Page 47 of Zen's Crash

Today’s another day, and I’m intent upon hunting the man who’s a danger to Lexi like a big-game hunter. Right now, she’s sitting at the bar with her friend, Cindy. They’re laughing it up over appletinis. I love seeing Lexi happy. It warms my soul like nothing else ever has.

I normally shut myself away in my office when I’m working, but today I need to keep an eye on Lexi. So while I hack into the non-luxury apartment complex where her stalker used to live and gather all the information I can on him, I’ve got the door propped open.

The archived information I managed to dig up turns out to be a veritable gold mine. The assumed name he used was Reggie Murphy, but he slipped up and used a credit card from a woman named Sara White to pay his first month’s rent and security deposit. The credit card has an address out in Reno. I quickly discover, by looking through that state’s DMV records, that she’s a fifty-three-year-old female.

County records show Sara White has a thirty-one-year-old son named Terrance Harris. A quick background search shows he has a long criminal record, including assault and battery, second-degree rape, and assault with a deadly weapon. He’s been in and out of jail multiple times over the years. This is definitely looking like our guy.

Glancing over to check on Lexi, I see her playing a drinking game with Cindy and a couple of the prospects. I smile becauseshe’s having fun, relaxing, and not letting this fucker keep her scared and looking over her shoulder.

I start searching for anything I can find on Terrance Harris, and a loathing I can’t quite describe fills my very soul when I realize he took a job delivering food in Las Salinas very recently. I had a hunch about that food-delivery person when Lexi told me he tried the handle on her door after being asked to leave the food on the porch. That can’t be a coincidence. This guy’s checking off too many boxes not to be involved in stalking her. But it’s also strange, because if this guy had been stalking her for years and flying under the radar, why was he suddenly getting sloppy now and doing stuff under his real name?

I keep digging and compiling information, eventually getting a copy of his driver’s license. Sitting in my computer chair, staring at his face, anger twists in my gut. This man is nothing like what I imagined him to be. I expected to see a scrawny coward who scurried around, using deceit and weapons to get what he wanted from women. But no—this man is a muscle-bound beast clearly capable of subjugating almost any woman by virtue of his size and strength. I was always taught that men shouldn’t use their larger size to lord power over a woman, but I know all the way down to my bones that this is exactly what this man gets off on.

Suddenly, a soft, feminine voice drifts closer. “Zen, are you okay, babe? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I glance up to see Lexi walking towards me. So, she’s been keeping an eye on me, like I was for her. Knowing that thaws my mood a bit. When she gets close, I pull her down onto my lap. “Are you having a good time with your friend?”

She nods, all smiles again. “Yeah, I’m glad you brought me here. I feel safe enough to finally relax. You and your club brothers truly are the good guys.” She cups my face in her hands and murmurs, “Now, tell me what’s up with you. You looked really out of sorts there for a minute.”

I spin my computer chair around sideways with us in it, so she doesn’t have her back to the screen. “Have you ever seen this man before?”

She stares at the screen for a long time, looking confused. “He looks familiar, but I can’t place him. Who is he?”

“His name is Terrance Harris. I think he’s the one who’s been stalking you. He worked security for the apartment complex where we found all the pictures of you. We found those comic books in his abandoned apartment. He even used to work for a food delivery company right here in Las Salinas very recently.”

She stops chewing her bottom lip long enough to ask, “You said he abandoned his apartment. Do you have any idea where he moved to?”

“No, but I’m sure as hell gonna find out. I have an address for his mother. I’m betting either he’s hiding out there, or she knows where we can find him.”

Her arms tense and slide from my face to rest against my chest. She gazes up at me with big innocent eyes and asks, “Can I come with you when you go to talk to her?”

“Absolutely not, Lexi. On the off chance that he’s there, I won’t put you within striking distance of this evil bastard.”

“What if he’s not there? She might be more willing to talk to a woman than a bunch of bikers.” She pats my chest and adds, “No insult intended.”

I can’t help but crack a smile. “None taken, Lexi.”

Pulling her into a close hug, I tuck her head under my chin and lean back in my chair. Struggling to find the words to explain how I feel, I finally say, “I’ve got every reason to believe this guy is a cold-hearted killer who’s had you in his sights for a while—he’s the one who killed your father. I’d be out of my mind to take you straight to the most likely place for him to be hiding out. This man is vicious, Lexi. It looks like he might be targeting you as his next kill. You promised not to put yourself in harm’s way. Please keep that promise. It’s the only thing keeping me sane right now.”

Lexi sighs and brings her arms up around my neck. “Alright, if that’s what you want. Just promise me that if you do go after this guy, you’ll take enough of your club brothers with you to be safe. Just like you don’t want anything to happen to me, I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Trust me when I say this is a fight I plan to come back from.” When our lips touch again, I realize that I’m a goner for this woman.

***

Siege picks a relatively large crew to visit Terrance Harris’ mother first thing the next morning. The plan is for him, Rigs, and me to approach the home without our cuts. Siege points out that a woman living alone would likely be alarmed at being visited by strangers, and downright terrified if the strangers knocking at her door are bikers. So instead of riding, we’retaking one of Siege’s vehicles. Thank God it’s not the mommy van that Cleo normally drives.

It takes close to four hours to get to Reno from Las Salinas. We leave most of our club brothers behind at a diner, and we arrive at Sara White’s home around eleven in the morning. Since it’s Saturday, we hope to find her at home. Luckily, we do find her at home, but she’s three sheets to the wind already.

Sara White looks at least a decade older than her fifty-three years, but she’s clearly a woman who takes care of her appearance. She’s wearing a sweater twin set in pale blue to match her eyes and dress pants with heels. Her snow-white hair is immaculately styled, and she’s wearing pearls. The hand holding her wine glass is perfectly manicured. She’s nothing like what I expected the mother of a potential serial killer to look like.

To her credit, she’s not quite so far gone that she’s willing to invite three strange men into her home, but she does step out onto the front porch with her drink to talk with us. After introducing ourselves, Siege mentions, “We’re friends of your son, Terrance.”

Before he can get around to asking if he’s staying at her place, she gives us a wry chuckle. “My son doesn’t have friends. Want to try again?”

Rigs interjects, “He’s more like the friend of a friend.”

She takes a sip of her wine and waves at a neighbor walking her dog. The other woman makes a ‘call me’ gesture with one hand. She says primly, “Like I haven’t heard that before. What has Terry done now? You can tell me. I won’t go batshit crazy on you.”

---