The next morning, he acted as if he’d done nothing remotely out of the norm and behaved like the man I’d always known. I, on the other hand, felt completely different. I still loved my father; he was always good to me and took care of me but seeing him do such a horrific thing and then pretend as if it never happened changed something in me. My innocence had been stolen, and that was something I would never get back.
Over the next year, I lost count of how many times I heard my father in the basement with those men. I didn’t have to go rushing downstairs to see what was going on. I already knew. My hurt eventually turned into anger, and that’s when I became determined to figure out why by doing a little investigating.
I matched the newspaper headlines of gang shootings and unexplainable disappearances of cartel members with the dates he’d be locked away in the basement, and eventually started to piece everything together. I knew he hadn’t killed the men I read about in those articles, so there was only one explanation that made sense.
My father had used his expertise in forensics to become a cleaner for some of the most notorious men in the South—men like the Ruthless Sinners MC.
I made sure to get to our meeting spot early so I could mentally prepare for my presentation. It was impossible not to have doubts about whether I was doing the right thing by meeting with these men, but I’d done my research. I knew everything there was about our prospective partners. Now, I just had to convince them that it was in their best interest to go into business together.
I was pleased to see the place I’d chosen wasn’t crowded. In fact, there were only two customers, and they were far enough away that I didn’t have to worry about them overhearing anything that was said. At the same time, their presence offered a level of safety I wouldn’t have if I’d chosen a more remote location.
I hadn’t been waiting long when my guests walked through the front door, and my stomach did an immediate nosedive. These men were even more intimidating than I expected, and it was all I could do to keep myself from rushing out the door. My knees started shaking, and my heart began racing as I suddenly wondered what I’d gotten myself into. I watched silently as they scanned the room, searching for the person who’d invited them here, and it wasn’t long before their attention was drawn to me.
I didn’t move. I simply waited as one of them started walking in my direction. As he got closer, I quickly realized I knew him. I still didn’t move or speak. I sat there until he made his way over to my table. He stood there for a moment, studying me with an odd expression as he tried to place my face. His eyes widened as he gasped, “Kiersten?”
“Hey, Menace. It’s nice to see you again.”
I wouldn’t have had a clue who he was if it hadn’t been for my father and his eccentric line of work. I’d met him and his girlfriend, Parker, a few months earlier when they’d come to see Dad. While I didn’t know all the details, I had a feeling it had something to do with Parker; otherwise, she would’ve never been at the house. If my father was anything, he was careful and discreet.
Having her there ended up being a blessing for me. Menace was slightly distracted and left his computer out on the table, which gave me the opportunity to swipe a copy of his hard drive—something I’d done with my father’s computer. It’s amazing what could be found on anyone’s computer, especially when they thought no one had the means to hack into it.
I was doing my best to keep a calm composure as Menace looked down at me with utter confusion and asked, “What are you doing here?”
“I’m waiting on you and your brothers.”
“You’re the one who requested the meet?”
I tried to hide the anxiety building in my stomach and answered, “I am.”
“Does this have something to do with Billy?”
“No. He has no idea I’m even here.” I motioned my head towards the front of the coffee shop. “It’s getting late. Why don’t you ask Viper to come on over, and we’ll get started?”
“Kiersten, this isn’t some game you’re playing here,” Menace warned. “You’ve called a fucking meet with the Ruthless Sinners. You don’t do that shit without a good reason.”
“I have a good reason, and as soon as you get Viper to join us, I’ll tell you what it is.”
Menace studied me for a minute, then turned and walked over to the group of men. They spoke for a moment, then all eyes were on me as Viper and Menace made their way over to my table. As soon as they sat down, Viper gave me a quick once over, then asked, “You’re Billy’s daughter?”