile.

She sighed. “Fine. She’s a long-term guest at the Night Owl, but you didn’t hear it from me.”

A slow, victorious smile spread across my face as I straightened up.

Polly tutted and shook her head. “Now, don’t you go making trouble over there. Earl won’t like you harassing that young woman.”

I put a hand to my chest. “I’ll be good as gold, Scout’s honor.”

Polly rolled her eyes and turned away.

The Night Owl Motel, imagine that. I’d never have expected prim and proper Professor Moore to be staying in a run-down old place like that, just off the highway, no less.

I went outside and got on my motorcycle, itching to get to the motel and barge through the rooms until I found Arianna.

I’d get my brother’s money back, and then, I’d teach her what constantly running from me would cost her.

She was so reserved, so quiet … and yet, so fucking bold. A study in contrasts.

I hit the road, steering the bike the few miles between The Clutch and the motel, but when I got closer, red and blue lights were flashing in the darkness.

I drew up at the curb. Cops milled around several police cruisers.

“What happened?” I asked Earl as he shuffled over.

“A break-in, someone got hurt,” he said, sounding crestfallen, like he should be the one protecting guests against break-ins, like he wasn’t ninety years old.

An immediate pang of worry hit me. “Who?” All I knew was it better not have been Arianna. No one touched her, except me.

Earl waved a hand. “A businessman on a trip to town. Came home and interrupted a burglar, I guess.”

Pushing aside my relief, I focused on a plan of action.

“Polly said that the new professor at HHU is staying here. She left something at the bar, and I came to give it to her,” I bluffed to Earl.

“Is that right?” Earl blinked up at me in the red and blue lights.

“Mm-hmm, what room is she in?”

Earl considered my words slowly and then stuck out a wrinkled old hand. “Give it to me, and I’ll pass it along.”

Fucker.

“That’s fine. It’s too personal to pass along. What room is she in?”

“That’s confidential. I reckon if she wanted you to know, Marcus, she’d have told you,” Earl chastised, giving me a sidelong glance.

“What?”

“Don’t you be making trouble for that young woman. She’s been through enough.”

“Has she told you what she’s been through?” I moved closer to Earl, my interest piqued.

He shrugged. “She doesn’t have to. No one turns up in town, pays cash for a month of rent at a motel, and keeps to herself so very much without having a story. People aren’t meant to be so solitary.”

“So, you don’t really know anything, right?” I sighed. “Tell me her room number before I go kicking in doors and searching for her.”

“You wanna do that while the cops are still here, or wait until they leave and I can call them back?” Earl asked baldly.

Motherfucker. It looked like tonight wasn’t going to be the night I’d finally see where Ari was staying.

I pulled my phone out and went to the old string of messages with Ari, before I’d given her the new cell and she’d promptly blocked me. I had a feeling she turned off the new cell after I’d returned it to her earlier, so this seemed like a safer bet.

M: Where are you, beautiful? Be a good girl and tell me… maybe then I won’t punish you too hard for being naughty.

A: You’re one to talk. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

M: I’m talking about your little breaking-and-entering stunt. Theft is a crime, birthday girl, as I’m sure you know.

A: Report me.

A grin chased across my face. Fuck, she was fun.

M: I prefer to deal with wrongdoers in-house. Bring back the bag, beautiful.

A: Not until you agree that this madness can’t continue. Stop pursuing me, and you get your bag back. Don’t stop, and you won’t. Got it?

M: Are you sure you want to play this game with me? Playing is in my blood, and I won’t hold back.

A: It’s for your own good. Get your head out of your ass and forget about me. Then everything goes back to normal.

Forget about her? Impossible. I tucked my phone away, exhaustion tugging at me.

We had the big game coming up, and Coach was on all of us to sleep more.

Since I had practice at dawn tomorrow, the time to do that was slipping away.

With a sigh, I turned my motorcycle toward the HHU campus.

As much as I’d like to track Ari down right now and play some more, it wasn’t the time.

As for everything going back to normal if I left her alone? I was starting to realize that that was the very last thing I wanted.