Cowboy Bikers MC Lawmen by Esther E. Schmidt

CHAPTER TEN

– ATTICUS –

I want to protect her. I want to stand in front of her and take all the shit that’s going to hit her full-fucking-force, but I can’t. Not only because she wouldn’t let me if I tried, but mainly because I know she’s the strongest woman I know.

Except for my mother, she’s equally strong, and maybe a woman I’ve met twice called Lynn, or Hotlips, that’s what her old man, a former president of Broken Deeds MC calls her. And I guess that’s why these strong women remind me of Enid and how I know she can handle anything coming her way.

Because all of those women are president’s old ladies; just like Enid. And it shows as she strolls into the clubhouse like she owns the place. Heading straight for church, I follow close behind while I signal to the prospect standing behind the bar.

“Coffee and a couple bottles of water,” I grunt and leave the door to church open, knowing Fisher is right behind me.

Stalking to the cabinet, I reach inside and grab my laptop. I place it on the table and boot the thing up right when the prospect comes in with a few bottles of water. When it’s up and running and the prospect has brought in our coffee, that’s when Fisher walks in and closes the door.

Fisher gives me a nod and turns the laptop in his direction. When he spilled his findings to me in the kitchen right before Enid barged in there to show me the text she received, I was stunned to hear what he found.

The death of Enid’s father has kept him busy and the man has always been the kind of guy with a killer instinct. Once his mind is triggered, he can’t seem to stop until his curiosity and determination are soothed with the answer he seeks.

And in this? It was a damn good thing the man sank his teeth in because he found a link. A link that’s still paper-thin for normal law enforcers, but for us it’s enough to build a solid case. Enid watches my VP set up the video feed as he starts to explain.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about the way your father died. The incident he and his partner were randomly pulled into and Saul being there. We talked about the possibility of another partner and it would make sense if your father was getting too close in solving the case and they needed to get rid of him. It also explains a lot if Saul is one of the killers because then he was able to stay ahead of things and get rid of anything getting close to catching him.” Fisher straightens his back from leaning forward to get the laptop ready and stares at Enid. “Anyway, I went to the location where your father’s car flew off the road when he was in pursuit of the suspect who shot a random bystander. It was a turn in the road and he shouldn’t have gone off it, tumble down and ultimately crashing into the tree. When I was at the scene, I noticed a gas station across the road and checked the security feed. I have no clue why no one thought of checking it. Might have been because it wasn’t close to the scene and also because your father’s death was ruled an accident. Anyway…I’ll just show you what I found and let you make up your own mind, okay?”

I can tell by the bobbing of her throat she doesn’t trust her voice so she just gives him a nod. Fisher gives one in return as he hits the space bar on the laptop and the screen fills with an angle of a road where it comes out of a turn so the upcoming traffic is blocked by part of a mountain. I haven’t seen this either so my eyes are also locked on the screen.

It takes a while until a car slides into view. I say slides since it looks like it was just given a little push or something at high speed. The driver tries to keep the car on the road but the gravel on the side makes it slip and it tumbles over the side, disappearing until we see dust flow into the air and the top of the trees shake.

Meanwhile a truck has stopped. A fucking truck I instantly recognize and Enid too by the sound of the sharp intake of breath she takes. A man jumps out and rushes around the front of his truck to disappear once he slides down to where Enid’s father crashed his car. A few dragging minutes tick by until the guy comes back, gets in his truck and leaves.

Fisher hits pause on the feed. “Yes, it’s Nic Evans, the same trucker who killed Jones with a deliberate hit and run. The same one we shot when he was about to attack us, and I’m betting the reason why my old lady was murdered in retaliation. Somehow all of this can be fit into the matter of a four day timespan. If I have to give reason to this insanity, I’d say Jones was run over by Nic when he was heading back after a meeting with Enid’s father because what if the meeting was about him asking for our help and Saul knew about it? Our brother killed, her father killed, we took out Nic, and Nyla was caught up in the middle as a backlash.”

Fisher stops talking and when I think about those deaths close together it does make sense somehow when they’ve been put in this snowball timeline.

Fisher continues, “This fucker you see jumping out of his truck and heading down the mountain to smash your father’s trachea? I believe Nic lived with Saul’s parents along with his brother, Lenny, when they were seventeen years old. Though, Nic had another name back then, I assume he changed it when he faked his own death. Saul’s parents fostered these two brothers until they were slaughtered by pirates when they were all on vacation with their massive yacht. Saul was the only survivor since the brothers were thought slaughtered and thrown overboard with the massive amount of blood and body parts. But since one of the brothers killed one of our own and we took him out, I’d say he lived to tell about that pirate story. And for the record? I don’t even think pirates go for those massive yachts, they target large ships that hold more value than a family on vacation. It’s why they investigated Saul, even if he was in shock but unharmed and found locked up in a small closet.”

For a dragging few heartbeats there’s only silence surrounding us as we all take in the information.

It’s Enid who breaks the silence and says, “Do we suspect both foster brothers to have survived the yacht incident?”

Fisher reaches for a binder in the cabinet and thumbs through it before he pulls some papers out and places them in front of Enid.

“According to Saul’s statement, he saw one go overboard after a pirate shot him in the chest before he hid himself.” Fisher lets his knuckles rasp on the table. “I had to dig deep for these records. Saul was sixteen at the time, a minor. Some points in his story stood out, the shells matching his statement how he heard shots and the machete he caught a glimpse of that chopped his family into pieces so fucking bad they didn’t know what part belonged to whom without doing a DNA match. His parents were rich and there were records of a large sum of money in cash being on the boat and missing along with other valuable stuff,” Fisher adds and shrugs. “But hey, they were in the middle of a fucking ocean. I don’t think you can get a bigger trash can. Bodies are indeed eaten by sharks, sunk to the bottom, or what the fuck ever. But in this case?”

“We have proof at least one brother survived,” Enid finishes and says with a load of venom. “It might have been their first kill together. If there were or weren’t pirates involved, they could have thought about slaughtering the parents so his foster brother could make an escape. I mean, it says right here those two brothers were in the system a long time, I’m pretty sure they didn’t want to go back. And if there was a sum of money, it could mean a second chance. And every good lie is based on a hint of truth to make it stick so maybe one of the brothers indeed went overboard or whatever.”

“Live by their own rules, start a new life, all that shit.” Fisher sinks into his chair. “It explains a lot, though the motivation on why Saul would kill his parents, or let one of those brothers or both, take them out is lost on me.”

“I think we need to make sure the other brother is dead or if he made the great escape like his sibling did with the yacht incident,” I grunt and step forward to glance over Saul’s statement.

“There’s no way to find out,” Fisher says with a load of annoyance in his voice. “Clearly the trucker was one of those brothers and had a fake name. There is DNA on file for both brothers because they were in the system and with the whole yacht incident, it’s why I could run a match to make sure it was Nic before I came to you guys. Though, there’s no telling if the other brother is also alive, took a different name, or whatever. Nic Evans was a loner, the fake name didn’t have any family, background, no nothing.”

“I feel like we have everything and yet nothing,” Enid grumbles with a load of anger tainting her voice.

“Agreed,” I snap. “Let’s hope our team found something linking Saul to Mysti’s murder so we can at least nail him for that one.”

“Yeah, and this might sound fucked up, but if he stopped killing? It all could have been thrown on the foster brother who’s already dead.”

Shit. He’s right. The victim before Mysti was killed weeks before, meaning it could easily be pinned on someone else for the murder who is dead and easier to wrap shit up. Good thing we don’t function on wrapping cases up easy and fast.

“We have to get everyone up to speed and I want Rance, Nieko, and Leland on the other foster brother to find out if he’s a living ghost or a dead one while the rest of us focus on Saul. All other cases that aren’t a high priority are being placed on the back burner for the upcoming few days. Saul is missing and we need to get ahead of this shit. And I’m sorry, Enid, but you’re not going anywhere alone. It’s not a lockdown but I want you safe at all times.”

Enid gives me a small smile. “A bodyguard I can live with, and even appreciate.”

“Always said she was a smart one.” Fisher smirks and shoves the papers back into the binder. “I’ll make sure everyone is present in church tonight. We need to give the lab at least a few hours to get some of the results back.”

Enid’s gaze is set on the computer where the screen is still locked on the scene where her father died. I hate the look in her eyes and the stress and grief hitting her with Mysti’s murder added to it.

“I’m going to take my old lady for some fresh air,” I suddenly say, surprising myself along with it.

Though, it’s a good way for her to rearrange her thoughts. Besides, like Fisher mentioned, we have some time to kill before we need to be back in church.

Both heads swing my way and I add, “We won’t leave the property, maybe groom the horses for some mindless therapeutic relaxation to clear our heads.”

“A horseback ride sounds nice,” Enid agrees, though her voice sounds miles away.

Fisher’s gaze collides with mine and he’s thinking the same thing as I am; she needs to step away for a little breather before she dives into this case without coming back up for air.

She shoves her chair back and follows me out without another word. We slip through the backdoor and head for the stables. Darlin’ is right next to Baby’s stable and my other two horses are in the pasture. I always switch it up and make sure they are either in the pasture or take them for a ride if they’re in the stable.

Without a word Enid opens Baby’s stall and steps inside, her hands gently petting over her hair. Baby being a gentle horse when needed, turns to her and drops her head. It hits me right in the chest when my horse comforts my woman when she needs it.

Not to mention, my old lady going for the horse I trained especially for her when I didn’t even know it would be for her specifically. I might not have believed in love at first sight or the whole “meant to be” shit but it’s hitting me full force now.

In this moment I’d say there is in fact such a thing as soul mates because if the emotions raging through my body are anything to go by? I’d say this woman was made for me in a way I was made for her. Thank fuck I already claimed her as mine.

I give her the space she needs and open Darlin’s stall to get her ready to take a ride around the property of the ranch. I take my time grooming my horse while keeping an eye on Enid. When we finally make our way outside, mount our horses, and let the horses lazily step the trail around our large property, that’s when I see some of the strength she always has in her posture slide back in.

It’s hard for any person to let go of some hard aspects of their job and when they involve life and death, add the personal aspect? It’s only logical to say no person’s shoulders are broad enough to carry the weight of the whole world.

Every once in a while, you have to say “fuck the world,” and hit pause to reload before you shove your shoulders underneath that fucked-up shit again and push through. But for now, we’re still hitting pause and enjoying the scenery of nature, the animals, and the strong connection we have without saying one single word.

The looks and small smiles directed my way every now and then are enough of a confirmation we’re on the same line. My heart actually skips a beat when we’re riding side by side and she leans in to pat my thigh with her delicate hand.

“You do know you’re not getting her back, right?” she says with a smile on her face.

The corner of my mouth twitches and I raise an eyebrow in challenge. “Old lady or not, I don’t see a ring on your finger yet. I offered to sign her over and you refused so you’re not getting her until we tie the knot.”

She snorts. Actually snorts. “Don’t need one. Everyone knows I’m the president’s old lady and you’ve trained this one for me. Baby is mine. I’ll just move into her stall and sleep there.” The playfulness slips from her face. “I might as well because there’s no way I’m going to stay at my house.”

Shit. I didn’t even think about her having to go back to her home where she just saw her dead next-door neighbor posed as her with a threat of a gun pointed at her head.

“I’ll have some of the guys pack up your stuff and you can move into my house.” Surprise hits her but I distract her by pointing to the left. “See that cabin over there?”

“Yes?” she asks with suspicion tinging her voice.

“It’s mine. I rarely use it these days. Ever since I took the gavel from my father it’s been a constant stream of hectic shit. Staying at the clubhouse is easier for me to crash into my bed and get up to work again or one of the brothers to grab a bike or horse and come get me when I’m at the cabin.”

“Makes sense,” Enid muses. “Maybe for now we could stay at the room we’ve been sleeping in and when we’ve closed the RedBorder case we can talk things through and see where we stand.”

See where we stand? What the fuck? I’m all in when it comes to her but it seems she has a different opinion.

A deep sigh flows over her lips. “I don’t want to intrude. We’ve only been together for such a–”

“I don’t care,” I cut her off, needing to get one thing straight with her and off my chest. “I’ve never felt this way about a woman and I’m honest enough to admit you’re the first woman I actually think about having a future with. Nothing will stand in my way to make that possible. For fuck’s sake, everything could be different tomorrow. Hell, tonight or within the hour. Nothing is sure in life but it feels fucking good when you’re right there next to me so I’d say the hell with a time limit. Behind or in front of it, I’d say we have enough to go on, don’t you think?”

I fall silent and hope to fuck she does feel the same way but when a smile as bright as the warm sun beating down on us hits her face, I know it’s all right in this fucked-up world.

“I think the hell with a time limit sounds perfect.” Her hand is on my thigh once more as she leans over in the saddle, angling her body toward mine, and places a kiss on my willing mouth as she murmurs, “I’m not only taking your horse, but me moving in will also entail taking over your room and cabin.”

She swallows my chuckle and I reach out to slide my fingers into her hair and give a gentle tug. “Take anything you want, sweetheart, it’s yours for the taking,” I murmur and slam my mouth over hers to shut myself up.

Because adding the words, “you already own my heart,” that slid through my head just now is too soon to tell her and I also manage to shock myself to the core. Yet, the words aren’t a lie, they feel right and hold the true feeling of my emotions as I deepen the kiss and taste her for all she’s worth.

This moment right here is what we both needed; to match and lock our feelings, and to recharge for the havoc our jobs will bring upon us.