Page 62 of Burning Bridges

He motions for Kobe to close the door, and he does.

“I feel we might have gotten off on the wrong foot. I had you guys pinned as the ones distributing Euphoria to my town after an anonymous tip the night those kids died in your club. We now feel that may have been a distraction to have us looking into you instead of the Kings. A lot of shit went down tonight. And I want you to know your efforts to get Euphoria off our streets hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

Is this his way of apologizing to us? I’m surprised to say the least, but I’m also intrigued. Why would he go to the effort of telling me this? “I’m glad you can now see we’re on the same team. That drug has no place here, and I will make sure it stays that way.”

“Good.” He looks me over, his critical graze scrutinizing my injuries. “This was found on Kylo’s body.” He hands me a notebook.

I look over it, wondering what it is.

“Is that what I think it is?” asks Piper. “It’s from my dad’s safe,” she utters in shock.

I open the book, finding a detailed report with figures and a list of contacts. In the front of the book there is also a folded piece of paper. I open it and read over the contents. It’s a letter made out to Anton Acevedo and Cory King with details of the underground drug operation they were running from the old factory site before it was burned to the ground. It’s signed off by Duncan Lewis. Brandon’s dad. What the actual fuck. Is this why he disappeared the night of the fire? We all thought he perished on the site, his body never found, but this implicates him as a part of the crew who were running the operation.

“It’s your father’s little black book,” I tell Piper who has been patiently waiting by my side, trying to read over my shoulder.

Kobe’s watching me. “What’s the letter, Leo? Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

“We can talk about it later,” I tell him, not wanting to get into it in front of the detective.

“That’s what was in my father’s safe. It was locked away because Kylo was the only one with access to it.” I hand her the book so she can look over it.

Her eyes madly scan the pages. “There is so much information in here on what kind of operation they were running. Leo, this book will hold all the answers to any question we have ever had.”

Detective Reader takes the book from her hands, closing it. “Unfortunately, it’s now evidence.”

Piper looks disappointed. “Are you kidding me?” She glares at him. I know she’s been dying to find out what her father had hidden in that safe, and this book looks like it holds a lot of answers to her father’s business dealings with the Kings, and I’m sure other underworld organizations as well. I’m interested to read the thing properly myself.

The detective’s eyes meet mine, his features more serious. “But I would be happy to make sure it ends up back in your hands when we’re done with it, if you do something for me—off the record.”

I almost laugh. Is he for real? We were told this guy wasn’t interested in making deals with lowlife scum like us. But I guess even the most stand-up men get desperate when they can’t get the answers they crave. “What?”

“Take Liam King out the same way you did Kylo. I want their entire operation destroyed and anyone helping him dead.”

“You have the power to take him out and shut down his organization. Why would you ask for our help?” asks Kobe. He doesn’t trust this guy, and rightfully so. He hasn’t proven to us that he can be trusted and that he’s not just setting us up.

But then I feel the squeeze of Piper’s hand on mine. Her face says it all. She wants that book, and I would do just about anything to give her everything she wants.

“He killed my baby girl, and while I would like to think I have the power to bring him down legally, I know I don’t. In the current situation, he will rot in jail at best, and that’s if he doesn’t get off on a technicality. I want him to pay for what he did to her.”

“And he will,” I assure him. And that’s all it takes for a new alliance to be formed with us and Detective Reader. I don’t trust him, and I know he doesn’t trust us, but I will do what I have to so we can get our hands back on that book.

Thenextweekgoesby in a blur, my brothers drip-feeding me information while Piper stays by my side, taking care of me just like she said she would. Hannah has also moved in with us for her days with Piper. And I’m surprised at how well the two of us get along. She looks just like her mother, but she is so different in personality. She’s sweet and caring, fussing over the two of us like we're her children. Axel has also decided to back off and was even pleasant about the girls staying with me when he found out what I did to save Piper from Kylo. My brothers have been taking care of the clubs and all aspects of the businesses. For the first time in my life, I have given up the responsibilities and let them take over. For the most part, anyway. I’m itching to be back in charge, but this time with Piper is what we both need after fearing the worst.

The security system alerts us to an arrival. “That'll be Jett with Ben and the girls,” Piper tells me, going to answer the door. I know she has been enjoying spending time with me around the house, but I can see she misses her salon. As soon as I’m back on my feet, I will have it rebuilt for her.

Jett struts through the door with two timid young girls behind him, followed by Ben. I can’t believe her asshole father forced her to marry a King. She’s a child, couldn’t be any older than twenty. What kind of a sadistic bastard must he be to do that to his little girl.

“This is Ruby-Rose and Hazel,” he introduces me to them both. Jett has been with them since the accident. He hasn’t been home or to the clubs or training unless the girls are with him. He’s taking his job of watching over them very seriously. I can tell the guilt is eating at him that he didn’t protect them in the first place, but he can’t control every one of his men. Some of them will betray us with the offer of a little more cash. And in this case, that’s what happened. One of his security guys who has been with us since the beginning gave Kylo access to her. It probably doesn’t help that even after a week their injuries are still visible. The blonde is covered in scars and yellowing bruises, and Ben’s sister has a scar down one side of her face. They both look so weak and frail. Jett tells me she was beaten by her husband so badly she had a brain hemorrhage and had to be operated on.

When we find Liam, he will pay for what he and his brother did to these girls, I will make sure of it.

I show them through to our living room where they will be more comfortable. “Thank you for meeting with me today. I know you have both been through a huge ordeal,” I say. Their wide eyes take me in, and I know they're thinking I look in just as bad shape as them. My face is still very bruised, and the gash is still healing after only having the stitches removed yesterday.

The girls sit next to each other, and Ruby-Rose takes Hazel’s hand. Ben sits with them on the same couch, Jett beside me, and Piper comes to my other side and wraps an arm around my back. She has been in constant contact with me since the accident, always making sure she has a hand on me. Maybe she needs to know this is all real, just like I do.

“Liam is out of hiding, he contacted Hazel today,” says Ben. I can see how scared he is for his sister.

“Like we thought, he has taken over the Kings," Jett says. "I was too late to the conversation to hear anything else, but he made a point of telling Hazel that if she didn’t make her way home, he would come after her.”

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