Last Mile (Vicious Cycle #3) - Katie Ashley Page 0,91
me any reason not to. If you’re willing to go out on a limb, then you have my support.”
I wheezed out the breath I had been holding. “Really?”
Peterson nodded. “I hope you realize how fucking hard it’s going to be on me to get you the resources you need.”
“I know it’s going to be tough.”
“It sure as hell is. I’m going to be jumping through hoops like a damn dog.”
I smiled at Peterson. “Thank you. I promise I won’t let you down.”
“You better not, because it’ll be both our asses on the line. You’ve got forty-eight hours to get your shit together before they are arraigned. That’s the best chance we have of getting the charges dropped.”
Although anxiety threatened to choke me, I bobbed my head at Peterson. “I’ll get right on it.” I whirled around and headed for the door. “Thanks again, Peterson.”
He gave me a small smile. “You’re welcome. And good luck.”
NINETEEN
SAMANTHA
Although I had been on a lot of dangerous missions in my career, I had never felt the bone-deep level of fear that I did as I pulled into the parking lot of the Raiders compound. With trembling hands, I turned the car off and threw open the door. My shaking knees barely supported me as I made my way to the front door. The immense fear that I felt didn’t come from the fact that I was facing down drug lords or gang leaders. No, I was about to piss my pants because I was going to talk to the Raiders women.
For the first time ever, there weren’t any guys guarding the door. I had to wonder if they had been brought in as well or if they were lying low because of what had happened. My stomach churned as I jerked open the door and stepped inside.
When the door slammed shut behind me, every pair of eyes in the room was on me. It took about two seconds for Kim to come charging at me, her nostrils flaring like a bull. “You got a lot of fucking nerve coming here!”
I held my hands up in front of me. “I know I do. But I need to talk to you guys.”
Mac’s old lady, a curvy brunette, snorted contemptuously. “What makes you think we would listen to a damn word you said?” Standing toe-to-toe with me, she then spat in my face. “Fucking traitor!”
Without taking my eyes from hers, I brought my hand up to wipe my face. Part of me wanted to deck her for having the nerve to do something so degrading, but I had to remember where she was coming from. Her husband was behind bars facing gun trafficking charges.
I drew in a deep breath as I surveyed the women I had once considered myself friends with. “Each and every one of you has a right to hate me. At one time, I was a traitor to the club. I admit that I had ulterior motives in getting to know Bishop. But if you would just give me a few minutes to explain—”
“You want to explain how you played Bishop for a fool and then sent our men away?” Kim demanded over the roar of the women spewing hate-filled rants at me again.
“Just give me five minutes. I’m here to help, I swear.”
Annabel stepped forward. She held up her hand to silence them. “Let her speak.”
At her action, the angry roar became a low grumble. When it became quiet, I started to talk. I told them about my father’s murder, about my feelings when I was first assigned the case, how I felt after Gavin’s murder, and then finally how I had come to feel about Bishop and the Raiders. Throughout it all, I held their rapt attention.
“What happened today was not because of anything I did or any information I gave my superiors. Yeah, I should have relayed to my superiors what I learned about the club going legitimate. I can’t change any of that now, but I have the opportunity to clear their names—to ensure that your men are freed. But to do that, I’m going to need their help.”
Alexandra shifted Wyatt on her hip. “Let me guess. To ensure that they cooperate, you need us to talk to them.”
I nodded. “You can imagine that whatever I say to them is going to fall on deaf ears. I figured they might actually listen to their wives and girlfriends.”
Eyeing me curiously, Alex asked, “Who talks to Bishop?”