Chapter 10 0010
JASON'S POV
I sat on my bike at the edge of the hill overlooking the Hayes estate and smoked a cigarette. The house was lit up like some kind of palace and I could see figures moving behind the windows.
One of them was probably Caitlyn and that thought made my chest feel tight in a way I did not like.
This was stupid, I knew it was stupid.
I had no business being here watching her like some kind of creep but I could not help myself. She was carrying my kid and living with that snake Collin Hayes, and every instinct I had was screaming at me to go down there and get her out, but I could not do that.
Going in without a plan would just get us all killed, and I was not that reckless, no matter what Marcus said about me.
Speaking of Marcus, I heard his bike coming up the hill before I saw him. He pulled up next to me and killed the engine. He did not say anything at first, just sat there looking at the house with me.
"You have been coming here every night for a week," Marcus finally said. "This is not healthy man."
"I am just making sure she is okay," I said and flicked my cigarette away.
"She is married to him now," Marcus said, as if I did not already know that. "You need to let this go."
I turned to look at him and felt anger rising in my chest. "That is my kid in there. You really think I am just going to walk away and forget about it?"
Marcus held up his hands. "I am not saying forget about it. I am saying you need to be smart about this.
Collin Hayes is dangerous and he has half the cops in this city on his payroll. If you go after him without a solid plan you are going to end up dead or in prison."
I knew he was right but that did not make it any easier. I had spent the last week trying to figure out what to do and I still had no answers. All I knew was that Caitlyn was in that house, and she was probably scared, and I was out here doing nothing about it.
"Tell me what you found out about Hayes," I said, and pulled out another cigarette.
Marcus sighed and got off his bike. He pulled out his phone and started reading from it. "Collin Hayes, age thirty-two, graduated top of his class from law school and now runs one of the biggest firms in the city. On paper, he is clean, but we both know that is not true."
"What about off paper?" I asked.
"Off paper, he is dirty as hell," Marcus said. "He launders money for the Volkov syndicate and helps them cover up their crimes. He also has his hands in drug trafficking and gun running, basically, if it is illegal and profitable, then Hayes is involved somehow."
I felt sick hearing all of this. Caitlyn had no idea what kind of man she married. She probably thought he was just some successful lawyer who would give her a nice life. She had no clue that he was a criminal who would not think twice about killing anyone who got in his way.
"What about my brother?" I asked quietly. "Any proof that Hayes was involved in his murder?"
Marcus was silent for a minute and that told me everything I needed to know. "We have some evidence but nothing concrete. The lawyer who helped cover up the drug deal works for Hayes's firm, that is not a coincidence."
"No it is not," I agreed and felt rage burning in my gut. Hayes had helped kill my brother and now he was married to the mother of my child. The universe had a sick sense of humor.
"What are you going to do?" Marcus asked.
"I do not know yet," I admitted. "But I am not walking away from this. I am going to find a way to get Caitlyn and the baby out of there and then I am going to make Hayes pay for what he did to Tommy."
Marcus nodded slowly. "Okay, but you need to be patient. Rushing in is just going to get everyone killed including that girl you are so worried about."
He was right again but patience was not my strong suit. I wanted to go down there right now and tear that house apart until I found her. I wanted to tell her the truth about Hayes and convince her to leave with me but I could not do any of those things because it would put her in more danger than she was already in.
"I will keep watching the house," I said. "And I will start digging into Hayes's business. There has to be something we can use against him."
"I will help," Marcus said. "But you need to promise me you will not do anything stupid."
"When have I ever done anything stupid?" I asked and Marcus just stared at me. "Okay, fair point, but I promise I will be careful."
Marcus got back on his bike. "I am going to head back to the clubhouse. You should come with me instead of sitting up here all night like a stalker."
"I will be there soon," I said but we both knew that was a lie. I was going to sit here for a few more hours watching that house and thinking about Caitlyn.
Marcus shook his head and started his bike. "Do not do anything crazy," he yelled over the engine noise and then he was gone.
I was alone again with just my thoughts, my cigarettes, and the view of the Hayes estate. I wondered what Caitlyn was doing right now. Was she thinking about me? Did she regret that night we spent together? Did she hate me for showing up at her wedding and complicating her life?
I did not have answers to any of those questions and that bothered me more than I wanted to admit. I barely knew this girl but she had gotten under my skin in a way that no one else ever had.
Maybe it was because she was carrying my kid, or maybe it was something else, but I could not stop thinking about her.
The lights in the house started going off one by one until only a few windows were still lit. I wondered which room was hers. Was she alone or was Hayes with her? The thought of him touching her made me want to break something.
This possessiveness I felt was new and I did not like it. I was not the jealous type, and I definitely was not the type to get attached to someone after one night, but here I was sitting on a hill like an idiot watching a house because I could not let go.
My phone buzzed and I looked at it. It was a text from one of my guys saying there was trouble at one of our businesses downtown. I should go handle it but I did not want to
Leave. What if something happened while I was gone? What if Hayes hurt her?