Page 18 of Blood & Heartache

“My sentiments exactly,” I muttered.

Shoving to his feet, Ryker wiped the back of his sleeve across his cheek, smearing the soot that was already there. “How exactly do you plan to move it when we’re under a giant spotlight?”

Casually, I looked around the scene, noticing the fire department had already left, along with a bunch of the cops I assumed were with the homicide division. I’d hoped that meant it would just be Carbo’s men who would willingly turn a blind eye, but then I spotted the White Knight himself watching us.

“Fancy having a friendly chat with our best buddy, Kody?” I asked, giving him a wicked grin, knowing how much he hated the man. “Or I can while you get the box out of the trunk along with some of the untouched papers.”

“If you don’t want to spend the rest of your night bailing me out of jail after I assault a police officer, then I think you better talk to him,” Ryker pointed out. “You know the two of us can’t manage a civil conversation. He’s always trying to pin a murder on me just for the simple fact that I’m head of security.”

“I mean, you’re the man in charge of burying the bodies regardless of who killed them,” I reminded him.

Ryker punched me in the shoulder, but there was no real force behind it. “Say it a little louder, why don’t you? The bastard would lock me up just hearing you mention that might be a possibility.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, brushing him off and starting to walk backward. “Just be fast. He’s a bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out when someone’s playing him.”

Ryker just flipped me off, and I laughed like nothing at all was going on. Peeling off the latex gloves, I tossed them in one of the trash bags the techs were using and headed right for the White Knight himself.

“Thought you were called off since the body ended up being made out of fiberglass,” I commented.

Kody wasn’t at all what you expected from a police officer, detective or not. His dark blond hair was fashionably cut short on the sides but long on the top and slicked back. Every time I saw him, it seemed like he always had beard scruff, but I was beginning to wonder if it was a style choice instead of laziness. The part that had me forever on guard were those eerie silver-blue eyes that just seemed to see way too much. When you looked at him, those eyes were all you seemed to be able to focus on, and it was unsettling. He was my height, and while I could tell he worked out and was fit, he wasn’t bulky. The suits he chose were definitely custom the way they fit him perfectly which made me believe he came from money because I know cops don’t get paid enough for those kinds of clothes. Normally, I didn’t study someone so closely each time I met them, but something about him unsettled me. I didn’t like it.

“It seems your informants are slacking on the job. Took you way too long to make your way out here,” Kody taunted. “Must piss you off that someone pulled this stunt on your turf, and you didn’t have faithful Carbo first on the scene. Let’s hope I didn’t find anything too incriminating. It’s been a rough week for you all losing your boss so suddenly like that. What was it again? Heart attack? No one believes that shit.”

Taking a deep breath, I refused to let him get under my skin. I wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction. “It’s been hard on us all, and I’ll admit my attention has been elsewhere, but I’m here now to handle things. Since you were first on the scene, is there anything you can tell me about what happened?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll put everything in my report. You can read it then,” Kody informed me, crossing his arms like he was expecting a fight.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ryker at the trunk, so I made my move. Stepping forward, putting myself in his personal bubble, I reached out and plucked his notebook from his front pocket. “You don’t mind if I just take a peek, do you? As you said, things are a little crazy at the moment, and it would be better if I had all the information.”

Kody’s hand whipped out, grabbing my wrist. “Did you just assault a police officer?”

“You and I both know what I did wasn’t assault. I made no contact with your person, only your notebook,” I countered.

“Well then, that would fall neatly in obstructing justice now, wouldn’t it?” Kody snarled, stepping in closer.

I grinned at him, replaced the notebook, and rested my hand on his chest over it as I leaned in. “Careful, you keep looking at me like that, they might think you’re into me.”

With a look of disgust, he shoved me away. “Get the fuck off me.”

“Now, now, no need to be so forceful,” I chided. “Unlike some, I can take rejection well, especially when it’s from the last person I’d ever consider making a move on if I swung that way. Besides, I already have someone in my sights. Trust me, if you ever get the chance to meet her, you’ll understand why it would be hard to see anyone else as an option.”

“Save me from the details of your latest whore. Men in your line of work could never get respect or interest from someone you aren’t paying,” Kody scoffed.

Pulling the slim knife out of the sheath sewn into my jacket, I pinned the man against the shipping container behind him. “Speak of her that way again, and you’ll find out what it looks like when I assault a police officer. You’ll get this one warning, White, so listen good. Watch your tongue around the Caprioni Family if you want to keep it in your mouth, that is. The rules have changed, and a new ruler sits on the throne, one who won’t ignore your bullshit like the last Boss did.” Removing the blade from his throat, I put it back in my jacket and walked off.

“Tell this new boss of yours to watch their back because I’ll be waiting for them to fuck up. Just you wait, I’ll be the one to take down the filth known as the Caprionis and get a medal for my efforts,” Kody hollered after me.

I just let out a huff of laughter. “Not if she takes you down first, asshole.”

Chapter 8

Since Luca and Ryker left, I glanced down at my phone for what seemed like the thousandth time. My brain understood that no news was good news when dealing with a crisis. It meant they had it handled. What I hadn’t counted on was the panic I felt having people I was starting to count on and get attached to leaving me right now. It was clear it was a response due to the fact I just lost my father, but that didn’t help make the feeling go away.

Jace and Braxton had talked me into going with them to the games room, where we could watch a movie. That and all of us could fit more comfortably on the large sectional sofa. I was wedged between the two men covered in a blanket and hassock under my feet to keep my leg elevated. The guys picked Resident Evil when they heard I’d never seen it. Apparently, we were now going to watch the entire series of movies if they had anything to say about it.

“Trust me, babe, you’re gonna love these movies… zombies, badass chick, shit blowing up, and the best part, a plot to get revenge on the Umbrella Corporation,” Jace said, knocking me with his shoulder. “Hey, they promised to call if they needed backup. You know Ryker… he’s not one to go into a fight without knowing he can win it. Man’s one of the worst sore losers I’ve ever seen.”

I grinned, remembering the few times I saw just how true that statement was when I beat him at a game or sparing when we were kids. Like all personality traits, they just become more pronounced as we get older, not less. Liu walked in carrying a giant bowl of popcorn and a stack of bowls. Atticus followed him with an armful of candy, one of which I spotted was Twizzlers.