Page 33 of Deserving Maddie

"That must be why the DEA took over the case," Falcon added his thoughts on the matter.

"That's my guess. They probably couldn't make any charges stick with either of the other two cases, so they're trying again."

Everything he pulled up only proved how dangerous Wraith really was. The man tore through MCs and destroyed everything good they stood for, always picking ones that were started for a good cause.

"Are there any other crimes in the area at the time that can be linked to him?"

"It's funny you should ask that." Ray tossed folders out to the team in response to Apollo's question. "That was one of the things I've been digging into these past few days. In each of the cities, there were several crimes with suspects that fit the description of a few of the new MC members. Each time a hotshot lawyer got the charges dropped, but I think it's safe to say, these members don't mind breaking the law. That, or Wraith encourages it."

No one spoke as they looked through what he gave them. Some of the charges were pretty brutal.

"How the hell did the lawyer manage to get some of these charges dropped? This one guy was beaten so badly that he needed reconstructive surgery for more than half of his face. And here's another one, a woman was gang-raped. She was able to positively identify two of the club members and nothing happened."

Ray understood Giggles's rage over the information. It had made him sick looking into it.

"In the first case, the guy couldn't identify his captor. It happened just outside of a known MC hangout. There were no witnesses but the guy remembers the sound of motorcycles leaving just before he blacked out. In the second case, the lawyer argued that the woman willingly went to the clubhouse with the intention of having sex with the members. Phone records show she texted her friend before going. She claims when they started getting rough, she asked them to stop and wouldn't but the lawyer harassed her so much she refused to testify and the case fell apart."

He saw it happen too often with rape victims. They were made to feel like the crime was their fault. It was one of the many reasons Ray didn't tolerate lawyers. Kind of ironic, considering that was Maddie's profession. But from everything he could see, she practiced family law, not criminal.

"I'm going to reach out to a buddy of mine and see what I can find out about the DEA case," Wes spoke up for the first time. "In the meantime, let's find out what brought Wraith to our little town. Both of his previous targets were charters in big cities. It makes no sense to come to a small town. It won't be as easy to hide crime here."

Bravo Team separated and Ray went back to his office. He was mentally gearing up to spend another eight or so hours in front of his computer when he saw he had a missed call and a couple of text messages waiting for him.

In his haste to leave his office, he had forgotten to grab his cell. Looks like that was a good thing. If Maddie had called while he was briefing the team, there was no way he would've been able to concentrate.

Maddie: Hey, Ray. I heard from the mechanic today. He said you paid for the new tire on my car. While I appreciate the gesture, I would prefer to pay you back for it.

Maddie: I just prefer not to be indebted to anyone.

Maddie: When you have a moment, please call me back.

He was tempted to call her. He badly wanted to hear her voice. But he also knew he had no self-control where Maddie was concerned, and he was afraid what he might blurt out.

Ray: No need to pay me back. Think of it as a token of appreciation for dealing with my grumpy boss.

Maddie must've had her phone in her hand, because her response was immediate.

Maddie: No need. Your boss already stopped by my office to apologize.

Wait, what? Wes didn't apologize. Not to anyone but Nancy. Even his wife didn't have the pleasure of hearing those words.

Ray: Are you sure we are talking about the same Westley James? No offense, but my boss doesn't apologize.

Maddie: I guess apology is a loose term, considering the words I'm sorry never actually came out of his mouth. It was more like he stopped by to tell me he was made aware by his wife that he was rude to me.

When the hell had Wes gone to see her? And why did it seem like everyone he worked with knew about Maddie? He was the one who pulled the information. Never did he give the information he found to anyone on his team. The last thing he wanted was his boss visiting her.

Ray: That makes no sense. Even if Jennie did tell him he was being rude, Wes usually doesn't care.

Maddie: Maybe he likes me.

His boss wasn't the only one. Except Ray didn't think Maddie meant Wes liked her the same way he liked her.

Ray: Maybe he does. Either way, the tire is taken care of. No reason to repay me for it.

Maddie: Thank you. I should probably call Anders back and say the same. I don't think I did during the rant I gave him.

He laughed. No, Maddie definitely hadn't thanked Anders. It was why his friend had warned him. A woman as mad as Maddie was not something Anders wanted anything to do with. His buddy was probably glad Ray would be receiving the brunt of it. Although so far, it wasn't so bad.

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