Page 99 of Steel

My body tightens as my mind latches onto the similarities with the way the other women in the club have been getting messages too. Brooke was attacked, and now Miranda was killed. They’re escalating. Maybe this has fuck all to do with Killer and everything to do with whoever the fuck is stalking and terrorizing our employees. Or maybe it’s all fucking Killer.

I pinch the bridge of my nose as my frustration mounts with all of this. We need to catch a fucking break somewhere in this, and there’s not going to be a possibility of that happening until Bailee and I bring everything to Wraith and the rest of the club.

Jake reaches down and grabs a few pairs of gloves from one of the kits sitting on the ground and passes two sets to Crow and Wraith. They all snap them on and then Crow reaches out and snatches the note from the medical examiner’s hand when he holds it out to him.

I step closer, not wanting to disturb them but wanting—needing—to be able to see what the note says because it’ll give me an idea of whether we’re dealing with one person or if there are two fronts I need to be on at the same damn time.

Crow glances at me quickly before returning his attention back to the baggie in his hand.

One, Two, Baldy is coming for you.

One by one, the muscles in my body loosen as I read the note. It’s got a different tone and overall feel to it. The wording is also different. So, it’s safe to assume it ain’t Killer. This Baldy person is related to what’s going on with Crow and the club.

The medical examiner informs us that she died from asphyxiation but stresses that he refuses to give an official result until he can get back to the morgue and do an autopsy to rule out anything else.

Once Crow finishes reading, he passes the note to Wraith, who reads over it as the crews load Miranda’s body up for transport and the LEOs work on clearing up the crime scene.

Crow’s body has turned into a block of cement next to me, and when I glance at him, it’s like staring into a deep, dark void of nothingness. He’s retreated to somewhere else in his head and if I’d have to guess it’s got something to do with his family being murdered.

Wraith calls his name, and Crow turns toward him in such a way that reminds me of one of those damn robot videos Lyric is always making me watch. There’s someone in that body, but mentally, there’s no one home right now.

“Ah, fuck, brother. Don’t do this. Don’t fucking shut down,” Wraith cajoles.

“What did you find out?” Crow asks, ignoring the desperate pleas for him not to shut down.

Wraith sighs. “Not much. He says she died from asphyxiation, but he can’t give official results until he’s been able to perform the autopsy. We already know this is connected to the club and, obviously, your past. Do you think your contact will be able to find anything about this Baldy character?”

Crow grunts. “I’ll send Chimera the information as soon as we finish here.”

“Then you’re going home to Sage, right?” Wraith presses.

I tune them out as they argue about Wraith being up in Crow’s love life. Hell, don’t blame Crow for getting pissed. I’d be pissed too if someone was trying to tell me something I didn’t want to hear regardless of how much truth there was to it.

“Y’all deal. Goin’ to go talk to Reva and the others. See what they know,” I chime in.

“Let me know what you find out,” Wraith orders before turning back to snipe at Crow.

I smirk because it seems Crow wasn’t having any more of that stupid-ass shit and is walking off.

The club is already in closing mode after everything happening, so it’s not as rowdy inside as usual. There’s a few stragglers who are taking longer to clear out, but they’re regular faces around here, so ain’t no one really saying much to them as long as they continue to pay for their drinks. Still another hour before actual closing time anyway.

Don’t spot Reva around anywhere, so I stop by the bar and knock my knuckles against the wood countertop to snatch Carter’s attention.

“Boss, what can I get you?” he asks.

“Reva.”

Carter tilts his head toward the office, and I give a sharp nod of thanks before storming that direction. When I peer through the open door, she’s got a glass of whiskey in her hand, swirling it around, as she stares out the window pensively.

“Goin’ to eventually find them,” I say, startling her enough that her body jerks and a bit of whiskey splashes out of the glass and onto her hand. “Shit. Didn’t mean to scare you. Wasn’t thinkin’.”

She empties her glass into her mouth, swallowing it down with a deep grimace, and waves away my apology. “Don’t apologize. I left the door open because I didn’t want to feel so isolated. IsBailee okay? Oh, hell, please don’t tell me that’s why you’re back here instead of at home protecting her.”

“My girl’s good. Checkin’ in on you.”

“This shit, Steel. It’s getting bad around here. The girls are fucking terrified to come to work anymore. Threats are coming in faster than we’re expecting them to.”

“We’re gettin’ closer to findin’ this fucker. Hopefully, the girls will trust us until then. What all went down tonight?”

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