Fighting Back (Harrow #2) (16 page)

With two paces, Dax grabbed a handful of Winlow’s shirt, right under his throat. Twisting his wrist and flexing his bicep, he lifted Winlow out of the seat and turned to throw him against the wall behind a perpendicular armchair.

The brunette squeaked and in his periphery Dax saw her rise from the couch. ‘Keep an eye on her,’ Dax said to Serg, he didn’t want some crazy woman trying to beat on him while he was having a conversation.

‘You got it,’ Serg said.

Winlow squawked when Dax bent down to lift him up off the floor with two hands. ‘I think you know why we’re here,’ he said to Winlow.

‘I… No… I…’

This kind of response was normal. It took people a minute or two to reorient themselves from calmly watching the television to having their head kicked in. If the bubbles of heat spinning and erupting beneath his skin were anything to go by, Dax was in need of a little action this morning, so he would take his time.

‘I’ve been told different,’ Dax said.

Winlow was in his thirties. His thinning hair and weathered face were a manifestation of the wrong choices he’d made and the struggles he’d had throughout his life, but they weren’t Dax’s concern. Things were going to get much worse for Winlow in a hurry if he thought about stonewalling.

Dax let go of his prey, which made him stagger. Balling his fist, Dax smacked the guy across the chops and sent him to the floor again. Winlow gagged and coughed, spraying blood over the back of his chair. But Dax crouched, propping his elbows on his knees, ignoring the crimson droplets.

‘You got a thing for brunettes?’ Dax asked.

‘Don’t fucking touch her!’ Winlow exclaimed, spitting out more blood.

‘Protective sonofabitch, are you? I can identify with that. See, I’ve got a pretty brunette of my own and word is that she’s not in a position of security and that concerns me… I’m sure that you can understand.’

As Winlow flopped back against the wall under the boarded up window, he wiped the back of his hand over his chin to mop up the trail of blood that had slunk out of his lips. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Oh, you don’t, huh?’ Dax asked, cracking his knuckles. ‘I heard you did. I heard you knew exactly who was trying to harm my girl… I’m an old-fashioned kind of guy, I think it’s up to a man to protect his woman, but I guess that’s a concept that’s lost on you. I’m gonna be fair on you though, Winlow, and I’m gonna give you a choice, how does that sound?’ Winlow nodded and clutched at his jaw. ‘Either, I can believe that you do know more than you’re telling me now and keep beating you until you tell me what I want to know—‘

‘Don’t hurt him!’ the brunette wept, but Dax didn’t bother to rise and look over the chair to see her, he just stayed right here, crouched by Winlow’s sagging form.

‘Or I can believe that you’re telling me the truth and that you don’t know anything.’

‘I don’t!’ Winlow mumbled, the swelling in his mouth slurred his words.

‘Ok,’ Dax nodded and rose to his feet, pulling the cell phone from his pocket. ‘What’s the address here, Serg?’

‘What are you doing?’ Winlow asked.

‘You’re a wanted man, Winlow. What kind of citizen of this fair city would I be if I didn’t let the law know I’d found a fugitive? You’re FTA, aren’t you? That’s serious shit not to show up to court when you’re wanted for murder.’

‘No,’ Winlow said, using the chair and the wall to steady himself, he clambered up to his feet. ‘Don’t call the police, I… I’ll tell you, ok? I… I don’t know much of anything.’

‘Why don’t you start with what you want to tell me and then we’ll move onto the details,’ Dax said, sticking his phone back into his pocket.

‘Yeah, ok, I heard I… we had a card game, I was at a card game and… I heard it from a… I heard five hundred grand for her head, that’s all I know.’

‘All you know?’ Dax asked. Sweeping his forearm around, he thrust Winlow against the wall. ‘Who was at this card game?’

‘Just three of us, me and Benny and… The Greyhound, that was it.’

‘That was it,’ Dax said, glancing back at Serg who was still in front of the brunette, Serg shrugged indicating he was happy enough with that information, but Dax wasn’t satisfied. ‘Who spoke? I want you to tell me exactly what was said.’ Dax had to know how they identified Ivy to know what people were looking for when they sought her out.

‘It was… it was The Greyhound, he was… he said he’d heard talk that was all, he didn’t say who told him.’

‘What did he say?’ Dax demanded, pulling the guy forward to slam him to the wall.

‘Just… just that there was a bounty out, told us how much, told us… he said, she… brunette, big tits, married to the Ravager, that was it.’

‘That was it?’

‘Yeah… yeah, that was it. But come on man, I’m not gonna touch your girl I’m holed up here, I can’t go fucking anywhere, I’m stuck here. Your girl is safe—‘

‘From you maybe,’ Dax said, giving him another shove then letting him slither down the wall. ‘Piece of advice, if you’re going to skip bail then you haul ass out of the state, don’t hang out in your buddy’s old place and hope no one thinks to look…’ Retreating, Dax nodded at Serg. ‘Let’s go.’

He and Serg left the apartment, and Dax was preoccupied again, the Ravager. The Greyhound was a skinny guy who was known for his addiction to long distance running and chasing tail, hence how he got the moniker. Dax didn’t have any beef with him, they didn’t associate, but what was more interesting was that he was referred to by his fighting name.

Benny frequented the circuit, so did Winlow when he was making money from his gambling. But as far as Dax knew The Greyhound had never been to a fight. He would know about Dax’s ties to the Starks because he did some couriering for the family in his younger years. But if The Greyhound used Dax’s fighting name that meant that whoever had told him about the contract had used it.

They might not know exactly who the source of this issue was, but they’d just narrowed it down. Whoever was doing this knew of Dax from the fighting circuit. Ivy had never been to any of his fights, so he had his confirmation that this bounty was his fault.

‘Where to now?’ Serg asked when they got back to the car.

‘We track down The Greyhound.’

‘We can go to Benny,’ Serg said.

Finding Benny was always easy, he didn’t stay in one place for long, but he had never heard of discretion and practically announced himself in every room he walked into. Benny had various contacts but little respect, it was doubtful that he had been used as a middle man. The Greyhound, on the other hand, may be the guy Dax was looking for. Easily recognizable but discreet, yes, he would make a good go-to guy. At the very least Dax could squeeze him for information, if he had to trace this trail man-by-man, then he would.

But there was something else he could do, he could get himself a fight. If people were looking for the Ravager’s girl, then he had to get himself on a bill somewhere. Most guys would assume that he would bring his brunette, which of course, he wouldn’t. But Dax could try to track interested parties if he got them all together in one room, and there was a chance one of them would slip up and say something to give himself away and if they did, Dax would be ready.

Though if he were going to find himself a fight tonight then he’d have to get back to Ivy this afternoon. His promise to return that night and not find a fight was one he’d have to go back on now, which meant he’d have to assuage her snit. More than happy to do that, because it meant getting naked with her, the remaining buzz from upstairs fostered his need to seek out some private time with his wife after their next stop.

‘Let’s check out The Greyhound,’ Dax said. ‘You know where to find him?’

Serg nodded and turned the car at the next junction to take them toward The Greyhound’s place, which it turned out was less than ten minutes’ drive away.

As soon as they got to The Greyhound’s apartment Dax knew that they were too late. Police tape was draped around the outer stairway of the building, and forensic analysts were crawling all over the scene. Dax waved two fingers at Serg indicating that they should keep on driving.

‘You think that’s him?’ Serg asked.

Examining the building, Dax noted the newly rendered facade and the freshly painted railings, this was a good block, meaning it was unlikely there was too much crime around here.

‘Whether it is or not, we’re not getting in there without talking to a cop, you up for that?’

Serg didn’t respond because he didn’t need to. They were both of the same Stark school where if you saw a cop you turned and walked the other way. Parking and trying to get in or ask questions would likely end up with one or both of their names in a notebook, and that was the last thing that either of them wanted or needed.

‘If The Greyhound was taken out because of this bounty then whoever is behind it is serious.’

Yes, that was the proof that this was no joke. ‘Take me to the mansion.’

Going to Mauri was only a stop on his way back to Ivy, it was time to put his suspicions to Mauri. If the old man didn’t have any updates for him, anything tangible, then it would be as good as signing a confession as far as Dax was concerned. When Mauri wanted information he got it, unless whoever was behind this knew how to evade Mauri’s grasp, but that was a rare thing for anyone outside of the inner circle.

Mauri took longer than normal to come out of the bedroom, and he looked frail today like he’d had a rough night. It had been easy to forget just how ill Mauri was because Dax had so many distractions in his life.

He’d paced Mauri’s private drawing room for almost ten minutes, unable to sit down because of the unsated energy zipping through him. When Mauri did eventually come in, Dax stopped, and his tirade died on his lips.

Gaunt and tired, the lines on Mauri’s face were etched deep, and his usually proud stature was a bit stooped today. ‘I don’t suppose this is a social visit,’ Mauri said, he coughed then brought a silk handkerchief to the corner of his mouth. ‘What did you find out?’

‘I came here to find out what you know,’ Dax said, trying not to be affected by the sight of such a robust man wasting away.

‘I told Serg what we discussed.’

If Mauri didn’t even know that Serg had come to him, then it was unlikely he’d done any digging of his own. ‘Yeah, we spoke to Winlow.’

Mauri shuffled toward his armchair next to the fireplace. His steps weren’t sure, they were unsteady, and Dax fought the urge to go over there and support him.

‘What did he say?’

‘Tried to say he knew nothing.’

‘But you persuaded him to share?’ Mauri asked. Slumping into his seat, his relief became a smile, and he lifted his eyes to Dax, who nodded.

His energy waned into the numb depths that sunk out of his guts. Mauri was going to die. Only now, looking at this shadow of his former mentor did Dax comprehend that in a few months there would be no more Maurice Stark to talk to; he wouldn’t be around to offer advice and guidance, he would just be gone.

‘He folded pretty quick,’ Dax said, glued to the floor where he stood.

‘And what did he reveal?’

‘He got the information at a card game, Benny and The Greyhound were there, it was The Greyhound who clued him in.’

‘Benny is a dead end, if he knew anything he’d declare it in every bar he walked into, the man can’t keep his mouth shut.’

‘Yeah.’

‘Did you follow up with The Greyhound?’

‘His place is tied up, the cops are swarming; something went down there not too long ago.’

‘That’s concerning,’ Mauri said, using the arm of the chair to support his weight.

‘I thought the same thing,’ Dax said, forcing himself to leave his position by the door. He went to the chair beside Mauri’s and sat. ‘But see what I can’t figure out, is why you don’t have a handle on what’s going down. Nothing like this, nothing this big, goes down without you knowing someone who knows something.’

Mauri exhaled what was probably supposed to be a laugh, but it became a wince. ‘As you might have noticed, I’m not quite at my full strength.’

‘No, but you’ve got Brad running the show. If he was to ask around—‘

‘I haven’t given Brad all of the information about this,’ Mauri said. ‘He’s not happy about the offer that I made to you. He would never contradict me in public, but behind closed doors… Ivy’s war is not the only one being waged now, and I no longer have my favourite son to protect me.’

‘I wasn’t your favourite,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘I was just the most pliable.’

‘Brad is proud and cannot be told, he thinks that he knows best and does not understand how wisdom comes with experience.’

‘He doesn’t listen to you,’ Dax said. ‘That’s not new.’

‘And Trystan… well, you know what he’s like.’

‘Yeah,’ Dax said. ‘You spoiled him, he thinks that he’s invincible, which is why he thinks he can take whatever he wants.’

‘He was unhappy about you leaving the party,’ Mauri said. ‘I assumed from the bruising on his head that you and he had words.’

‘Not so many words, but action was taken. He puts his hands on my wife again and next time he won’t bruise, he won’t breathe either.’

‘I’ll talk to him,’ Mauri said. ‘Do you believe that he could be behind this bounty?’

‘He has the means,’ Dax said. ‘I’m not taking anyone out of the running, including you.’

‘Me? I thought we’d discussed this,’ Mauri asked. ‘Why would I want to harm Ivy?’

‘Could be that you think I’ll take you up on your offer if she’s not around, maybe you just want to take someone with you when you go.’

‘Well,’ Mauri said, examining the fireplace. If Dax didn’t know him any better, he would think that Mauri was hurt. ‘I’m sorry that you believe me to be so callous. I wouldn’t take your happiness from you. If I wanted to do that, I could have used the many other opportunities that I’ve had with Ivy.’

‘You wanted us around, in the beach house, spending more time in California, and you’ve gotten your wish, that’s a hard fact to ignore.’

‘Maybe,’ Mauri said. ‘But as you pointed out, I won’t be around for long. If you don’t have me, and you don’t have Ivy, what would you do?’

Dax would tear apart every person who had harmed his wife and anyone that those people cared about. He’d dedicate his life to avenging her, because he would no longer care about his own life. There would be no future for him because Ivy was his future. Without her, nothing else would hold the same value.

‘Like I said,’ Dax said, brushing aside those thoughts of revenge. ‘It’s hard to ignore that you got exactly what you wanted.’

‘What I wanted was for you to develop a relationship with your mother. If you’re running around in the city trying to track down the threat to Ivy you’re not spending time with her, are you?’

‘Why do you care about my relationship with my mother?’

‘I realised after the meeting we had, before you left to retrieve Ivy… I realised that telling you about Bruno, that he was your father, it must have raised questions for you. I can tell you everything that I know, but that doesn’t substitute what those in the relationship will tell you. Your mother will be a valuable source of information for you.’

‘What does it matter where I came from?’ Dax asked, propelling himself out of the armchair.

‘It matters because you have a future with Ivy, and you can’t embrace that until you understand where you originated. I worry… about you… I know how your temper can get you into trouble. The fighting, it seemed to give you a purpose and prevented you from getting into scrapes that could have landed you in jail.’

Dax spun around, Mauri was brighter now that he was discussing the past. ‘What are you talking about?’ Dax asked.

‘You used to fight, with the staff children here, then at school… it’s why we started to school you from here in the mansion. You were always quick with your fists. Your father, the man you believed to be your father, had trained you to release that energy in the ring. As soon as we allowed you back into that ring, you began to excel at school again, you got along better with the other children.’

Dax didn’t remember a time that Mauri had tried to stop him fighting, the ring had always been a sanctuary for him, a way to get rid of the fury he often felt toward the world as a teenager. ‘I don’t remember that.’

‘It was only a few months,’ Mauri said. ‘But it escalated quickly, Brad and Trystan feared you. That was why it made sense for you to live with the staff children in the back of the house, we kept you apart for their safety.’

The control he had over his urges to lash out was something he’d struggled with in his late teens and twenties, but he’d overcome that erratic side of his nature. ‘I’m going to fight tonight,’ Dax said.

‘I’m not surprised, you often need that vent when you’re feeling overwhelmed.’

‘I am not overwhelmed,’ Dax snapped. ‘Winlow described Ivy as Ravager’s girl, for someone to use my fighting name, in this city…’

‘They must know you from those circles,’ Mauri nodded. ‘Tell me where it’s taking place and I’ll have men there to back you up, in case things get out of hand.’

‘I can handle myself,’ Dax said, he’d called up his scout on the way over here, so he didn’t know where the fight would be yet. But he would in a couple of hours.

‘I understand,’ Mauri said. ‘You should take Serg at the very least. While you are in the ring others will be on the lookout for Ivy, someone should be watching for those people.’

‘I’ll talk to him,’ Dax said. ‘He picked me up at the beach house, he’ll need to give me a ride back over there.’

‘You can take any of the cars here that you need. It might make sense for you to have your own mode of transportation, just in case any unforeseen circumstances arise.’

‘Security still at the beach house?’ Dax asked. Mauri nodded. ‘Any incidents?’

‘Not that I’ve heard about,’ Mauri said. ‘And I have had regular updates, last one was around an hour ago, and Ivy had just gotten into the pool.’

It was reassuring to know that Ivy was safe, but he wasn’t sure how he felt about other men watching his wife and reporting on her movements.

‘Good,’ Dax said, heading for the door.

‘Where are you going now?’ Mauri asked him. ‘Do you have more leads?’

‘Right now I’m going back to the beach house,’ he said. ‘I told Ivy that I would be back tonight, but if I’m fighting, I won’t be.’

‘So you’re going to break the news gently,’ Mauri smiled.

Dax reached the exit. ‘Gently and Ivy don’t go together.’

‘You know,’ Mauri said, rising from the chair and moving around it to rest his hands on the back. ‘I didn’t consider how you would change by finding the right woman. Brad has always been a serious person, and Trystan has always been wild. I hoped that he would settle down with the right woman at his side and some kids running around. But you… marriage and children weren’t things I considered for your future.’

‘I was supposed to die young,’ Dax said causing Mauri to frown. ‘I remember you telling me when I was in my twenties that if I kept tearing around on the damn bike and walking into the ring night after night that I was inviting death. Back then I didn’t care, I never considered my future.’

‘Until you met Ivy.’

Shaking his head, he took his eyes to his hand on the door handle. ‘I married her to stop Trystan from getting his hands on her. I knew she was special… that I… that I felt something for her but… it wasn’t about the future, it was a solution to my problem.’

‘And she knew this?’

‘She knew more than I did,’ Dax said. ‘I think now that… the Trystan situation just gave me the excuse that I needed to put my mark on her.’

‘So I did you a favour?’

‘I wouldn’t go that far,’ Dax said. ‘I’ll be in touch if I hear anything tonight.’

On leaving Mauri, his intended destination was the mansion garage. But as he descended the main stairs, he saw Brad enter with his entourage. As soon as Brad saw him, he stopped and said something to his colleagues, who glanced at Dax then all scurried away.

‘What do you want?’ Dax asked when he reached the bottom of the stairs. It was obvious from the way he’d dismissed all witnesses that Brad had something to say.

‘I heard about Ivy, about the bounty, I’m sorry.’

‘Are you?’ Dax asked. He and Brad had a relationship of avoidance in that they tried their best not to be around each other when either was in a sticky spot. Brad observed him with an interest that betrayed his true motive. ‘I’m not sticking around. You can keep your empire.’

Brad relaxed enough to smile, though the gesture was false. ‘Mauri is known for always getting what he wants.’

‘You and I both know that we’re incapable of working together,’ Dax said. ‘We don’t trust each other.’

‘No, we don’t.’

‘So I’d hazard that’s why you’ve kept your head down while Ivy and I have been around.’

‘I’m not going to encourage you to stay, although my father wants me to.’

‘You’d rather have needles stuck through your eyes,’ Dax said. ‘Don’t worry, Brad. It’s all yours.’

Mauri did have a talent for encouraging everyone around him to defer to his wants. Brad didn’t want Dax to stay, but he didn’t want to go against his father’s wishes by asking Dax to leave either.

‘If you find out anything about Ivy’s situation I’d appreciate a heads up,’ Dax said.

Brad might be on the suspect list, except Dax couldn’t fathom any motivation. Brad wanted them gone, and he’d know that Mauri would use this threat as a chance to keep the couple here. The possibility still existed that Mauri wanted Ivy gone with the belief Dax would fall into line without her, which was another reason Brad had no motivation to get Ivy out of the picture.

Brad nodded and turned to depart the foyer in the direction his staff had gone. Dax continued his journey to the Stark mansion garage where he got a car and drove off the property to head for the beach house. It would take an hour or so to get there. Serg was still back at Mauri’s, but there would be plenty for him to do while Dax dealt with Ivy and tonight they would all need to be at their best to pick out the threat.

After lunch Ivy had needed another distraction, so she went for a dip in the bathtub in the downstairs family bathroom, it was the only tub in the place. With waterfall taps and recessed lighting, the gleaming tile was dazzling, but the water had felt good seeping into every crevice of her body. After an hour or so in there, she was beginning to prune, so she climbed out, drained the water and wrapped a fluffy white towel around her body.