Cox had a record of being into all sorts of dirty businesses, including prostitution and gambling. And based on the other victims’ records, they were big men, probably hired thugs helping Cox get away with all sorts of illegal shit.
What I can’t figure out from the warrants and indictments I found online is why Nash is the only person they suspect.
Do they have some sort of evidence tying him directly to the arson? There’s no way he killed those men and burned the place down all on his own. The cops have to know that, which means they’re going to do their best to try and convince Nash to snitch on the others. But he won’t. Even if I haven’t known him very long, I know he’s loyal. He would never do anything to hurt his friends who are like family to him. The only family he has.
I want to be his family too, if he just would let me in.
And while it would be easier to give up, to forget about Nash and move on, I couldn’t imagine ever doing that to him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Nash
“How is everything?” Naomi asks as the Dirty Aces and Jetta sit around the long wooden table in her and Malcolm’s dining room, digging into her homemade meal like we’re all starving animals.
“This is amazing, Naomi,” Jetta gushes first as the rest of us add our agreement.
“The fried chicken is absolutely delicious,” I tell her as I savor each and every bite, knowing that none of my meals in the foreseeable future will ever compare.
“So, Nash, why don’t you tell us about how the wedding went this weekend?” Malcolm asks with a smirk.
“You bastard!” I shout at him as I pick up a napkin to wipe my hands. “You knew all along, didn’t you?”
“Why did you think I tried to talk you out of it?” he grunts.
“Knew what?” Naomi asks, looking between us.
“That Lucy is related to Nash’s ex-wife Ellie,” Malcolm explains, causing everyone at the table to gasp and nearly choke on their chicken. “And that Ellie married Lucy’s ex-boyfriend this weekend.”
“Hold up, hold up, hold up!” Devlin exclaims with his palm raised in the air. “You went to your ex-wife’s wedding with your new girlfriend, who is her cousin?”
“Yep, except Lucy’s not really my girlfriend.”
“Damn, that’s messed up,” Silas mutters with a chuckle and shake of his head.
“When did Lucy finally tell you?” Malcolm asks while grinning.
“Oh, she didn’t,” I reply. “I had no idea until I saw Ellie with her new man. Oh, and did I mention that she just sent the divorce papers a few weeks ago even though she’s, like, six months pregnant with his kid?”
“No!” Jetta exclaims as she slaps a hand over her gaping mouth.
“Yes.”
“You don’t seem too bothered by that shit now,” Wirth points out.
“I’m not. At the time, I think I was mostly just shocked, you know, because it was so out of the blue and I hadn’t seen her in years. But now I’m glad I went with Lucy. I needed the closure just as much, if not more than she did, from her cheating ex.”
“I don’t think I understood half of what y’all are talking about,” Fiasco grumbles.
“Did you think about standing up and objecting during the wedding?” Naomi asks.
“Nope. Although, some family members were looking at me and Lucy both like they expected us to proclaim our love at the last minute. She was so over that douche that it didn’t cross her mind either.”
“That’s good,” Naomi replies with a smile. “Sounds like it all worked out for everyone.”
“Yeah, except I spent the last few days in bed with Lucy, which was selfish since I knew how it was going to end when we got back.”
“Oh, Lucy knew too,” Jetta speaks up and declares.
“About the warrant, yes, but not what I’m suspected of doing, and I want to keep it that way.”
“Oh, she knows about the possibility of charges too.”
“You told her!” I shout at Devlin’s girl, which of course causes him to jump to his feet and get defensive.
“Calm down, man,” Dev warns.
“Even if Lucy didn’t know the details, it would only take her a few clicks on the computer to find out,” Malcolm says simply as he takes a sip from his bottle of beer. “She’s really good at finding shit — like you, for instance…”
“I hate to break it to you, Nash,” Jetta starts. “But Lucy knew about the homicide investigation on Thursday when I talked to her. It was right after the sheriffs showed up at your apartment looking for you and executing the search warrant. They’re the ones who told her about the homicide investigation, probably to try and scare her into turning you in if you showed up later.”
“You’re certain she knew I was a suspect in a multiple murder case?” I ask.
“Yep.”
“I don’t believe it,” I mutter. “All weekend she knew…and she acted completely normal other than in the car on the way to the resort. But I just figured that was because she was trying to figure out how to tell me she stalked me and was related to my ex-wife.”
“The girl is a helluva lot tougher than she looks,” Malcolm says.
“Yeah, she survived cancer too. Did you know that?” I ask him.
“Sure did.”
“How did you find that out? She couldn’t have told you, because it was like pulling teeth to get anything out of her!”
“No, she didn’t tell me. The PI I hired after Naomi lifted Lucy’s phone and wallet from her purse did a little digging on her. I thought it was strange that she would show up out of the blue at an MC clubhouse to talk to me about you if she was ‘just a concerned neighbor.’ And it turned out I was right. But I knew she was harmless, just looking for a fresh start with someone who could relate to what she had been through with her ex.”
“Yeah,
