Chapter Fifteen
By the time I got back to the room, both her and the kid were ready and all discharged.
She was so exhausted she could barely walk but refused to let anyone help her.
She looked fucking terrified and stressed.
If she wasn't so weak, I would have been worried about her bolting with the kid, but the only thing I was worried about was her having another meltdown.
Prez being the dick he is had arranged for my Harley to be picked up and taken back to the Clubhouse, and ordered me to travel with her.
He said it would be good for me to help build some trust. But she refused to talk, she kept her eyes on her hands in her lap, while her brother sat staring out the window the entire ride back here.
She was pissed when we got here and realised that her and Mase wouldn’t be sharing a room or even be next to one another.
He's on the third floor away from all the shit that goes on down in the main room.
He's only nine, he doesn't need to be subjected to that shit.
Nova on the other hand has been placed on the second floor, at the far end in one of the spare rooms near the officers of the club.
Fucking near me. Prez wasn't kidding when he said that he wanted me to stick to her.
Once I'd shown her to her to room, I'd gone straight down to see Data. I wanted to know what info he had on her and her family, but he wouldn’t give me it.
Said that he's been told from Nitro that it had to go to him first. So here I sit, like a fucking child in his office, next to my VP, while we wait for him to read the file Data gave him.
He blows out a breath and throws the file on the desk. He looks between Wrath and I, then shakes his head, getting up to grab a bottle of whiskey, along with three glasses.
"What's in the file, brother?" Wrath asks him as we watch him pour a generous amount of Benriah, The Smoky Twelve.
"Bad shit, brother. Their parents were killed in a home invasion almost six years ago. Custody went to the mother’s brother, although there were some claims from a family friend that she was meant to have both of them, said she was the godparent, that it had been agreed with the mother and father, and that there had been a will.
But the only will that could be found was one claiming that custody went to the brother, along with control of their inheritance.
" He takes a large drink and takes his seat, leaning back in his chair and kicking his feet up on the table.
"Data is still digging, but there is no record of the money going anywhere, it was in a trust, but that seems to have disappeared.
Data is also trying to track down this so-called family friend.
" He zones out, his finger tapping on the side of his glass.
Wrath and I exchange a look but don't say anything.
We just wait until the boss is ready to tell us.
Fifteen minutes pass in silence before he opens his mouth again.
"I think the uncle is a dirty cop." He looks over the rim of his glass at us as he downs the remainder before topping himself up.
"No concrete proof, but there have been numerous complaints about him using excessive force during arrests.
A friend over at the station where he works says there has also been some talk of him taking bribes. "
"What kind of bribes?" I ask, cutting Nitro off and earning myself a look. "Sorry."
"He didn't say much, just that some evidence seems to disappear when he's around."
"Maybe he's the sort of guy we should have in our corner, maybe we should give him a call, tell him where his niece and nephew are—"
"What the fuck?" I snap. "We brought her here to protect her, and you want to hand her over without knowing what we're handing her over to?" I'm raging.
"Calm down, Ice," Nitro tells me. "She isn't going anywhere, we're not handing her over. Wrath, she's been in hospital a couple of times, I'm not sure her aunt and uncle aren't responsible for it."
"What? You're serious?" Wrath asks, shocked.
"Yeah. They've both been pretty guarded, won't tell us where their parents are. And she freaked when she thought that they had been found. I know it's a risk having them here, but she needs to be monitored for the next twenty-four hours at least."
He leans forward on his desk, resting his elbows on it. "Ice, I know you're pissed that I've asked you to stick to her, but they need to be able to trust someone, and right now that kid trusts you—"
"Hey, he fucking trusts me and Firecracker too," Wrath states incredulously, and I backhand his arm.
"He does, but Nova needs to learn she can trust people too. Fine, if you're good with keeping the kid distracted, can you ask Marissa if she can stick with Nova and her build up her trust?"
"Yeah, I can do that. I'll give her a call and we'll pack some shit and move back in here for a bit," VP tells him as he pulls out his phone.
I'm pissed, and I'm not sure why. "So, what? I'm not good enough to take care of her now?"
Nitro's gaze flicks to mine and then to Wrath’s and back again, confusion filling his face. "Erm, you didn't seem like you wanted the gig back at the hospital, I'm just giving you an out."
I nod, not really sure what else to say. He's right, I didn't want to babysit her, but it doesn't mean I won't do it. "Okay, thanks."
"Look, Ice, you're too damn suspicious right now, and that was the reason I was going to put you on her. But after reading that, I think what she needs is a friend. I know she has a friend where she works, but she needs one in here that’s on our side first. One that she can trust but that can get us the information we need. "
"You're right, she does need a friend." I nod. This is about her, not about my insecurities. "I'm going to go catch up with some of our contacts, see if they have any more news for us. You guys need anything else before I go?"
"Are you okay?" Nitro asks me.
"I'm good. Really. Having Marissa with her will be better for her than me annoying the fuck out of her," I tell them, and I mean it.
"Ha, at least you know you're an annoying shithead," Wrath tells me. I give them both the finger before downing the last of my glass and heading out.