Chapter Two.
Rascal
I was on edge as I headed out with Jinx to the tattoo parlour. I had an appointment with Wraith. Sunny had tracked Hallie down, and Slaughter had put one of his men on her, but Hallie was on the move. She appeared to be heading this way.
I’d finally heard why she’d been released, and I didn’t believe it. Had her alibi been buried? What a crock of shit. The cops in my hometown weren’t crooked. Hallie could spin her bullshit any which way she wanted, but she forgot one thing. I’d seen her. Sitting on my waist and stabbing down.
I shook my head before memories overwhelmed me again. I’d never forget that memory. No, I shoved it away. Not happening.
My phone rang, and I looked down and frowned.
“Lieutenant,” I replied.
“It’s fuckin’ Sunny,” he growled, and I hid a laugh.
“Sunny.”
“That’s better, prospect, and you’ve got a problem.
I did some further digging. There’s no mistake; the footage Hallie Milton mentioned exists, and it proves a cop definitely misplaced an alibi.
Hallie’s lawyer is tearing your old PD apart.
There’re lawsuits everywhere. It doesn’t give her a full alibi, but they’re demanding to know what other evidence the cops have squashed. This is a shitstorm.”
“It’s bullshit, that’s what it is!” I spat furiously.
“Prospect, there’s social media footage of her being confronted in your hometown.
The bitch calls you a liar and accuses you of protecting another woman.
She is seriously gunning for you. Hallie fucks with everyone there and sticks to the facts, except for the allegation against you.
She rips her family an entire new one, and it’s pretty clear she’s got anger issues.
Her lawyer is already serving civil suits. ”
“Jesus. I’m telling you, Sunny, it was her. I woke up, and she was sitting there clutching a fuckin’ dagger and stabbed me in the shoulder and then the other. The cunt then tells me I’m hers and nobody else’s and stabs me in the chest. Hallie missed my heart by millimetres!”
“I’ve done a background check on the medical reports.
She has two brothers, both older than her and married.
Mother and father are still together and healthy.
I looked for signs of a twin—miscarriage, stillborn—and found nothing.
Mother only had three kids. No siblings or relatives were kidnapped.
If she intends to claim a female relative did it, as a defence, I’ve pretty much ruled that out.
“There’s no sign of mental illness anywhere in the family, and she’s never been diagnosed with anything.
The prison monitored her closely because she was on suicide watch for the first three months of her sentence.
She tried twice and failed. Then one day she woke up and headed for the gym.
It became her thing. Inside, Hallie had a couple of fights; the attackers got fucked up, and people left her alone.
Spoke to a guard there. She recalls Hallie kept to herself, didn’t mix, and was basically a loner. But inmates respected her.
“The guard stated that the difference in Hallie was drastic. It was as if a switch had flipped. She was allowed a weekly visit and had refused to see anyone. The only person who bothered to visit her was Kingston Albert. She refused to see even him until she underwent this personality change. All reports say they are tight, very fuckin’ close.
One even states they’d kill for each other.
You ain’t just watching your back against her; it’s him too,” Sunny said.
“I’ve known her family since we were small. There’s nothing to be found there; they’re basically decent, hardworking people,” I replied.
“Who gave birth to a lunatic? The DA is reviewing the evidence again, looking for a smoking gun. The problem is, so is her lawyer. They recovered this suppressed footage; there might be more hidden away. If her lawyers find it, Rascal, she may well walk for good.”
“What is this alibi?” I demanded.
“She claims that on that day…”
“Sunny, I know what Hallie says. But what is the evidence?”
“It’s a recording of her leaving her car at the mall in the next town over and heading inside. The CCTV shows her shopping and then nothing for seventy minutes. But her car does not move. That missing hour is enough for her to get to your home, stab you, and return to the mall,” Sunny said.
“And this was buried?”
“Yes, and as it proves her partial alibi, her lawyer—Lynch—is claiming the cops have the rest of it. Lynch has postulated that you were having an affair with a cop’s relative who flipped out and you’re covering for her.”
“That’s damn weak. I’d want whoever did this to pay. If I were covering, where’s the benefit? Surely, I should have got something for keeping my mouth shut!” I exclaimed.
“The DA has sent the video for analysis to identify if it’s been tampered with. The problem Hallie’s team has is that there’s no chain of evidence until it mysteriously arrives in the lock-up.”
“Which means someone she knows could have planted that. If so, there’s gotta be a money trail,” I stated.
“Which is what I’m trying to track down. Stay at the clubhouse; it’s the safest place for you,” Sunny ordered.
“I ain’t no coward, Sunny!”
“Nope, but this bitch already got to you once. She might again.”
That was a damn good point. Sunny hung up, and I glanced across at Jinx. “How much did you hear?”
“All of it.”
“I’m gonna tell Chance to swap you out. Dollar or Sailor can be my wingman,” I said.
“You don’t trust me?” Jinx reared up.
“Kid, in the space of months, you killed two people, badly injured your feet, and got shot. I ain’t putting you in a psycho’s line of sight,” I stated.
“That’s my choice, Rascal. You’re my brother.”
“Jinx,” I argued, but promptly fell over.
Jinx looked smug. “I’ll make it one hundred times worse if you don’t let me take your back,” he hissed.
Holy Fuck! Could Jinx actually turn up his effect? I didn’t want to find out.
“Fine, but at the first sign of trouble, you duck and stay low. I don’t want you getting hurt for me.”
Jinx offered me a mulish expression, and I guessed he was going to dig his heels in.
“Come on. Let’s head inside. Wraith’s waiting and he’s drawing me up a new design.”
“Fine. But don’t baby me, Rascal,” Jinx muttered.
I stopped walking for a second time. “Jinx. I’m not doing that. I saw how those two deaths affected you. You took them to heart. I don’t want to put you through that again. Only an asshole would,” I stated.
“We’re all assholes,” Jinx replied and shoved through the door. Whilst at the counter, Wraith nodded at us.
“Any trouble?” he asked.
“None. Trip was smooth,” I responded. We jumped as a chair fell over, and Jinx cocked an eyebrow. Fuckin’ Jinx!
Wraith eyed him warily, but pulled out his design.
I’d shown Wraith the scars the other day, so he knew what he was working with.
They were ugly. There was a stab wound in each shoulder, and the one near my heart.
But Hallie had tried carving me up too, and I had several slash marks that had been deep.
What Wraith unveiled was a masterpiece. It was a scene surrounded by smoky edges. Trees filled the background, with a masculine sugar skull in the middle. Below that was a graveyard with crushed skulls, broken headstones and crosses. A crow stared out from a mausoleum. It took my breath away.
“Holy crap,” I muttered.
“You don’t like it?”
“Get real. That’s amazing.”
“See here,” Wraith pointed to several lines, “this is where it’ll hide your scars.” One of my shoulder wounds became the moon and the other an eye in the sky.
“Any changes?” Wraith asked.
“None.”
“Then come to my room and strip. I’ll do the outline today,” Wraith said.
“I wasn’t expecting—”
“You’re Hellfire. I kept today free to fit you in. Sit down, prospect,” Wraith demanded.
There was a crash from outside. “Is Jinx here?” Smokey yelled.
“Yo,” Jinx shouted back with a wicked grin.
“Prospect, get the fuck out of my shop!” Levi bellowed.
“No can do. I’m Rascal’s shadow. Chance ordered it,” Jinx called.
Death threats aimed at Jinx came from Levi, but he didn’t push the issue. Nobody would. I settled into the chair and let Wraith ink me.
“That’s gonna be kickass,” Jinx stated as we headed down an alley to collect our bikes.
“I’m sure it is. Only whose ass is being kicked?” a woman said.
I stopped mid-stride. Despite the five years, I recognised that voice.
“Jinx, get behind me,” I ordered as I turned towards Hallie. Seeing her shocked me in more ways than one.
Her face was thinner, her hair cut short, and a bad scar ran down her cheek. Her body was toned, and the small tank top she was wearing showed her arm muscles and taut stomach. She wore combats and shitkickers. It was the look in her eyes that stole my breath. Sheer, unadulterated hatred.
“Yeah, Jinx, stand behind him. Don’t ever obstruct him. He’s a backstabbing cunt,” Hallie hissed.
“Fuck off, Hallie,” I ordered.
“What, no sorry for the girlfriend you set up? Not a single ounce of guilt?” Hallie demanded.
I looked at her cheek. “Yep, some bitch in jail did that. Four held me down, and she carved my face. That’s what you did to me, Shane.
When I locate the cunt you protected, I’m going to do a lot worse.
I promise you that.” Hallie leaned forward, and I stepped backwards.
“And when I find her… she’ll beg for the end. Just like you will.”
Hallie stared at Jinx. “He’s a fuckin’ good liar. Watch your back, kid. You think you know him; you don’t. His true nature will soon show.”
“I’ve seen his true colours,” Jinx shot back.
Hallie laughed, and it grated on me. “Nah. Check the news tonight. It’ll be interesting viewing.”
With that, Hallie turned and walked away. King flowed out of the shadows, making me jump.
“I’m going to dig yours and that cunt’s grave. They’ll never find you,” King promised and followed Hallie.
“Shit,” I hissed, shaken. Hallie wasn’t even bothering to hide her crazy anymore.
“Watch the news? That’s what she said?” Chance asked.