CHAPTER EIGHT

– LEONTINE –

I’m still caught up in my mind when we walk into the clubhouse. Veloz has his fingers laced with mine and I’m thankful I’ve already chatted with my mother to avoid answering questions. Hell, I’m glad to find the clubhouse practically empty. Except for Archer, and it seems he’s been waiting for us to arrive when he points at church.

The three of us follow him inside and as soon as Archer has closed the door he says, “Most of the brothers are working on cases and are out for the day. What was found today won’t leave this room and will stay between the four of us. Now, Chopper, did you find out anything else yet?”

“We’d better sit down for this one,” my father grumbles. “Because I just had a hit on the location of the nearest cell tower it connected to before it was turned off.”

I frown and let go of Veloz’s hand when I stalk around the table to take a seat across from my father. Veloz mentioned what my father found on the phone they discovered in the closet, buried under some of the wooden panels.

It’s still hard to process the fact that there are two photographs on that phone. I demanded they show me, and I’m glad for their honesty. While it was confronting, I needed to see them with my own eyes. In both photographs, I’m completely naked and covered with blood from all the knife wounds.

Peter took them of me that day and then hid the phone before hiding himself in that closet. Oh, and let’s not forget he sent those two pictures to someone. Well, to another burner phone. Who it belonged to, and what happened to the photographs? I have no damn idea.

“Let’s hear it,” Veloz rumbles.

“New Jersey. It might be a coincidence, but with the body showing up, having the exact same wounds?” My father sighs and shakes his head.

“Fucking hell, you’ve got to be shitting me,” Archer grumbles.

Veloz leans back in his chair. “I didn’t see that one coming. Damn. It’s like everyone always says…you think you know a guy. Seriously, though…it could be just a coincidence because he doesn’t give off the vibe of a serial killer. What are we going to do? Pick him up and torture him to see if he had a burner phone and is involved in any way?”

I’m still confused as hell and it’s why I snap, “Can someone tell me what the hell you guys are talking about?”

“Pax was in New Jersey and got back around the time the body was found,” Archer states.

Completely stunned I process his words and automatically start to shake my head. “Impossible.”

Archer sighs. “I’d like to agree though the coincidences are piling up. The body with the exact same injuries in the places you have as well shows that someone was inspired. Why else leave a body in your fucking town? Now, I hate to say it, and this shit is way beyond hating at this point…but it could be possible that someone that’s not Pax received those two photographs and shared them with others. I’m guessing you’re still running shit to see if those photographs hit the dark web or anywhere else?”

My father gives a tight nod.

“I’d like to keep an open mind about Pax until then,” Veloz says. “If we keep all the info between us for now, we also won’t set him off in any way and can investigate every option. I mean, it could be just a coincidence and once we take the step of pointing fingers? There’s no coming back from that. Believe me, I’ve been there with my team turning against me and no one believing anything I said.” Veloz reaches for my hand. “Until a complete stranger was finally able to reveal facts.”

“Everyone sitting at this table has an open mind about Pax,” Archer grits. “Thankfully, our brotherhood never had to deal with betrayal as long as I’ve had the gavel. My father, though? Once. That shit was hard from the stories I’ve been told. What I meant to say is…the four of us will get all the facts before we act.”

“Just to check, where is the kid now?” my father asks.

Archer checks the time. “I’ve asked him to pick up something. He should have been back a little over an hour ago.”

“Is he aware where we were going?” I question.

Archer nods. “I mentioned it to him.”

“Well, if he doesn’t return to the clubhouse, we’ll know he’s involved somehow,” Veloz deadpans.

Archer’s phone starts to ring. “Speak of the devil,” he murmurs and answers, “Pax, where are you? Say what? Fuck. No. Stay put, I’m sending a team over. Oh, and Pax? Not a word to anyone. You did good with reaching out to me first.”

He places the phone in front of him and glances around the table. “Needless to say, that was Pax. Surprisingly enough, he just stumbled onto a dead body.” He lets his gaze land on Veloz’s. “Pax said it’s Presley Leighton.”

“The fuck?” Veloz grunts. “He was missing, where did he find his body? How? That’s–”

“One hell of another coincidence?” my father finishes for Veloz.

Archer rises from his seat. “The four of us are heading over to the crime scene right now.”

“Where’s the crime scene?” I ask as I follow the men out the door.

Archer turns. “Down the road. Pax noticed the shiny bumper through the bushes.”

He fires up his bike. Veloz straddles his and holds out his hand toward me. I jump on the back and wrap my arms around his waist. My father is already following Archer when Veloz hits the road. Within a handful of minutes, we’re at the scene.

“Where the fuck is he?” Archer growls and grabs his phone.

I glance around. “The tire tracks are from one bike. Multiple footsteps, though.”

“Could be from killing Presley and dumping the car here, then come back to call it in,” my father muses.

“He’s not picking up his phone,” Archer grunts and rubs the back of his neck. “Not so surprising if he’s responsible.”

His eyes find mine and I can see the torment that’s going on inside his head. This is too complicated and too damn big to keep it between us.

“I know we agreed to keep it between the four of us, but maybe it’s better to bring Bee in on it as well. None of it makes sense and maybe she can silently reach out to Spence or check where Pax was at the time of the murders,” I offer. “It will all give us some room to breathe.”

“Yes,” Archer instantly agrees. “I think that’s what we need. She’s also been in contact with my brother about the case Pax worked on because she assisted with some computer shit.”

Veloz stares into the trunk of the car that’s mostly hidden by the bushes. “Looks like the body was dumped here, not recently, though. The way the body looks? Locked up in the trunk with the sun heating it up? I’d say it’s been here for more than a day or two.”

“Our security system doesn’t reach this part of the street,” my father muses. “Someone knew.”

“Yeah,” Archer states, his voice bitter. “I was hoping to have Pax here, but at this point it can still go either way.”

“He’s either the killer, working with the killer, is being set up, or he’s the next victim,” Veloz rumbles.

“The first two would be fucked-up.” My father rubs his temples. “The last two as well, but…dammit, when the hell did shit spiral out of control?” His voice raises with each word and is laced with fury when he adds, “First they slice up my daughter, fucking scar her for life, and now they come back to rub salt in it? One of our own, a motherfucking brother, tangled in all of it as well?”

“Hey,” Veloz snaps and steps in front of my father. “Rein it in. Flipping your shit doesn’t change the situation or help in any way. Your daughter just suggested a very smart move. Archer is talking to his old lady right now and she’ll be able to handle a few angles while we handle other stuff.”

“Right,” Archer says as he steps closer. “Bee is going to check out all the traffic cams around here, and our security system as well. I’m going to get two people here who will tow the car and will process the body and the vehicle. Chopper, I need you to keep at it with the phone and see if you can get any details or leads. Veloz and Leontine, you two now have another case along with it ’cause I’d like to know the whereabouts of Pax. Check his tracker as soon as you get home, Leontine. Fuck, why didn’t I ask Bee? Never mind.” He jabs the screen of his phone. “Did you track his…what? You’re shitting me?”

Archer ends the call and whips his head around as he stares at the dirt under his feet.

“What’s wrong?” I ask and glance around as well.

“Bee says Pax’s tracker is showing no vitals and this fucking location. I don’t see his body and there’s nowhere here that could hide it. Well, unless it’s ten feet under, but the ground doesn’t look like it’s recently dug into. Which could only mean one thing,” Archer growls. “I swear I’m going to fucking shove another tracker in each and every damn member’s balls so they won’t be easily taken out, goddammit.”

We are all checking the ground. Veloz is shoving away bushes to check if he’s there. Shit. This day is going from bad to worse. Pax’s tracker not showing any vitals can mean one of two things. Either he’s dead or his tracker is no longer inside him.

“There,” my father states and points at a dark spot in the dirt.

“Someone tried to cover it up,” Archer muses as he squats down and takes a pen from his leather cut.

He shoves some of the dirt away and exposes a chunk of flesh.

Veloz holds out a tiny plastic bag. “Here.”

Archer takes it and carefully places the chunk of flesh into the evidence bag. “I’ll make sure they put a rush on any evidence recovered from this scene. Go, all of you. We’ll meet up when one of us has vital intel.”

Veloz places his hand on my lower back and guides me in the direction of his bike. I mindlessly get on behind him and am unable to enjoy the closeness as we head back to the clubhouse. It’s obvious I’m lost in thoughts when I realize we’re not in front of the clubhouse but Veloz is parking in front of my house instead.

“Come on. You need your laptop and we both need some coffee,” he states and I wholeheartedly agree.

I open the door and meet only silence. Frowning, I turn to Veloz. “Sully’s supposed to be here, right?”

Veloz gives me a tight nod and reaches for his gun. He places his finger against his lips, urging me to keep quiet. Duh, I’m not a damn rookie. I roll my eyes but the man doesn’t see it since he’s already stalking past me.

I palm my own gun and slowly follow him. We clear the house room by room and when we step into the kitchen? That’s when I almost have a heart attack when the back door slams open and a half-naked Sully steps into the kitchen.

His eyes widen at the sight of two guns aimed at him. “What the fuck, guys? Am I gonna end up dead ’cause I’m late for dinner or something?”

“Why are you out of breath and only wearing filthy jeans?” Veloz demands while I lower my gun.

Sully shrugs. “Paranoid much? I was working out in the yard, that’s where my clothes still are. Go check if you don’t believe me.” His eyes slide to me. “What’s going on, beaut? Why is loverboy here all on edge?”

Veloz glances out the kitchen window, and I lift myself on my toes to see what he’s seeing; Sully’s clothes on a pile near a few tree trunks. My brother used them as well to lift and throw for a quick workout. Veloz tucks his gun away and so do I.

Shrugging I tell Sully, “We’re all on edge. My old man is just a tad bit overprotective when it comes to me.”

“Old man?” Sully grins and directs his attention to Veloz. “Did you make it official?”

Veloz places his hands on his hips. “Sure did. We’re getting inked later today.”

“Fuck, yes,” Sully barks out right before he launches himself at me and hoists me up to spin us around.

“Put me down,” I squeal. “You’re all sweaty and nasty, you idiot.”

“That’s enough,” Veloz grits and takes me from Sully’s arms. “She’s mine now and I won’t have you touching my woman.”

Sully rolls his eyes. “As if you had any chance if I wanted her.”

Veloz flips him off and I can’t help but chuckle.

Patting Veloz’s chest I tell him, “You were gonna make us some coffee.” Glancing at Sully I wrinkle my nose. “You, get your stuff out of the yard and take a shower.”

Veloz places a kiss on the top of my head and strolls in the direction of the coffee maker. Sully is still wearing a grin when he slips out the back door. My smile slides from my face as I turn and get my laptop. Time to do some research and try to make sense of all the turmoil we just discovered. So many questions are still unanswered. It’s as if we’re shoving our hands in the mud, trying to locate the pin we dropped.

Hours pass and my head hurts from spending so much time behind the computer. I haven’t found any new leads. Bee and I have our own private chat and she hasn’t managed to find Pax. She saw him through a traffic cam, making the turn to head for the clubhouse, but that’s as far as it was when it comes to eyes on him.

He simply vanished. It’s a concerning thought, both his disappearance as his possible involvement in all of it. Weird, though. If he was involved or doing all of it himself? Why call Archer that he “found” Presley’s body?

“Come on,” Veloz rumbles and closes my laptop. “It’s three in the morning and we haven’t gotten any closer than we were a few hours ago. Sully went to bed an hour ago and I’d say it’s past our bedtime as well. We can get back at it bright and early after we’ve reset our brain. No one can function on no sleep and as a doctor you should know.”

I release a deep sigh and let him drag me off to the bedroom. I’m completely drained until I watch Veloz rip his shirt over his head, exposing his muscled chest. My throat runs dry and I swallow hard when he’s offering his hand to me.

“Join me for a shower?”

Instead of answering with my voice I slide my palm over his and follow him into the bathroom. He peels away my clothes. Over the past few days with him spending time between my legs I’ve been less self-aware. It’s as if he doesn’t even see the many scars littering my body.

His eyes are filled with a combination of lust and adoration as he pulls me underneath the warm spray of water. I feel his hands gliding over my skin. He starts to soap me up and I get the feeling that it’s not just to clean my body, but he’s doing a fine job of cleaning my mind along with it.

There aren’t any other thoughts except for the feel of his hands on me. The warmth he creates inside my body along with being surrounded by all the steam and water is cocooning me into a place that’s just me and Veloz. No outside influences; it’s just me and him.

Every caress makes electricity tingle through my veins and finally settles between my legs. I’m ready to detonate, but I need more. I won’t be satisfied with just his mouth or fingers inside me. I want the ultimate connection. I want to feel him, let him claim a part of me I haven’t shared with anyone.

Consumed with this thought, I reach down and palm his hard length. A groan rips from him. He sounds tormented as he buries his face into the crook of my neck. Slowly I start to tug and pump his cock up and down.

He nips my skin and places his mouth right next to my ear. “I want to savor the moment, grow our connection first before I claim you with my cock. Except…if you take matters into your own hands? The way you’re gripping me, pumping me in your hand? I will lose every single bit of sanity. It will have you pinned on my cock in no time so I can pump you full of cum to brand you from the inside out. Not what you need, darlin’. You deserve to be cherished. Your virginity taken slowly. Make love instead of raw fucking.”

“I want you. Now,” I feverishly tell him. “We have a connection, we have all the time ahead of us to make love…but all I want now is you. So, let’s just say we have the past, and the future, but really, Veloz? I want the right fucking now. And I definitely mean the fucking.”

“Motherfucker,” he grunts and before I can blink the water stops and he’s throwing me over his shoulder, stalking right out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.

I should care that I’m still completely wet as he throws me on the bed. Though, who cares when this magnificent man covers my body with his muscled, and naked one? His hard length nudges my entrance as he leans in and catches my mouth with his in an all-consuming kiss.

Not me. No complaints at all as I spread my legs to accommodate him and finally feel the tip entering me.