“This is the arsehole who did it. I would very much like to find him.”
Vic glanced up at me and then at Jayce. He stared down at the photo again.
“It’s bigger than only me, Vic, or I wouldn’t ask you to get involved. If it had only been me, who gives a shit, right?” Vic glanced up and glared, like maybe he would have cared, and that made me uncomfortable, so I powered on. “But I think—”
Jayce cleared his throat.
“Sirand I think maybe they’re traffickers.”
Jayce sighed. “We know they’re traffickers.”
Vic let out a low whistle. “I thought the MC clubs chased that stuff out of New Gothenburg. Those ladies, the Harlots, I heard they hate this shit with a passion.”
“And yet.” I held my arm up again for good measure before Jayce took my wrist in his hand and lowered it for me, rubbing his thumb along my pulse point. My body stiffened and I couldn’t stop it. The touch was so light it almost tickled. My eyes prickled with heat and I fought off some embarrassing emotions I didn’t need.
Vic glanced from me to the phone again and then looked at Jayce. “I’ve never seen you. Anywhere. How do you figure in?” He glanced at me and then back at him. “Don’t lie to me. I’ll just find out anyway.”
“I’m a PI and….” Jayce squinted at me, and I nodded. Might as well tell him and see where the chips fell. “And a cop.”
Vic’s lip curled, and I flinched as he transferred his glare to me.
Jayce chuckled. “Just used your back room. I’m in no hurry to cause you troubles, mate.”
“River—” He tossed Sir’s phone back to him, and he caught it easily. “—you bring this to my doorstep?”
“Me? That man, those people, are going to bring trouble here eventually.” I pointed at my arm again for emphasis and Vic frowned. “You know when these sex rings turn up, the cops salt the fucking earth. We’re all pervs as far as they’re concerned.”
Vic bowed his head until his chin touched his chest for a second, his eyes going distant as he obviously sorted through his choices, and then he glared at Jayce.
“Send me that.” He gave Sir his number and then took his own phone out of his pocket to stare at it for a minute once it vibrated. “It will take me a couple of days to dig around for what I have on this guy.” Vic tapped his phone against his desk in a short staccato.
“You mean decide if you should help. I’ve always helped you, no questions asked,” I reminded him, and hoped I didn’t sound as bitter as I felt.
Vic didn’t even look at me again; he stared holes through my Sir. “Get your boy and go.”
“Fuck you, Vic. You can pay full price next time you go to court.”
“River, this is my business.” He settled his phone calmly onto his desk.
“And this is my fucking life,” I snarled and turned on my heel. It felt really good to slam his office door behind me, but that was ruined a little as Sir—fucking fuck,Jayce—opened it to let himself out. I tried to smile and look normal as I met the eyes of people I knew, who were around tables watching the show, but I was failing miserably as I fled the club. This had always been a fun place for me. The lifestyle had always been a refuge. But as I stared around at the dark corners of the room, it didn’t feel that way anymore. Anyone could be waiting there to take me out, and not even my friends seemed to care.
I stumbled out the front doors and walked as fast as I could toward Jayce’s truck. I thought about stomping right on past it, but then I’d be really alone, and I fucking hated that a pretend Sir seemed like a better choice than no one.
Andfuck it all, my crotch was getting cold.
9
Jayce
River sat beside me in the truck, and I could almost sense how much he was stewing over the fact that Vic refused to help. Well, as far as I was concerned, he hadn’t outright said no. This happened sometimes with cases. People had to think for a few days before they said anything or helped. I’d always believed that choosing to wait was a smart decision, but I supposed River was used to people jumping at his every whim. He wasn’t a cop like me. People like Vic didn’t trust or like me, and I’d learned how to handle them in situations where I needed their help. Giving him space was the right decision.
“You can take me home,” River snapped, his voice loud in my otherwise quiet truck. I had always preferred the radio off when I was driving, and it had driven Alex mad whenever he got into the truck with me.
“Are you sure?” I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. What happened in the club had been brilliant, an experience that made my skin buzz and cock fatten at just the thought of it. It hadn’t been my plan to fuck River’s mouth, but I had, and for the first time in a long time I’d felt something other than guilt for being emotionless. I was already addicted to the feeling, but it wasn’t something I could talk to this snippy lawyer about, not when he was so angry that I could almost feel the heat on his skin from where I sat beside him.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t,” he said, arms crossed. I didn’t like the sarcastic tone he’d taken with me, but I wasn’t comfortable enough to pull him up on it. I wasn’t his Dom, even if I wanted to be. River thought this was an act to get to Xander, which it was, but being in that club had done things to me.
I nodded and let him simmer in anger without any interruptions. He gave me his address, and I drove toward the city center of New Gothenburg, admiring the outliers of the town, and the beautiful suburbs that had been built for families who didn’t want to live so close to the hustle and bustle. It was easy to see which areas were for the less fortunate, and my heart ached for them.
