Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
SKULL
I’m not sure who hurt this woman, but every bone in my body is vibrating with wanting to put them in the ground. I ground my teeth as I listened to all five locks click into place and the security alarm beep before I turned from the door and rushed up to my apartment.
I slammed the door closed and headed right for my phone, which I had left charging on the nightstand. I bring up Abel’s number, not giving a single fuck about the time difference.
“Your earlship.” I close my eyes at the reminder of my title.
One I have never wanted nor am inclined to claim.
“Knock that shite off, Cannibal. Tell me what the fuck I’m dealing with.” The phone line goes deathly quiet.
“What happened?” My grip on the small device tightens to the point that I hear it start to crack.
“Nothing that I’m aware of, and that’s the feckin problem!” I pinch the bridge of my nose as I stretch out my back.
“Is Ivy alright?” That isn’t the response I was expecting.
“Now, isn’t that an interesting way to answer my query?” He curses on his side, and I sit on the edge of my bed for the shit storm I know he’s going to drop on me.
Cause if I know anything, it’s that Abel Brooks is always hiding something.
“All you need to know is that girl has been through some terrible shit, and I put her there for safekeeping. She’ll be fine as long as she’s not seen. She hasn’t been seen, right Skull?” I roll my eyes.
“The Lass never leaves the building. The only thing looking at her is the walls of her apartment.” He chuckles in my ear.
“And you, apparently. Do I need to put another brother on her?” The noise that leaves my mouth is nothing short of a growl.
“My, my Milly. Calm yourself. No one will guard her but you.” I hang up on him before I say things I can’t take back.
Guard her?
I called Glitch, hoping to get better answers from her, but she answered her phone with a screaming baby in the background.
“He beat you to it. I don’t know shit.” The line goes dead, and I frown.
I’m going to get to the bottom of this one way or another, and it looks like the answers will have to come from Ivy herself. I sigh and start my morning routine.
When I’m freshly showered, dressed, and caffeinated enough not to burn the world, I exit the apartment building to find a limo parked outside with Scottish flags flying on the antennas.
“Fuck,” I whisper as the back window rolls down, and I come face to face with my brother.
“Hamish, what are ya doing here?” My younger brother has a fair bit more gray around his temples than when I last saw him.
“I’ve come to see you home. With Da gone now, you’re Laird.” I sigh and walk over to my Harley.
“Shite.” I hear my prim and proper, always right sibling curse.
I smile as I mount my bike and rev the engine. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ivy’s curtains move, making me wonder how often she watches me, and I never noticed.
“I have no intention of returning, and you can have the title, lands, all of it. It was never mine, and you know I don’t want them.” I call over the sound of my motorcycle and then peel out of the lot, quickly weaving my way through side streets and alleys so that the limo has no way to follow me.
I pull into the little house in Kenner where Cowboy and Glitch live with their eight-month-old son, Arley.
I raise my hand to knock on the door when it swings open, and a haggard-looking Glitch stares daggers at me. Arley sits on her hip, screaming his little lungs out, and I ignore his Ma.
“What’s wrong, Lad? Come to Uncle Milly.” I take the bairn and check him over as I walk into the house.
“I’ve got him, Lacey. You need a shower and coffee. Off you go,” I call over my shoulder as I start to the kitchen and open their freezer.
“Skull, what the fuck are you doing here?” Cowboy, my Vice President, asks as he comes into the kitchen with dark circles under his eyes.
“Helping you two get some sleep.” I slap the box of frozen waffles on the counter and rip it open.
“How?” Glitch looks at me like I’m crazy as I hand the waffle to Arley, who promptly starts sucking on it.
The house fills with the quiet that I’m sure the new parents haven’t heard in a long time.
“But he ate. I don’t understand,” I smile gently at her confusion as Arley starts to drool around the frozen treat.
“He’s teething, and if the way he’s pulling at his ear is any indication, he’s got a right proper ear infection. Let me worry about the bairn and go shower and nap. You can’t keep going like this. Take the help when it’s offered.” I raise an eyebrow, daring her to argue with me.
“Thank you,” Cowboy says, kissing his son’s head and then his wife.
“Fine, but don’t leave the house.” Glitch yawns as she finally goes upstairs.
“It’s just you and me, little man. Wanna help me snoop through your Ma’s computer?” Arley smiles around the waffle, causing little bubbles to form in the corners of his mouth.
“That’s a good lad,” I drop a noisy raspberry on his neck, making him giggle.
It takes me a few hours to go through the files that aren’t encrypted to high heaven, and what I learn is pretty fucking basic, but I now have a full name, age, and occupation for my neighbor, which is more than I started with.
By the time Glitch comes looking for us, I’ve fed Arley lunch, bathed him, and checked his ears. I’m changing his nappy when his Ma approaches.
“He’s so calm with you.” She smiles at her son, who lifts his little fist in the air, wanting her to pick him up.
“He’s had some Tylenol for his ear pain, and the frozen waffles will help keep the swelling of his gum down. Other than that, the antibiotics I’m sending home with Cowboy will take care of the rest. Feeling better?” She nods sheepishly.
“Being a mother is the hardest job in the world, Lacey. You don’t need to do it alone. Ya ain’t Superwoman.” I wink at her as I make my way to the front door.
“I know you were in my files.” Shite.
I turn to face her wrath, but she just smiles at me, which is worse.
“I’ll forget about it this once, but don’t you dare ever try that shit again. We keep secrets for the safety of our clients. You’ll know more if you need to. Let us do our job to protect these women.” She nods and walks away, leaving me staring at where she was a moment ago.
Ivy’s a client of the Dahlia Initiative.
Which means she’s a victim of the sex trade in one fashion or another. Her behavior matches, and now things are slowly starting to make more sense.
The skittish movements.
Never leaving the building.
All the locks.
FUCK.