Chapter 23
Less than two hours later, I’m sitting in the interview room at the Ravens Hollow precinct with Detective Wilder and his trusty partner Detective Scout.
The forensics team have been through the club and done their thing.
“We have a positive ID on the girl who was found in your club,” Reef says, a heaviness to his voice.
“A Miss Tamika Donalson, she’s a local working girl. Known to us quite well. What were you doing between the hours of two a.m. and nine a.m. today, Miss Stryker?” asks the young female detective, no real accusation to her voice.
I glance at Reef, knowing he’s not going to enjoy this answer.
“We had an electrical blackout at my club, The Raven’s Nest, so I decided to stay for the night and make sure there wasn’t any more trouble. I was asleep all night in room one.”
Reef’s brow rises, but he doesn’t let on to his co-worker or me what he’s really thinking.
“Is there anyone who can verify your whereabouts?”
I groan internally, knowing how bad this is going to look to him.
I probably should have mentioned it before we were in an interrogation room and I couldn’t explain, not that I know how to explain this anyway.
“My bodyguard and my business partner stayed with me to keep an eye on the place as well. ”
Reef’s eyes flare with annoyance, but he doesn’t let it reach his face.
“You all stayed together in separate rooms?” he snaps.
I meet his gaze head on.
I have nothing to hide, even if this is a little awkward.
“Yes, but in the same room. Do you need the play-by-play or is knowing the three of us were locked up together all night enough of an alibi for you?” I know I sound way sassier than I should when I’m trying to keep him on our side, but I meet his eyes head-on, and my lips turn up at the sides playfully, still trying to keep him in my corner.
His eyes scan over my body, and I wish I could read his mind because I can’t tell if he’s pissed about it or not.
But the warmth he holds for me is still there and a twinkle of something else as well.
“We will have to confirm your alibi with the other two, but that should be all we need to know,” Detective Scout answers for him, as it seems Reef is at a loss for words.
“Look, Detectives, I need you to find the monster who did this to that poor girl, as much as you want to catch them.”
The woman looks to Reef then turns off the recorder.
“Look, Miss Stryker, we’re not out to get you. I was born in this town, and I grew up watching you turn that club from a seedy brothel to what it is today. I have seen firsthand how you have changed the lives of the women who work for you.” Her eyes meet mine, and she stares right into the depths of my soul.
“My mother being one of them.” I see the emotion all over her face.
This is why she was looking at me like some kind of rockstar when we first met.
“You are the reason I was able to get a good education and follow my dreams,” she says proudly.
Reef looks her over differently.
That was a little fact even he didn’t know about his colleague.
“But you have to give us more if you want us to catch the person responsible,” she continues, flicking the recorder button on again.
“Is there any more information you can give us to assist in our investigation?”
I stare back at her, her story reminding me of why I started this fight in the first place.
It was never about money or my family and what they wanted.
From the youngest age, I had a sense of right and wrong, and I knew the fight I had on my hands where I grew up.
But I didn’t care because there were people who needed me to be strong for them, and that was all that mattered.
The night I lost my mother, I made a decision to spend my life trying to keep those women safe.
Katrina Stryker was the same.
She might not have been my birth mother, but I learned everything I now know from her, and no matter how terrible a human Syd was, I know she did whatever she could to help keep me safe, no matter how I came to be in her possession.
It was the only way she knew.
“All I know is someone cut all the electrical wires to my club not long after you guys left last night. We lost power for about five minutes. It could have been long enough for someone to get the body inside and do what they did. All our security systems would have been down during that time. But whoever it was, they had to have known the club layout to do it so quickly.”
She sits forward, tilting her head toward Reef.
“You think it’s an inside job?”
I consider her question.
It wasn’t what I was getting at, only that there wasn’t a lot of time and my club’s layout is complicated.
“Why would anyone who works for me do something so awful?”
“Your line of business is dangerous. Maybe this girl had an abusive ex or she did something to piss off one of the men who paid for her services.”
“I don’t know what you’re implying, Detective, but this girl didn’t work for me. I have never seen her before in my life. ”
Getting more agitated by the second, Reef slams his fists on the desk, but it’s not out of anger, it’s out of frustration.
He can’t stand the fact that someone is doing this to me, I can see it in his eyes.
And us having to dance around the truth must be making his job even harder.
“Who then, Sloane, a disgruntled client, an ex-employee? Someone has targeted your club on purpose and left a working girl’s body in there. Why would they do that?”
I stare back at him, my heart racing in my chest. I’m not scared of whoever this is, but fuck, he’s right.
It could literally be anyone, and they’re smart too, smart enough to think to shut off the electrical supply to the club.
They could have done so much more damage, but instead, they left a threat for me.
This is personal.
I push back my chair.
“I think we’re done here. You have all you need from me. If you come up with anything more substantial to help bring the asshole responsible to justice, please let me know.” I offer Detective Scout a nod of acknowledgment.
I remember her mother, she was a beautiful woman, one of the first I helped with my new payment scheme.
She retired early and sent all of her three children to college on the money she was making.
I know Reef looks at me like some innocent who needs to be plucked out of my life and saved, but he’s wrong.
I’m the one saving them, and they need me.
If I end up with a stalker in the process, so fucking be it.
We will deal with whoever the fuck he is.
My brothers and me.
She shuts off the recording and moves to open the door for me.
Reef stops her. “Give us a second,” he asks her quietly, and she complies with a nod, her eyes flicking from him to me.
She’s not silly, she can see there is more going on here, but I can already tell she doesn’t care.
She slips out the door, and he closes it behind her, standing in my way, leaning against it so I can’t get through.
“What is it, Reef? I have a PR nightmare to fix back at my club.”
“I’m not sure what you’re playing at, wildcat, but knowing you’re screwing your bodyguard and business partner won’t turn me off. If anything, it only makes me want you more.”
My lady parts sit up and take notice all of a sudden.
He should be running for it, but instead, he’s all in.
“I didn’t say I was screwing anyone, only that we spent the night together. Do you like the chase, Detective, is that what this is? You enjoy competing with other men for my attention? Or is it something more?”
“Something much more, wildcat.” His lips twist up at the sides playfully.
My heart hammers in my chest as I feel my cheeks heat.
I’m not sure exactly what he’s implying, but I want to know more.
I take his tie in my fingers, running through the length of it.
“You should drop by the club when you’re off duty next.” I drop my lips to his ear.
“We can explore what exactly something more is.” I place a kiss on his cheek.
Finding the door handle, I pop open the door as I pull back, and he moves out of my way.
“I would enjoy that.” He grins playfully, making me wonder if what he was saying in the interview was all for show.
“I’m sure you would, Detective.” I smile back slyly.
I know I’m starting something I’m not going to be able to stop, but at this point, who cares.
I went nearly twenty-five years without sex.
I deserve to make up for it now.
As I walk out the front of the station.
I hear Jagger’s bike roar to life.
He glances back my way and offers a little salute before taking off up the road.
I didn’t realize he followed me down here.
Of course he did. Apparently, he’s still my protective big brother no matter what my name actually is.
I feel the light brush of someone’s arm against mine and glance to my side to find Police Commissioner Sedgwick.
“I’m not sure what you Strykers are up to, but I’m going to get to the bottom of it. There is only one person who runs this town, and it’s not your brother like he thinks.”
I can’t help but laugh.
“Try telling him that. He’s the bossiest asshole around.”
“I’m learning that,” she huffs, but it’s not in an arrogant way like I was expecting, it’s more friendly.
It’s then I realize she’s out here to watch him take off up the street.
My brother said he had her handled.
Did he mean he’s fucking her?
She’s a good-looking woman in her early thirties with long dark almost-black hair and the prettiest almond-shaped eyes I have ever seen.
She looks me over with curiosity, her red lips forming a thin line.
“I’m keeping an eye on you, Sloane. One step out of line and my new detective will take you down.”
“I should hope so, Commissioner.” I offer her a wave and go meet Onyx in my car.
He takes off up the road, with the commissioner still watching over us.
“Making friends?” he huffs.
“Always, you know me.” I dial Alex’s number, needing to deal with the next spot fire quickly before this shit gets out of hand.
He answers almost immediately.
“Sloane, I would like to ask to what do I owe the pleasure of a call from you, but the story that’s just landed on my desk might give me a few clues.” His chuckle is a low, rumbling sound, both dark and lighthearted at the same time.
“Fuck! You need to kill the story, Alex.” I tap my thigh nervously.
“Your list of free favors is running very low, Sloane,” he warns me.
And I know he doesn’t owe me anything, and he could go right ahead and run this story, and my business would take the hit.
It’s well within his rights.
“This looks bad for your cousin as well. Don’t forget it’s his business now too, with your family name attached,” I caution back, trying to keep my voice playful.
I hate that I need his help.
He’s got way too much power now that he’s running his media empire, and I just fucking knew he would have a man on the force feeding him stories, it’s the only way he’s already got this piece.
“My journalist isn’t going to be happy about this.”
“I’m sure your new women’s health clinic opening will keep them busy this week. Run some change-of-life stories, people love that shit, it makes them feel good. My story is just depressing.”
“Sounds to me like you have a sick and twisted stalker leaving you gifts. People also love a good mystery,” he challenges, and fuck, if I was there in person, I would slap him right now.
He knows he’s pushing my buttons.
“Alex,” I growl out his name, my temper getting the better of me.
“I’m joking, Sloane, I already destroyed it.”
“Not funny, Moretti.”
He chuckles, and I wonder what has him in such a good fucking mood today.
“You lot need to be more careful. Do you need extra security hanging around the club? I know a few guys if you do.”
“Couldn’t hurt. Send them in and I’ll find them a job.”
“Will do. Before you go, Harley says you haven’t RSVPed to this weekend’s event yet. Are you coming?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Should I put you down for two tickets or is it three? Or four? I hear you’re dating my cousin and the new detective.”
“I don’t know what your assistant put in your coffee this morning to make you so fucking chatty and happy, but this little catch-up is over. Tell Harley I’ll be there with Onyx.” I disconnect the call before he has time to say anything else, but not before I have time to hear his laugh.
What the fuck was that?
Are his little spies watching me as well?
Probably, knowing him.
He’s in his office living his best life while I’m down here on the streets being sent dead bodies.