Chapter 7 - Finding some answers

The sun had just begun to set, casting a soft orange hue over the sky, when I pulled up my Beetle outside the police precinct. It was the same place I had brought in Umbridge less than a week before. As I approached the front door, I noticed the workers were busy with their tasks and didn’t pay much attention to me. However, some of them who knew me shot me “please leave” glances as I walked past them. Ignoring their looks, I made my way to Dan’s desk and pulled up a chair to sit down.

Dan was sorting through a messy pile of papers when he looked up and saw me. He immediately backed away, his expression stern and serious.“Do you want to get me fired?” he asked. “You know you’re no longer allowed in here unless you’re here to report a crime.”

Ignoring his words, I leaned in closer, my voice low and steady. “Who bailed Michael Umbridge? They found him dead today.”

Dan’s fingers ran through his hair, tugging at the strands as he felt a surge of frustration. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, “but I can’t give you that information.”

I was visibly irked by his response and slammed my fists down on Dan’s desk. “Bullshit! Either you give me a name or show me the video surveillance of who was waiting for him outside when he left.”

Dan took a deep breath and held it for a moment, waiting until someone passed by his desk before he leaned forward over the piles of paperwork that littered his workspace. His eyes darted around the office, making sure no one was listening in on our conversation.

“Why do you want that information? Huh? They found the guy in his home, his wrists cut open and a note saying why he did it. He lost all his money, received an eviction notice, and had nothing left in this world. It’s an apparent suicide, and the case was closed.” Dan frowned. “Shouldn’t have told you that. Unless you’ve got compelling information I should know about, I’m afraid I can’t help you. Please leave before one of my bosses sees you.”

I groaned, but I still had that gnawing feeling deep inside of me that wouldn’t go away.

“When I caught Umbridge, he said if I took him in, people would find and kill him. Also, when I placed him in my car, two black SUVs flanked me and demanded I hand him over to them. I thought they could be competition, but Moe confirmed that the contract wasn’t open. I find it strange that he’s found dead in his home shortly after being released. I mean, what are the odds?”

Dan’s attention was immediately drawn to the mention of the black SUVs. He pushed his chair back and gestured for me to follow him. I complied, and we walked to the surveillance room.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this… I can’t give you a name, but I can show you the recordings,” Dan said once we were inside the room. “You’ll have to draw your own conclusions, though. Someone paid Umbridge’s bail the following morning, and they picked him up in a black SUV.”

Dan sat down in front of the bank of monitors and selected the desired camera. He rewound the footage to the day Umbridge was released from custody. There, on the screen, was a black SUV, similar to the ones that had stopped us earlier. A man dressed in a black suit and sunglasses got out of the car, helped Umbridge inside, and drove off.

“Zoom in on the license plate, please, and give me a pen and paper,” I said.

I scribbled down the number and put the paper in my back pocket. I was about to leave when Dan grabbed my arm and stopped me.

“Listen, I know you’re very resourceful and have a lot of old contacts, but you might find yourself way over your head. Just promise me that you’ll tell me if you find something substantial in this case,” he said.

“I feel like you know more than you’re letting on,” I replied, crossing my arms and staring at him.

When he didn’t respond, I sighed and said, “Fine. If I find anything worth mentioning, I’ll let you know.”

Dan gave me a tight smile. He then escorted me back to the building’s entrance. I thanked him again and walked back to my car, feeling a sense of unease creeping up on me.

I gripped the steering wheel tightly and let my head fall onto it, trying to make sense of the situation. I needed to go to the DMV to get a name for the license plate and find out who bailed the guy.

I didn’t think it was just a coincidence.

Starting the car, I looked at the clock and realized that the DMV was already closed. I didn’t know what to do with the rest of my night. I had given up a perfect date for a lead that could turn out to be a dead end.

I froze at the thought of calling my meeting with Lukas a date. “Not a date,” I repeated sternly to myself. I put the car in reverse and drove to Sal’s, hoping to clear my mind.

As I drove, I noticed a black SUV trailing three cars behind me. Although it was a popular type of vehicle, I started to worry that it might be following me. Every time I made a turn, I looked for opportunities to shake it off, but it kept following me, always keeping at least one car’s distance. I didn’t want to take any chances, so I decided to take a different route to Sal’s.

I parked my car on the last level of a multi-level public parking space and waited for the SUV to arrive. When it didn’t show up, I grabbed my bag, which contained my training clothes, and got out of the car. Since my home was nearby, I decided to leave my car there overnight.

I secured the bag’s sling over my head and leaned out from the concrete wall to see below. The SUV was parked on the side of the street, and its tinted black windows made it impossible to see inside. However, I still heard the engine running.

I stood on the edge of the multi-level parking lot, and I saw that the apartment building’s roof, situated beside the parking lot, was at the same level as me. I backed away and leaped over. When I landed, I quickly moved to the far side, found the fire escape, and made my way down.

Once my feet hit the street, I popped my head toward where I had seen the SUV, and sure enough, it was still there with the engine running. I turned around and started walking briskly toward Sal’s, which was about six blocks away.

When I arrived at Sal’s, I was surprised to see Lukas sitting by the side of the door. He quickly brushed the back of his jeans and walked over to me when he saw me. I felt tiny butterflies slowly swarming in my stomach. There goes my common sense, I thought. Despite my reservations, I was happy to see him again, especially after how I had left him at the café.

Lukas spoke, rubbing his jaw and then his neck. “I thought I’d find you here. I didn’t get your phone number, and I really wanted to see you again.”

I moved over to where he was standing. His gaze burned my skin, making me blush. I could sense his anxiety and uncertainty about how I would react to seeing him. I tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but it came out harsher than I had intended. “So you stalked me?”

When I saw the colour of his bronze skin pale, I cursed under my breath. I didn’t talk to many people, and I was clearly out of practice.

“Sorry about earlier. Are you up for another one-on-one? I want to make it up to you.” I nodded toward the gym door, and I saw Lukas’s mood brighten.

I went first, Lukas trailing behind me. His body heat seeped into the back of my clothes. Tingling shivers ran down my spine, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I hoped he didn’t notice the effect he had on me.

I’d never experienced anything like it before. Whenever I was around other men, I never felt this way. But with Lukas, it was like a bolt of lightning struck me every time I saw him.

Since I was the only girl who came here, Sal had offered me the use of his office as my changing room. That way, I had a little privacy. I changed into a sports bra and leggings, pulled my hair into a high ponytail, and waited for Lukas to leave the changing room.

When Lukas finally came out, he stopped dead in his tracks and looked at me with a look of hunger in his eyes. I tried my best to play it cool and pretend that I hadn’t noticed, but deep down, I was flattered by his heated gaze.

Fuck, why am I acting so pathetic around him?

“I just need a few minutes to limber up,” I explained, gesturing toward the open space on the far side of the room. “We can meet over there on the mat.”

Lukas gave me a sly smirk and strutted over to the area I had indicated. I bent down to touch my toes, exhaling deeply as I sensed the day’s tension in my muscles gradually release. I stood back up, noticing Sal approaching me with a bright grin on his face. However, the smile faded slightly as the bell attached to the main door jingled, and David walked in.

If there was one guy in the gym who desperately wanted to beat me in a sparring match, it was David. He was a good fighter, fair game, and entertaining when we fought, but I disliked how he always touched me. It was deliberate; he enjoyed touching my ass or brushing himself against my breasts, always ending the match with catcalls and the promise of a good fuck. David wasn’t hard on the eye and had a certain sex appeal, but he did nothing for me. He was just another moron, thinking they owned the world.

“Hiya Sal. Max, smoking hot as always,” David said while spanking my ass.

“Oh, bite me,” I growled, slapping his hand away.

I stood upright, placing my hands on my hips and glared at David, who shrank back from my gaze. I knew I was intimidating when I wanted to be; however, I didn’t think I was that frightening. I cocked my head to the side, looking at his retreating form, and looked over at Sal, whose stare was directed toward my back.

I twisted my head and saw Lukas looming over me. It became clear that David wasn’t running away from me but from Lukas. Concerned, I placed my hand on his chest and asked, “Are you alright?” I felt the heat emanating from his body, and I saw the veins on his neck throbbing each time his heart pumped.

I blinked, but Lukas grabbed my hand before I could remove it and pulled me toward the changing room. I tried to free myself, but his grip was too firm. Once we were inside the changing room, he pushed me against the lockers and trapped me between his arms. His hot breath on my face.

“Friend of yours?” Lukas asked through his teeth, his face only inches from mine.

What the hell was his deal?

“Not really,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. More like my honorary punching bag. David’s an ass, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

Lukas’s proximity shot bolts of electricity through my body. I felt my nipples harden as his chest brushed against the thin fabric of my sports bra, and I fought a sudden urge to moan.

He dipped his head close to the crook of my neck and inhaled loudly. He then returned his amber eyes to me, increasing the tension between us tenfold.

“I don’t like to share,” his baritone voice was gruff, and his breath tingled my skin.

I frowned at his comment, and before I could retort something clever, Lukas crashed his lips to mine, stifling the word that would come out of my mouth.

The surprise of his action caught me off-guard, and as much as my mind was screaming at me to push him back, my body begged for more.

This was crazy. I barely knew Lukas, yet I never wanted a man as much as I did him.

My arms instinctively snaked up to his thick neck and pulled him closer. I hadn’t realized how tense Lukas had been until his body melted against mine.

He dragged his hands the length of my body, stopping mere inches away from my ass, then his grip tightened, and he lifted me, making me circle my legs around his midsection. He groaned against my mouth, making my breath hitch.

Lukas pulled his lips away from mine but ground his growing erection between my legs.

“Tell me you don’t want this, and I’ll stop, or else I fear I’ll devour you right here.”

I opened my mouth to reply to his invitation, but the door to the changing room suddenly opened, and I found myself caught off guard. In a moment of panic, I hastily jumped down and pressed my back against the lockers, hoping to conceal the redness that crept up my cheeks. A customer walked in, casting a suspicious glance our way, and I felt increasingly self-conscious. I turned to leave, placing a hand over my mouth to conceal my shock, but Lukas took hold of my arm and stopped me. His touch sent shivers down my spine.

“Meet me here at six tomorrow evening,” he said, his voice low and husky.

Lukas opened the locker, which contained his belongings, and leaned in to kiss my cheek before leaving. I watched him go, my heart racing with a mix of excitement and confusion. I was unable to move from the shock of what had just happened. When the other man left the room, I took a deep breath and tried to compose myself. I smoothed out my hair and checked myself in the mirror, my hands shaking slightly.

Looking at my reflection, I had a hard time recognizing the face staring back at me. My pupils were dilated, my face was red and warm, and my lips were slightly swollen from Lukas’s rough kiss. I felt a mix of emotions—part of me was thrilled by the unexpected encounter, while another part was undecided.

I cursed under my breath, left the room, took my stuff, and headed home. After what happened, I’d need to take a cold shower and have a reality check.