28. Where’s Shelby?
Chapter Twenty-Eight
WHERE’S SHELBY?
More trouble among the Icehawks. A staffer was released this morning for allegedly feeding sensitive team information to yours truly, among others. While I won’t comment on the specifics, I report the news as it’s reported to me by my various sources. This staffer understood the risks, and I wish her well. —Aria at All Hockey News
~~Camden~~
Inez left work on time, which is rare for her, and joins me at our favorite Italian bistro for dinner. It’s been a day for her, and I’m sure she needs a break.
I’m already seated at a table with a bottle of wine when she arrives. I light up when I see her. No matter the kind of day I’ve had, she brings the sunshine. Inez leans down and gives me a quick kiss, which I turn into a much longer PDA before she pulls back. Neither of us should be displaying our affection in public, but the moment felt right.
Sitting down, she takes a sip of wine and purrs like a satisfied tabby cat.
“Long day, huh?”
“Excruciatingly. And I left work early.”
“You mean you didn’t work overtime for once?” I wink, and she breaks into a smile despite her mood.
Inez leans over the table and clasps her hands in mine. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” I smile brightly to remind her that no matter what the future holds, I’ll be fighting in her corner every step of the way.
“Crazy stuff about Shelby, isn’t it?”
“I’d have never guessed she would do that.”
“And Aria’s response?”
“Talk about taking no responsibility for Shelby’s dismissal. Though to be fair, she is a reporter, and it’s her job to uncover the facts. As much as I want to blame her, she’s only doing what she gets paid to do. Shelby had to have approached Aria and made a deal with her. None of it makes sense.”
My smile fades as I contemplate a possibility. She waits patiently for me to fill her in. “I smell a rat. A big asshole of a rat named Trace.”
Inez’s eyes open wide as if something has just occurred to her. “Of course. It’s so obvious I didn’t think of it. That has to be it. Remember when we were in the Puck, and we saw Aria on the street with a guy I thought looked familiar?”
I nod slowly. “That was Trace.”
“Yeah, it was. He’s been the one pulling the strings all along.”
Our eyes meet, as the entire situation becomes crystal clear.
“And now that she’s been fired, what’ll he do? I doubt his security job pays what she was getting.” I’m somewhat thinking out loud, but she answers me anyway.
“As much as he stalked her day and night, I can’t imagine he does.”
A more disturbing thought comes to me. “Do you think she’s in danger?”
I rub my chin thoughtfully and carefully consider my words, then I slowly nod.
“What’ll we do? I can’t turn my back completely on her no matter what she’s done. My practical side screams for me to stay out of it, but my humane side demands I check on her well-being.”
“Text her.”
She whips out her phone from her purse and taps out a message.
ME: Shelby, are you okay?
Nothing.
She glances up with a troubled gaze. “I didn’t really expect an answer. She has to be mortified and embarrassed that she’s let us down.”
“She has to be. Then there’s only one other option. Let’s go to her house?”
“Let’s do it.” She’s halfway out the door before I catch up after throwing some cash on the table to pay for the bottle of wine we barely consumed.
Once inside my car, I turn toward her before starting the engine. Trace is unpredictable, and we’re butting into Shelby’s private business. Our concern may not be welcome, but I know my Inez. She’s not deterred by that. She has to find out if Shelby is okay. I’m on board with that. In a twisted way, I’m looking forward to another confrontation with Trace, as warped as that might be.
“I love you.” I say those three words with such heart-aching sincerity, they bring tears to her eyes. I lean over and brush the tears away with the pad of my thumb. My touch is gentle, kind, and most of all, loving. She melts into me as best she can with the console between us.
“I love you with all my heart.”
I nod, but I’m still troubled, and I’m not sure why.
“What is it?” she asks, intuitively guessing it’s not just about Shelby.
“Do you ever feel like we’re barreling too fast down a dark road and a collision is inevitable?”
“Always.”
A knowing look passes between us that needs no words. I squeeze her hand and sit back in my seat. We strap on our seat belts and off we go.
We drive in silence until we pull down the street where Shelby’s house is.
“This isn’t the best neighborhood.” I squint through the darkness at the ominous, unidentifiable shapes partially concealed by knee-high grass and weeds.
“No, it’s not.” We’d passed a strip club a couple blocks back and several abandoned businesses and buildings. The dilapidated houses on this street scream neglect.
“This is it,” I announce as I pull off the street. There’re no curbs or sidewalks. We both stare at the sad little home. The only signs of inhabitants are the lights glowing through ripped and stained curtains and an older-model car in the overgrown driveway. A colorful flower basket hangs on the sagging porch and is completely out of place. A lone streetlight blinks rapidly as if unable to decide if it should be on or off.
“Why don’t you wait here, and I’ll go to the door?” I reach for the door handle, but she places a restraining hand on his arm.
“You’re not going without me.”
I study her carefully in the blinking streetlight. “I’m not going to win this argument, am I?”
“Nope.” I laugh in spite of the situation.
“Let’s do it.”
We navigate our way to the front door past garbage and unidentifiable broken machinery. I rap loudly on the wooden door with its peeling paint, and we wait. We can hear a television blaring inside, but no one comes to the door. I knock again, louder this time.
“Someone’s coming,” she hisses as there’s an unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps stomping toward the door, then it’s flung open so hard it slams against the wall. Trace, in a stained white T-shirt and worn jeans, glares belligerently at each of us.
“What the fuck do you want?” he growls, not exactly a warm welcome.
Inez steps forward before I have a chance to respond. “We’re here for Shelby.”
“She’s not here.”
Inez’s brow furrows. She doesn’t believe him. “Are you sure?”
“Fuck I am. Not that I’d tell you if she was.”
“We need to see her.”
He chuckles, but it’s more menacing than joyful. “Can’t help you. She’s gone.”
“Can you at least tell us where she is?” I pull my wallet from my back pocket and pull out a hundred. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
Trace eyes the hundred and licks his lips. He wants it badly. I can tell, but at the last minute, he snorts and refuses.
“You sold the team’s information, didn’t you? You forced Shelby to spy for you.” Inez is ready to do battle, and I put a hand on her arm to daunt her. Nothing good will come of an altercation with this guy even if I’m itching for one.
“What if I did? Too late now.” Trace’s knowing smirk sends shivers up and down my spine. Something’s up. “There’s more. It’ll be coming to light soon.”
“More? What kind of more?” Inez’s voice rises, and she’s now in full attack mode. I position myself to protect her, but she won’t be held back. She skirts me with the speed of Drakos on a breakaway. I attempt to shoulder my way in front again, but she elbows me hard in the side.
“You’ll find out soon enough, bitch.” His sinister laugh is the stuff of nightmares. “Get off my porch before you regret it.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” She isn’t intimidated by this guy, and he doesn’t like it when women stand up to him.
“You fired Shelby. Now you’ll pay.”
“I didn’t fire her, but thanks to you she let down the team and everyone who put their trust in her.”
“Just like you are?” He jerked his chin toward Camden. “And you?”
Now I’m the one who’s pissed. I don’t stop to consider how he might know anything or what he knows, I’m going to throttle him. “Listen, you fuckhead. You mess with Inez, and you’ll live to regret it.” I surprise him by grabbing him by the collar and yanking him hard against the wall. “Understand?”
Trace’s lip curls into a sneer. “It’s too late now.”
I go cold inside. He does know something, and we’re in deep shit. I give him another hard shove before I release him. I crave wiping that smug bastard’s smile off this face, but I won’t endanger Inez or my career by doing so.
“Fuck you, bastard.” Inez’s voice goes up a few notches, and I start to pull her away. She resists, but I’m stronger. I escort her back through the mess of a front yard while Trace laughs from the porch.
“And about Shelby. She’s not only gone, but she’s somewhere you’ll never find her.” He struts inside his home and slams the door.
Inez and I get in the car, and not a word is uttered until we’re blocks away from that fucking dickwad. I pull into the parking lot of a bar and blow out a breath to release some of the tension gripping me with fear, but it doesn’t help.
“Does he know about us?” Inez’s boldness of earlier gives way to panic. I see it in her eyes.
“I think Shelby saw something in the rink that night, and she told him.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
And so am I.