Page 24 of Zen's Crash

Before she can say anything, I speak up, “I gave your friend back his crypto and told him that I didn’t want to see him again, so there’s no club business that involves me.”

“Things are really fucked up right now. Zen opened that police file and remembered the story you told him about how the killer tried to get you to trade yourself for your father. He said the images in the file were shockingly brutal. I told him what you told me about the weird delivery driver,” Evan says looking at Kayla. He continues, “We’re afraid if the killer comes back for you and can’t get you, he might settle for other women you associate with.”

Kayla’s shocked voice whispers, “You mean me and my sister might be in danger?”

Evan puts his arm protectively around her, “Yeah. We don’t know for certain the killer is going to circle back around, especially since it’s been almost a year. But I don’t feel comfortable with you and your sister being on your own if there is a killer about.”

Cindy speaks up. “We don’t have anywhere else to go. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

Evan states confidently, “I’m one hundred percent certain you will both be safe because you’re both coming to stay with me at the clubhouse. You can have my room. I’ll sleep in one of the bunk rooms with the other prospects.”

Kayla gazes up at Evan like he hung the moon. “You want us to come and stay with you?”

Evan nods. “Our club officers, including my dad, are extending a formal Savage Legion invitation. That means you can just pack a bag, and our club will see to everything else. You don’t have to worry about meals, Wi-Fi or anything at all. If you need to leave the clubhouse, me or one of the other prospects will accompany you to ensure your safety.”

Kayla immediately gushes, “That sounds amazing. Are you sure your dad is okay with this? He’s not my biggest fan.”

“My dad is not only okay with it, he insisted I tell you the truth. My dad said that just because we’re young doesn’t mean we can’t understand if things are explained properly. He said people assume that women are gonna be hysterical and scared to find out there might be danger around, but my mom is living proof that’s not true. She’s one of the most level-headed people I know.”

Cindy asks, “What made you think that lying to us was a good idea in the first place?”

“I didn’t. It was Zen who thought it would be better not to worry you with the part about there being possible danger and just pretend like it was an exciting new social experience. Lying to the woman I love didn’t sit right with me, so I called my dad and talked to him about it. He said we don’t lie to each other in our family, which felt right to me.”

I roll my eyes. “It figures that Zen’s gut reaction would be to lie about it. I thought Kayla was banned, like me.”

“Zen revoked his ban, and our club is ready to welcome Kayla and Cindy with open arms.”

It takes Cindy to ask the hard question. “What about Lexi? It seems like she might be the one in real danger but you’re making arrangements to protect the women who are one step removed from the whole situation. That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”

“Kayla is mine,” Evan responds sincerely. “If I even suspect a hint of danger, my family is gonna circle the wagons and protect her and her sister. Zen has already asked for round-the-clock protection for Lexi.”

I sit up straight in my chair at that.

“There are three club brothers at her place right now, making sure it’s safe. In the morning they’re probably gonna want to update the security system there.”

Anger bubbles up before I can stop it. “How dare Zen send men to my house without even asking me first. I don’t want them there. I’ve been safe on my own for the last ten months. Why would I suddenly need protection now?”

“Look, I can’t speak for Zen, but something in that police file spooked him real bad. If I were you, I’d pipe down and accept my club’s help. You wanted to track down the person who killed your father, and the club has jumped on board with investigating that. Regardless how you feel about Zen, my club is reliable.”

Cindy leans forward and takes my hand in hers. “I think you should take Evan’s advice. You’ve been holed up in that house, afraid to go anywhere except our apartment and that clubhouse. If the Legion does come through with finding your dad’s killer, it will mean justice for him and then you don’t haveto keep living in fear, looking over your shoulder every time you leave the house.

I take a deep breath and try to calm down because my best friend is right. If there’s any possibility of finally getting justice for my father, I have to roll the dice and try. I grasp Cindy’s hand tighter and nod. “You’re absolutely right. No sense looking a gift horse in the mouth. I’ll let the Savage Legion give it their best shot and see where this goes.”

Evan speaks up, “I think that’s a really smart decision.” Turning to look at Kayla, he adds, “Now would be a good time for you and your sister to pack a bag and follow me to the clubhouse.”

Kayla impulsively asks, “Can I ride on the back of your bike?”

Evan gives her a bashful, boyish smile and nods. “If you want, and your sister won’t feel left out.”

Cindy smiles gamely. “You should ride on the back of your guy’s bike every chance you get and live a little.”

Since they’re both excited to get to the clubhouse, I make my excuses and head home. During the drive I try to parse through this whole situation. Zen is apparently the Legion’s actual IT specialist. That doesn’t make him top tier by any stretch of the imagination—but at least he’s a real, live IT specialist and he didn’t lie about that.

Memories of my father’s crime scene rise in my mind. I remember getting out of the psychiatric hospital determined to find the person responsible for his death. I filed a public records request for the entire police file, and it was denied due to it being an open and ongoing case. At some point the detectivehad taken pity on me and had given me a copy of the file. I recall how I felt the first time I saw those crime scene images. I immediately made a dash for the restroom and threw up. Through pure strength of will alone, I forced myself to study the pictures in an effort to understand what happened. I saw the whole thing go down. That didn’t mean I truly understood it.

Why was my dad so paranoid for all those years? Was there something going on that he didn’t feel comfortable talking about? Why did this man break into our home? Was it some random break-in or was it related to something from my dad’s past, something he was afraid would eventually catch up with him? What made the intruder decide to kill my dad? Did he plan to kill him all along or did something trigger him?

There were so many questions and so few answers. Maybe with the Savage Legion involved I would finally get some answers to all of my questions.

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