Descend, page 10
“If you’re looking to be slapped again, I’ll do it without provocation. All your greasy little self has to do is ask.”
“I’ve had enough of your hands being on me.” He shoos me away. “Get on out of here. I’ve got work to do.”
I stay where I am. “Trust me, I don’t want to be here any more than you want me here, but you’re the one who lied. I could have given Gary an alibi for Samantha and stuck to it, but now I’m the one looking like a liar because you just up and decided to stick your nose where it didn’t belong. Again.”
“I already told you, I was trying to help him.”
“Why? What’s Gary to you that you think you’re all the help he has?”
His arms fold. “I know I’m not all he has but despite you, Gary’s always been fair to me.”
“And you repay him by screwing up the only chance he has of putting up a real alibi?”
“I didn’t think it would go this far!” He throws his hands through his hair and turns, catching sight of Matt, who is leaning on the side of his car watching us. Warren’s jaw works as he brings his stare back to mine. “You haven’t changed a bit, Tessa. Still stubborn as a mule and not willing to hear anything anyone has to say.”
“My hearing is just fine. It’s the talking that’s the problem. I’ll have to ask Marcie if she has that problem with you, too. I hear she just dumped you, so I’m sure she’ll give an honest opinion.”
His chestnut-brown eyes narrow. “Better to ask Marcie than that skank of a sister you’ve got.”
I step toward him, nostrils flaring. “Talk about my sister one more time.”
His lip curls. “Too bad Beth doesn’t defend you like this. When it’s your name in the mud, it’s usually her doing the slinging.”
My insides freeze. I used to confide in him when I’d hear something Beth had said about me behind my back. He knows all the parts of me that hurt, so my excuse is weak, but I mutter it anyway. “You don’t know her like I do.”
He backs away. “I know her plenty.”
My teeth clench. “Trust me, I heard plenty about all the ways you got to know her. In my van.”
He stares at me, tension building a bomb between us. But this isn’t the fuse I’m here to ignite. “Stay out of Gary’s business or I’ll slit your throat myself.” I march past him, purposefully bumping him as I pass.
Matt’s eyebrow cocks as I near. “Didn’t go well?”
“Drive.” I go to the passenger door and plop into the seat, catching sight of Warren’s body leaned back over the Pontiac. It didn’t take him long to get that hood back open and I shouldn’t be surprised. Every time I’ve depended on him, he’s let me down, so I don’t know why I expected to get the truth out of him this time. He’s not capable of doing the right thing.
Matt starts his engine and stares at me. “Where to?”
I check my phone. Chopper’s words make the hair on my neck raise. Your house. Now. I slip a sweaty hand onto Matt’s knee. “Let’s go to my place.”
~24~
I’m glad things didn’t work out between Warren and me, he’s no Matt Honaker. And now that I’m experiencing Matt, I can’t believe I ever fell for Warren. But with the way Warren’s name has been coming up and the fact that I’ve occupied the same space as him, I can’t help remembering the scratch of his voice against my ear and the feel of his skin on mine. Memories I’ve drunk to forget, and ones I’ve tried to use other men to forget.
“You okay?” Matt’s hand slips across the console as we drive down my street.
I nod. “It’s just been a long day.”
His fingers tighten on mine. “That is has. And we have some things to talk about. But I don’t want to fight with you, so let’s take the night to sleep on everything and then we’ll have a conversation tomorrow about how you’re not going to keep bossing me around.” He tilts his eyes to mine, a grin tugging at his lips. “When we get to your house, I’ll make us some food, and then I’ll take my boss to bed. Sound like a plan?”
My throat tightens. I have no idea if Chopper is waiting for me. Of all the times to start a relationship, this is the worst. But I’m in deep with Matt, moving at lightning speed and no part of me wants to slow down. I manage a smile for him. “Your plan sounds perfect.”
His palm opens as Brian’s bike comes into view. Matt tries to pull away but I hold him tight until his fingers close back over mine. “You knew I came with shadows, so don’t get mad that they’re around. Especially now, when a murderer is running loose.”
Matt turns into the driveway and parks behind Beth’s car. “I get that tensions are running high, Tessa. Especially for those guys.” He nods toward Brian. “Gary’s arrest is a big deal for all of you, but I’m in this, too. I’m with you. And I’m scared for you.” He places a hand along my jaw. “I know you don’t want to hear anything bad said about the club, but after today, I can’t help but tell you that I don’t like the way they treat you. It’s like you’re property to them. They tell you what to do, where to go, who you can go there with.” He swallows. “I want what’s best for you, babe, and I’m not sure that’s them.”
“Maybe I’m not what’s good for you then.” I place my hand over his. “You’re mad that I’m bossing you around, and that’s basically what you’re saying the club does to me.”
He grimaces as another bike shows up. It’s Zeno, and I don’t have to look to know. “We’re not in normal times, Matt. The Leidolf aren’t usually like this, but I probably am.”
He smiles and slips his big hand around the back of my neck, pulling me to his lips. “Things are slow at the office right now so I’m happy to ride your shotgun anytime, or drive you anywhere you need to go, because I’d rather you be with me than any of them.” His mouth closes over mine, sensual and sweet. “I’m all the protection you need, Tessa. Now let’s get you inside so you can eat, and then we can both release some tension.”
~Matt~
Tessa left at dawn, on the back of Chopper’s bike after his text woke her up. I spent some time with Beth and then left for my office, hoping to meet up with Tessa for lunch. She hasn’t answered any of my texts, though.
I call her on my short walk to the Grille, leaving a message as I enter the building. I walk to where there’s a gate in the bar and crane my neck to see down the hall to where her office is. One of the tall blonde twins who bartend here steps in front of my view. “What can I get for you?”
I shove my phone in my pocket. “I’m looking for Tessa. Is she in her office?”
“Not at the moment.” She shrugs. “I’ll tell her you stopped by.”
“How about I just wait right here for my girlfriend.” I let her know that I have a right to be looking down that hallway, and sit on the nearest stool so I can do just that, because Tessa may very well be back there and this twin just isn’t saying.
A snicker reaches my ear and I turn right, watching four members of the Leidolf mock me. I turn back to the blonde. “I’ll take a beer while I wait for Tessa. Anything you have on tap will do.”
She saunters off to get my drink and I glance to the men. They’re smiling at me, laughter on the edge of their lips. A ball of annoyance forms in my chest. Seeing how I don’t know where my supposed girlfriend even is, there’s not much I can say to shut them up.
I take out my phone and shoot Tessa another message. A shadow of another person catches the corner of my eye. It’s Warren. He has a ballcap pulled low over his face but everything about Tessa’s ex is burned into my memory. It’s him. In her bar. Talking to her wolves.
“Liar!” Her screech hits my ears. I swing around, expecting Tessa to be charging this direction but I don’t see her. I get off the stool. The blonde blocks my path again, her eyes flicking to the men at the end of the bar. I turn to them and the older one nods. The blonde moves aside and lets me pass.
I enter the hall and catch a wisp of Tessa’s hair pushing through her office door. Chopper is standing in the doorway of what they call a sanctuary. Our eyes lock, words passing unsaid. He nods toward her door and then slips behind his, shutting it. I turn to the wood slab beside me and knock. “Tessa? Babe, it’s me. Open up.”
She throws the door open, eyes red. “Matt.” She pulls me inside and slams the door, fingers twisting the lock before she plows past me, dropping into the chair at her desk.
I sink to my knees beside her, smoothing a hand over her thigh. “Babe, what’s going on? Why are you crying? And who lied to you?”
She doesn’t answer, pressing her finger onto the sensor of her keyboard to unlock her computer. She clicks through a menu. I spin her chair, forcing her to look at me. “What’s going on?”
She wipes her face. “They’re liars. All of them.”
“The Leidolf?” I question. “It doesn’t surprise me, but what exactly did they lie to you about?”
She crosses her arms, teeth grinding. “They have contacts in the regional jail. Ever since Gary was transferred there, the guys have been in communication with him because he was given access to a cell phone.” Her nostrils flare as she pulls air through her fiery chest. “Supposedly he called and said we’re to work with Warren. Let him inside this building, and work with him.”
“Work with him on what?”
Tears storm her eyes. “On clearing Gary’s name. My cousin’s name. But Gary wouldn’t do this to me. I know he wouldn’t allow Warren to be here.”
I scrub a hand over my jaw. “Are they saying Gary thinks Warren knows who’s killing people? Because then it would make sense for Gary to order the club to let Warren in.”
Her head shakes, eyes lowering to stare at her hands. “I don’t know what they think Warren knows, but I do know Gary wouldn’t allow him in this bar. That’s why…” Her eyes shift to the locked door. “I’m going to clear Gary’s name myself.”
I stand and bring her to her feet, adjusting myself into the chair and settling her on my lap. “Babe, I know you want to help Gary. And I know him being locked up is painful for you. But there’s not much you can do for him. If he’s innocent, the police will figure that out and let him go.”
“If?” she bites.
I rest a hand along her cheek. “I’m not the enemy. I’m only trying to help you.”
Her body whirls around, fingers flying over her keyboard. A camera feed of her office pops onto the screen. I lean over her shoulder and find the angle, looking up to a stack of books atop a shelf in the corner. The camera is somewhere up there. “I thought the bar didn’t have cameras inside.”
“This is the only interior camera.” Her hard eyes meet mine. “No one knows I installed this. I keep sensitive files in here so I wanted a camera, just in case anything ever happened.” She turns back to the laptop and scrolls through the motion sensor footage.
“What exactly are you looking for?”
“Gary.” She huffs. “I need something with a time stamp to prove where he was when Samantha and Cheryl were murdered. If I can find footage of him in here…” Her jaw sets. “All I need is footage. I’ll doctor the time stamp or say my camera time is wrong.”
I steady my hands and cup her shoulders. “Babe, I assume the reason no one knows about this camera is because the Leidolf will go through the roof if they find out. So before you go and get yourself in hot water with the club and with the law, walk out into the Grille with me and find out why Gary might have actually asked his men to work with the weasel.” I brace for her reaction. “Warren is in the bar.”
~25~
It was all I could do to keep up with Tessa as she weaved and dodged through the crowd on the warpath to confront Warren. Gripping her shoulders, I stand behind her, holding her from him while staring the man down. He isn’t looking at me. His eyes are on her. “I’m here because Gary asked me to be.”
“Liar!” she screams, the pain of betrayal shaking her voice.
Warren’s eyes move to where my fingers are curled around her shoulders. I lower my mouth to her ear, whispering calming words. His gaze lifts to where my lips fit against her lobe. He most certainly still has feelings for her. I place a kiss on the soft flesh of her neck and straighten, my point made. She’s with me.
He shifts uncomfortably in his seat. “I just came from the jail, Tessa. Gary told me with his own mouth to get down here.”
“It’s true,” confirms one of the men who had a good laugh at my expense earlier. He’s chewing on the end of what used to be a cigarette.
She turns on him. “There’s no way this lying rat was allowed to see Gary when I can’t even get in to see him!”
I clear my throat. “I’ll take you to the jail tomorrow, babe. If anyone has been allowed in to see Gary, they’ll have a record of it. And maybe you’ll get to see him, too.”
Warren’s arms cross. “There’s no record of me being there. Someone owed me a favor, and I called it in.”
She breaks free of my grip, lunging for his throat. Chopper steps in front of her, shoving her back into my arms. My eyes narrow. Chopper stares at me, seemingly expressionless, but there’s no mistaking his challenge. Or the menace in the words coming from my left. They slice through the tension. “If another murder happens while Gary’s in jail, they’ll let him go. I think we can arrange taking care of a problem female.”
Chopper turns to the man. Other members do as well. He laughs. “I wasn’t talking about Gary’s little cousin. But I imagine we can find someone to break our rules for.”
Tessa tugs from my hands and rounds on him. “Whose going to do this killing, Montrose? You?” Her teeth show through her grin. “Because I’d love to see you try.”
He gets off his stool and faces Warren, who is now out of his seat and flanking Chopper. “Maybe he should do it. Earn his keep.”
“His keep?” Tessa balks. “Warren isn’t joining the Leidolf!”
Warren steps in front of her. “You’re not the boss of what or who I do, sweetheart.”
She lunges and I get an arm around her waist, pulling her kicking body tightly against me. She gives up on escaping and leans as far toward Warren as she can. “Why is it that only women have to die? I nominate you as Montrose’s victim.”
He smiles. “If you’re going to be the one pulling the trigger, I accept. You never could hit the broad side of a barn.”
“That’s enough,” Chopper roars. “Gary’s word is to let him be, so let him be, Tessa.”
The men all watch her. Her back goes rigid but she remains still in my arms, her eyes locked in battle with Warren’s. “I’m going to find out what got you a place in this bar and when I do, I’m going to turn you into ash. You hear me, Warren? I’m going to burn down your world.”
He looks away and I slide onto the seat of the booth behind me, holding Tessa tightly against my side. Chopper stands in front of her, blocking her way out. “Warren has information. You need to hear it.”
He gives Warren a signal and I look around the Grille. It’s devoid of people. I’ve noticed the bar being closed at unexpected times, and they must have closed while I was in Tessa’s office. I glance at Warren. He’s standing to Chopper’s left, angled toward the rest of the men while Chopper stares at Tessa. “They found a bat outside Cheryl’s house. About a hundred feet into the woods. There’s a partial bloody fingerprint on it that matches to Gary. And another on a piece of glove that was found. A glove like the ones used in the kitchen here.”
I feel wetness on my arm and lean around to look at Tessa’s face. She’s crying again. I hold her tighter.
Her head shakes and she looks up at Warren. He meets her eyes and nods. “I saw the bat. It’s yours.”
“Hers?” I question.
Her body trembles. “I made that bat in high school. Gary used to carry it around, strapped to his bike. Now he keeps it in his room.” Her eyes float to mine. “My name is carved into it, so if Warren saw it…”
Even without her name carved into it, Warren would know that bat was hers because they were together in high school. He’s probably the reason she took a shop class to begin with. I shift uncomfortably. “Who are you, Warren? What gives you special access to Gary and to all the evidence?”
His nostrils flare. “I’ve been in this town a heck of a lot longer than you, that’s who I am.”
Tessa scoffs. “Chief hates Warren just as much as the rest of us, but Warren’s a rat, sneaking in and out of everywhere without a single loyalty to anyone around him. Hard to tell what he did to get today’s privileges, but eventually, all rats are smashed.” She glares at him. “Any more news to share, rat? Or have you overstayed your welcome so soon?”
Chopper doesn’t allow an answer. He moves away from her. “Zeno, take her home. Randy, go with him. If she so much as opens a window, bring her to me.”
~26~
Fury and outrage battle inside my chest. I knew getting involved with Tessa wouldn’t be easy. I watched her interactions with the Leidolf for far too long, her closeness to them becoming commonplace to the point that I forgot how difficult it was to even get near her when I first moved to town. As public as their clubhouse is, they’re always watching Tessa. And not in the same way they watch the other women who work in the Grille. She’s different, like a special little pet. Outsiders can walk up to her at the bar, order a drink, and make small talk, but not without one of the Leidolf breathing down their neck. I’ve seen them insert themselves into her conversations and the ones they don’t participate in, they listen to.
And while you might find her outside the Grille, it’s unlikely you’ll find her alone. One of them is always with her. That’s why I followed her to the river that night. I couldn’t believe she was alone. When she came home with me, I couldn’t believe my luck. Tessa is everything I ever thought she would be. Now I just need to get her away from them. She doesn’t deserve to be caged. She’s wild. She’s beautiful. And she should be running free.
She should also be eating regularly. It’s late, but I follow her home, nodding to the man Zeno when she slides off his bike and runs to me. He doesn’t stop me from going inside with her and though she’s apologizing for Chopper’s actions, what I hear most is the growl of her stomach. My cooking skills are better when I have a full kitchen, but all that’s on the menu tonight is boxed spaghetti and jarred sauce. It’ll do the trick of feeding us, and Beth.
