Chapter 24
We have The Precinct, Jagger’s club, to ourselves for our family meeting.
Cruz takes the next shot, sinking the cue ball, and Asher bursts into laughter, high-fiving Malachi.
I’m sitting on the bar nursing a double shot whiskey, lost in their antics.
Hanging out with my brothers feels so normal.
This is what I need right now, to pretend nothing has changed.
Onyx is keeping his distance from me, guarding the front door with his life, arms crossed tightly across his chest as he leans into the exposed-brick wall.
I’m not sure why he’s bothering.
This place is locked up tight, no one is crashing our meeting.
Every now and then he glances my way, but only for a second.
Not long enough for one of the other boys to notice, but I do, because every time he does, I feel like a teenager with a silly crush.
Butterflies take off throughout my stomach, and I’m taken back to our night together.
Is that what he’s thinking as well?
Or was it really only a one-time thing for him, and now that he’s had what he wanted, he can keep his distance happily?
Nope, you know that’s not the case, Sloane.
He jerked off to you getting fucked by Romeo.
He wants more. He’s just stubborn.
Jagger strides back in from his office, running his fingers through his hair as he types out messages with his free hand.
He called this meeting, knowing things are getting out of hand, and after his encounter with our new commissioner, I’m sure she put him even more on edge.
Pissed that he just lost out on a bet, Cruz steals my drink and takes a massive swig of it before I can stop him.
“Hey, get your own.” I swipe it back.
“What did you get on Detective Wilder, Malachi?” I ask when his and Ash’s laughter simmers down.
His attention comes to me, and he leans into the bar beside me, while Asher and Cruz start another game, Ash breaking this time.
His face becomes more serious.
“Shit, you probably don’t want to know.”
I raise a brow, wondering if he knows anything about me at all.
“I want to know it all, brother.”
“Sloane, his childhood was more fucked up than ours, and we both know that’s saying something. His mother was a single parent and a massive junkie. She sold her body to get her next fix and keep them from living on the streets. That didn’t always work. From what my sources could find, he spent half his childhood living in cars or sleeping on the beach. When he was eight, she was found dead in a cheap motel room, and he was put into a group home. From what I can see, that’s what turned his life around. He worked hard and got an education, graduating as a cop at just twenty-one. He started out working with his local precinct in California and was later promoted to detective then moved across the country to New York where he worked for three years before getting his transfer here.”
Pride swells in my chest for him.
It takes a lot to rise out of that kind of shitty start to make something of yourself.
But Malachi isn’t matching my expression.
“Why do you look so worried?”
He moves around the bar behind me, reaching into the fridge and grabbing out a cold beer before leaning back into the counter.
“Before he came to Ravens Hollow, he disappeared for six months. His transfer was put on hold, and he just vanished off the face of the earth.”
I have no idea why, but the way Malachi says it makes my skin prickle.
“Dude probably went on a vacation to Thailand or some shit.” Asher chuckles.
“You know, get some cheap pussy.”
I let out a heavy sigh, pressing my fingers into my temples, trying to ease the tension.
Why does he have to be such an immature shit?
The look I throw him—a mixture of frustration and disbelief—says as much, but he and Cruz couldn't care less, their snickers bouncing off the walls.
“He didn’t get on a plane. Wherever he was, he was still in the country, but he was off the grid. Didn’t pay for a thing on his credit cards, didn’t use his car. He was invisible.” Malachi’s eyes meet with mine. “Then he showed up here in your bar, Sloane.”
“You don’t think that was a coincidence, do you?” I ask, my stomach churning. I knew he was too good to be true, but for once, couldn’t I just have something good without having to pay for it?
“No fucking way it was,” agrees Jagger, joining us as he slips his phone into his back pocket.
“Sloane, I don’t know what the fuck is going on between the two of you, but you need to be careful. We can’t trust him. He could be the one leaving you these threats for all we fucking know. He was with you at the restaurant when you got the first one. He had only just left your club when the electrical wires were cut. You have no idea what kind of psycho this guy really is.”
“They’re in Italian,” I snap back at him, giving him the side-eye. I really don’t appreciate him telling me what to do with my life. I don’t disagree with him, but I can make that choice for myself. “And you were the one encouraging me to go for it so we can have another cop on side.”
“Anyone can Google that shit if they want to make it look like it’s coming from someone else. The detective is smart, he knows Romeo is new in town and after your business, so why not set him up, get rid of him so he can move in closer to you?” Asher says as he takes his next shot, two balls flying into their pockets.
“I’m not saying cut him from your life. He could be useful, but just watch him more closely.” Jagger observes me, his face turning serious. “We have a bigger problem than Sloane’s stalker. You going to fill them in or should I?”
I motion for him to go ahead. I can’t.
“Sloane’s detective friend has been dropping truth bombs, trying to earn her trust. Last night he and a SWAT team raided her club looking for Ava Kingsley.”
Asher gasps, his eyes flicking to me, all signs of humor and playfulness now gone. “You know?” He places the cue down on the table and moves toward me, Cruz does the same.
I look between them. “I do now, no thanks to you assholes for keeping this life-changing shit from me my whole life.”
Cruz’s hand clamps around mine. “You’re still my little sister,” he mutters, his voice low and filled with pain. When growing up, the two of us were inseparable. This would have cut him just as deep as it did me.
I blink up at him, my heart constricting.
“What now?” Cruz asks Jagger.
“We get a man on detective lover boy, make sure he’s not the one after Sloane. Asher, you can sort that out, right?”
“Already done.” He smirks, proud of himself for being one step ahead of his big brother .
Jagger nods, pleased. “Since I can’t always be there with you, Onyx has also agreed to stay at our apartment with you until we track this motherfucker down.”
I glance toward Onyx. Did he now? He gives me nothing, just that cold distant expression that sits on his face when my brothers are around. Can’t make it obvious there is something going on between us. But he can offer to stay with me permanently? For fuck’s sake.
“Romeo will be by your side while you’re at the club. We will make sure you’re never alone.”
Fucking great, just what I need, extra babysitting. “I don’t trust Romeo,” I snap back, making sure Jagger knows I’m not on board with his plan. “What is he blackmailing you with this time?”
His unimpressed eyes meet mine. “Romeo only wants what’s best for you, Sloane,” Jagger huffs.
I jump off the bar. “Bullshit. Romeo wants what’s best for Romeo, end of story.” I walk around the other side of the bar and top up my drink.
“If that was true, he wouldn’t be letting you have so much control at the club. We both know he has a soft spot for you. Let’s keep him on our side, Sloane.” Jagger’s voice is strained, his patience with me wearing thin. Everything to him is a business deal, a way of keeping the control over his portion of this town he so desperately craves. But this is my life, and it’s not as simple as he’s making it out to be.
I roll my eyes, taking a big swig of my drink as I lean my elbow on the bar. “What if it’s a VIP member or a disgruntled ex-staff member?” I ask, just throwing it out there. They have it in for Reef, but I’m not so sure he’s a real option. I saw the look on his face when he spotted the body and the message for me, he can’t be that good of an actor. The point he made this morning was also valid. This could be any motherfucker I have pissed off over the years, and there are a lot of them around. “There was that dude I had to cancel his membership after he tried to assault one of my girls. Remember? It was like a year ago, but maybe he’s still stewing on it.” I click my fingers, trying to remember his name. I knew at the time I should have taken care of him properly. “Tony someone, you remember him, Asher? You were there when we kicked him out.”
“Yeah, that dude was fucking crazy,” Asher agrees.
“Do you still have his details on file? I’ll look into him,” Malachi says, nodding in agreement, rapidly typing details into his phone, his fingers flying across the screen.
Cruz watches me, his brow furrowed in concern. “Do you have any disgruntled ex-staff?”
“Not that I can think of.” I shrug. My relationship with my staff is good. They make more money with me than they can anywhere else, and they have the best working conditions around. What is there to be upset about?
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea if we made our presence around The Raven’s Nest more known, make sure any fucker who thinks he can mess with our sister knows he will come up against an army of Strykers,” Asher tells Jagger with a wink in my direction. “I’m happy to offer my assistance in any way needed.”
“I’m sure you are.” I roll my eyes, knowing he has an ulterior motive in wanting to help.
“Got to keep myself busy while protecting you, Sis.” He kisses my cheek, making all this feel so damn normal. And I know for them at least, nothing has changed. I’m still their little sister, and they are still my overprotective big brothers.
My phone rings a jarring, insistent buzz across the bar, and I glance at the screen to see a private number flashing up.
“Who is it?” Jagger quizzes me .
My brow furrows. “Not sure,” I answer, curiosity getting the better of me.
Asher slips it from my hand and places the call on speaker so they can all listen in.
I snap my phone back, throwing him a filthy look. “Hello,” I answer cautiously.
At first, it’s just heavy breathing, then a low dark chuckle floods the line. “Did you receive my gift?” comes a male voice with a thick Italian accent.
I feel like a bucket of ice has been dumped over my head, and I drop my phone on the bar as if it’s just bitten me.
My brothers all watch me, and I blink back at them, not sure what to do. “Keep him on the line,” mouths Malachi.
“Who is this?” I murmur, knowing I sound vapid as hell, but what the fuck else do you say to the man stalking you?
“Don’t be scared, baby. I can hear the tremble in your voice, but I won’t hurt you. Not while you’re so useful to me.”
I feel the color drain from my face. “Listen here, asshole, stay the fuck away from me or I will come for you and make sure you end up in a much worse condition than that poor girl was left in.”
His deep chuckle vibrates through the phone, a cruel edge to it. “You’re so fun when you get angry, just like your mother. Keep it up, it will make the hunt so much more fun for both of us, and me finally capturing you much sweeter.”
With a shaky hand, I go to disconnect the call, but Malachi shakes his head. He mustn’t have a trace on him yet. My insides churn, I can’t take much more of this. “Go to hell, you piece of shit. You will never catch me,” I throw back at him, I’m not some weak bitch he can hunt .
“That’s it, my girl, keep fighting me. I’m closing in on you, getting closer every day. I own you, girl, and it’s only a matter of time before you’re mine again.”
My eyes find Onyx from across the room, and I see the way his fists ball. I want to run to him, have him wrap me in his protective arms and tell me this is all some messed-up joke. But it’s not. This motherfucker is after me.
Malachi gives me the thumbs up, and I disconnect the call, feeling like I’m about to vomit all over the bar.
I swallow it down, trying to compose myself. “Please tell me you know his location and we can fucking track him down and eliminate him,” I get out finally.
“I got it. Asher, Cruz, let’s go.” The three of them take off for the door, the roar of their bikes coming to life out the front of Jagger’s bar, vibrating through the now-quiet room.
Jagger’s arm wraps around my shoulders. “He’s as good as dead already, Sloane. Don’t let him get in your head, that’s what he wants.”
I lean into him, my whole body trembling. The man’s cruel chuckle is stuck in my head. “I really hope so, Jagger. I don’t want to end up like that poor girl we found this morning.”