Page 51 of The Afterthought

I wish I could stay and watch the destruction, but unfortunately, I have one more person to secure before I can go home to my baby girl. I was smart and grabbed David's phone from his pocket before I locked him in the trunk. Scrolling through the contacts, I land on the one that I was searching for and press the call button.

It rings twice before a man with a deep voice picks up. "David, I thought I told you not to call me unless it's important."

"Officer Grant?" I question.

"Who is this, and why do you have David's phone?"

"David gave me the phone and told me to call you. He said there was some sort of issue with the last deal. He needs you to meet him." I'm banking on the fact that this cop is also involved in David’s drug dealings. Ava knew he was doing something shady for the officer, but she wasn’t sure what exactly that was. I took a lucky guess.

"Fuck," he mutters. "I told him this might be a problem. Where does he want to meet? I'm on call tonight, so I can make it look like a regular call."

This was too fucking easy. "They burned his house down," I say, trying my best to sound panicked. "Can you meet at the abandoned gas station down the road from David's as soon as possible?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in ten minutes. Tell him this is the last time I stick my neck out for him. He's caused me enough trouble over the years already."

"Got it. See you in a few," I say before hanging up. If only this guy knew the trouble that awaits him when he pulls up to the gas station.

Like clockwork, within just a few minutes, I see the police car pull into the abandoned station. I stay in my spot, comfortably behind the wheel of my car, with my mask on, because I know their cars tend to have cameras. Once the officer gets out, I roll my window down to wave him over to the car and roll it most of the way back up.

My windows are tinted, so he can't see inside, but I have it rolled down just enough so that he can hear me from the outside. "Get in," I say.

He seems a bit cautious, turning his head from left to right to make sure there is nobody else around. Ultimately, he pulls open the back door and slides in, signing his death warrant.

"Where is David? I thought I was meeting him."

"He's a bit tied up right now, so you get me instead."

"What's the big issue that you had to pull me out here for?"

I turn in my seat, pulling the syringe from the center console but making sure it's hidden so he can't see it. "You see, Officer, it seems you hurt my girl, and I can't let that stand."

I turn so that I'm fully in view, but before he can register the fact that I have a mask on and am holding a syringe, I plunge it into his leg and empty the contents. For being a police officer, he really sucks at having any kind of situational awareness.

"Take a nap, Officer Grant. We have a really important meeting we must see to once you wake up," I say as his head slumps down.

I put the car in drive and pull away from the station, making sure to avoid any possible camera angle from his patrol car that would catch my plate. Once we are a few miles outside of town, I pull over, tie him up, and secure the tape over his mouth. I should throw him in the trunk with his buddy, but I'm not sure if there will be room. That bastard better be alive. I haven't heard a peep from him since tossing him in there.

Now that all this is taken care of, I throw a blanket over the officer so I can be on my way back to Ava. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she finds out I got them for her. She will never have to worry about these men, or any others, hurting her ever again. She has me to protect her now.

Chapter 24

Avalynn

Not having Greyson here feels strange. Until he left, I didn't realize exactly how much I let him back in. He found a way to not only latch onto me but also have me swooning for him, regardless of how many times I told him no along the way.

Kai has been leaving my coffee and muffin at my front door in Greyson’s absence. It's sweet that he thought of me enough to have someone do that. He was romantic when we were younger, but I didn't expect it this time around. I thought life would have hardened him along the way. A gangbanger who has an affinity for fire doesn’t exactly scream romance. He always seems to consider me, though. I laugh and wonder what he had to threaten Kai with to get him to run his errands.

I've been hard on Grey for good reason, but I've never felt more at home since being back here in this town and around him. In a way, it feels like I've never left. He has this obsession for me, and I can't help but fold to my feelings for him as well. I've been struggling to imagine what it would be like without him, which is a problem because he is still a very active member of the Crimson Rose.

I pick up the heart-shaped crystal he gave me at the drive-in and turn it around in my fingers a few times. Every time I turn it, the light catches it a different way, revealing a multitude of colors. There are greens, grays, and deep red specks all throughout. It's incredibly beautiful. I haven't let it out of my grasp since the day he gave it to me. It's been a nice trinket to fiddle with when I'm feeling stressed or anxious.

I need to keep my mind busy today. I'm going to devote my time to researching for Mrs. Myers so I can email her with an update. I was able to track down her son's last known location and a few other things over the last few days.

I've made connections to the criminal underground while doing my PI work. Some are people I’ve helped over the years, and others are people who were hired to work alongside me for specific jobs. It’s been helpful to have those resources, although I seldom take advantage of them. Today, though, I’m going to. I send a quick email to one of my contacts, Barrett Monroe, asking him for all the camera footage within a five-mile radius of a specific address, and move on to my next task.

Thanks to Gary Myers' mother, I've gained access to his email. From what I've seen, the guy was pretty shady. I understand why the cops have no desire to search for him. There are countless back-and-forth coded emails. I can't tell exactly what they are about, but I know enough to be able to read between the lines. He was involved in something suspicious, for sure.

I scroll through all the emails again to see if anything pops out, and I land on one that talks about placing an order for blood-red flowers. Could he be referring to the Crimson Rose? Did he owe them money, or was he buying from them? I wonder if Greyson would have any info on Gary. If he does, would he be willing to give it to me?

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