High-Sided: An Armed & Dangerous Novel Page 14

  My eyes burned and I closed them. All I could see was Sean’s smiling face. There was no way he would deceive me. “What exactly are you asking of me?” I trusted Logan with my life and I could tell it hurt him to confide in me.

  “I want you to be careful around him, at least until I can prove myself wrong. I can’t think of a reason why he would want to hurt Levi or Ethan, but the guy hates me. All those years ago, he had access to my bike, and for all we know, he might’ve wanted me out of the way so he could get to you.”

  “What happens when he comes up clean? What then?”

  He released a heavy sigh. “I don’t know. The hidden cameras are in place at your shop. We might have to sit back and observe.”

  “I don’t like this,” I murmured.

  Logan wrapped me in his arms. “Neither do I. But right now, we need to get to your dad’s.”

  “Are you going to tell him you’re investigating Sean?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “He won’t understand. And I’m sure you wouldn’t want to answer his questions on why.”

  “Good point. I’ll be ready to go in ten.” I wasn’t ready to tell my dad about my relationship with Sean. It’d become a scandal Bennett Racing didn’t need.

  “Hey, guys,” Sean greeted once he walked into my dad’s house. Janie smiled and waved. They were at the kitchen table talking to Madison, while Angela pulled the ham out of the oven. Everything smelled heavenly.

  My father came up behind me and squeezed my shoulders. “Doin’ okay, peanut?”

  I turned around and kissed his cheek, his white beard tickling my lips. “Yep. You?”

  “Can’t complain.”

  Logan leaned in close and whispered in his ear. “We need to talk.”

  My father’s brows furrowed and he looked at us. “All right, let’s go to my office.”

  “You all about ready to eat?” Angela called out.

  “Just a minute, Angie. I need to show Kassidy and Logan something. We’ll be right back.”

  She smiled and waved us on. “Okay, that’s fine. Hurry up though.”

  We walked back to my father’s study and he shut the door behind us. “What’d you find out?”

  Logan cleared his throat. “It doesn’t look like Hendrix is the one we’re after.”

  My father quickly glanced at me and back to him. “How do you know?”

  I hadn’t heard the full story, so I was curious to hear it as well. Logan lowered his voice. “My partner had a meeting with Brad Hendrix last night to get a spot on his team. Apparently, Hendrix didn’t like him talking shit about your team. In fact, he hated it so much, he turned my partner down, saying he didn’t want to be associated with him.”

  “Wow,” my father said. “Never would’ve thought that.”

  Logan agreed with a nod. “Me either. As of right now, we’re going to sit back and observe. Honestly, it could be anyone. I want to get in touch with the local PD. They need to know what we’re doing.”

  Huffing, my father turned away from us. “I don’t like this at all. Makes me not know who to trust.”

  “Don’t trust anyone,” I said. “It’s the safest bet.”

  “I’ll talk to Gary Cramer tomorrow. He’s the chief of police and a good friend.” He stood with his back to us, then glanced over at Logan. “I’ll give him your contact information, so you two can work together. I’m sure he’ll want to schedule a meeting.”

  “I remember him,” Logan replied. “You introduced us a long time ago at one of the races. He wanted me to join the local PD.”

  “That’s right. I forgot about that. You would’ve done well there, but I’m glad you followed your dream.”

  I recollected that day as well. Logan had told Gary about how he wanted to join the FBI, then Gary offered him a job as an officer. At that point, Logan had already gone through the core training. However, he wanted more.

  My dad opened the door and paused. “Promise me you’ll take every precaution at the race next weekend. If we don’t know who we’re after, we can’t see what they’re doing. I don’t want you getting hurt again.”

  Logan patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”

  My dad looked at each of us, before disappearing down the hall. The whole thing wore him down. It couldn’t have been fun having to look over your shoulder twenty-four-seven.

  Logan came up from behind and wrapped his arms around my waist. “He’ll be okay.”

  I placed my hands over his and leaned into him. “I hope so. All this stress isn’t good for his health.”

  He chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “It’s not good for anyone. I’m just ready to figure this out.”

  “Me too.” His fingers entwined with mine and I hissed.

  “Baby, you okay?”

  I hadn’t noticed the pain the night before, due to the copious amount of alcohol, but now I felt it. I glanced down at my bruised knuckles, even my wrist was slightly swollen. “I hope that douchebag’s face hurts worse than my hand. It was like hitting a brick wall.”

  Logan burst out laughing and loosened his fingers. Turning me around, he gently kissed my hand. “I have to admit, it turned me on when you hit him. Once we get back to my house, I’ll make all the pain go away.”

  I brushed my body against his and smiled. “I have no doubt.”

  Logan

  Richard texted me later on Sunday night, saying he’d talked to the chief of police. By Monday morning, I received a call from Gary Cramer himself, requesting to meet with both me and Micah at his house.

  I pulled up in his driveway in time for Micah to drive up behind me. Hopping out of my truck, I watched Micah get out of his, the black eye clearly noticeable. I tried to hide my smile and failed miserably.

  “Laugh it up, asshole,” Micah grumbled.

  “She sure as hell did a number on you, didn’t she?” His left eye was bruised and I knew it had to hurt.

  He huffed. “You’re telling me. You guys owe me after this shit’s over.”

  We walked up to the front door of the two story log cabin and rang the doorbell. I slapped him on the shoulder. “We will, I promise.”

  “How’s Madison?” he asked, his voice low.

  I looked over at him and sighed. “She’ll be fine. I saw her yesterday, before she left town. She’s hurt, but once we’re done here, we’ll tell her the truth.”

  His jaw clenched. “Hopefully, I won’t be too late.”

  The less people who knew about our mission, the better. I hated he couldn’t tell her, especially considering Kassie knew about me. It was one of the sacrifices of the job. If I knew Maddie could stay away from him while we investigated, it wouldn’t have been a problem. The last thing we needed was for people to see them together.

  Through the glass in the door, I could see someone approach. When the door opened, Gary inspected us both and smiled. He looked the same, only now he had gray in his dark hair. He was in his mid-forties and in better shape from when I’d first met him. “Logan Chandler,” he greeted. “How’ve ya been, son?” He held out his hand and I shook it.

  “Good. And you?”

  “Can’t complain. I’m glad to see you got into the FBI. After your accident, I never heard anything about you. Richard was torn up over it.”

  “So was I. Looks like I’ll be racing again this weekend though.”

  “That’s what I hear. Good luck with that. You’ve been out of the game for a while.”

  “True, but I’m ready.”

  “I have no doubt.” He extended his hand to Micah. “I’m Gary Cramer, Chief of Police. Richard’s one of my good friends. I’m leading the investigation on Levi’s case.”

  Micah shook his hand. “Any leads?”

  “Not yet,” he said, opening the door wider. “Why don’t you both come in and we’ll talk. My wife is at work.” We walked inside and sat down on the black, leather couch in the living room. Gary sat across from us, grabbing one of the files from the coffee table. “
I pulled every single file I thought might help.”

  I picked up one and it was Jacob Privette’s. There was nothing in it other than him being brought in as a suspect in Levi’s accident—he was clean, and so was Mark Danvers. “Do you have a file on Brad Hendrix?” I asked.

  Gary shook his head. “He doesn’t have a record. The man’s never gotten so much as a speeding ticket. Other than his competitive streak, we have nothing on him. Who all have you been investigating?”

  Micah tossed the files I gave him back on the table and reached for more. “We looked at the men who attacked Richard a few years ago, and came up blank. One of them is dead and the other two moved away. They haven’t been in this area for years.”

  Gary nodded. “You’re right. I knew them. They were dirty men. I hauled the McLain brothers into the station plenty of times.”

  I looked through more files, but there was nothing that could help us. “Did you find anything at the scene where Levi wrecked?”

  Gary closed his eyes and sighed. “Only death. I keep wishing I could unsee it, but every time I talk to his parents, the images come back. It wasn’t easy recovering his body.”

  “What about his motorcycle?” Micah questioned. “If someone ran him off the road, there had to be some kind of damage.”

  Gary nodded. “There was, but his bike was all but destroyed. It’s still at my nephew’s shop, if you want to take a look. Maybe you two will be able to find something I couldn’t. He has some other bikes there that need fixin’ up, so I can tell him you’re looking for a project.”

  I looked at Micah. “Let’s do it. If there’s anything there, we’ll find it.” Then to Gary, I said, “Micah and I’ll take turns going over there so we’re not seen together.”

  “Sounds good,” Gary said. “There probably won’t be anyone there if you want to go now.” He wrote down the address and handed it to me.

  “I think I’ll do that. I have some time on my hands, before I have to get to the track.” Getting to my feet, I held out my hand. “I’ll call you if we find something.”

  He shook my hand again. “Good deal. If there’s anyone you want me to keep an eye on, let me know.”

  For a second, I thought about giving him Sean’s name, but thought better of it. Sean had been a part of the community even longer than I had. Now that he was co-owner of Bennett Racing, people knew and respected him. “Thanks, Gary. We’ll keep you posted.”

  Micah shook his hand and followed me outside.

  Before I could get in my truck, he placed his hand on the door. “What’s on your mind, Chandler? You were going to say something in there and held back. What was it?”

  “I’m keeping an eye out on Sean.”

  His brows furrowed. “Kassidy’s friend and stepbrother? Isn’t he also co-owner of Bennett Racing?” I nodded. “Why would you think he had anything to do with this?”

  “Sean and Kassie were together at one point. Back when we were dating, I knew he had feelings for her. I could see it. After I left, they got together. We’re not exactly on good terms right now.”

  “What does Kassidy say about this?”

  I shrugged. “She doesn’t want to hear it. But you know what it’s like out there. Our worst enemy’s usually the closest to us.”

  Sighing, he slapped me on the shoulder. “I understand, bro. Since I’m not racing for Hendrix, I have plenty of time on my hands. I’ll keep a look out for him.”

  “Thanks. I’ll talk to ya soon. I’m gonna head over and inspect Levi’s bike.”

  “Good deal,” he said, opening his truck door. “Send me the address and I’ll check it out later this afternoon.”

  We separated ways and I started down the road toward Costner’s Garage. I wasn’t ready to see Levi’s bike, but I had no choice.

  When I pulled down the road to the garage, the doors were closed but they opened as soon as I got out of my truck. A guy a little younger than me walked out and waved, his clothes were covered in grease. He had dirty blond hair and was extremely skinny, but I could see the resemblance to Gary in his face.

  “I never thought I’d see the day,” he said, holding out his hand. “I’m Drew Costner.”

  I shook his hand and nodded in greeting. “Logan Chandler.”

  “Oh, I know who you are. When my uncle called and said you were stopping by, I didn’t believe him. You were my favorite racer growing up. Where have you been?”

  Chuckling, I released his hand. “In Charlotte,” I replied. “After my accident, my family moved me there to get the medical help I needed.”

  His eyes brightened. “And now you’re back. Does that mean you’ll be racing again?”

  I nodded. “Yep. I’m back on the Bennett team. I thought I’d give it another go before I get too old.” I was only thirty, which was a couple years older than the average age of racers.

  “That’s fucking amazing. I guess you’ll be in Virginia this weekend then?”

  “I will.”

  “Can’t wait to watch.” He nodded toward the garage. “My uncle said you were coming by, but he didn’t say for what. Is there anything I can help you with? I know you probably have to get to practice.”

  I followed him inside. “I’m looking to fix up a bike. It’s kind of a hobby of mine. Got anything I could take a look at?”

  “Of course. I might have what you need out back.” We walked through his building and out the back door. His yard was fenced in and there were rundown motorcycles everywhere. I skimmed over the hunks of metal, until I found the bike I needed, perched in a corner all by itself. Levi’s motorcycle was bright green and black, the green sticking out like a sore thumb.

  “I see you recognize Levi’s bike,” he murmured.

  I swallowed hard. “Kind of hard not to. He was my friend.”

  “Same here. We used to meet up at the brewery for beers.”

  “Did the police just give you his bike?”

  Releasing a heavy sigh, he averted his gaze from the bike to me. “Levi’s parents said I could have it. The cops looked over everything for evidence—there was nothing there. Some believe he ran off the road on his own. I don’t, but who knows.”

  I stared at his bike. “Yeah, who knows.” There was no way in hell he ran off the road on his own. “Do you mind if I look around?”

  “Sure. Go ahead. If you need any help, I’ll be inside.”

  I waited for him to leave before going over to Levi’s bike. It was all but crushed. I walked around it, paying close attention to every single detail, while snapping pictures with my phone. The more I looked at his bike, the worse I felt. If only I’d been there when he asked me to come, he might still be alive.

  I was about to give up, when the sun flashed across his bike, revealing a color I had yet to see. “What the . . .” I gazed down at the foreign paint color. I hadn’t seen it in the shade, but now it was clear as day. Pulling out my phone, I snapped a close-up of it. When I looked at my screen, it was right there . . . a small red streak, standing out against the black. It might’ve been nothing, but it was all I had to go on.

  By the time I got to practice, I was twenty minutes late. The last thing I wanted was to hear Sean bitch at me. Thankfully, when I arrived at the track, he was nowhere to be seen. But Richard was there, talking with Trey, Miller, and Daniel. Once I had my bike unloaded, I rode over to them and stopped.

  “We don’t tolerate tardiness, Mr. Chandler,” Richard griped. He pointed to the start-up line. “Boys, go ahead and get ready. Logan will be out there after we have a little chat.” They rode off and he turned to face me, pretending to be pissed, even though I could see it was all a farce. “What did Gary say?”

  I shook my head. “Nothing we didn’t already know. I went by his nephew’s garage and looked at Levi’s bike. There was a red scratch on it. I don’t know if it was there before, but it might be something to go on. It’s a longshot, but what else do we have?”

  His shoulders sagged, a look of defeat marking his features.
“Have you seen the amount of red cars and motorcycles up here? There’s no way we can narrow that down.”

  “I know, but we can always keep our eyes open.”

  Leaning against the fence, he rested his head in his hands. “Feels like we’ll never get to the bottom of this.”

  I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Yes, we will. I’m not leaving until I figure this out.” Glancing around the track, I figured Sean would’ve shown up by now. “Where’s Sean?” I questioned.

  “He said he had some things to get done around the shop today. Besides, I wanted to talk to you and work with my boys. We have races this weekend.”

  “Yes, we do,” I said with a sigh. “I’m ready for it.”

  He turned a sad smile my way. “I know you are, son. Honestly, I don’t know what I’ve done without you all these years.”

  “You’ve done just fine. And now you have Kassie and Sean helping you out.”

  “You’re right, I do.”

  I waited for him to elaborate and he never did. It was now or never. “If you don’t mind me asking, why did you sign over part of the company to Sean?”

  His brows furrowed. “Why wouldn’t I? He’s my stepson and he knows the business.”

  “I know, but Kassie is more than capable of running the team on her own.”

  For a second, he had no words, just opened and closed his mouth. Averting his gaze, he blew out a heavy breath. “I know she’s capable, Logan. I’d always hoped both my girls would fall into the family business. When Maddie went off on her own, I couldn’t lay all the responsibilities on Kassie. Besides, she was more than happy to accept Sean as a partner. Otherwise, I never would’ve done it.”

  “I see.”

  He squeezed my shoulder. “Why are you asking?”

  I shrugged. “No reason, just curious. Takes a lot of trust for someone to hand over a part of their life.”

  Richard slapped me on the shoulder and laughed. “I do trust him. He’s a good man, Logan. I love him like a son.” His gaze turned serious. “Like I love you as a son. You’re an extraordinary young man. I’m glad you came back.”