“Hey, Van. What are you doing here?” Ben had snuck up behind me like he was known to do.
“I came to talk to Xavier, but I’m thinking that now is not a good time.”
“Xavier?” Ben looked between us and then must have remembered the conversation from the stakeout when I asked Bevan if he could help me locate my friend. I never told Ben that I hired his brother for that and to help with my contract. Suddenly, it felt like I had gone behind his back, which was ridiculous.
“I hired Bevan to look for Deacon and to assist me with the contract like you recommended. He has already handled the latter so I’m guessing he’s here about the former.” I looked at Bevan and he nodded that I was correct. “Whatever you have to say can be said in front of Ben. I have nothing to hide.”
Ben placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, because it was obvious that Bevan was uncomfortable about the news he had to deliver and hesitant to do so in front of Ben. If something bad did happen to Deacon then I definitely wanted Ben to be here with me.
“Come in,” I told Bevan again.
He entered the house reluctantly, but sniffed the air appreciatively. “Do I smell coffee?”
“You do,” I answered. “Come into the kitchen and I’ll pour you a cup. Are you hungry? Ben made a fantastic breakfast and there’s plenty.” I was nervous and I rambled when I got nervous. I looked behind me and saw the St. Claire brothers exchange a look and a half smile. It seemed that they found my rambling amusing, but I didn’t hold that against them. “How do you take your coffee?”
“Black like Ben’s undies,” Bevan answered. He raised a brow at Ben’s nearly nude appearance but didn’t say anything else.
I poured him a cup of coffee and we all settled around the table. Bevan declined food and I was too nervous to resume eating. I sat quietly waiting for Bevan to tell me what he learned and each second felt like an eternity.
“Do you know anything about Deacon Bradley’s life before he came to work as security for the band?”
“I honestly don’t,” I replied. “Deacon was very quiet and private. He didn’t have a whole lot to say.”
“What kinds of things did you talk about? You said you were friends and they usually talk to one another. How close of a friend was Deacon?”
I blew out a frustrated breath, because I didn’t understand his line of questioning. It almost felt like I was being accused of something and it made me very uncomfortable. “We talked about music and sports when we talked at all. I considered him my friend not because of the conversations we had, but because of the way he shielded me from Damien when he was at his ugliest. I don’t understand what information you’re trying to get out of me, Bevan. I told you everything I knew about Deacon when I hired you to help me find him. Has something bad happened to him?”
“The Deacon Bradley you know doesn’t exist.”
“I don’t understand.” What the hell did Bevan mean by that?
“Van, what’s with all the subterfuge? Just tell Xavier what he needs to know.” Ben sounded as frustrated as I felt.
“Deacon Bradley is really Mark Bradley, who was a highly decorated sniper in the Marine Corp. His men gave him the nickname Deacon because his words were like gospel when going into battle. After he retired from the Corp, he started working for a private security detail. Which is how he met you, Xavier.” Bevan’s deep sigh and expression told me I wasn’t going to like what else he had to say. “He is currently wanted for questioning by LAPD in a murder case.”
“Murder? Holy fuck!” I was stunned.Deacon was suspected of murder?I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.
“Yes, murder. His bloody fingerprints were found all over the crime scene. He’s vanished without a trace and I’m not sure if he had help from the military, because they don’t want the reputation of their decorated war hero tarnished, or he’s just gone off the grid.”
This was too much for me to take in. I must have looked like a fish with my mouth gaping open then closing as I tried to formulate words. My brain was firing too many questions at once, threatening to short circuit and blow a fuse; I could almost smell the smoke. Ben reached over and took my hand and gave it a squeeze to remind me of his presence; I clung to it like a lifeline.
“I was unable to dig deeper and get more information about him, because I don’t have the proper security clearance. Yes, I could’ve obtained the information, but I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night for fear someone would slit my throat in my sleep.” Bevan paused again and I braced myself. “There’s more.”
“Of course there’s more.” It wasn’t fair that I used such a sarcastic tone with Bevan. He wasn’t my enemy and he only did what I had asked him to do. “Sorry, Bevan.”
“Deacon is suspected of killing Erik Schafnitz, whom you know as Damien Diamond.”
“Oh my god.” I felt like a bomb had detonated in my brain and all my blood leached from my body, leaving me cold to the bone.
“Doesn’t anyone use their own names anymore?” Ben asked.
“H-h-how did it happen?” I ignored Ben’s question, too afraid of Van’s answer.
“Erik Schafnitz aka Damien Diamond was brutally beaten before he was shot point blank in the face. The authorities think that Deacon Bradley killed him after he attacked you.”
I inhaled air so fast into my lungs that it choked me. Bevan got up and filled a glass of water for me while Ben reached over and rubbed my back in soothing circles while I worked through my coughing fit. I sipped the cold water for a few minutes to soothe my raw throat.
“Jesus, Bevan, try for some fucking tact next time!” Ben’s outrage on my behalf helped to assuage my shattered mind.
