All Hail - J. Bree Page 0,60

and he groans at me.

I’m saying it for me because if he doesn’t leave now, I might just beg and that’s not going to happen.

I’ve never been the type.

Chapter Sixteen

Aodhan and Illi find nothing.

No witnesses, no evidence, no signs of foul play except the knife itself. I’m pissed but not at all surprised. Aodhan returns home for the night to check in with Jack and his leads on what the hell is going on and I find myself once again alone in my stunningly empty mansion.

The next morning I’m sitting in the basement staring at the wall of photos and red string lines connecting them when my security alarm is triggered then disabled. I check my phone and find Illi unlocking my front door, wiping his feet on the doormat politely, and then opening the staircase up to stomp down the stairs towards me. He doesn’t even try to look elsewhere, he knows that this place has become an obsession for my waking hours.

“I brought coffee and a whole new set of ‘what the fuck is going on’ for us to figure the hell out,” he says, handing a cup over to me and sitting on the chaise next to me.

I murmur a quiet ‘thank you’ and take a sip.

I fucking miss Lips.

No one makes my coffee like she does.

I smile at him and turn a little so I’m facing him, crossing my ankles and grabbing my phone out of my pocket so it’s close by for whatever the hell is going on now.

Illi rubs a hand over scruff on his cheeks and then nods at the photo wall. “How are you feeling about the Graves kids? Anything flag for you yet?”

I groan. “No, nothing. I went through their records and had a contact run their bloodwork to attempt to find the missing sibling but nothing has come up yet. The entire MC is a mess of old rivalries, betrayals, and business deals gone wrong. The only ones up there who aren’t a mess are Wyatt, the cop, and Noah because he’s dead and it’s hard to be a pain in my ass when you’re already in the ground.”

Illi chuckles at my snotty attitude, then he sighs and I know I’m not going to like what comes out of his mouth next. “We’re going for a drive today. I got a call last night about a job. I’ve been taking a few little things on now D’Ardo is gone, just so long as they’re close to home, and I got a call for something right up our alley.”

I sip at the coffee and wave a hand at him. “Please tell me we’re meeting with someone about killing Donnelley because she fucked the wrong governor? I’d really love that.”

He chuckles at me. “No. Colt Graves called me for a hit. You wanna meet another one of Lips’ brothers, get a read on him for yourself?”

I turn to face him fully. “A hit? Why the hell would he need you to do the killing for him, he’s a biker? I’m very intimate with his rap sheet, I can list the whole damn thing to you, he doesn’t need you killing for him.”

Illi shrugs and points at the wall of photos. “Maybe he needs that brother of his taken out? I dunno, but I doubt this is a trap. I haven’t heard from him in years but the last time we saw each other… there wasn’t bad blood between us. I wouldn’t be inviting you along for the ride if I had doubts about this, Queenie.”

I nod, because I know he would never risk my life like that, but this still feels… wrong.

We’re missing something here.

Illi glances around. “Is O’Cronin not around here? Did you finally convince him to leave you alone for a minute? If he’s annoying you just lemme know. I’ll skin him for you.”

I shake my head at him, ignoring him cackling at my expense. “I thought you only let your friends call you Illi? Should I be worried?”

He grins and shrugs. “You know it’s different for you girls. They might all be family but if one of these dumbass boys steps out on you or does something else fucking stupid? I’ll kill them, no questions asked.”

It’s psychotic and very sweet and after growing up with Ash, that’s my favorite mix.

I do feel compelled to reply, “I can kill them for myself but thank you. I’m glad the dumbass boys that Lips is with are all obsessed with her.”

He scoffs