Page 143 of Gunner

In the living room, the CSI team was already processing the scene. Anders’s body was sprawled on the floor, blood staining the champagne-colored carpet. Blood had also splattered onto the couch, and a bloody handprint was on the wall as if he’d been trying to get away at some point.

I nodded. “Thanks.”

I surveyed the room. On the coffee table stood two glasses. Other than the usual signs of struggle, the living room wasn’t ransacked. Not a burglary, then. Not that I’d expected it to be.

“Nova.” I walked over to the forensic expert who had a ziplock bag in her hand. “What can you tell me?”

“Not much yet, since I just got here, but at first glance, it looks like whoever did this swept the place clean. Look at this.” She pointed to the two glasses. “Dusted for fingerprints, but we only found one set I’ll bet belongs to Anders.”

“Hmm.”

I sniffed both glasses. “Brandy? So early in the morning?”

“Anders was a known drinker, wasn’t he?”

“Chief.” I spun toward the young officer who rushed to me. He was one of our new members, but he showed a great aptitude for the job. “I found this outside. I think it’s the murder weapon.”

Hmm. I took the bag from him and inspected the knife. A cold tremor rushed through me, leaving me chilled to the core.

“What do we have there, Chief?” Thoms came up to me. “Is that the murder weapon?”

From the bloody blade, it seemed likely. My hand trembled as I turned it over and read the initials carved into the handle. Gunner’s initials. The handle had also been customized with the Blood Hounds logo. I’d seen him flash it enough times to know it was his.

“Whoa, is that what I think it is?” Thoms took the bag from my hand. “This belongs to someone from the Blood Hounds. That’s their logo.”

“It is.”

I need to call Gunner.

“Look what we have here.” Nova approached with a rectangular strip of cloth in her gloved hand. A president’s patch that seemed to have been ripped off someone’s clothing. “Anders had it in his hand.”

I’m going to be sick.

First the knife and now the patch. From the grim expression of the cops, I knew what they all thought. The president of the Blood Hounds had murdered one of our own.

37

GUNNER

Ben thinks since Jamie knows, we don't have to hide our relationship anymore. He’s wrong.

Chris ran into the room, his eyes wild, and my first thought went to Zeus. He’d seemed better after Ben left, so I hadn’t bothered to take him to the vet. I’d even taken him for a walk. Had I been wrong? Ben would kill me if I let anything happen to that dog.

“What is it, Chris?” I asked. “Is it Zeus?”

I’d left both playing catch outside, and Zeus hadn’t toddled in after him. Usually, he wasn’t far from the boy when I wasn’t around.

“Cops!” Chris cried. “They’re here.”

I frowned. “Ben?”

“Other cops.” He rocked back and forth on his heels, his eyes full of panic. “Four different cars just pulled up outside.”

Fuck.

My heart sank. Were they about to conduct a raid? We weren’t novice enough to keep contraband at the clubhouse, it was tooeasy for the cops to hit us with a warrant. But they could find something for sure to stick on us if they wanted.

“What the fuck are they doing here?” Tango asked.

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