Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
SLOANE
"Have you heard from Hawk yet?"
I swiveled in my chair and met Anita's stare. "Did you knock and I missed it?" I know I was absorbed in my work, but there's no way I wouldn't have heard that.
"No, I walked right in."
"Of course you did." I shook my head. "No, I haven't heard anything since I sent the information over. I figured I would do my own digging in the meantime."
I spun back around. Before I could close my current window, Anita was leaning over my shoulder. "Why are you looking into Hayes?"
I took a deep breath. I didn't know how to explain my sudden fascination with him.
Actually, yes, I did. I spent years shoving every single feeling I had for the man deep down inside an impenetrable box.
Now that I opened it, I couldn't stop myself from wanting to learn everything I could about the last decade of his life.
And the more I researched him, the more questions I had.
"Something’s not adding up."
Anita moved to lean on my desk so I could see her in my periphery. "What do you mean?"
"He's too clean," I stressed.
"Lay it out for me."
That answer right there was why Anita was my favorite teammate. She got straight down to the point. And she didn't make me feel like an idiot for researching my ex.
"Hayes was never a bad guy, but he liked to see the good in people even when he shouldn't.
And because of it, he often got in trouble.
I know for a fact he had a juvie record.
Nothing that was his fault other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The same could be said after he turned eighteen, and yet, for some reason, he doesn't have so much as a parking ticket after I disappeared. "
I hated that my first thought was something sinister, but a leopard didn't change his spots. Not overnight.
"And that's out of character for him." It wasn't a question. Anita was simply stating a fact.
"Very. Especially considering I found him meeting with Mason. A mob associate doesn't exactly scream squeaky clean."
"So no connection to the rest of the Dunkin family?"
I shook my head. "Nope, nothing. He owns a garage and towing company.
He files his taxes on time. Spends well within his means.
No wife. No children." Something I hated to admit made me happy.
"No contact with his parents that I can see.
" I sighed and paused. Just long enough to get my bearings.
"Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that I knew him so well before and the whole Mason thing, I would write him off as a boring blue-collar man. "
"What about friendships?"
I had to stop myself from letting the panic consume me. That time in my life was over, and it did me no good to rehash things I couldn't change. "Toby Kent is still in his life."
Anita stared at me. She knew what that name meant. She also knew how hard it was for me to let the name cross my lips. By asking me that, she was gauging where my head was at. I was damn proud that I was able to keep my composure.
"I'll have Lilith look into him. Keep you out of it and I don't see the need to bring Hawk into this yet. I want their focus on the organ trafficking."
I kept my sigh to a minimum, but Anita heard it. We were trained to notice the small things, but she didn't draw attention to it, and for that, I would forever be grateful. There was only so much I could take when it came to my past, and apparently, I was hitting my max.
"Back to the reason for my visit. So nothing from Hawk?"
I shook my head. "Zilch. But like I said, I have my own searches going on the dark web for The Givers. Unfortunately, I too am coming up empty. I did, however, put some feelers out that I'm looking for an organ. We might get lucky that way."
"Which organ?"
I glanced over and smiled at Anita. "A kidney. I figured it was symbolic."
Anita shook her head, but I saw the smallest twitch of her lips. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she thought it was funny.
Our line of work left us dealing with the most depraved human beings in the world.
And like most frontline workers, we had two choices.
We could let the things we saw eat us up inside until we were no longer sane, or we could find humor in it.
Like most, we chose humor. Was it the best coping mechanism? Fuck no. But it worked.
Anita stood up and rapped her knuckles on my desk. "Keep me posted on what you find."
"Will do." I waited until Anita was halfway across the room before I spoke, "Oh and for future reference.
Try knocking. You never know when I might be wandering around naked.
" I tipped one side of my mouth up. I didn't need to turn around to know Anita had a scowl on her face.
We were as close as family, but that didn't mean she wanted to see my ass if she didn't need to.
"I'll keep that in mind."
I waited until I heard the front door slam shut, then I opened the browser with Hayes’ picture. He was up to something, and I wanted to know what the hell it was.
There was only one way to do that.
Pay him a visit.
I considered my options. I could ask the team to come with me.
They would have my back without question.
But did I want to face my past in front of them?
Not particularly. Or I could go by myself.
From everything I learned about Hayes since I left him, he would be no match for me.
Hand-to-hand combat was my specialty. I learned from the best and was confident my ex wouldn't pose a problem.
My mind was made up. I would give it a few hours and leave.
I would tell my team I was headed to meet with one of my former instructors and get a good session in.
They wouldn't find it odd considering it had been a while.
And besides, we weren't confined to the compound. We just preferred not to leave.
The message to my team was sent, and just as I figured, no one questioned my motive.
It wasn't until I was on the main road that I realized I wasn't alone. How the hell I missed it before now was beyond me. The only explanation I could think of was Hayes was clouding my judgment more than I realized.
I quickly pulled the Jeep over to the side of the road and lashed out at the person who was now sitting in my back seat. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I could ask you the same, but considering I already know the answer, I don't feel it's necessary to waste my breath.
" Beckett smirked at me. Then he climbed out from the back and hopped into the passenger seat with a satisfied sigh.
"Ah, much better. My ass is too damn big to be shoved back there on the floor. "
"Then why the hell did you do it? If you wanted to come with me, you could've just asked."
"And risk you telling me no?" He quirked his brow. "Nah, this was better. Besides, we both know you aren't going out for a session. You're going to confront Hayes."
I kept my expression neutral. "Why the hell would you think that?"
"Because it's what I would do. Anita told me you were digging into him more, and he's too squeaky clean for your liking. The next logical step would be to confront him about it." Beckett settled back into the seat. "Tell me I'm wrong."
"You're not wrong," I reluctantly grumbled. This was one of those times it was annoying to have a former FBI agent on the team.
"Exactly." Beckett sounded too damn smug, and I wanted to punch him for it. I settled for using my words instead.
"Why do you want to come? I don't need a babysitter if that's what you're thinking. I can handle Hayes, and I don't plan on killing him."
I could never kill the man who still held my heart in the palm of his hand.
"Let's call it morbid curiosity."
"Suit yourself. But you do realize Anita's going to be pissed when she finds out what I'm really doing, and you didn't do anything to stop me, right?"
Beckett merely shrugged. "I'm willing to take one for the team."
He would soon find out he was going to be eating his words.