Wicked Nights (14 page)

“I came to see if you were okay. I heard about the fire and I also heard the Wicked Angels motorcycle thugs were still harassing you.” He held up a piece of paper. “And to bring you this for the insurance.”

She focused on the curtains. “That’s kind of you, but I could have stopped by the police department to get it.”

He glanced around the area. “So are you going to tell me what really happened or are you going to make me guess?”

She unhooked the curtains and descended the ladder. “What are you talking about, Jesse?”

“I think the shooting and the fire involves the Wicked Angels. I don’t think the Skulls are responsible for this. Mason is the one that has the history of arson. It wouldn’t be too far of a stretch to assume that he set fire to your house just to get close to you. I also think that if I dig a little deeper, I’d find a whole bunch of stuff that I’m not going to like.”

Addison took the paper from him and moved to the back of the office. “My office was shot up by some random drive-by. There is crime in this city and unfortunately people like me are sometimes targeted. The fire was probably just an electrical thing.”

“Random drive-bys do not happen in this neighbourhood.” He propped his hand on his hip. “Nor do electrical fires start by an accelerant like gasoline blatantly spilled on your floor.”

She turned and cocked her head to the side, staring at him. How the hell did he know that? The fire marshal had yet to make a report and Mason had gone to her house to see what he could find before the officials got involved. Her instinct told her that something was most definitely wrong. She wondered if Jesse was stalking her again.

“I have a friend that works on the fire department and he responded to the call last night,” he said by way of explaining. “Someone said they saw motorcycles, so I assume this and that are linked to the shooting and the fire. Your buddy Mason is a known arsonist and owns a motorcycle. I’m just putting facts together.”

She stuffed the paper in her purse. He was sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.

“Mason drove his truck, not his motorcycle. He’s never ridden his motorcycle to my house.”

Jesse gave her a momentary look of shock and Addison kept going. The guy was obviously off his rocker again and she had no idea why he was so fond of her.

“The Skulls do not like that I represented the Wicked Angels MC on Mason Vaughn’s case. They were the reason he was arrested and charged, and I’m the reason, along with applicable evidence I might add, that he is not behind bars. We both know it is a turf war and the Skulls want the Wicked Angels to back down. I’m just caught in the middle.”

Jesse pursed his lips. “Is that so? Mason couldn’t have possibly done this to get you closer to him and his bed? You don’t really think he’s a good guy, do you? He kills people just as much as the Skulls do. Why aren’t you frightened by this?”

He hit a nerve and Addison tried to brush it off. “Jesse, Mason does not resort to sly tricks to get women in his bed. And if I got scared of every person I’ve represented over the years, I would not be able to be a criminal defence attorney. Sometimes this crap comes with the job. Do I need to remind you of the Collins case?”

Addison had taken on a high-profile case where she’d defended a former police officer against charges of battery and assault to a man of a different race. She’d had death threats and protesters outside her office for weeks.

“Yeah, but you also had a police escort.”

Him. Addison stared at Jesse, trying to push past her annoyance. “I can take care of myself. I’m not worried about this turf war.”

“You should be.” He looked serious. “These guys don’t mess around. Look how many dead bodies have popped up all over Tampa since they’ve been fighting.”

What did she say to that? The Skulls were brutal, and from what she knew about the Wicked Angels, they weren’t much nicer. She didn’t want to know what Mason had done in the past and with whom he’d done it with.

“I’m fine.” She moved past him and made her way to the waiting area to finish cleaning up the mess.

“Well, well. Look who’s here.” Jesse walked outside just as Addison noticed Mason pulling into the parking lot in a black truck.

He backed in with the bed of the truck loaded down with construction supplies. Once he climbed out, he walked around to the back and released the tailgate. For whatever reason, Jesse felt the need to greet Mason in the parking lot.

“Did you come to cause more trouble,
Prez
?”

Mason didn’t even look up as he began to unload the truck. “Not today.”

“I think you need to stay away from Addison.” Jesse stood with his hands on his hips. “If I have to haul your ass in to the station to keep you away from her, I will.”

Addison came around the corner. “Jesse, weren’t you just leaving?”

The two men stared at each other for a second. Mason didn’t look threatened, which she knew wasn’t a good sign. He set a large piece of sheetrock against the building.

“You’re going to haul me in for what? Unloading drywall on Addison’s property?”

“Harassment.” He reached for his cuffs, and Addison stepped between them.

“I hired him to fix my office.” She met Jesse’s eyes. “You really do need to go.”

“Why would you hire this thug to fix your office?”

She tried to keep her temper in check. “Because he works in construction. He gave me the best bid and I hired him.”

“Why are you explaining anything to this prick? I’m not doing anything illegal.” Mason walked back to his truck. “He acts like he’s your boyfriend.”

Jesse narrowed his eyes. “I’d come closer to being with her than you would, you piece of shit.”

So that was still his motive. Jesse wanted to be with her, and she knew his supervisor would want to know about it. She might also get a restraining order this time. The guy was seriously off in the head. She honestly wondered if he really thought they were in a relationship. Whatever the reason, she didn’t want Jesse around her. She didn’t need him around Mason, either.

Mason grinned at the man. With the anger she’d seen in him earlier, she knew that was not a good sign. He had come home with cuts on his knuckles, so she assumed they were caused by punching someone. It wouldn’t surprise her one bit if he took a swing at Jesse and knocked his scrawny ass to the ground. She might even enjoy the sight a little too much.

Addison glanced between the two of them. “Jesse, you need to go.”

Both men seemed to ignore her. Addison struggled with what to do. The other Wicked Angels members sat off to the side, looking more interested in what was about to happen than actually figuring out a way to stop it. Then again, most of the members usually minded their Ps and Qs when cops were around.

“You’d come closer to being with her?” Mason asked. “That’s funny. I thought you batted for the other team. You look like the type that likes dick instead of pussy. And keep dreaming if you think you’ll ever get high-class pussy like Addison. You’re definitely not her type.”

Jesse shoved her out of his way and pushed Mason up against the wall of the building. “And you think you are, asshole? If I so much as see you near her again, I’ll beat your skull in with a baseball bat.”

“Promises, promises.” Mason met the officer’s eyes while Addison watched the whole thing. “I may have a rap sheet. I may be technically considered the bad one here. But I don’t force myself on women.” He leaned in so they were nose to nose. “And if you ever try to force yourself on her again, I will be the one beating your skull in. You feel me?”

“You’re under arrest.” Jesse turned Mason around and jerked his cuffs out to slap them on his wrists. “Threatening a police officer, destruction of property, harassment. Those sound like good reasons to throw you into jail for a little while.”

“You can’t prove shit.”

“Jesse, you need to leave. I’ve asked you nicely, and now I’m flat out telling you to get off my property.” Addison stared at the two men. “Mason hasn’t done anything wrong. You’re the one that is way out of line.”

Mason didn’t keep quiet. “You must really get off on cuffing innocent men. Your boner is showing.”

Jesse pulled out his baton and hit Mason, shoving him against the brick building. Addison sucked in a breath as he hit Mason again. She pulled out her phone and started dialling.

He finally stuffed his baton in his holster and jerked Mason away from the wall. He spotted Addison’s phone and grabbed it out of her hands before tossing it to the side. Dumbfounded, Addison could only stare. Mason met her eyes and she felt an overwhelming need to protect him. She needed to get him out of that jail as fast as she possibly could.

“You complaining to my superior for doing my job is frowned upon, Addison. You know that.” He stuffed Mason into the back of his patrol car. “And if anyone of your little buddies over there tries something, let me know. There asses will be in jail with their leader.”

Addison folded her arms over her chest. “You’re way out of line here, Jesse.”

He gave her a slimy smile. “Maybe a little, but at least he’s not with you. I can handle that.”

Un-fucking-believable.

He climbed into the car and backed out of his parking spot. In Jesse’s eyes, Addison saw a look of accomplishment as well as the sick and twisted desire to hurt Mason. Yet there was also the fondness he seemed to have for her. She could see it all play out and didn’t like where it was going.

“Addison? Are you okay?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m not.” She picked up her phone and started dialling.

* * * *

Mason laughed when Jesse walked him into the booking centre of Orient Road Jail. He’d been here so much that the booking officers knew him by name. He liked most of them too, for the most part. He spied some of his favourites and spotted a few new ones as well. He stood there while McNally turned him over to the jail system.

“All the paperwork is filled out,” McNally stated as he handed custody over to the receiving officer, Jenna Kelly. “He’s a noncompliant criminal so use of the chair and the padded cell might be necessary.”

Mason chuckled, rolling his eyes. Once McNally left, Mason waited while Officer Kelly got everything in order for his processing.

“What brings you here this time, Mr Vaughn?” Officer Kelly smiled at him when she realised who he was. “You hardened criminal, you. Do you want me to get the chair?”

Mason laughed, keeping his hands on the counter like a good prisoner. “I’ll be good for now.”

“What’s McNally up your ass about this time?”

“Bullshit claims. He was trying to impress my lawyer with his big dick, I suppose.”

She shook her head. “Well, you know the process. The sooner we get through this, the better. Hands on the counter, feet apart.”

He did what she said. She gave him a pat down and tossed his wallet on the counter before them. She asked the normal questions before putting his stuff in a bag and writing his name on it.

“You’re being charged with shooting up Addison Pierce’s office? Threatening a police officer? Resisting arrest? And harassment?”

Mason just chuckled. “Yeah.”

She glanced up at him. “You don’t seem too worried about it.”

“McNally gets a boner every time he makes an arrest. He pulls bullshit charges out of the fucking air and slaps cuffs on you. I didn’t resist, by the way. He hit me a couple of times and shoved me up against a brick wall.”

Jenna stared at him. He could tell she believed him. McNally was known for being a dumbass and a shithead rolled into one.

“Would you like to file a police brutality suit?”

Mason snorted. “Do you think any judge in the county would consider a case of me against him? No.”

Jenna sighed. “Still, I have to do my job and that means I have to treat you like everyone else.” Jenna pointed to Officer Nash. “Go get changed then you can sit down for your medical.”

Mason went with Nash to the changing room for a strip search and to change in to jail clothes. The maroon smock and pants really didn’t do much for him, but that didn’t matter either. He went to the window where the nurse sat. He held out his arm to her.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

Mason grinned. “What can I say? I missed you, Rita.”

She put the blood pressure cuff on him and shook her head. “You’re not supposed to miss me. You’re supposed to stay out of this place.”

Mason grinned. He liked a few of the officers and other staff that he’d met in the jail. But he also had a few that he despised too.

“Do you have any medical conditions?”

“Nah.”

“Clear mental health?”

He laughed. “Sure.”

She grinned at him. “So I can classify you as mentally and physically stable enough to be in jail?”

“Yeah.”

“Go have a seat, then. When a window opens, they’ll call you for your classification interview and possibly bail setting.”

He laughed. “No judge in this town likes me enough to set bail.”

He went to the waiting area for the prisoners and sat in a hard plastic chair. As a precaution, he glanced around the room to see if he knew anyone and if anyone belonged to his known enemies.

“Mr Vaughn?”

He stood and walked towards the desk. The officer doing the interview motioned for him to sit, so he did.

“You have quite the rap sheet, Mr Vaughn.” He glanced at the info concerning Mason. “You narrowly escaped an attempted murder charge. You have a history of assault. You served time for arson. Now, you’re being charged with criminal mischief, harassment and resisting arrest.”

“And threatening a police officer,” Mason added with a smile.

The new guy looked completely offended and Mason wanted to laugh at the poor loser. Many people wanted the job with the jail system so they would have state benefits. Half of the losers didn’t know their ass from a hole in the ground and messing with the new COs was just how prisoners sized up their authority. Mason had got used to the game.

“I have enough reason to believe that you are a violent person, Mr Vaughn. Would I be wrong in assuming that?”

“No.” Mason took a deep breath, keeping his eyes on the new entries and the population in the waiting section. “I’m not a soft-spoken, puppy-loving kind of guy. You’d be right to assume that I’m a troublemaker.”