21. Twenty-One

twenty-one

Spike

"Alright," I said, dropping the folder I was holding when Phoenix walked past me and plopped down behind his desk. "That's it. What the hell is going on with you?"

"What do you mean?" He placed his coffee cup down and began sorting through the small stack of pages in front of him, neglecting to look at me.

I scowled.

For the last three days he'd been prancing around the precinct with this huge shit-eating grin on his face, and the fact he'd up-and-suddenly adopted a more snazzier wardrobe hadn't exactly gone unnoticed either. Plus, when I saw him yesterday, his hair was longer.

Today, he had a fresh haircut.

He even styled it with gel, which was not common Phoenix behavior.

"This," I stressed, emphasizing by throwing my hands up and gesturing to the fucking stranger sitting in front of me. "What the hell is this—"

"Good morning," a chipper voice cut me off, which had me cocking my head hard to the left, choking on a breath when my eyes landed on Charlotte Greene.

Holy shit.

Her dark hair was down, curled to perfection with each tendril weightlessly drifting down her shoulders. Her makeup was flawlessly applied, and dangling from her ears was a set of diamond earrings. She had on a sleeveless, black button-down, and the top three buttons were open as if to purposely expose her cleavage. She was also wearing a dangerously short skirt and a pair of heels with strings that twisted up each milky leg and tied in place just below her knees.

She had no goddamn business looking that fucking ravishing in public.

Phoenix's head lifted from his desk, and the answer for his strange behavior had literally bitch-slapped me sideways when his whole face lit up like Christmas morning.

My suspicion was proven correct when he got up from his desk and cautiously peered around before he leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to Charlotte's mouth.

Holy shit.

That son of a bitch actually did it.

He won her over.

But…when?

And why the fuck didn't he tell me?

"Still nothing?" she asked, pulling away from Phoenix and casually acting like she was staring at a picture frame when another officer had walked by.

"Not yet," he told her. "The last of the results should be ready soon. I'll call the lab and find out how much longer it'll be."

"Just text me when you know. I have to get to the office."

Charlotte offered him a loving smile. But when she turned to face me, her smile had flattened faster than a blown tire.

"Good morning, Hutch."

She walked away then, making my anger grow catastrophically higher when three of my colleagues froze mid step and shamelessly tipped their bodies over to peek up her skirt and at her ass, sharing looks that had me ready and eager to permanently conceal each and every one of their bodies inside some random level of this precinct. Things still may not have been formally settled between us yet, but it didn't matter. Charlotte Greene belonged to me. I could see now that a discussion needed to be had over her work wardrobe.

"Charlotte," I croaked, failing to clear the lump in my throat as she paused just before she'd reached the elevators. "We need to—"

"Hey there, Spike," Kendall Wilson said gleefully as she appeared out of literally fucking nowhere, blocking my view from Charlotte. "Are you and Phoenix free?"

I sighed, cursing low under my breath when I glanced over her shoulder and saw Charlotte was gone.

"Maybe," I replied, tipping my nose to her. "Who's asking?"

"My niece called. She said she'll meet up, but you have to leave now. Should I send Phoenix the location?"

Shit.

"Yeah," I nodded, straightening my posture as I glanced back at Phoenix. "I'll let him know."

Kendall blindsiding me like this was unexpected, but her niece being willing to talk to us was a blessing that couldn't have come at a better time. I'd made some progress with the security tapes, but before we could start pointing the finger at anybody, we had to be sure we were looking at the right suspects.

"Phoenix," I yelled, stalking toward him as he got up and finished inserting a paperclip on the stack of pages he was holding.

"Yeah?"

"Check your phone. Kendall just told me her niece is waiting for us."

"You're a cunt," I told Phoenix as he drove us to our destination, angrily shaking my head as I stared out the window. "You told me you were going to fix things."

"And I did," he replied smugly, smirking at me through the corner of my eye. "I fixed my relationship with her. Not yours."

I scowled in my seat, pissed because I knew he was right, and that it wasn't anyone's fault but my own. I had plenty of time, days in fact, to fix what I'd broken. Instead, I'd chosen to focus on our cases and had cast Charlotte aside. There was no real excuse for my actions and there was nobody to blame but myself.

"Do you think she'll talk to me?"

"Maybe," he said, shrugging and failing to hide his grin. "Have you rehearsed your apology yet? Because I doubt jumping in and wooing her with your dick will work this time. You really hurt her whether you know it or not."

"What? Did she say something?"

"We may have discussed it a little," he coyly muttered, his eyes on the road.

I straightened my spine and squared my shoulders then, screening him over with a scolding smirk. "Phoenix. What did she say?"

But all the asshole did was shake his head at me.

"It's not my place, Spike. Whatever issues the two of you have need to be settled amongst yourselves. But if you want some brotherly advice, you need to make the first move."

And I would have earlier if it wasn't for Kendall fucking Wilson stopping me.

"The sooner you do it though, the better," he carried on. "Depending on what happens with these cases, and then this shit with Karl—"

"Karl?" I repeated, my brows furrowing.

"Yeah. I meant to tell you about it, and it must have slipped my mind. I'm sorry."

"What happened?"

"Karl paid Charlotte a visit about four days ago. Had one of his buddies keep watch over his location at the precinct so he could sneak to her house and talk to her."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I growled.

"I'm not exactly sure what went down. Charlotte didn't want to talk about it, and I didn't push her, but Chief and her lawyer, Peter, were at her house when I showed up. Long story short, Charlotte still refuses to press charges and refused to have units posted outside her house when Chief offered. And also, Peter quit because of it. She wants to reconcile things with him, but I don't see it happening. Peter was brutally pissed that night, and I can't say I blame him."

"What the hell is Karl's problem?" I asked, unable to contain the rage bubbling in my gut. "Why won't he leave Charlotte alone?"

"I wish I knew." Phoenix lifted his shoulders again as he prepared to take the next exit toward Downtown Seaview Pines. "It's obvious there's a reason behind it, but unless Charlotte wants us to get involved, we have to stay out of it. There's nothing either of us can do anyway, not unless the fucker is bold enough to approach her out in the open when there are witnesses around."

Or I could just pay that motherfucker a not so friendly visit and put this bullshit to bed once and for all.

But I didn't bother saying that out loud because, hell, what good would it have done?

Phoenix was right. Charlotte's squabble with her ex-husband wasn't any of our business.

However, what Phoenix failed to grasp was that it would be all the more difficult to initiate and secure a healthy relationship with Charlotte when we had Karl lurking through the shadows like a covetous creep, eagerly waiting to rain on our parade.

No.

The more I thought about it, the more that shit just didn't settle with me.

One way or another, Karl had to be dealt with.

"What if he randomly decided to go on a hike one day, and then, eureka, he magically trips and plummets off a cliff?"

"Spike." Phoenix took his eyes off the road and pinned me with a malicious glare. "We're not pushing his ass off a cliff."

"It was just a suggestion," I grumbled, rolling my eyes. "It's not like anyone would miss him. I know I wouldn't."

Phoenix drew in a deep breath, his grip loosening around the wheel as he released it. "Look, I know what you're thinking, but it is not our place, nor is it our business to get involved, not unless Charlotte says so. We're here now, so we'll just have to pick this up later. But please, Spike, I'm begging you. Just stay out of it and let Karl's karma run its course."

Phoenix was smart enough to know that, staying out of it, just simply wasn't in my nature, especially when it came to shit preventing me from having what was rightfully mine.

But, just to make him happy, I told him I wouldn't intervene.

That did not mean, however, that I couldn't find some legal, but nonlethal way of striking the fear of God inside the son of a bitch.

Yeah.

I liked this idea a thousand times better.

And I knew just where to start.

With the new resolve in mind, I tucked it away for now and got out of the car, squinting unimpressively up at Daggers, the biker bar owned and operated by Crow Wilson and some of his close friends.

"You sure this is the right place?" I asked, glancing over the top of the car at Phoenix.

"Daggers Bar and Grill," he repeated with a confident nod. "It's been a long time since I've been here, but yeah, this is where Kendall said to—oh… Shit!"

Phoenix froze, and bit by bit, every ounce of color began draining from his face.

"What?" I asked, following his petrified gaze until it zeroed on a Harley Davidson parked just outside of the bar's entrance. "What is it?"

"That's Crow's bike," he muttered, growing paler by the second. "Fuck. I… I didn't think he'd—"

"What the hell did you expect?" I asked, scoffing at him like he was an imbecile. "This is Crow's daughter we're talking about. You didn't really think she'd keep Dear Old Dad in the dark, did you?"

He obviously did, because his only form of response was to curse heavily under his breath and scrub his hands down his face.

"Kendra is over eighteen and doesn't need a guardian present to speak with us. So, yes. I was hoping she'd have been more open-minded to speaking with us alone. I see now I was wrong."

He drew in another breath and then blew it out, cursing again.

"Fuck, now I'm nervous. How do I look?"

"Like a spoiled-rich dumbass who wipes their ass with lavender scented toilet paper," was my incredulous reply. "Get a fucking grip on yourself, man. This isn't a fucking beauty contest. We have jobs to do."

I never did ask Phoenix about what happened between him and Crow all those years ago, but it was evident with the way Phoenix was acting that it must've been a real ball-buster. Whatever did happen though, I just hoped the aftermath of this reunion didn't result in one of us leaving in an ambulance or worse, a body bag.

Phoenix looked too scared to move, so I took the lead and approached the entrance first, sighing as I was made to hold the door open while Phoenix took his sweet time moving his fucking ass.

"You're acting like a pussy," I whispered when he finally made it to the door. "Keep it up and I'll make sure Charlotte hears all about it when I see her later."

I ignored the threat in his dark gaze and trailed past him, ready to get down to business.

Behind the bar and wearing a biker's jacket with Rolling Rebels stitched on the back was a young girl with dirty-blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

She looked up and offered Phoenix and I a sweet smile when she heard our footsteps heading her way.

"Hey, Phoenix," she greeted him first, raising her perfect brows and clicking her tongue. "Long time no see."

"Kendra," he acknowledged her with a nod. "You sure have grown up."

"It's only been, what, four, maybe five years now?" She shrugged and chuckled softly. "Not much has changed. Anyway, I hear you wanted to talk to me."

"Not another word, Kendra," came a dark voice that had Phoenix bristling beside me and sucking in a sharp breath.

Behind the bar was a door, and out stepped a taller man in his mid-forties, who was wearing a matching biker jacket, a t-shirt, dark jeans, and boots. He had black hair and dark brown eyes, but it was the marking above and under his right eye that stood out to me the most. It was a scar, and a gnarly one, too. One I could only assume he'd received as a failed result and permanent reminder of a rival MC trying to kill him.

"Be nice," Kendra said as she turned and fixed him with a stern smirk. "They didn't do anything wrong. They're just here to talk."

"Tell me something, Phoenix," Crow said, releasing a dark chuckle as he moved closer to his daughter and slightly pressed his body weight against the side of the bar, scrutinizing him intently. "I'll admit using my sister to avoid contact with me was quite a ballsy move on your behalf. But seriously, Phoenix, my daughter? Did you really expect to come within a fucking inch of her without me finding out?"

"She's not in any trouble, Crow," Phoenix reassured him, but Crow just shook his head like he wasn't having it. "We just need to ask her—"

"No," he said, pounding a clenched fist down against the bar top.

Kendra shrieked and jumped back with a hand to her chest. "Daddy!"

"You've obviously lost your goddamn mind and have forgotten who you're dealing with. Your puny little pig badges don't mean a damn thing to me. You're under my roof now, and I'm the one who calls the fucking shots. Now, whatever you have to say to her can be said to me, and me alone. If that's a problem, then you can turn around and get the fuck out of my bar. I'll give you ten seconds to decide and then an additional thirty to explain why the fuck you're here before I throw you out myself. Your time starts now."

Jesus fucking Christ.

And I thought I had anger issues.

"That's fine, Crow. We'll talk to you if that's what it comes down to."

"Good," he said, flashing us a cruel smile as he grabbed a clean glass off the counter and poured himself a drink. "Kendra, go to the office and stay there until I come get you. I won't be long."

Kendra glanced sadly between us, whispering how sorry she was before she dropped her head and disappeared through the doorway.

"Out with it then," Crow demanded. "This better not be about my sister because I told you what would happen the last time—"

"This isn't about Kendall," Phoenix retorted in a snipped tone, his jaw set. "This is about two rape cases we're working."

"Rapes?" Crow repeated, jerking his head back and gaping outrageously between us. "You're wasting your time. Kendra doesn't know anything about any rapes and neither do I."

"Nobody said she was involved," I calmly pointed out, cautiously watching his movements as I gently scooted out a barstool and sat down on it. "We're just looking for some information because one of the girls was spiked with a date rape drug."

"Rohypnol," muttered Phoenix.

"And you're thinking a club member is involved due to some of our…history of dabbling in certain drugs and other illegal narcotics."

"That is also correct," I didn't hesitate to agree.

"I'll be the first to tell you it wasn't one of my guys. While the majority of them are stupid and reckless, they all have wives and terror goblins hanging off their legs every day when they go home. There's only two men in my crew who aren't married and that's Levi and Killian. I wish I could throw the blame on those shit stains, but it's impossible whenever they share the same bed with my daughter every night."

"If not one of your guys, then who?" asked Phoenix. "Is there anyone you can think of who would be good for brutally raping and physically assaulting two innocent women?"

"It could be any of them, really." Crow finished off the booze in his glass, pouring another. He then reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of Marlboro Lights and a lighter, sparking one up and puffing away. "Then again, it's possible it could be none of them."

"What makes you say that?" I asked, curling my nose when the grouchy fuck blew the smoke dead in my face.

"I may be able to provide some information, but whatever I say has to stay off the record indefinitely. If I get arrested, trust me when I tell you that you'll get arrested next, and then we'll all be sitting in a room face-to-face with Chief. I'll walk away Scot-Free and you two will lose everything. I swear that on my life."

"Fine, Crow," Phoenix hissed, growling slightly as he rubbed a flustered hand down his face. "Just tell us so we can get the fuck out of here already."

"It's like this." Crow picked up the bottle of whatever amber liquor he'd been drinking and fetched another glass, pouring a fresh drink and sliding it over to me.

I blinked, surprised, and then looked at Phoenix, who angled his head at me as a warning not to drink it.

"I've been trying to go legit for while now. Keep my side of the Pines as drug and crime free as possible, but there have been some issues getting in the way."

"Oh, yeah?" said Phoenix. "Like what?"

"Someone has been smuggling in some pretty lethal drugs and distributing it out on the streets. Coincidentally, Rohypnol just so happens to be one of them. Rumor has it that it's another rival club, but the problem is, nobody's talking. Whoever's in charge of the operation has gone through masterful lengths to conceal their identity."

"How long has this been going on?"

"About four months now," he answered, turning to me. "That's when I'd first received word that all of the homeless kids we helped were back on the streets, selling again. It's not just Rohypnol though. Other drugs like weed, heroin, and crack are involved too. But from what my sources are telling me, Rohypnol has been the highest in demand as of late. And if I'm right, then that means there's another huge shipment coming in, and soon."

"What does that have to do with our cases?" Phoenix wondered. "I'm afraid I'm not catching whatever point it is you're trying to make here, Crow."

"I'm telling you this so that you two can start thinking a little more outside of the box here. You said one of the girls was drugged with Rohypnol. So, if it wasn't a club member, then that means whoever spiked her had to have purchased it from a street dealer, because it's not like you can just walk inside of a pharmacy with your hand stuck out asking for the shit."

I shifted my attention to Phoenix, my brows raised. "He kind of has a point there."

"And that's where you're going to run into a fuck-ton of problems. There are hundreds of dealers involved with the other clubs, and don't even get me started on the length of their client lists. It'll be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. It's a long shot, but I'd suggest reaching out to someone from Narcotics, someone who's a little more familiar with the bullshit going down on this side of the Pines. I doubt they'll tell you much but given that one of your cases is Rohypnol related, it's possible they may be able to help steer you in the right direction."

Crow let out a tired sigh and lifted his glass, finishing his drink and dropping it down on the bar.

"Now if that's all, there's the door. I have shit to do and my business isn't going to run itself."

He was off without another word, and as Phoenix spun on his heel, beelining for the exit, I grabbed the free drink I was offered and guzzled it down, cringing at the unkindly burn spreading down my throat.

"Phoenix," I called out, sprinting after him. "You want to tell me what the fuck that whole thing was about? What the hell happened between you two?"

Phoenix shook his head, refusing to speak until we made it to the car. "I don't want to talk about it. It was a long time ago and I just want to put the shit behind me and forget about it."

"At least tell me why the hell he hates you so much," I pressed.

"That scar… The one on his face, across his eye. You noticed it, yeah?"

I nodded. "Yeah, what about it?"

Phoenix ground his teeth as he heaved in one long, trembling breath and tenderly expelled it, his eyes locked on mine.

"I'm the one that gave it to him."