Chapter Five.
Rascal
“I need an alibi for you for yesterday afternoon,” Lio said, holding my gaze.
“What happened?” I demanded.
“Someone tried to kill Hallie Milton and Kingston Albert. Where were you, Rascal? I gotta rule you out,” Lio answered.
“Good job, I’ve a cast-iron one.”
“I haven’t told you the time.”
“Well, I was at the compound until half eleven and then twelve till six I was at the tattoo parlour. Wraith was inking me and doing a live shoot as he did.”
“That’s fine if you can give me the link,” Lio replied.
“Someone tried to kill that bitch? Looks like Hallie’s got more enemies than she let on,” Bear said.
“No. Just you.”
“Then she organised it to make it come back to me. Amateur. She should have checked where I was,” I sneered.
“She didn’t say it was you. Hallie claimed she didn’t see the driver, and King didn’t either. The SUV had tinted windows. But you’re the obvious culprit.”
“Yeah, because I stick to the truth and state that lying bitch tried to kill me. I ain’t backing down. Go tell that cunt no matter what she pulls, I’ll keep speaking the truth until she’s back beyond bars,” I hissed.
“Got to admit, Rascal, your case is falling apart. Two witnesses, deliberately lost footage, that wreath, you saying that’s Hallie at the florist and now an attempt on her life. Shit ain’t looking good, bud,” Lio declared.
Chance’s eyes narrowed before I could speak. “My prospect ain’t a liar.”
“Your prospect might have been mistaken and sent an innocent woman to prison. He admitted he’d been drugged. That alone should have thrown his eyewitness testimony out the window. The fact it didn’t, you have friends in high places,” Lio stated and eyed me with suspicion.
“What are you saying?” Chance demanded.
“That Rascal’s case is weak. Hallie’s been out a few weeks and so far, she’s the victim,” Lio said.
“Bull-fucking-shit. Anyone can see Hallie’s building a case against me. The fact you can’t speaks a shitload to your investigative skills,” I sneered.
“Don’t push me, Rascal. I owe you shit. It’s Chance I’ve got bonds with. I’m telling you, get a lawyer, because you’re looking like you’re harassing Hallie,” Lio said.
“Fuck you,” I growled out and walked away. Behind me, Chance and Lio bickered. I didn’t care. Once again, Hallie was disrupting my life. I hit my bike, ready to ride out, when Pyro stopped me.
“Follow me,” he ordered. I went to refuse, but the big man glowered, and I shut up. Pyro was one of the most dangerous brothers here—it wasn’t worth the bruises to argue with him. I followed him out of town and to a warehouse in between Spearfish and Jolly Dump.
“What are we doing here?” I asked, looking worried.
“You’re being watched back there. No one can approach here without us spotting them. That bitch is fuckin’ with you. I know someone who can take Hallie out and make her admit her crimes,” Pyro said.
“I’m so damn tempted. It would serve Hallie right, but it’s too soon. Hallie’s being too cocky; she’s gonna slip. I need her to cut her own throat.”
“The offer’s there. That cunt’s been one step ahead all the time. You’re gonna have to get into Hallie’s headspace. Otherwise, she’ll frame you and send you down.”
“Hallie can’t, because I’m telling the truth.”
“Yeah, stop shouting that. It makes it look like you’re trying to convince everyone, and you’re coming across as desperate.
The onus is on her to prove that you lied.
She can’t because you didn’t, so trust in us.
We ain’t about to let you fall. Bitch will eat a bullet before she comes close.
We know people who can ensure Hallie goes down,” Pyro stated.
“I don’t wanna fit her up, Pyro; I’m not that guy. But there’s real hate in her; she’s unreasonable and Hallie’s aiming at me.”
“Then allow the cunt to aim, and we’ll take the bullets. Hallie can’t win. She’s making noise which will come back and bite her. She has to prove she wasn’t in your bed, and she can’t.”
Pyro handed me a bat and pointed me to a pile of junk. “Go fuckin’ nuts. Get the anger and pain out of you and start thinking instead of reacting.”
Somehow, I knew he wasn’t wrong.
The bat smashed into my knees, taking me down. It was so unexpected that I didn’t have time to react. The next blow hit my head, and I collapsed, stunned, on all fours.
Blows rained down mercilessly, and kicks followed through. Steel toe caps broke several of my ribs as I tried to stand up and fight. I’d been an overconfident fool. I’d ridden out this morning with Dollar. We were heading to Rapid City to drop off a folder Phoe had left and needed.
We’d parked at HQ, dropped it off, and then decided to eat at Bernard’s. That was our mistake. As we’d walked down an alley, we were jumped, and Dollar went down with a forceful smack to his head. Whoever this was, was now assaulting me without mercy.
I kicked out, trying to knock them away, and the bat broke as it was slammed hard into my leg.
I yelled in sheer agony as a second bat appeared from nowhere. The beating continued, and as much as I tried to fight back, I finally curled into a ball and protected my face. A kick knocked my head backwards. Hallie shoved her hair out of her eyes and smirked at me.
“You were warned. You belong to me, nobody else,” she growled and then brought the edge of the bat down on my head. It was lights out.
“Wake the fuck up, prospect,” Chance demanded as I blinked into the bright light.
“Dollar,” I croaked.
“He’s got a concussion. Bear’s sprung him and took him home. You ain’t going anywhere for a couple of days.”
“Tell me he saw her?” I mumbled weakly.
“Dollar didn’t see anyone. Sorry, prospect.”
“It was Hallie.”
“Ramirez is heading to Spearfish to interview her. Lio’s taking her into custody. We’d already guessed who the culprit was. Did she say anything?”
“Told me I was hers and that I’d been warned. She snapped a bat on me,” I said.
“Ramirez has it as evidence and the other one. Bitch broke a couple of ribs, but apart from bruises and cuts, you’re okay. Prospect, you go nowhere without three guards on you. Dollar is kicking his own ass right now. You were correct, she’s psychotic,” Chance declared.
“Yeah. And to attack two grown men? That’s a whole level of instability, that’s off the charts,” I agreed.
“We’re putting two on your door until you get out. Docs want to keep you in overnight. Pyro and Levi will collect you tomorrow. When you come home, you don’t leave.”
“Sorry about the trouble. You didn’t sign up for this,” I murmured. Is this where the club voted me gone?
“You didn’t start this, Rascal. I don’t vote against a man because of the actions of a crazy-assed stalker.” Chance read my mind.
“Not exactly what you were looking for in a prospect,” I replied.
“Nope. But shit comes for us all. We’re just getting yours now.
What with Fanatic and Harlequin, I’m guessing you prospects are about to add to my grey hair.
And that’s with brothers claiming their old ladies.
Ain’t ever no peace for the wicked,” Chance complained.
But beneath the grumpiness was a smug tone.
Chance was pleased his brothers were settling down.
“Well, old lady drama won’t come from me; I ain’t settling. Can’t trust a woman,” I stated.
Chance nodded. “Give it a couple of years. Bury this cunt, and then we’ll see.”
“Gonna be waiting a long time, Prez,” I said, closing my eyes.
Chance didn’t say a word but squeezed my shoulder, which made me wince, and then left.
Hallie
I gingerly took the hand offered to me and let Hawthorne help me out of the cop car.
I slowly shuffled towards the police station doors and, wincing in pain, climbed the few steps.
At the top of them, I staggered, and Hawthorne reached out and steadied me.
He didn’t say a word, but I heard his teeth grind.
No doubt he thought I was putting this on. Well, Hawthorne could get ready.
Harry should be on his way, as King had immediately picked up the phone when Hawthorne told me he was taking me to the station for suspected assault. In agony, I shuffled after Hawthorne, who hadn’t actually arrested or cuffed me. I spotted the chair and sank into it with a sigh of relief.
“Lawyer,” I said firmly. “And a cup of water.”
Hawthorne nodded and left. I sighed and hunched forward, releasing the tension in my shoulders.
Ramirez
“What do you think?” I asked, staring at the slight figure sitting in the room.
“I ain’t sure about this one, brother. Hallie has evidence on her side, but Rascal won’t budge. He’s adamant she stabbed him, and now he’s absolutely certain she attacked him. She’s either a very good actress or another factor is at play here.”
The door opened to the observation room, and Phil Gold, Lio’s partner, entered. “I got something interesting. CCTV outside Bernard’s caught this.” Phil pulled some footage up on the camera, and I nodded grimly. Well, that changed everything.
“Time to go,” I remarked, nodding towards the room.
“She won’t talk without a lawyer,” Lio replied.
“That’s fine, we can sit there and make her sweat.”
Hallie
I eyed the two cops. Both were good-looking bastards. Shame they were assholes. Harry had arrived, and I’d spoken to him; now we were waiting on their opening play.
“Shane Morris was attacked today. A woman beat him to hell with a baseball bat. So hard she broke the bat in half,” Ramirez said.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“Because it happened in my jurisdiction, Rapid City. Where were you this afternoon at one pm?”
“At the hotel.”
“Anyone who can prove that?”
“Yup.”
Ramirez cocked an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate?”
“King.”
“Your best friend?” Hawthorne sneered.
“Yeah.”
“Just come clean, Hallie. We’re aware you attacked Rascal,” Ramirez said.
“You know shit, but carry on.” I winced as I moved, and a soft gasp left me.
“Drop the act. You’re not injured, not if you could dish a beating out as you did,” Hawthorne stated.
I stared at him and cocked an eyebrow myself.