Savage Love (Back Down Devil MC #7)(90)

The engine was shut off and came to a whining end. The side door opened and out stepped Rachel’s father, the powerful Bob Strokner. He owned real estate across the country and even across the world. He was loaded with a ton of money and a nasty attitude. The second Emily saw him she wished Gaige was there with her. Then again, bikers and Mr. Strokner would be gas and fire, for sure.

Emily held a straight face the best she could as Mr. Strokner approached her.

“Mr. Strokner,” Emily said. “This is a surprise.”

His face was drawn. His eyes intent on Emily. “Haven’t you heard yet?”

“Heard…?”

Emily felt her body sweating. She needed to hold the lie together.

“Oh, Emily,” Mr. Strokner said. He sighed and offered his hand.

Emily took it. “What’s wrong?”

“When was the last time you spoke to Rachel?”

“I, uh, yesterday,” Emily said. “She stopped by my apartment. She, uh… is something wrong?”

Mr. Strokner nodded. “There is.” He looked at the building and swallowed hard. “Did Rachel ever come here with you?”

“Here? No. She actually doesn’t know I work here. It’s not the most flattering job. I told her I was in school. I’m sorry I lied to her. How did you…?”

“I find out everything I need,” Mr. Strokner said. “Emily, I need you to get into the helicopter with me. Please.”

Emily knew she shouldn’t go with Mr. Strokner, but what choice did she have? She couldn’t reveal that she knew the fate of Rachel. So Emily walked with Mr. Strokner and got into the helicopter. When Mr. Strokner leaned forward to the pilot she feared he was going to order the helicopter be started. Instead, Mr. Strokner told the pilot to take a break. He exited the helicopter and then Emily was alone with Mr. Strokner.

“I have to tell you something,” Mr. Strokner said.

“Okay,” Emily said.

“Rachel was shot yesterday.”

“Shot?”

“Multiple times. She’s… gone…”

Gone.

Emily shut her eyes and felt the pain swell in her stomach.

“Gone?”

“Murdered.”

Emily’s eyes welled with tears. She was finally able to openly cry for good reason. This only sold the lie more to Rachel’s father. He pulled a small cloth from his suit jacket and handed it to her.

“You know why this happened?” he asked.

“No. She never mentioned any problems to me. How…?”

“This wasn’t an accident,” Mr. Strokner said. “I have the report already.”

“She’s really gone?”

“She was shot several times in the back. She was placed into her car. She was in an alley near a junkyard that has a nasty reputation of bikers. Know anything about bikers?”

Emily buried her face in the cloth. She shook her head. “How is she gone? I should have known something was wrong.”

“Emily, clean yourself up and look at me,” Mr. Strokner ordered.

This was getting too serious.

Emily wiped her face and looked at Mr. Strokner.

“What was the last thing you remember about Rachel?” he asked. His eyes were like stone.

“She came by my apartment yesterday with coffee. We talked for an hour. I told her I was studying, but I wanted to just have a night alone and catch up on some sleep. She said she was going out and left.”

“Going out where?”

“I don’t know. Just out.”

“And you didn’t go with her?”

“No.”

The lies were swelling throughout Emily’s body. She could feel herself wanting to crack. This was all going to blow up in her face. She knew it. She just f*cking knew it.

“My little girl was shot,” Mr. Strokner said. “Near a junkyard that has a reputation for trouble.”

“I guess we were both lying about our lives then,” Emily said as tears filled her eyes again. “I can’t believe this.”

“Imagine my shock,” Mr. Strokner said. “As far as I knew, Rachel was a good girl. Kept to herself. Stayed out of the trouble.”

“Maybe it was an accident,” Emily said.

Mr. Strokner smiled and stretched an arm out to Emily. “It wasn’t just a random bullet. She was shot at. I want to know who did it and I want to know why.”

“I can’t… I don’t know…”

Mr. Strokner blinked and Emily saw tears. The big bad businessman was starting to cry. “I’ll find the truth. Perhaps you should think really hard about everything too. Just in case she said something that slipped your mind. Maybe she had a new boyfriend. Maybe she was trying to give you hints and didn’t realize.”

“Mr. Strokner…”

“I’m not blaming you,” Mr. Strokner said. “I came to tell you in person before all of this gets released. And in case you were trying to call Rachel and couldn’t find her.”

“I’m sorry,” Emily said. “So sorry.”

“So am I.”

Emily sat for a few more seconds and then left the helicopter. She stood and watched as the pilot got back into the chopper. Within a minute, the helicopter roared to life and lifted off the ground. Mr. Strokner looked at Emily one more time and she got the feeling that he knew she was lying to him. The man wasn’t stupid.