High-Sided: An Armed & Dangerous Novel Read online

  He released a heavy sigh. “Every day, but I know it’s for the best. We both know accidents happen and the results from that. The last thing I want to do is leave you to run Bennett Racing on your own.”

  My phone rang. I pulled it out of my purse and saw Levi’s name. He was one of our four riders, and a close childhood friend. “Hey,” I answered.

  “Where are you?” His voice sounded breathless and concerned.

  “On my way to watch you ride. What’s going on?” I could hear shouting in the background, one of the voices being my dad’s.

  “It looks like they found our stolen tire changer.”

  We’d had a break-in a couple weeks back, and a six-thousand-dollar tire changer went missing. After filing a police report, I’d figured we’d never hear of it again. “Holy shit, where?”

  “Apparently, Miller went over to Ethan’s house and found it covered in his garage. He came back and told your dad.”

  Gasping, I slapped a hand over my mouth. Ethan Landis was our pit crew manager and had been with us for twenty-five years. Not to mention, he was a great guy—like a second dad to me. He wasn’t the type to steal anything. “How is that possible? Ethan would never do that.”

  If there was ever a good guy in the world, he was one of them. His wife baked us goodies all the time, and even cooked dinner for me the whole month I worked on getting my mother’s house cleaned out. I couldn’t see him stealing from us.

  Levi huffed. “I know, but it doesn’t look like there’s anything we can do. Just get here fast.”

  We hung up and Sean squeezed my hand to get my attention. “Kass, what’s wrong?”

  I was in shock. “Looks like we found the person who broke into the shop.”

  “Who?”

  I looked over at him. “Ethan.” By the expression on his face, he couldn’t believe it either.

  Kassidy

  Sean got us to the shop in record time. There were two police cars parked out front and everyone stood outside. Levi was talking to Miller, who was one of our racers, and also the one who found our stolen equipment in Ethan’s garage. When Levi noticed us pull in, he rushed over and opened my door.

  “Where’s my dad?” I asked, getting out of the car.

  He nodded toward the shop. “Inside, with Ethan and the cops. He swears he didn’t do it.”

  Sean stood beside me and sighed. “Then how did it get in his garage?”

  Levi shrugged. “Don’t know. He’s pretty pissed and shocked by the whole thing, not exactly the way I’d imagine a guilty man to act. Not unless he’s that good of an actor.”

  “Ethan would never steal from us,” I said. “He’s been a part of our family since I was in diapers. He’s a good man.”

  “I know,” Levi agreed, glancing over at Sean. “You’ve worked with him, you know how he is.”

  Sean nodded. “Agreed. It makes no sense.”

  Tires squealed down the road and Sean’s mother – my stepmother – came to a screeching halt in the parking lot. She ran over to us, eyes wide and wild. Sean looked nothing like her with his brown hair and amber eyes, while she was blonde with blue eyes. He took after his father in that department. “What’s going on? Why are the cops here? Is Richard okay?” Angela gasped.

  Sean put his arm around her. “He’s fine, Ma. Apparently, we found out who stole our equipment.”

  Levi moved closer so he could whisper in my ear. “I want to get Ethan’s side of the story. Let’s see if we can talk to him before it’s too late.”

  The door to the shop opened and Ethan stormed out, with the cops following close behind. My father exited next, and everyone swarmed around him, giving us the time we needed. The cops got into their cars, and Ethan marched over to his and slammed his hands down on the hood.

  “Ethan,” I called out.

  He jerked around, face red. His breaths came out in deep growls and he shook. “Your father will kill you if he sees you talking to me.”

  “He’s going to have to get over it.” Crossing my arms, I stepped forward. “Tell me it’s not true.”

  “It’s not,” he answered, looking straight into my eyes. “I didn’t steal anything. I wouldn’t.” Huffing, he glanced behind us toward the shop. “There’s something going on and I don’t know what it is. I’ve felt this way for years, ever since . . .” He stopped and met my gaze, not finishing the sentence.

  “Ever since what?” Levi asked.

  Ethan sighed and closed his eyes. “Doesn’t matter.”

  I grabbed his arm. “Yes, it does. Tell me what you were going to say.”

  He opened his eyes and my chest tightened. “Ever since Logan’s crash, things have seemed off.”

  The air whooshed out of my lungs and it felt like I’d been stabbed in the chest. After so many years, it still hurt to think about him.

  Levi’s brows furrowed. “What does Logan’s accident have to do with this?” It was exactly what I wanted to know.

  Ethan threw his hands in the air. “That’s just it. I don’t think it was an accident at all. After what happened to me and to others in the past, everything’s clearer than ever.”

  “Kassidy!” my father yelled.

  Ethan’s breath caught and he glanced over my shoulder. My father marched toward us with a murderous glare. Ethan grabbed my wrist and my pulse spiked. “Kassidy, listen to me,” he commanded, his emerald gaze boring into mine, “I’m not your father’s enemy, but someone out there is. I know there are others out there who hate him, and I’m not talking about those just in the racing world. People are getting hurt and it needs to stop.” I could hear my father’s steps getting closer, but Ethan never took his eyes off mine. “Ask your father what I’m talking about. Make him tell you the truth.”

  “Kassidy!” my father growled again, only this time, he stepped in front of me. He faced off with Ethan, but Ethan backed away, his expression sad. It hurt to see the pain on both of their faces. “Get out of here, Landis. You have no business talking to my daughter.”

  Sean pulled me back and put his hands on my shoulders. Ethan opened his car door and shook his head. “I was telling her what I told you years ago. Someone’s after you, and I’m tired of seeing people get hurt because of it.” He threw his hands in the air. “Who’s next Richard? Your wife? Your daughter?”

  “That’s enough!” my father shouted.

  Ethan glanced at me over my father’s shoulder with a look of concern on his face. “Be safe, peanut.” He got in his car and drove away, my father shaking with rage as he watched him leave.

  “What did he say to you?” my father demanded, turning his glare my way.

  Angela rushed up and held onto his arm. “There’s no reason to yell at her, Richard. Ethan’s like family to her. He loves her like a daughter and you know it.”

  I stepped out of Sean’s grasp and faced him. “Exactly. And I’m the one who should be asking questions. What did he mean when he said you have enemies outside of the racing world? Who have you pissed off?”

  He huffed and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter what I’ve done. It’s all in the past.”

  “Are you serious right now? Sean and I are about to take over the business. I need to know if there’s something we should be worried about.”

  “I’ve got it handled, Kassidy.” His gaze met Levi’s, and a few seconds passed before Levi nodded.

  “What’s going on?” I snapped, looking between the two. “Why are you two looking at each other like that?” They were keeping me in the dark about something and I didn’t like it.

  Levi averted his gaze. “I think I know someone who can help.”

  “Who? The cops?”

  He shook his head. “No. Someone much better than that.” He nodded at my father again and they marched off toward the shop, leaving me with Angela and Sean.

  I looked over at Angela. “Who the hell is he talking about?”

  She shrugged. “No clue. I figured you’d be the one to know.”

  “Wh
oever it is,” Sean said, “hopefully, they can figure out what the fuck’s going on.”

  I’d always known my father harbored secrets he didn’t want known, but if my team was in danger, I wasn’t going to sit by and let them get hurt. One way or another, I was going to find out the truth.

  Logan

  “I’m so ready to take a vacation,” Micah grumbled. The perp had cut his arm during the scuffle and blood dripped all over the floor. He dug his knee into the serial killer’s back so I could handcuff him.

  The old, abandoned house smelled like piss and trash, and it pissed me off even more that I was touching a man who’d killed over sixty people. The thought of him cutting up another victim made me ill.

  I slammed the sick fuck’s head into the floor and hauled him up by his neck. He hissed in pain, which made me want to hold on tighter. “And that’s what we’re going to do once we turn this pathetic piece of shit in.”

  His name was Sam MacEntire, a man who’d been on the America’s Top Wanted list for over five years. It took Micah and me three months of non-stop searching, but it was over. On our way outside, I made sure to knock Sam’s head into every wall and door frame we passed. The FBI wanted him alive, but they didn’t say I couldn’t rough him up. Sirens blared down the street, and it wasn’t long before the police had the house surrounded.

  Arnold Jenkins, the chief of police of Wichita, thundered up the front porch steps and holstered his gun. “Good job, boys. I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.” A small smiled spread across his lips. “Looks like MacEntire lost the match this go around. It’s a shame you couldn’t cut off his dick like he did his other victims.”

  “Believe me, I wanted to do a lot worse than that,” I said.

  “Don’t worry, he’ll get what’s coming to him.” Two of his officers raced over and took Sam away, locking him up in one of their patrol cars. Arnold’s gaze found Micah’s bloody arm and he hissed. “You’re probably going to need stitches, son.”

  Micah glanced down at the gash. “I’ll be okay. Nothing a few bandages and some pain meds can’t cure.”

  Arnold nodded. “Now that MacEntire’s in custody, all we’ll need is for you to come down to the station to sign some papers. I’m sure you’re both ready to get out of Kansas.”

  “You have no idea,” I sighed, taking a seat on the steps.

  When Micah and I had traced Sam’s location to Wichita, it didn’t take long to find the sick bastard. He had a thing for young boys, so it wasn’t a surprise when we found him lurking at one of the local middle school baseball games. I had a way of distinguishing the good people from the bad; it was a skill a lot of FBI agents had. I guess you could say it was more of an intuition type of thing, not exactly something you learn from textbooks.

  As much as that skill was valued in my line of work, there were times you needed a break. I had hit my breaking point.

  Arnold looked back at the patrol car, where MacEntire glared at us. “I guess I better take him in, so I can tell the world he’s been caught. I’ll see you both at the station,” he said, nodding at us both.

  Micah took off his T-shirt and wrapped it around his arm. “The fuckhead ruined my tattoo,” he growled. He moved his shirt so I could see the gash. He was right, once his wound healed, his tattoo wouldn’t look the same with the scar.

  We were almost exactly the same as far as height, build, and age, but his whole left arm and back were covered in tattoos. Other than that, most women thought we looked alike.

  Getting to my feet, I pointed down the street where we’d left our car. “Come on, let’s get you to the hospital.”

  I thought he’d fight me on it, but he followed me to the car. I’d never worked with him before, but he turned out to be one of the best FBI agents around—other than myself. That was why the FBI called us in to work together. On the way to the hospital, he leaned his head back against the seat.

  “I’m serious about taking a break,” he said. “Let’s pack up our shit and ride our bikes across the country, meet some women, and forget life for a while.”

  I chuckled. “You’d seriously slow down enough to do that?” Micah was like me, a workaholic. It was all we had. When I caught my first criminal, it became an addiction. I wanted to rid the world of them. But when one was caught, a dozen more would surface. It never ended. It had taken a long time to realize I wasn’t going to be able to save everyone.

  “Fuck yeah,” Micah exclaimed. “Let’s do it. We’ll call the bureau tomorrow and tell them we’re skipping town for a while. If we don’t, we’ll get sucked right back in. The bad guys will still be around when we get back.”

  I loved my job, but he had a point. I hadn’t had a break since I started walking again after the accident. After that, I kept moving and never looked back. “You know what? I think you might be right. Let’s do it.”

  Three Days Later

  I’d turned in my notice for an extended vacation and thought I’d get shit from my superior, but he knew I was getting burnt out. My bike was ready to go, my saddlebags and tank bag filled with all my clothes and toiletries. Being on a sport bike didn’t leave much space to pack for trips, but I worked with what I had.

  After the accident, my parents had tried to get me away from motorcycles, but it was in my blood. I just never went back to racing. It took a year to be able to walk right, and after I healed, it was too late to go back—for many reasons.

  The sound of Micah’s motorcycle echoed down the street. When he pulled in on his sleek, red and black Honda CB1000R, he took off his helmet and smiled. “Ready to go, fucker?”

  “Almost. Need to grab my phone.”

  I hurried inside and grabbed it off my kitchen counter, only to see I’d missed a couple of calls. They were both from Levi. Ever since I had left eight years ago, we talked monthly to keep in touch.

  When I walked outside, Micah was sitting on my GSXR. “Dude, I love this blue. Is it custom?”

  “Yep. I wanted something different.” I held up my phone. “I need to return Levi’s call before we go. It won’t take long.”

  He waved me off. “No worries. I’ll take your bike for a spin.”

  “Go for it.” The key was in the ignition, so he started it up and drove off. I called Levi back and waited for him to pick up.

  “Hey, man,” he answered, his voice sounding off.

  “Wassup? I saw you called.”

  “Yeah, there’s something I need to talk to you about. Got a minute?”

  “Sure, go ahead.” I could tell something was wrong.

  “I told you about the break in we had last week, right?”

  “Yep.”

  He sighed. “Miller ended up finding it in Ethan’s garage.”

  “Holy fuck,” I gasped. Ethan Landis was an honest man and had been a mentor of mine when I rode for Bennett Pro Racing. He wasn’t the type of person to steal anything. If he wanted that tire changer, all he had to do was go out and buy one. “That makes no sense,” I said.

  “Exactly. Richard fired him and it’s been a huge mess. Kass confronted him and he said some things to her, things that have me concerned.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like your accident. Ethan seems to think it was intentional, just like him getting framed.”

  My blood boiled. If someone had tampered with my bike, I’d kill them. That wreck fucked my entire life up. “How does he know it was intentional?” I growled.

  “He said there were other things that had happened over the years. When Kassidy demanded the truth, Richard wouldn’t tell her . . . but he pulled me aside and told me. Someone is seriously trying to drag Bennett Racing down.”

  I leaned against the wall and ran a hand through my hair. “What exactly do you and Richard want me to do?”

  “We want you to come out here and race again, undercover. No one knows you’re an FBI agent, other than me and Richard.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” I exclaimed. “I can’t come out there. T
he best thing for me to do is work from a distance. Richard can give me names and I’ll investigate, but I’m not coming out there.”

  He huffed. “Why not? This is what you do. We need your help, Logan. Maybe you and Kassidy could even make up.”

  “That ship sailed a long time ago, my friend. I don’t want to come out there because it doesn’t make sense. I don’t race anymore.”

  “That’s bullshit and you know it. Your riding is probably better now than it ever has been. Don’t you want to find out if someone did try to fuck you over? You almost died, man.”

  Micah pulled into the driveway and came to a halt when he saw me. My fists shook, as the rage overtook me. “If someone messed with my bike on purpose, you better believe I’m going to find out who did it. And when I do, nothing’s going to keep me from going after them. Have Richard call me with the names.” I hung up as he shouted my name. I’d left that part of my life a long time ago, and even if I wanted it back, it was too late.

  Kassidy

  The wind was warm as it blew across my skin, letting me know summer was here. I thought a ride at Deals Gap would soothe my frazzled nerves, but it only made things worse. All I could think about was what Ethan had said and how, after a week, I still had no answers.

  “Has your dad said anything to you?” Sean asked, taking the seat across from me. He handed me a bottle of water and I guzzled it down.

  After riding through the Tail of the Dragon, we’d decided to take a break at the Deals Gap shop, where all the bikers congregated after surviving through the curviest road on the east coast. The first time I’d gone through it was on the back of Logan’s bike, many years ago.

  “Nope.” I huffed. “He continues to avoid me like the plague. He probably thinks if enough time goes by, I’ll forget. But I’m not going to let up.” It’d been a week now and my dad had basically disappeared. When I tried to call, he explained it by saying he wanted Sean and I to get used to handling the business on our own. What made it worse was, I knew he was talking to Levi behind my back. I had no clue why or what was going on. Even Levi had managed to avoid me.