Page 87 of Decoding Morse

“I told him that for every day that hit was up, I’d pay an inmate to fuck him up the ass. If the hit wasn’t down by the end of the day, his punishment would be retroactive. The hit had been up for several days, and as shady as he is with his accounting, he easily did the math.”

“You don’t have that kind of money,”Eric had told me.

I’d only smiled.

“No. But I’m excellent at uncovering secrets, and everyone seems to have those. There are no lengths I won’t go to for that woman. Don’t try me, Eric.”

I left out the details of my maniacal laughter and promises of what he should expect, being the number one fuck-up on the club’s radar. I thought he was going to piss himself when I disarmed him, so adding a lengthy description of my friends in the big house looking for new playmates nearly gave him an apoplectic seizure. The man wasn’t shit without his money, andhe knew it. The fucker should have stuck to his white-collar crimes.

“Nice bluff,” Link said.

He knew me better than that. Hell, he’d do the same goddamn thing if Emily’s life were on the line. That wasn’t judgment in his eyes; that was pride.

“See you later, Prez.” I turned and headed for the stairs.

“Wait. Where you goin’?” he asked, no doubt expecting me to leave, not go upstairs.

“What do you care? I have the day off,” I shouted over my shoulder. I could have been a dick and left it at that, but the prez was going through his own shit, and my plans would cheer his ass up some. “Gonna grab Mrs. Landry’s chess set and see if she’s up for one last game.”

Link’s ear-to-ear grin chased away some of the shadows under his eyes.

“She’s dying, Morse. For fuck’s sake, let her win.”

* * *

By the time I reached the community gate that led to Carol’s house, I was sweating like a whore in church.

The custom chess set wouldn’t fit in my saddlebags, and I wasn’t about to rough it up, so I’d taken a rideshare. I could have borrowed a car from the shop, but I figured Amelia might be less inclined to send me packing if I didn’t have a vehicle.

The guard manning the gate called in my visit. Someone must have approved our entry because the gate clicked and slowly opened, and we drove through.

Amelia opened the door, and she was a sight for sore eyes. The dark circles under her eyes made it clear she’d slept about as much as I had, but she was still the most beautiful sight I’d everseen. She flung her arms around me. Adjusting the chess set so the corners wouldn’t jab her, I buried my nose in her hair and let her comforting scent reassure me she was safe.

I hadn’t realized how much I fucking needed this.

“I’ve been worried about you,” she said. “Are you okay?”

Why the fuck had I been so concerned about her reception? The way her tits pressed against me felt like home. “Yeah. I… I never got to return Mrs. Landry’s chessboard.”

Amelia stiffened, her arms falling away from me as she stepped back. I didn’t have to see her face to know I’d fucked up.

Determined to rectify the situation, I said, “It was the best excuse I had to see you. I’m so fucking relieved that you’re all right. I missed you, Angel.”

She softened.

I held up the chess set. “This is my excuse for coming over, but I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”

“Come in. I don’t know if she’ll be up for a game, but I’m sure she’d like to see you.”

Amelia led me into the study. Carol’s bed now took up most of the space. Blankets were all I could see from the door, so I scooted around until I could see her face. Pale and waxen, I wondered if she’d already passed. But when I stepped into view, her eyes brightened.

“Morse.” The greeting came out thin and airy.

I ducked my head. “Good to see you, Mrs. Landry.” I held up the chess set like it could shield me against her condition, schooling my expression. Carol wouldn’t want my sympathy, which was good, because that shit made me uncomfortable. “Thought I’d swing by and see if you’re up for a rematch.”

“Depends. You planning to go easy on me again?”

I shrugged. “Still need me to?”

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