I cleared my throat. “So, um, Aiden had a few things to say about you.” The paper crumpled on my lap, and I gingerly smoothed it out.
Nick snorted. “I’ll just bet. What? I was a rich kid from the other side of town who is so ambitious I’d risk your life?”
Well, that actually did sound familiar. The hair stood up on my neck. It felt odd to be talking to Nick about Aiden without admitting what had happened between them. “No. That you and your brothers took care of your dad. In a bad way.”
Nick stiffened, and tension poured from him. “Really? I’d thought that rumor had finally died.”
So, it had been a rumor.
“What else did the career criminal say?” Nick growled.
I tried to breathe normally. “Just that your dad hit your mom and then disappeared one day when you three brothers were teenagers. He made it sound bad.” How odd was it that both Aiden and Nick had rough childhoods? “Was it true?”
A muscle worked in Nick’s jaw. In profile, his features were so straight and Italian, he could be part of a sculpture. “Yeah. It’s true. Our dad was a total dick who liked to hit. When he skipped town with his latest side piece of ass, we were all better off.”
“You were how old?” I asked.
“Fifteen. My brothers were both fourteen.” That’s right. The other two were twins. I’d forgotten. “And no, we didn’t kill the bastard.” Nick rolled his neck, and his knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. “Although, I’m not sure I wouldn’t have at some point. I’d finally hit a growth spurt and was almost as tall as him. Not as broad or strong, though. It would’ve been a good fight.”
My arms chilled, and I rubbed hands together. “I’m sorry, Nick.”
He shrugged. “Small towns thrive on gossip, and that was a juicy piece. It just so happened he got in a few good hits before leaving town, and we all were bruised that week. Rumors and gossip, you know.”
Yeah. I did know. “Is that why you went into law?”
“Maybe. It’s supposed to help people who can’t help themselves.” Now he sounded thoughtful. “I believe in justice. Maybe in vengeance.” He turned and pinned me with his amber gaze. “What would you do to Jareth Davey if you could?”
That was a question I truly didn’t know how to answer. “Depends which day you catch me on.”
He nodded, turning back to the road. “I get that. I really do.”
After about fifteen minutes, he exited the Interstate for a residential area near the Idaho-Washington border. Single-story brick homes with manicured lawns led to nice apartment buildings, a few businesses, and then some run-down homes with burned lawns and a lot of weeds. Finally, we reached a series of apartment complexes, each more depressing than the last.
The clouds finally disappeared, letting the moon shine down. At the end of a winding dirt road, a Lorde’s shield hung in the middle of a three-story apartment complex with peeling paint, dented doors, and cracked windows. In contrast, a series of garages lay to the east against forest land, all open and sporting impressive looking motorcycles. Their bikes were obviously more important than anything else.
Uniformed police officers, all wearing body armor, tossed the multitude of apartments as well as the garage. Several Lorde’s members, inducing Spider, lounged near the garages, watching impassively.
He gave me a head nod as I stepped out of the Jeep, careful of a half-smashed milk carton on the ground. Nick soon joined me, putting his body between me and the club members.
I swallowed and turned toward the building, my gaze searching. No Aiden, and I didn’t see the truck he’d been in earlier.
Detective Pierce strode out of a lower level apartment and straight at us. My stomach wobbled just a little. Pierce in a bullet-proof vest over pressed black slacks was something to look at. Big and broad and suddenly looking more appealing than I’d noticed. The rain darkened his already dark blond hair, and he yanked off his refractive glasses as he reached us. “No Devlin and no printout of a map or anything else,” he confirmed.
Nick sighed. “Drugs or guns or anything?”
“Nope,” Pierce confirmed. “They’ve cleaned the place up real nice since our last raid. The dogs haven’t even gotten a hit.” He glanced down at me. “Want to go through Devlin’s apartment with me? See if there’s anything that gives you a clue to where he’s gone?”
“Sure.” I shivered in the rain; glad I’d worn Tessa’s sweater. “What about the Lordes’ place of business at the garage in Washington?”
“Already called the DEA, and they were able to obtain a federal search warrant based on the information in your Idaho warrant,” Pierce confirmed, turning and ducking his head as the rain increased in force. “I’ve also requested the other DEA case files of Devlin’s earlier arrests before he joined the Diablo Riders.”
I followed, letting the rain cool my face, which heated way too fast at the mention of Aiden’s name. Oh, I’d screwed up, that was for sure. Yet something in me didn’t quite regret the morning with him. Maybe I was the one screwed up. We walked up worn concrete stairs to the second floor and entered the first door on the left.
The place smelled like Aiden. Wild, free, and leather. “What do you hope the additional DEA files will tell you?” I asked, looking around.
Pierce shrugged. “For one thing, how did Devlin escape arrest when most of the Diablo’s were hauled in?”
Good question. Of course, it seemed that Aiden was smarter than the average drug dealer. For sure. I breathed in his scent, wishing I didn’t know it so well. His living area was sparse with an old green sofa and gold chair. One lone framed picture sat on the sofa table of him and his Grams, probably taken when he was around sixteen. I picked it up, noting his genuine smile and too serious eyes.
