Rebel (Wolfes of Manhattan 1) - Page 70
Still, though, the thought of what had occurred this morning didn’t completely leave my mind. I’d nearly been arrested.
As an accessory to a murder I knew nothing about.
In law school, we’d read cases about false arrest and imprisonment. There were even cases where an innocent person had been executed. They were rare, but they did occur. Statistically, they were insignificant.
They no longer seemed so insignificant now that I was starring in one.
Someone wanted me to pay for Derek Wolfe’s murder. Why? I had no idea. All I’d done was draw up his will. I hadn’t handled any of his other trust work. Robert had handed Derek over to me when he stopped practicing less than a year ago. Maybe Robert would know something. I made a mental note to get in touch with him when I returned to Manhattan.
When we finally arrived back at Rock’s cabin, he stared at me.
“What?”
“You look so beautiful. You’re glowing.”
I attempted a smile. “I’m sure I’ve got a bad case of helmet head.”
“You look perfect, Lacey.” He feathered his fingers over my cheek.
My nipples hardened against my bra.
“I wish I could bottle up this moment,” he continued.
I nodded. “Me too.”
“But I can’t. I need to find Hoss. I know where he and Manny hang out at night. If you think he’s the one—
“Only a hunch,” I said. “I can’t make any guarantees. I could be wrong, and he’ll be pissed as hell that you’re asking.”
“Old Hoss won’t be pissed. He’ll respect me for trying.”
“He’ll respect you for bribing him?”
“Well,” he laughed. “Maybe not. But I have to try. I need to find out what’s going on. Someone has been keeping tabs on me, and someone is trying to drag you into this. That means someone knows what you mean to me. I’m beginning to think…”
“What, babe?”
“My father’s had someone watching me this whole time. Here I thought I was alone in this cabin. Away from his vileness. Damn!” He looked up at the light fixture in his kitchen. “You son of a bitch! You were watching me the whole time, weren’t you? You fucked up S.O.B.!”
I stroked his arm. “Rock, that’s just a light.”
He eased away from me. “You don’t get it, Lace. Derek Wolfe could do anything he wanted.”
“Why would he want to have you watched all this time?”
“Hell if I know. Why would he want to fuck me over from his grave?” He let out a sarcastic laugh. “That part I know. Because he was a dickhead. Because he wanted to control me. To punish me.”
“Punish you? For what?”
He clammed up then, riffling his fingers through his short hair.
“What, Rock?” I persisted.
“Nothing. I need to go see Hoss.”
“Where?” I asked, picturing another biker bar in my mind.
“Lucia’s.”
“Is that a bar?”
“Yeah…sort of. I mean, it has a bar.”
“Get to the point, Rock. Where are you going?”
“I don’t need to leave for a few hours. Besides, we haven’t eaten yet. We should shower and get the bike grime off of us, and then I’ll take you out for the best steak you’ll ever eat.”
I had to hand it to him. Rock Wolfe was a master at avoiding the subject. I wasn’t born yesterday, though.
“What is Lucia’s, Rock?”
“Fuck, Lacey. It’s a strip club, okay?”
A brick hit me in the stomach. “Oh.”
“I don’t find any of those women remotely attractive. I never go there myself.”
“Then how do you know about it?”
“Because I’m not a moron. I live here. Well, lived here.”
“So you’ve never been there?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You did. You said you never go there.”
“Anymore. I never go there anymore. I moved here when I was eighteen, Lace. Give me a break.”
“When’s the last time you went there?” I cringed at my own words. I sounded like a jealous teenager.
“I don’t know. A year ago, maybe?”
“A year ago?”
“Yeah. For a bachelor party. For fuck’s sake, Lace. Are you really upset about this? You?”
I inhaled and let the air slowly out of my lungs. I was being a complete child. “I’m sorry. This isn’t me. I’ve just… I’ve never felt this way about anyone, Rock. I’m not quite sure I’m ready to deal with it.”
“The first thing is trust, Lace.”
“I know. I know.”
But did I know? I’d had two significant relationships in my life, and both had ended with infidelity on their parts. I didn’t talk about it. I didn’t have any close friends. Instead, I threw myself into my work.
“Do you trust me?”
Did I? He could have run off with Nieves easily. She made me look like liverwurst. “We don’t know each other very well yet.”
“So you’re saying you don’t trust me?” He raked his fingers through his hair once more.
“That’s not what I’m saying. But this all happened so quickly.”
“Yeah, it did, but that doesn’t make it any less real.” He grabbed me and pulled me against his body. “I’m hard for you even now.”
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