CHAPTER FOUR

– LEONTINE –

This can’t be. There’s simply no way.

Warm hands cup my face and gently turn my head. I have no other option than to tear my eyes from the dead body and lock my gaze with Veloz’s.

“There you are. Now, answer my question. You said the one who hurt you was dead?” His voice is calm and soothing, unlike the havoc of emotions that are tearing through me.

“Yes. I was told Stephan and Asher both emptied their gun on him. There’s no way Peter Vorstad could have done this because he’s dead.” I swallow hard and let my eyes wander back to the floor.

Saying it out loud isn’t loosening the grip fear has on me. If anything, there’s a wave of new desperation overwhelming me. The dead woman on the floor has the exact same scars littering her body that are also carved into my skin. The only difference between us is; she’s dead and I’m still alive.

“That’s right, good girl,” Veloz rumbles. “Now, eyes back on mine, darlin’. Tell me, what’s going through your mind?”

“That’s me on the floor. I’m still breathing but she isn’t; that’s the only difference. The scars…they…it’s…that’s me, I have them. Exactly the same spots on my body as they are on hers,” I ramble out my thoughts without thinking.

Veloz’s thumb slides up and down my cheek. “Okay, Lea.”

There’s no anger in his voice, his thumb keeps stroking me with a gentle touch. The anger swirling in his eyes is the only indication that he isn’t as unaffected as he seems.

“We’re either dealing with a copycat or–” He falls silent and I have a feeling he’s not giving me his thoughts the way he just asked me to give him mine.

“Or?” I press.

He slowly shakes his head. “Not yet. We’re going to process the scene and take in all the details. I’m going to call my prez and tell him that we’re taking point on this case. Or…at least I want to take point. You?”

“Yes,” I instantly tell him without any hesitation. “But this is the reason Archer told you to leave me with my twin, right?”

He gives a short shake of his head. “He suspected due to the findings of the first responder that it might be a possible serial killer due to the excessive violence of the murder. No one knows this woman carries the same injuries you sustained. I’m pretty sure that if I did leave you at Blennies Hitch then I never would have known. Maybe Archer would have, but–”

“No. None of my injuries were documented or put into a report. No one knows,” I tell him and frown, wondering how it’s possible to have these similarities while the person who did it to me is dead.

“All the more reason to take this case together don’t you think?” he questions.

Dammit, he’s right. If Archer, my father, my twin, or anyone else finds out they would take over and make sure to protect me. Meaning I’d be twiddling my thumbs because they wouldn’t want me anywhere near the stuff that happened, either as a reminder or a repeat.

I find myself bobbing my head and he rumbles, “Good, then it’s settled.” He brushes his lips against mine for a heartbeat or two. “I’m gonna update Archer. Are you able to take in the scene and start to take notes?”

“Yes.” I take out my phone and click on the app I need to type down my notes.

Veloz steps out of the room and I let my gaze wander over to the body. Swallowing hard, the thought, “that would have been me if it weren’t for my family,” slides through my mind. I could have easily died from the injuries; like the woman on the floor clearly did.

I remember how Peter cut my skin over and over. The pain. His voice. Revolted by my own thoughts, I barely manage to push the memories to the back of my mind. Leaning in I now notice how some cuts are deeper than mine. No hesitation marks.

My thumbs are tapping the screen of my phone as I make a few personal notes, also adding the fact that I need to dive into the database to search for similar murders. Movement near the door catches my attention and I notice Veloz who steps back into the room.

Veloz shoves his phone into his pocket. “I just spoke to Archer. The case is ours. I wanted some backup and he gave me Sully and Pax.”

I frown. “Neither were there when I was taken.”

“I know, that was my request,” Veloz rumbles.

Narrowing my eyes, I ask, “Why? Wouldn’t it make more sense if they were aware of what happened?”

“No,” he grits. “The visuals would pop into their minds every time they see you. I don’t want the distraction and you told me there wasn’t any documentation of it. If they weren’t there when it happened, they don’t have the distraction.”

“Or the advantage,” I fire back. “Either way, what happened to me happened to her. If it’s a copycat–”

“How can it be a copycat if your injuries weren’t documented?” he fires back. “Did this Peter always kill this way? Was it his trademark?”

I’m frowning again because his words are true. “No,” I muse. “As a matter of fact, he killed randomly. Not the way he took his time by giving me these scars. He should have been more careful and focused on getting away. Instead, he carved me up as if it was his life mission. It’s why they were able to catch him and find me.”

“Exactly.” Veloz points at the body. “That’s why we need to go over Peter’s background again, fresh eyes and all.”

“We could do that without backup.”

“You’re shitting me, right?” he grunts. “There’s no way we will balance two cases at once with one of them having the potential of being something really fucked-up because of the similarities with you.”

I know he’s right, but it bugs me that we now have two others butting in on things. “We could have investigated things ourselves first.”

“Right. And then I’ll stand with my cock in hand when something does happen with you on my fucking watch,” he grits.

My gaze automatically drops down to the cock in question.

“Lea,” he whispers in a frustrated growl. “That’s exactly what I mean. Two cases between the both of us? We need time to ourselves as well and with others having our backs, we will have that and more to handle everything correctly.”

“Whatever,” I mutter and click my notes away before I shove my phone back in my pants. “Are we ready to head home so I can get behind my laptop?”

Veloz nods. “We’ve seen all we need at this point and will let the proper authorities make their reports.”

“Good. Then we’ll go through all of their findings when we get them. I’ll make a call to find out who the medical examiner is so we’ll have the ME’s report the second it’s available.”

“No need, I already made all of the necessary arrangements through Archer, and after the call, I made sure the sheriff also was aware.” He’s wearing a satisfied grin when he adds, “Want to stop by the tattoo shop or go straight home?”

I wince at the reminder of my plans going south. “Straight home. It’s not like the tattoo is a priority: my scars will need to heal first. Besides, Hadley isn’t expecting me. I was just going to swing by to see if she started working on the design.”

“Good. Grocery store?” he asks. “Or I’m fine ordering takeout if you are.”

Now I’m wincing for a different reason. “No takeout. I prefer a home-cooked meal and besides I can let my mind wander when my hands are busy.”

We leave the scene and swing by the grocery store for some shopping before we head to my house. Veloz is carrying the grocery bags and I grab my keys to open the door. He walks straight to the kitchen while I head for my laptop.

I’m itching to run some programs and within a few minutes, I have them up and running, knowing it will take a while to get any results. I wander into the kitchen where Veloz has just finished putting away the groceries.

I’m about to say something when I hear my laptop ping with a notification alert. Spinning on my heel, I head into the living room and check the notification. I’m surprised to see it’s not about the new case but about Veloz’s old team member instead.

“Hey,” I quip. “Could you come in here for a sec?”

“What’s up?” he rumbles as he saunters into the room.

Pointing at my laptop I tell him, “I have a facial recognition program running in the background to get a notification if Presley shows his face anywhere.”

“You can do that?” Veloz’s eyes widen.

I shrug. “Sometimes it comes in handy. I wanted confirmation and now we have a clear visual of him at a gas station the next town over.”

“Now what? Can we track him?” Veloz wonders out loud.

I click on the keyboard and pull the document I was working on when Veloz was switching the patches on his leather cut earlier today. “I’ve managed to get some information on property owned in Seymour Wallice’s name. Presley paid for gas using Wallice’s credit card. So, it’s safe to say he’s using his identity.”

“We should eat some food and check it out,” Veloz states and checks his phone. “It’s late, though. Maybe it’s better if we check it out tomorrow morning instead. That fucker has been hiding in plain sight for years, we can wait one more night to nail the fucker.”

I’m about to agree when there’s a knock on the door.

“That would be our backup,” Veloz rumbles and stalks in the direction of the door.

A moment later I hear murmurs and footsteps as Veloz, Pax, and Sully enter the living room. Sully sidesteps Pax and Veloz, and rushes to me to pick me up and spin me around.

“Missed you, beaut,” he rumbles.

Laughter slips from me and I hug him back for a few breaths before I tell him, “I’m hardly a beaut these days and quit spinning or I’ll barf all over your ugly ass.”

Sully throws his head back and laughs.

When I’m back on my feet he narrows his eyes, all traces of laughter gone. “You’re still my beaut, Leontine. Hell, those war wounds make you even more gorgeous than ever.”

Feeling self-conscious, my hand automatically reaches for the side of my face where the most visual scar on my body is.

“Hey,” Sully softly says as he gently wraps his fingers around my wrist. “None of that. You’re the strongest woman I know, right up there with Lynn, Bee, and all the other old ladies.”

“She fucking knows and doesn’t need your reminder,” Veloz snaps as he steps between us, forcing Sully to release my wrist.

Sully’s face goes blank and I’ve known him long enough to see he’s ready for a fight.

“Move. The fuck. Away,” he snarls at Veloz. “You’ve been here two fucking seconds and think you’re her protector or some shit? Newsflash, asshole, she’s–”

I grit my teeth and the wave of anger takes over when I decide to cut in. “She is right here, and I don’t need any of you overgrown egos to whip out your dicks and start a lightsaber tournament.”

Pax snickers. “Still as sharp as a whip I hear.”

He steps forward and holds out his fist.

I feel myself grinning as I bump his fist with mine. “Glad to see you’re back. How was your time in New Jersey? Are you thinking about swapping chapters?”

Pax winces. “No way. I prefer Archer as my prez over his brother, Spence, any time. Maybe it’s the change of solving cases by going undercover instead of how we handle cases, I don’t know.”

I playfully shove his shoulder. “Admit it, you missed all of us.”

The corner of his mouth twitches. “That might have been the bigger reason, yeah. Months away from home, but it was worth it, though. We’ve managed to bring down a criminal network. It took us fucking months of working undercover to expose the main players, but we did it.”

“All because of you,” I praise.

Pax waves his hand into the air. “Nah, they just needed a fresh face to take lead and infiltrate. It’s the reason why I went to New Jersey. I’d do it again if needed, just…not any time soon.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re back and that your first case here is one Veloz and I are working on,” I tell him.

Pax rubs his hands in glee. “Bring it on, woman.”

I beckon to him to follow me and wander over to my laptop. Veloz breaks the staring match between him and Sully, and they too gather around to see what I’m about to show them.

The information regarding Veloz’s former teammate is still on my screen and I quickly state, “Veloz and I are working on a case that’s tied to his former job. Long story short, it’s safe to say Veloz was set up by his own teammate, Presley Leighton. Presley was presumed dead, but he’s very much alive and has been enjoying life under the identity of Seymour Wallace. Anyway, we have evidence he’s using Seymour’s identity and have a lead as to where he’s staying. We hope to wrap this case up soon while working on the new case.”

Clicking a few times, I bring up the photograph of the scene I took earlier today. “This woman’s body was discovered today, she was murdered a few days ago. We’re still waiting on the reports and I will give you guys access to all the files once we have them.”

Sully whistles low. “Someone had some fun with his knife.”

Veloz glares at him. “Is that your professional opinion?”

Sully smirks. “Believe me, probie, you don’t want to know my opinion.”

“Don’t fucking call me a probie,” Veloz snarls. “I might have swapped patches, but I’m not on probation nor a prospect. We’re on equal footing, all of us.”

Sully shoves his hands into his pockets. “That’s your opinion. Truth is, we all grew up together, you didn’t. Hell, even Pax is considered second generation even if he’s not a kid of the first generation.”

“From what I’ve been told you’re not blood either, and neither are a few of the other members of Broken Deeds.” Veloz takes a menacing step closer to Sully. “Truth is,” he mimics in a sneer. “Brothers should stand united instead of pointing out who has the right to be here. We’re all wearing the same colors and should have each other’s backs no matter where we come from or how long we’ve been fucking wearing a cut.”

“I agree with Veloz,” Pax rumbles and points at my laptop. “Now, can we focus our attention on this shit instead of butting heads?”

“Thanks, Pax.” I close the laptop since we don’t have much information on the new case yet. “I’m sure both of you have heard.” I point at the scars on my face and neck. “Kinda hard to miss, but the last case I worked on I was taken by Peter Vorstad. He was a serial killer who gave me these scars. The scene Veloz and I walked into today? The woman was hurt the same way I was, except she died. You guys can read through the file of Peter’s case in our database. We haven’t figured out the connection yet, or if this is the work of a copycat because I was the only one Peter cut up this way and my details aren’t included in his file.”

“Are there details and photographs of your injuries?” Sully questions.

At the same time, Pax states, “We don’t need your details: your statement is enough to work this case since you’re on it too.”

Veloz glares at Sully. “What Pax says. Oh, and just so you two are aware, everything about this case stays between the four of us. Lea and I are lead and I’m keeping Archer in the loop.”

“Lea?” Sully remarks, his gaze hits me. “Does the new guy even know your name?”

I roll my eyes. “Stop busting his balls, Sully.”

As teenagers, we grew up together and I know for a fact that Sully hates new people. Maybe it’s due to his background, but that man has a hard time opening up to anyone.

Sully wrinkles his nose. “I’m not coming near his balls, and you shouldn’t either.”

I flip him off and get to my feet. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and grab some beers for you guys? Veloz will share some details of the scene while I make us some food.”

“Fine.” Sully sighs and wanders off in the direction of the kitchen.

I turn to Veloz. “Don’t mind grumpy, he doesn’t like new people.”

“True story,” Pax remarks. “When I started prospecting years ago, it took months before he could speak one normal sentence without snapping, glaring, or putting me down. He’s an asshole, but becomes less of a pain in the ass once you get to know him.”

“Good to know,” Veloz rumbles.

Sully stomps back into the living room with a few beers in hand.

“Okay, play nice, boys,” I tell them with a stern voice. “I’ll let you know once dinner is ready.”

“What are you gonna feed us?” Sully questions.

“Burgers,” Veloz answers for me.

Sully rubs his hands. “Sweet, been missing your burgers. I want at least three.”

I flip him off again. “You’ll get one if you’re lucky.”

Veloz is wearing a huge grin, probably due to my reaction to Sully, and I shake my head as I head into the kitchen. I start to grab all the things I need and catch myself humming a song under my breath.

It’s been awhile since I’ve felt like myself the way I do now. Buzzing around the kitchen to make food while letting my mind wander over the cases we’re working on somehow gives me a new purpose.

Maybe it’s the change of scenery with the three men taking over my living room. Veloz who’s new to Broken Deeds, Sully who returned after years, and Pax who just wrapped up a case in another state. A fresh start in some way, and exactly what I need, along with two complex cases to work on.