Chapter 34 #2
“I got called in, and had every intention of going back when I was done. But I get there, they rush me because it took me so long to get there.” I pause, shaking my head.
“Now all of my worlds are colliding. I’m looking at who was my best friend for most of my life in the backseat of the car after I just spent yet another night with his sister, and I know it’s a matter of time.
There’s something in me that knew it was about to get bad soon.
It’s like I could sense what I’d been waiting for, my entire purpose, was quickly coming to a head.
” I pause, looking around. “Either I was going to end up arrested or die protecting the club. And even knowing all of that, I was still trying to figure out a way to get you out of it. I knew somehow she’d get caught in the middle of things, and I didn’t want to put her in danger.
” Pausing before I look up again. “And then you said what you said.”
“What’d I say?”
“She needed to stay as far away from this as possible. And if I’m being honest, I was watching you sacrificing everything to keep Tate safe and…”
I’m glad when he lets the sentence trail off.
“Why didn’t you tell her that?”
“I wouldn’t have been able to look or even hear her voice and be able to do it.
I just had to leave. I knew if I left, if I didn’t answer my phone, if I cut her out, she’d be too proud to show up and demand answers.
Plus, it seemed easier than having our relationship come out, and this. ” I motion in front of me.
Zeke’s phone buzzes next to me before he answers it, stepping out of the room.
Z continues to stare at me, sighing. “I want to be mad at you.”
I slowly nod my head, understanding.
“But I hate how I get it. It took me a long time to realize that I can try to protect them from a lot of stuff. But they get to make their choice.” He sighs, shaking his head. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
The question stuns me as I just stare at him, unable to figure out exactly what to say. I’m not sure why I wasn’t prepared for him to ask that. Or why it’s been a year and I’m still stuck on her.
“Guys, they’ve got something.” Zeke pops his head into the office, looking at us.
“Let’s go.” Z nods at us before we’re moving back out of the gym. “You’re with me.” He taps my chest with the back of his hand as he moves towards the van.
We’re pulling out of the compound when I look over at him. “I’m taking you trust me now?”
“I’m still working on that; however, I do trust that you’ll do anything to protect her.”
I can’t help but tilt my head as he comes to a pause at the stop sign before turning onto the highway. “Does that mean you’re okay with it?”
“I didn’t say that.”
My phone rings, and as I look down at it, I exhale finally. “About fucking time.” Swiping the phone. “Hey, I need a favor.”
Z looks over at me, confused.
“Yeah, man.” Collins’s voice is quiet as he speaks. “What’s up?”
“I need you to track a number.”
“Eli…” Z warns from the driver’s seat, but I just wave him off as I recite Drew’s number from memory. I can see Z’s surprised look at that.
“What the fuck?” Collins whispers to him, and it’s as if I can see him standing up from his desk and walking through the station.
“What? What is it?”
A door closes through the phone, and I can only imagine he’s standing in the stairwell. “That’s Drew’s phone?”
I’m really not sure if he’s asking it as a question. “I know.”
“I thought you two…”
“We did.”
“I’m assuming you’re looking for her because she’s missing.”
“Yup.”
“Are you with him?” Collins asks.
“Yup.”
“Put me on speaker.”
Glancing over, I look at Z as I pull the phone from my ear, switching it over so Z can hear as well.
“Alright, we’re both here.”
“There are 2 pings.”
“What?” Z asks.
“Her watch.” I mutter.
“Makes sense.” He pauses. “Is there a reason she’d be here?”
“What?” we both nearly shout.
“Where’s here?” Z asks now.
“One of the pings is at her apartment, the other one is here, at the station.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Z whispers to himself.
“Who’s there?” I ask him before anyone else can start. “Anyone who has a grudge against Z.”
“Um, 95% of the force?”
I catch Z slightly laughing to himself with pride at the comment.
“Okay, the ones who were closest to Sherman.” I pause, trying to figure something out. “Can you send me a list of addresses?”
“Got it.”
We hang up, and I shake my head.
“Shit. Why does it have to be what I did?” Z asks.
“You killed a cop and flaunt it daily.” I laugh, nodding down to his hand. “I just destroyed the little evidence they found. Plus, I never told anyone about her and me.”
“Except Collins?”
“Yeah,” I shrug. “It’s more like he figured it out. And he was there the night we found her on my porch.”
Z’s head slowly looks over at me as he shakes his head.
“I mean, in a way, you did kind of encourage me to pursue something with her.”
He’s still looking at me.
“You said —”
“The best ones are always complicated.” He shakes his head again before we both let out a sad laugh. “Motherfucker.” He mumbles under his breath again.
“Nah, it’d be more like ‘sisterfucker’.”
Shaking his head, doing his best to keep a serious face. “I hate you so much.”
This time we both laugh a little harder.
“Shit…” he gasps, looking over at me as he rolls to a stop at the light. “She had…” he trails off as if it’s weird to say it.
“I forgot I’d talked to you about that.” I nod my head. I’m sure he’s remembering the rest of the conversation too.
“You sure you can trust him?”
“Yeah.” I nod my head, but his question makes me think about it. Pulling out my phone and calling Collins back.
“What?”
“Matthews.”
“What?”
“Remember that night at the bar? He was close to Sherman. I’d bet anything…”
“You’re right.” He pauses. “He wouldn’t be dumb enough to keep her at his place, though.”
“We’re gonna head there if you find anything else.”
“I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Eli.” I pause before I hang up to let him finish. “You get caught —”
“Yeah, yeah, it wasn’t you.” I tell him before pressing the phone off.
“What bar?” Z asks me as we make a right.
“McGuire’s.”
“What would something happening there affect any of this?”
“Cause that’s where she shot him down in front of everyone.”
“Why?” His eyes widen as he asks it, equally concerned and confused. “Why would she have been there to begin with?”
“I dunno, cause it’s Drew. And she’s insane.” I pause, shaking my head. “Apparently, she’d been going there for weeks, waiting for me.”
“Why?”
“To thank me.” I try not to sound cocky.
“Why not just call or go to your house?”
“Again, it’s Drew. She enjoyed being in a room where she was what everyone wanted, but no one could have.”
He wrinkles his nose at the thought. “Hate that.”
It makes me laugh.
“Thank you?”
“Look, full disclaimer, it was supposed to just be a hookup. A onetime thing, when I dropped off her phone.” I watch him look over at me.
“Her idea. We talked about it beforehand and agreed. But…” I trail off, feeling weird talking to him about this, which is funny considering all the girls in the past we’d talked like this about.
“But I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
I kept my distance, but when she showed up that night. And told me she felt the same way.”
“What does that have to do with what she wanted to thank you for?”