22. Addison
CHAPTER 22
ADDISON
I can live with that.
“You wanted to see me?”
I lean back in my chair and look away from my computer for the first time since I arrived this morning. It’s been a week since Crow kissed me, and I’ve been more dedicated than ever to finding out the truth of the triple murder, as well as my mom’s.
“Yeah.” I gesture to the chair on the other side of my desk. “I wanted to run a few things by you. Do you have an hour or so now?”
“Must be something big if you need more than a few minutes,” he comments as he sits.
“It is,” I confirm. “At least, I think it is.”
“Okay, Addi. Hit me.”
“Do you remember the witness at the gas station the night my mom was killed?”
Gary wrinkles his forehead. “The employee?” I nod. “Of course, I do. I led the investigation, so I remember pretty much everything about it.”
“Right. And the guy described what the shooter was wearing,” I continue. “Do you remember that?”
“Vaguely. I’d have to look at the report to really refresh my memory.”
I hand him my tablet, which has the report already pulled up. “Here ya go.”
Gary simply shakes his head and chuckles. “Leave it to you to be fully prepared.”
“I learned from the best. Now, read the witness description and then open the photos app and look at the most recent picture.”
When he’s done, he levels his gaze on mine. “Okay. What exactly am I supposed to get from this.”
“The description of the shooter’s cut and a photo of an actual Soulless Kings MC cut don’t match.”
“So?”
“So, maybe they didn’t do it.”
Gary sits back, completely relaxed. “Addi, I know it’s hard because we’ve never made an arrest, but they did it. They killed your mom.”
“I don’t think so,” I insist. “Look, I’ve done some digging lately, and I can’t find anything that points to their being a member with the name Stunner. That, along with the cut…” I throw my hands up. “That’s reasonable doubt if I ever heard it.”
“You and I don’t have to worry about reasonable doubt. That’s up to the jury.”
“Since when?”
“Since always. We investigate, we gather evidence, and we present it to the district attorney. It’s up to them to decide whether or not to prosecute, and then it’s the jury’s call if reasonable doubt factors in.”
Frustrated with his line of thinking, I push. “But reasonable doubt only exists if we find it in the first place.”
“And you think you’ve found it?”
“I know I have!”
“Where is this coming from? I know you’re upset about Kenny, but that doesn’t mean that there’s fault to be found in every case.”
“I know that. But I want to put innocent people behind bars as much as I want to let guilty people walk.”
Gary leans forward. “Okay, Addi. Let’s say the Soulless Kings are innocent of your mom’s shooting. They were still involved in that triple homicide. So… guilty. Does it really matter what crime we get them on as long as we get them?”
“Yeah, it matters. Besides, I don’t think they were involved in that either.”
“What on Earth makes you think that?”
“Because I got to know them while investigating Sunny’s attack.” That’s not the only reason, but it’s all I’m comfortable sharing. “They just don’t strike me as the type of people who would murder for the sake of murder.”
“But they are the type of people who would murder their enemies,” he counters.
He’s not wrong. But he’s not right, either.
“I just think we should be looking at every viable option for both unsolved cases.”
“And we are.” Gary stands, signaling that he’s done discussing this. “Have you talked to your dad about any of this?”
“Not yet. I wanted to talk to you first since you’re the lead investigator on both incidents.”
“I’m gonna do you a favor and tell you to keep these thoughts to yourself. Chief hates the Soulless Kings, and he won’t agree with your assumptions any more than I do.”
Gary quietly pulls the door shut behind him, leaving me speechless. He’s always respected my opinion. Why isn’t he now?
I lift my cell off my desk and pull up Crow’s contact info to send him a text.
Me: Wanna come over later?
Crow: Is everything okay?
Me: Yeah, y wouldn’t it be
Crow: You’ve never actually asked me to come over before
Me: LOL I’m asking now
Crow: What time will you be home?
Me: Leaving work early… need to get outta here
Crow: B there in 20
Twenty-six minutes later, I pull into my garage, waving at Crow as I pass him in the driveway.
“Hey,” I call to him when I step out of my car. “You can park in here if you want.”
“Ashamed to have my bike seen at your house?”
“Not at all. But I think it’s supposed to rain later and figured you’d want to keep it dry.”
His lips tilt into a grin. “Good lookin’ out, Ace.”
Crow walks his Harley into the garage and puts the kickstand down when it’s in the second parking spot. He closes the distance between us and presses a quick kiss to my lips like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
And I don’t hate it.
“Rough day?” he asks as he follows me inside.
“You could say that.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
I set my purse on the kitchen counter and turn to face him. “Not really.”
“Then what do you wanna do?”
“I wanna forget about it.”
His grin morphs into a sly smirk. “And how do you propose I make you forget about it?”
I take a step closer to him and rest my palm on his chest. “How about that sleeping together without actually sleeping thing you mentioned last week?”
Without warning, Crow bends and lifts me off the floor to throw me over his shoulder. “Your wish is my command. Now, where’s the bedroom?”
I grip the back of his shirt and hold on. “Down the hall, last door on the left,” I reply with a laugh.
Crow carries me like a man with a purpose. The dark gray plush carpet of my bedroom comes into view and seconds later, he tosses me onto the mattress.
“Take your clothes off,” he orders, his tone gravelly.
He begins to strip, dropping one item of clothing on the floor after another. I miss most of the show because I’m scrambling just as fast to get naked.
“Fucking hell, you’re gorgeous,” he says as he climbs on top of me and straddles my hips.
His cock brushes my inner thigh, and I shiver at the contact. There’s not going to be anything slow about us coming together today. It’s gonna be hot, fast, and primal.
Exactly what I need right now.
“Gimme everything you got, Crow,” I demand. “We can do nice and slow later.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Crow reaches between us and guides his dick to my core. My hips buck when he enters me, and I dig my fingers into his ass cheeks to hold him close.
“You’re killin’ me,” he groans.
“Don’t feel dead to me.”
Crow begins to slide out until just the tip remains, and then he impales himself again. Over and over, he fucks me, until my mind is full of nothing but numbing pleasure. He circles his hips, putting pressure on my clit, and I match him thrust for thrust.
“C’mon, Addi, come for me.”
“I…” I throw my head back as my body begins to quiver, and the words are lost forever.
Crow’s body stiffens, and his cock pulses with his release. My pussy clamps around him, taking his pleasure as my own rips through me.
He collapses on top of me and rolls to the side, tucking me against him as he goes.
“I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“I was nine,” I deadpan.
Pushing to his elbow, he stares down at me with wide eyes. “You remember that?”
“I remember Ms. Cochran forcing me to hang out with the new boy in class,” I tease. “I was so mad at my dad that day, but somehow you made me forget.” I duck my head. “You made me forget then, and you made me forget now.”
Crow grips my chin and tips it up before leaning close to my ear.
“I’ll always make you forget,” he whispers.
“Just a good guy doing bad things for a good reason?”
“Just a normal man doing incredible things to an amazing woman for all the right reasons.”
“I can live with that.”