Page 11 of Love Above Law

Then, it turns out the dead guy we found at the front door was one of Santino's bodyguards. The young male who was found on the floor of Santino's bedroom shot in the head hasn't been identified. Both men were determined to have been shot five hours before us showing up, and both killed with a high caliber rifle. Clean shot. Most likely, done by an expert sharpshooter.

Then there is Santino himself. Fucking dead and had been dead for the same amount of time as the others, and I'm convinced the bikers had something to do with all of it. Unfortunately, there was no evidence in or around the home to put them at the scene of the crime, and all their alibis are airtight.

It burns my ass the son of a bitch got the easy way out. The more I stand here thinking about it, the more I realize he could have continued running his dirty empire behind bars and maybe I should be more grateful he's no longer breathing.

I look around the bright, sterile room I'm standing in while my thoughts run rampant, and stare down at the dead body of Miguel Santino as it lays on a metal table in the exam room here at the morgue.

It's been a couple of hours since dropping Leyna off at The Kings clubhouse. I didn't like driving her out there. I didn't like watching her walk away. None of these feelings make sense. I keep asking myself what the fuck am I doing? I don't know this woman. She's the sister of an MC club member, and that should be a good enough reason for me to not give her another thought, but that's not the case. I can't stop thinking about her.

Footsteps echo across the tile floor snapping me out of my thoughts and I look over my shoulder to see Kurt walking into the room. "Well, headquarters is pissed that all we have to offer them is a dead man. DA also has a big stick wedged up their asses over the situation." He stops beside me and shoves his hands inside the front pockets of his suit pants.

"They aren't the only ones. We've all spent hours building a case against the bastard," I tell him. "They ever identify the younger guy they found dead on the floor of his room?" I gesture down toward Santino.

"Yeah," Kurt blows out a breath. Turning we walk across the room to where another body lies on another cold metal table, and Kurt unzips the bag exposing the face of the man in question. "This here is Daniel Santino; Miguel Santino's nephew."

"Shit," my hands go to my hips as I look down at him. "He can't be older than twenty-three. You know we may see some blowback from both being dead."

Kurt zips the bag up, and I follow him out of the room. "It's possible. We won't know until someone tries to step up and fill his shoes. Also, the local police have almost finished with the on-scene preliminary investigation. Once all evidence has been collected, sorted, and cataloged they will have it sent over to headquarters for our team to process along with the bodies."

"So, it looks like we are wrapping shit up here in Polson?"

"Yeah, we should be able to get on the road by lunch. I'm confident with Polson PD handling the rest of the process so we can get back home by dinner." Kurt stops by the water cooler and fills a paper cup full of cold water.

An hour later we get on the road to make the seven-hour drive back to Seattle.

"Still brooding over Santino going back in a body bag instead of handcuffs?" Kai remarks from the passenger seat of my car.

"More pissed those bikers got one over on us." I shift gears as we hit the open highway.

"What would you have done if someone kidnapped one of your sisters then blackmailed you?" Kai poses the question causing my gut to clench like someone just punch me in the ribcage.

"I'd kill the motherfucker." My hand tightens around the gear shift and my foot presses on the gas pedal pushing it further into the floorboard. I start thinking about Leyna. Santino was hours away from shipping her off to some sick fuck who paid seven figures to have her because she's a virgin. If she were my family—I would have done what the Kings did too.

Several minutes go by, when I begin to feel Kai's heavy stare and side-eye him. "What?"

"This woman has gotten under your skin, hasn't she?"

Keeping my eyes forward I continue to drive without uttering another word. In Kai's defense I know he's only looking out for me. He knows about April and Chris; he also knows since then he's never seen me act this way before. As a matter of fact, since knowing Kai, I haven't been in a relationship at all. Not since April. All he's ever seen are the women that come and go. One night stands have become standard for me, and I always make my intentions clear to every woman before taking her to bed.

Before long, knowing I'm not about to discuss the subject, Kai leans the seat back, crosses his arms over his chest and closes his eyes. For most of the ride back to Seattle he sleeps and leaves me alone. I have trouble rationalizing what the fuck I'm feeling for a woman I don't know anything about except for the fact she got dragged into a horrible situation and almost became a permanent victim herself. Not to mention who her family is.

We've been back at headquarters for a couple of hours now. We've been briefed, and most of the paperwork has been dealt with. Nothing more can be done until our crime lab gets a hold of all the documented evidence along with the bodies of Santino, his nephew, and his men.

"When do you guys plan on heading back to Florida," I ask Stamos and Mackey while we all sit around the table in the conference room.

"Most likely the day after tomorrow—maybe longer. We have to stick around until after the bodies have made it through FBI processing," Mackey rubs the back of his neck.

Kai stands. "Let's go out—celebrate closing a chapter in the Santino case; my treat," looking around the table he waits for answers.

"Fuck, I'm down." I could use a few hours to get out of my own head.

Stamos gives a look in Kai's direction then looks to Mackey who shrugs his shoulders. "Sounds like a plan," he tells her.

Crossing her arms, she gives the idea a few seconds thought before answering. "I need at least an hour to buy something to wear."

"Works for me," Kai gives Mackey and me a glance, and we both return agreeing nods.

Opening the door, we step out into the main office area where our desks are. I spot Kurt on the far side of the room with his back to us as he feeds papers through the scanner. Yelling across the room, I gain his attention. "Yo, Kurt." Without flinching, he keeps to his task.