Page 14 of Selah's Wish

“Don’t blame me, I wanted to tell you right away. Blame him,” I clarify, leveling a finger in Wrecker’s direction.

Dragon steeples his fingers, placing the temple over his lips before constricting his eyes at the four of us. Selah gulps so I reach over and place my hand on her leg. I pull out the chair directly beside me and nod my head at it. She lightly places her laptop on the table and gracefully takes her seat. Cuda looks like he’s about to shit his pants and Wrecker is lounging against the backrest of his chair, acting nonchalant. Me on the other hand, I’m antsy, ready to get the air clear so we can come up with a definitive plan to get my sister and her kids out of their abusive situation.

ELEVEN

Selah

We startedoff with Cuda telling Dragon about finding Joceline crying in her car to the bruises and lacerations he saw on her skin. Then we move onto Wrecker and how he managed to put the pieces together and confronted him on his suspicions. Butcher picked up the conversation, telling him about how when we were in Harper’s hospital room he noticed something off between Cuda and Wrecker when the godmother announcement was made and cornered him. Now, it’s my turn. As the guys were telling their side of the story, I fired up my laptop and have my file open.

“That’s where I came in,” I fess up. “Butcher asked me to do a little digging on the slimeball and what I found isn’t up to par with what he projects himself as being in the public eye.”

“How so?” Brick asks. And since he and I both don’t know the man personally, I can understand his interest between the jackasses’ two identities.

Not wanting Brick to think I’m not taking his question seriously or respecting the fact that he wants me to expand on what I’ve said, I look him in the eye and tell him what I’ve discovered. “He has the persona of one who works in politics.” A gleam of understanding lands in his eyes. But he doesn’t interrupt me and ask any further questions, so I turn my computer around and point out some photos I found online of him as he commutes through town. “As you can see, he disguises himself as a family man. He says hi to everyone he passes on the street and kneels to play with all of the babies. What they don’t know is that he’s a con man, a predator of a different sort than that of the men we’ve been dealing with in the community.”

“Can you explain that further?” Dragon asks, head canted to the side as he digests the little bit I’ve shared.

Blowing out a breath, I continue talking. “He enjoys the chase. Married women are his repertoire. He likes the cloak and dagger as well as the potential of being caught. Ruining marriages means nothing to him, it’s an adrenaline rush for him.”

“And my sister? He doesn’t give two shits if she finds out?” Dragon asks me, clamping his eyes shut as he processes the hell his sister’s been going through.

“Nope,” I answer, “he has her right where he wants her. He’s aware of what her family means to her and uses it against her to keep her where she is. She has a role to play and he’ll accept nothing less.”

“They don’t share a bedroom anymore,” Cuda inserts.

“And how the hell do you know that?” Dragon asks as Butcher stiffens.

“We’re friends,” Cuda explains. “She keeps the house clean, cooks his dinners, goes to the office parties, but she refuses to sleep with him in any capacity.”

“Can’t blame her on that one,” Brick slips in, shaking his head in disbelief. “What have you uncovered, Selah?”

“He has two P.O. Boxes in different towns. One in Cedar Creek, and one in Kemp. He doesn’t receive mail at either location, so I think he’s using them as a lock box of sorts. I have a man on the inside of the Kemp location, we’ve become buddies on the web and he is going to take a look inside of them for me during his next shift. If by any chance it holds incriminating evidence, I’m going to have him snap pictures for me.”

“Would he be willing to remove the items and save them for us?” Butcher asks me, his eyes bouncing back between me and Dragon.

“That won’t be necessary,” RiffRaff interjects. “Once we have confirmation, I’ll be taking myself a road trip. I’ll dispose of any incriminating evidence I come across and then I’ll rescue Joceline and her children.”

“Why you?” Brick asks, looking uncomfortable. “You’re still recovering, you don’t need to be going on any solo missions.”

“I’m recovered just fine,” RiffRaff objects. “Stop worrying so much, son, or you’ll put yourself in an early grave. I’m not going to relapse, and if I do, it won’t be anytime soon. Everyone has seen to that. I’m as fit as a fiddle.”

“He’s the only one who won’t be seen as suspicious since nobody knows his face,” I add. “Wrecker has found him a sponsor who’s going to act as if RiffRaff is a distant cousin who hasn’t visited the town.”

“We’ll be reconnecting,” RiffRaff chuckles. “It’s been a while since I’ve had myself a vacation. I think I’ve earned myself one.”

Brick sighs when he realizes RiffRaff won’t be heeding his worry and staying home. “You’re an honorary member, we can’t ask you to put yourself in danger. Those days are behind you,” Brick reminds his dad.

“You aren’t asking, I’m offering. Plus, the higher beings say this is the way it has to be,” RiffRaff remarks.

“I don’t like it,” Brick professes. “You need to take some back up with you. Someone needs to protect your six.”

“I have connections of my own,” RiffRaff expresses. “I know a few old timers that wouldn't mind coming out of retirement. Wouldn't even blink their eyes if I were to ask them. And for fuck’s sake, stop acting like I’ve got one foot in the grave. I’m not that fucking old, and thanks to Angel, I’m in better health than I was before I lost my mind.”

“That's what we need,” Brick mumbles. “A bunch of bored men riding the streets and painting the town.”

“Sounds like a good time to me,” RiffRaff says, and for the first time, I see his smartass demeanor. He reminds me of Prowler and Striker in this moment, which has me cupping my mouth to hide my humor.

“Not to interrupt here,” Dragon states. “But if you’re going, RiffRaff, I’d like to have a few of my contacts back you up.”

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