Descend, page 13
I swallow down the memories of Isabel and what I did to her that night. Since Warren jilted me, I understand how badly my actions hurt her. “Matt, take Beth to the Grille. I’ll meet you there in an hour.”
~
Chopper doesn’t fight my decision. He gets on the phone with the club and grabs our bags, securing them on his bike and firing up the beast. My insides churn, twisting and knotting as chaos unfolds inside me. Isabel’s death can mean so many things. One being Gary’s innocence, another being my connection to these last three victims, and the first. Maybe Gary isn’t the link. Maybe I am. Maybe all of this is only a coincidence.
I hold Chopper tight and he folds a hand over where mine clasp against his abdomen. There’s a killer in Hinton, and he’s escalating.
Chopper pulls around to the back of the bar and it hits me that I haven’t seen my vehicle in a while. I do go through spells of hardly driving myself anywhere, but at least I usually know where my wheels are. Now, time is passing in weird chunks of days, not hours.
Before we get off the bike, I rest my head on Chopper’s shoulder. “The club didn’t do this, right? They wouldn’t…”
He looks up at the night sky, the stars above us deceptively calm. “We don’t kill women.”
“I believe you,” I whisper. “And I’m sorry that I’m a distraction for you. For Gary. For all the Leidolf.”
He removes my hands, keeping hold of one of them as he climbs off the bike. I follow his lead and stand in front of him. He pulls me close and holds me, pressing his cheek against mine. In his way, he’s telling me that it’s okay, but I still feel horrible.
He slides his hand back into mine and walks toward the Grille, nodding to Zeno as we enter and tightening his grip when Montrose comes into view. The senior man walks toward the sanctuary and Chopper releases my hand. “Go find Beth.”
Hurrying by the sanctuary door, I head for the main bar. Matt’s waiting for me, worried eyes trained on the hallway. I run to him, tears hot against my cheeks. “It’s okay, babe,” he whispers against my ear. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
Beth is behind him, huge red-rimmed eyes trained on my bandaged fingers, mouth twisting in a gasp of words I can’t stop from spilling. “What happened to your hand?”
Matt’s arms slide from around me and pull my hands into his. Crimson flushes up his neck, curse words flying from his mouth. I press my lips to his. He pulls away. “What did Chopper do to you?”
“Nothing.” I sigh. “He just has a hard head.”
A snicker draws my attention. Warren is cozy on a nearby barstool, a mug of beer nestled between his palms. I break away from Matt and hit the mug full force. Warren jumps from the stool but not in time, beer splatters his chest like a gunshot wound. “What the hell, Tessa!” he yells.
Matt pulls me backward, tucking me tight against his chest. Montrose’s voice bellows from behind me. “Knock it off!”
I smile at Warren. “I just did.”
He tugs his faded blue t-shirt over his head and throws it at Beth. “Here. You’ve always wanted a piece of me.”
I lunge for him, doing what Chopper said and throwing an elbow. Matt uses my momentum to spin me around, hard eyes lowering to mine. “Let. It. Go. We’ve got bigger problems than a fight with your ex.”
“Listen to your boyfriend,” Montrose spits, glancing at Chopper, who is standing next to him. “Whichever one of them can keep you from causing problems.”
~32~
Montrose’s words cause Matt to stiffen. Chopper has no reaction, and that’s somewhat helpful, but Randy saves the day by locking the front doors and telling everyone to sit down. The club wants Matt and Beth’s first-hand account of what happened, and each man listens with intent while they give every detail of what they encountered on the road earlier tonight.
I’m not able to look up from my chipped nails. Matt’s voice cracks when he talks about seeing the flashing lights up ahead, stopping behind an ambulance and walking along the side of the road to see what was going on and if he could help. That’s when he saw Isabel’s hair sticking out from under the sheet. There’s mud on the knees of his jeans from where the shock took his legs out from under him.
The room goes still, Beth’s soft sobs filling the heavy silence. My chest tightens, the pressure of knowing I should be the one to say something closing around my throat. All I can think is that somehow, all of this is my fault. People are dead because of me.
Matt’s arm tucks around me, forehead resting against my temple. “I’m so glad it wasn’t you.”
Montrose tips his stool toward the bar. “Something happens to her and we won’t have to worry about getting Gary out of jail, he’ll tear it down and feed it to us brick by brick.”
My eyes snap to his. His leathery face is sullen. Hard. A mix of disdain for having to accept me and agitation over someone killing women right under his nose. He thought he’d come to town and set things right, but there’s not a member of the Leidolf who’ve come up with any real leads. “Have you talked to Gary? Does he know there’s been another murder?” My voice comes out weaker than I’d care to have it, but it’s either speak softly, or let them hear the guilt that’s chewing up my soul.
Randy nods. “I sent the message.”
Matt shifts beside me. “I’m going to take Tessa and Beth home.”
“Tessa stays.” The command comes from Chopper.
Matt’s hand tenses on my shoulder. I hear the inhalation and get to my feet, bringing him with me to stop whatever words are wanting to flow from his mouth next, before the men in this room throttle him. “I’ll be upstairs. If Gary calls, I want to talk to him.”
Attempting to hurry from the bar, Matt in tow, I cringe as Beth comes scrambling into the hallway after us. “Wait! What about me? Do I have to stay here?”
I glance over my shoulder. Chopper shakes his head. I turn back to Beth. “One of the guys will take you wherever you want to go. But you can’t be alone. Either go to Arnold’s or to Mom’s.”
Her arms fold, feet clomping along behind us until we reach the bottom of the stairs. “You know I hate riding on their bikes!”
“Then call Arnold,” I snap, inner turmoil getting the best of me. “I need Matt right now so please, Beth, find a ride to someplace safe. Now would be a great time for you and Arnold to take that vacation he’s been wanting.”
Her eyes brim with tears. “I thought you were my safe place. And if Matt’s with us I don’t see why we can’t go home. I want to go home!”
I let go of Matt and wrap my arms around her. “I do, too. But I can’t. Gary has enough trouble without worrying about me.”
Matt brushes the hair from my neck, resting his palm over my sticky flesh. “I’m worried about you, too. I’m worried about you being here. You already have a broken hand.”
I drag in a breath, leaning away from Beth to slip an arm around his waist. “I cracked a couple of fingers trying to make a point on Chopper’s face. And you’re getting pretty good at holding me back which is probably why they’re letting you stay here with me.” I give him a weak smile and tilt my lips to Beth’s cheek. “I’m sure you’re welcome to stay, too. Gary’s apartment is a two-bedroom and it’s pretty nice.”
She bristles. “I can’t be around these hooligans. I swear one of them is the killer. Everyone is saying so.”
“Every idiot with a mouth.” I groan, pulling free of her. “And you’re in their house, be respectful.”
Beth scans the hallway, shivering as if she’s terrified to be standing inside the Grille. I move away and top the stairs. Matt doesn’t follow. I look back at him. “You coming?”
He says something to Beth and then follows me to Gary’s apartment, clicking the door shut behind him. “Beth is calling Arnold. I told her to wait inside until he gets here.”
“Thanks,” I mutter, heading to the kitchen.
He comes up behind me. “She’s scared, Tessa. We’re both scared. You didn’t see what we saw tonight.”
I take a glass from the cabinet and go to the sink, fixating on the water lapping up the clear edges. “I’m scared, too. I’m terrified for everyone in this town.”
I feel the heat of the tears before I realize I’m crying again. Matt’s arms circle me from behind, hands moving to turn the faucet off and set my overfull glass aside. “This is a rough time for all of us. Just…if you don’t respect me and my decisions, the Leidolf aren’t going to respect me, and I’m tired of them ordering you around like you belong to them. They didn’t exactly keep Samantha or Cheryl safe, what makes you think they’re going to keep anything from happening to you?”
My head shakes, tears plopping onto the rim of the sink. “I’m not here because I’m too scared to buck the club. I’m not even here because I’m worried I’m next. At this point, let the killer come for me.”
His lips fall against my head. “Don’t say that.”
I shrug. “It’s true. Because I think…” I think I’m the cause of this somehow. That my life ending will end the murders. “Matt, I––”
The apartment door swings open. Startled, we both turn around. Warren stops in the archway between the living and dining rooms, t-shirt dangling from his back pocket. His jaw ticks when he sees my tears. “I need to talk to you. Alone.”
“No.” I sniff.
He takes a step forward. Matt moves from behind me. “She said no.”
“She says lots of things,” Warren growls.
Matt advances and I slide between them, anger rushing hot and fast. “Stop! I’ve had enough. I need rest. So leave, Warren. Because I’m going to break whatever spell you put on Gary and when I do, you’ll beg to be gutted like these women have been.”
His expression hardens. “Then what do you think Gary’s going to do when he finds out your boyfriend is a cop?”
~33~
Disbelief is easy. It’s the knowing that’s the problem. In the midst of defending Matt, I caught sight of his face, my own countenance falling with every line of worry tracing across Matt’s. Warren isn’t lying. Matt’s a cop.
Every fiber of my being vibrates, molecules ready to come unglued. “You’re using me.”
He reaches for me. I retreat. “Babe,” he whispers. “I was a cop, I’m not anymore.”
Warren huffs. “Once a pig, always a pig.”
Matt slams into Warren, the two of them falling overtop Gary’s polished wood end table. Warren lands a blow against Matt’s jaw and Matt counters by bashing Warren’s head into the floor. “Stop!” I scream, Matt’s shirt ripping under my grasping fingers. Chopper bursts through the door, shoving me aside and wrapping an arm around Matt’s neck. He throws his body backward, choking the larger man to get him off Warren.
“Stop.” I drop to my knees, pleading with Chopper to let him go. “They got it all out of their system. They’re done.” I look into Matt’s bulging eyes, pain ripping through my chest. “You’re done.”
Chopper eases up on the choke and Matt rolls away, coughing and rubbing his neck. I close my eyes, willing my tears to stop. Warren hasn’t told the Leidolf about Matt, or else Chopper wouldn’t have let him go.
“Come on.” I tug Matt’s arm, urging him off the floor. In the hallway, I press my mouth to his ear. “Don’t come back here again. Not even for a cup of coffee.”
His hands grip my arms, holding me close, voice hoarse. “I was only a cop for a year.” He pulls back, blue eyes looking deep into mine. “Will you please let me explain?”
I remove his touch. “You hid the truth of who you are for a reason.”
He scrubs his hands down his face, jaw already beginning to swell. “Who I was, Tessa. Past tense. That part of my life ended three years before I even moved here.” He leans his head against the wall, whispering. “I’m not undercover and trying to run a scam on you. Warren is, though. Why do you think he’s digging into my past and inserting himself in every inkling of a connection to you?”
I glance to the open doorway, the hushed tones of Warren’s voice wafting out. He’s definitely up to something, but he isn’t wrong for outing Matt. And if he wanted to get rid of Matt, he would have done it in front of the club.
I level my gaze on Matt. “I’ll walk you out.”
~
Warren and Chopper look up from their respective places in the living room when I reenter Gary’s apartment. Warren, still shirtless, stretches his arm along the back of the couch. “Where is he?”
My eyes dart to Chopper’s chair, then back to Warren. “Can we talk?”
He swipes his t-shirt from the floor where it pulled from his back pocket in the tussle. He tosses it at me. “I’ve said all I need to say. I expect you to handle that situation, and wash my shirt.”
I ball up the shirt and throw it at his head. “Why are you here? Can’t stand to see me happy? You have to barge in and ruin everything about my life all over again?”
“Me?” He climbs to his feet, towering over me. “Sweetheart, you’re the one who ruins every relationship I get into so don’t go putting your jealous tendencies on me. I’ve stayed out of your life the way you wanted me to. Until now. When a killer is mutilating women and leaving them in our streets.” His chest presses into me, face lowering, chiseled jaw hardening with every breath. “I don’t care about your feelings. I care that there’s still breath in your body. That’s why I’m here.”
Chopper raps his knuckles over the table. “Sit down. Both of you.”
Warren moves back to his place on the couch and I sit on the opposite arm, not willing to sit next to him. I don’t trust for a second that he’s here on my behalf, and he’s not keeping Matt’s secret out of the goodness of his heart. He’s keeping that ace up his sleeve for a reason, and will play the card when it suits him best. There’s nothing I hate worse than someone having something to hold over me.
Chopper doesn’t seem to care what Matt and Warren were fighting about, and he’s not interested in any more drama from Warren and me. His face is solemn, which is better than murderous. “Gary called. He still wants you tucked away.”
I fold my arms. “Did you tell him I’m not going anywhere? Especially when he won’t talk to me?”
He nods. I drop my arms. “Gary has to realize what Isabel’s death means. He has absolutely no connection to her.”
“You do.” Warren’s eyes float to mine. “You’ve got connections to all of them, Tessa. Every single one of them, starting with Layla.”
The air around me is heavy, like concrete being mixed into the atmosphere, painful chunks slicing through my lungs as I breathe. My vision grows dark, pulse racing as Warren’s voice drones on. The woman murdered the year after Layla was the substitute art teacher I had for three months. The sunny woman with a face as round as her body had more talent in her toenail than I had in the whole of my being. Yet she favored my sketches, hanging them in the hallway and praising the work to anyone who happened by. She was murdered exactly one year after Layla.
The next year it was the sweet lady who worked in the produce department at Foodville. My whole senior year, I’d go in there and buy a fruit bowl before school. When she found out I didn’t like cantaloupe, she started making me special bowls with extra strawberries in place of the cantaloupe. Last I heard, she’d retired and moved away to be near her son.
“Last year it was our old high school cook.” Warren continues with a heavy undertone of pity. “You’re the only one Arlene ever gave graduation gifts to. Heck, you’re the only one she ever bothered to come to graduation for.”
I slide off the arm of the couch, air no longer willing to penetrate the thick walls of my lungs. Warren sinks into the floor with me, snapping at Chopper to get me some water. “She’s having a panic attack.”
I dig my nails into the muscles stretching out of Warren’s jeans and over his hips. “Air.”
His palms rest against my cheeks. “It’s all around you. You’re okay, just breathe.” He mimics the motion, urging me to follow his breathing. “There you go. All you’ve got to do is breathe. And wash my shirt.” I dig my nails into him harder and he laughs, taking the glass from Chopper and bringing it to my lips. “She’s going to be just fine.”
~34~
Head woozy, the dull throb of an incoming migraine tensing my jaw, I manage to pull myself onto the couch, accepting as little aide from Warren as possible. He sits beside me, rubbing my back. “I haven’t told the others about your connection, only Chopper. And Gary.”
I move too fast, vision blinking dark and then back to way too bright as I round on him. “What do you mean you told Gary? You think I killed these people?”
He glares at me. “Yeah, I think you strapped on a piece and used your charming personality to get their defenses down so you could gut them while raping them.” My face pales and he blows out a breath. “Of course I don’t think you killed them. You’re not strong enough to move the bodies and…”
He hesitates, glancing at Chopper. I grab his chin and turn him back to me. “And what?”
He knocks my hand from his face. “Before you got Rene fired, I was able to see some of Samantha’s file. The guy who attacked her used a condom. He…wasn’t gentle during any part of what he did to her.”
