CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
A Dose of Reality
Rio—
“Come on, Prez.” Zig shakes my arm. “We have that meeting with the DA.”
I watch Shelby’s car disappear down the street.
“She’ll cool off,” Jenny promises half-heartedly.
I shake my head. “She’s stubborn. She won’t change her mind. Besides, she’s right. I failed her.”
“Prez,” Zig repeats.
I climb on my bike. The two of us pull out, roaring off down the street. All the way across town to the DA’s office, I’m in a catatonic state, only able to function because all I have to do is follow Zig’s lead.
Everything inside me wants to go after Shelby, to stop her, to make her understand this is not game over. I can fix this. But a part of me already knows I can’t make her believe in me if she doesn’t. Sure, I could make her stay, lock her in a room. Hell, I’m capable of doing whatever it takes. But that wouldn’t win me anything but her loathing.
Already there’s a hole inside me that’s growing with every mile we ride.
When Zig and I stride into the DA’s office, heads turn, taking in our cuts, but no one says a word or makes any attempt to stop us.
He’s alone in his office when we walk in, and glances up from the paperwork on his desk, then leans back in his chair, sighing. “Have a seat, gentlemen.”
Fuck that. I shove everything on his desk to the floor in an angry swipe and pound my fist on the wood. “What the fuck happened? You said there was no way he’d get out on bail.”
He lifts his hands, leaning back. “I know. And in any other case, that’d be true.”
“This case should be easy. The guy has victims in this town. Why the hell would a judge let him free?”
“Let me explain some things. Sure, the appeals judge takes into account the nature and circumstances of the charges and the strength of the prosecution’s evidence, but he also takes into account the defendant's criminal history, his ties to the community, and the fact that until now he was a respected and decorated officer.” The man shrugs. “In this case, he gave him the benefit of the doubt. That, and it’s not easy to hold a cop in jail. He has to be separated from gen pop and…”
“I don’t give a fuck about that. We had a deal.”
“And I kept my end. He was arrested and charged. I’m prosecuting him. I have no control over the judge.”
“Are there any restrictions?”
“He’s restricted to a five-mile radius from his home, his lawyer’s office, and the drive route in between.”
“No ankle monitoring?” Zig asks.
“Not for someone with the strong ties to the community like he has.”
Zig gives me a look, and I know what he’s thinking. If he’s not being monitored, we could take him out. There’s nothing I’d like more than to kill that motherfucker, but there’s only one problem with that plan. I’d be breaking my word to Shelby.
Even though she’s threatening to leave, I can’t break that promise. It would solve our problem, but it would be the last straw.
“There’s no way to get his bail revoked again?” Zig asks.
“If he violates the terms. In this case, he’s forbidden from contacting any of the victims, and he’s to avoid specific locations, including all their residences. But that’s not going to help your friend. She’s not a listed victim in the charges we brought.”
“What else?”
“He can’t carry a gun, do drugs, or miss a check-in.”
“See, Prez, we’ve got options,” Zig teases, but I don’t find it funny. None of this is fucking funny.
The DA tilts his head. “That business with the shots fired on main street… You know anything about that?”
“You heard of a club called the Devil Kings?” I reply.
He shakes his head. “What’s that? A cartel, an MC, what?”
“They’re a club out of Cali. As far as we know, they’re not in New Mexico, but they’ve been spotted several times. That’s who shot up those businesses.”
“You sure about that?”
“Positive. You got any intel on them you want to share?”
He huffs a laugh. “Like I’d share info with you.”
“Let us take care of that problem. Or do you really want another club setting up shop in this state?” Zig asks.
He thinks for a minute, dragging his hand down his face. “Okay. Let me make a few calls. I’ll get back to you.”
With that, we walk out of his office and down to the curb where our bikes are parked. I stare at mine, taking in the rear seat. I’d had plans to take Shelby for a ride this week. Hell, I’ve wanted to put her on the back of my bike since the day I met her. Now, a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach tells me that may never happen.
We had it all. Everything was working out, and I could see our future so clearly. If it weren’t for that son-of-a-bitch deputy, I’d already have her permanently in my life. Now it feels as if those grand plans have crashed and burned.
Zig climbs on his bike. “Where to, boss?”
“Shelby’s place.”
It’s a drive from the courthouse, and when we roll up to the gate and I put in the code, I have a sinking feeling. The gate opens, and we roar up to the house.
Shelby’s car is nowhere in sight.
Throwing the kickstand down, I vault from my bike, rip off my helmet, and stride to the door. I punch in the code, but it jams. I try to shoulder it open, but it won’t budge. Rearing back, I give it a good leg kick and my knee buckles, but the door splinters open.
“Son-of-a-bitch,” I groan, falling against the frame. “Shelby!”
There’s no answer, only dead silence greets us. I try to put some weight on my boot, but excruciating pain shoots up leg.
“You okay, Prez?” Zig asks and puts a shoulder under my arm. I lean against him, putting my weight on my good leg.
“Shelby,” I call again, but her name echoes through the house. “Take me to the back bedroom.”
We move through the rooms and down the hall. The drawers in the dresser are pulled out and half the hangers in the closet are empty.
Zig leaves me leaning against the wall and checks the other bedrooms, then returns.
“Looks like she left in a hurry. Most of the munchkin’s toys are gone from the other bedroom.”
“Fuck.” My legs feel weak at the thought of Shelby gone. Really gone . I slide to the floor. “Goddamn. I fucked up. I promised her she’d never have to worry again, and I failed her.”
“You didn’t fail her, Rio. The system failed her.”
“And I shouldn’t have trusted it. I should have taken care of that asshole from the start.”
“You said you promised her you wouldn’t kill him.”
“Yeah and look where that got me.”
“You did it for Bella as much as for Shelby,” Zig says.
I drag a hand through my hair. “Bella. If that asshole finds out about her—”
“Then we make sure he doesn’t.”
“Yeah.”
“Hang on a second.” Zig wanders out of the room, then returns with two bottles of beer from the fridge and holds one out to me. “Let’s go sit on the terrace and figure this out.”
“She’s gone. What’s to figure out?”
“And you know where she is. We’ll handle the DKs and Carson, then you’ll get her back. Easy peasy.” He takes a long sip of his beer, then grins. “Of course, she lost all faith in you, but that’s a problem for another day.”
“Asshole.”
He extends his hand and pulls me to my feet. “Yeah, but you put up with me.”
I put my arm around his shoulders and lean on him. “If I had it in me right now, VP, I’d punch you in the face.”
He takes my weight, steering me out of the room. “Come on, brother. You can punch me later.”