Divided (Unguarded #2) - Ivy Stone Page 0,33
as she smiles back at me on her way out. I grin back at her, grateful for her concern. That’s the thing about my hot next-door neighbor slash fuck friend—she’s a good woman with a kind heart that deserves a hell of a lot more than I’ll ever give her. But that’s okay, because her heart belonged elsewhere and mine has no interest in her that way.
“Excuse me, sir, you can’t come back here.”
I flash my badge at the uniformed officer and he apologizes as I walk through the doors of an abandoned nightclub. Dust invades my senses and I cough all the way to Mason, who’s standing tall, lines creasing in his forehead as he frowns down at the dead bloodied body tied to a wooden chair. Elias and Cassidy stare beside him, checking out the body. I lean forward, tilting my head, squinting at the barely recognizable face thick with dried blood. “Is that—”
“Andre Delaney,” Cassidy cuts me off. We all stare in surprise at the largest contraband trafficker in the city, tortured to death in the chair in front of us with half his head blown away.
“The one and only,” Mason adds, rubbing a hand over the five o’clock shadow on his face.
“Well, I didn’t see that coming,” Elias says, eyebrows raised, eyes wide.
He turns to Mase. “Is it possible Marino had his own trafficker murdered?”
Cassidy butts in before Mason can respond. She shakes her head. “No. That would be ridiculous and not a smart move. If he had him killed he’d have no way of getting shipments in and out because Marino doesn’t trust anyone. Delaney’s a crucial part of his business.”
“Cassidy’s right. Wouldn’t have been him. But I have a feeling I know who it was or someone who will know something,” Mason says, pulling out his phone. He stalks off, phone in hand and calls out, “Head back to the precinct once you’re done. I’ll be back there soon.”
“You want anyone to come with you?” Cassidy asks Mason, concern paving her tone.
“Nah. All good. Won’t take long.”
Elias and I both look at Cassidy and she shrugs, her eyes bulging behind her glasses. “What?”
Eli shakes his head and walks off. I bite my lip, holding back the smirk trying hard to break through. When Cassidy first joined the squad, I thought she was just sucking up to the boss for brownie points, but after a few sneaky glances, flushed cheeks when he’d strip his shirt off in front of her in our locker room, I realized she has it bad for him. But that remains a secret from Mason because somehow he’s the only one who doesn’t see it.
I nod toward the door. “Come on, Detective Kane. We got shit to do and murders to solve.”
Files slam down on my desk. I look up and find Cassidy, her long blonde hair a frazzled mess in a low ponytail, trailing down over her shoulder.
“I can’t find anything in here that’s going to help us with the case. You wanna check them out?”
I glance at the thick files a mile high on my desk then back at Cassidy. “Not really. No.”
Mason’s office door flies open, distracting us. He marches out over to the large screen mounted on the side wall.
“Andre Delaney.” He points to Delaney’s crime scene photos displayed on the screen. He turns back around to us—mine, Cassidy’s and Elias’s attention all on him.
“We know he has connections everywhere. Not just the Marino’s. But other local gangs and the Misery’s Angels Motorcycle Club. We don’t know yet who killed him or why. But now he’s gone we have an opportunity. One we’ve never had before.”
I sit back in my seat and my hand comes to rest under my chin. My curiosity piquing as to where Mason’s heading with this.
“I went and saw Cannon before,” he says, referring to the Misery’s Angels Club President. “He knew nothing about Delaney’s death or anyone having bad blood with him right now. But they’re willing to give us any information they hear.”
The Misery’s Angels and Mason had a deal. An agreement of sorts. It’s not illegal and we aren’t in their pockets. But they say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Well, that makes the Misery’s Angels allies we don’t really want to lose.
Mason continues, “We have a solid in now Delaney’s dead.” A smile plays at his lips and he turns to me. “Because Giuseppe Marino now needs a new trafficker. Someone who can move his shit.