Pax Hudson.”
The guy arched a brow, examined their badges and looked them up and down. “You in the middle of this?”
“The fight, yeah,” Pax said. “We were trying to maintain cover so we had no choice. Didn’t know it was going to end up with a murder.”
“So you didn’t see what happened to that guy?”
AJ shook his head. “We got hustled out of here when your black-and-whites showed up. Didn’t see him go down. We weren’t even aware there was a dead guy.”
“Detective John Warren. Why don’t you tell me what you’re working on?” AJ explained what they were doing there, though he embellished a bit about working an undercover case on the Fists so they could stay.
“No one knows your situation?” John asked.
AJ shook his head. “This is my hometown, so I’d appreciate keeping it on the down low.” Though he was afraid it was already too late for that. Teresa had seen him flash his badge and had frowned in confusion. He was going to have to explain to her who and what he really was. And since the Wild Riders kept their identities secret, that wasn’t going to make General Lee very happy.
“So what happened here?” Pax asked.
John looked down at the body. “It appears the leader of the Thorns stabbed the leader of the Fists. Not surprising considering the clashes these two gangs have had with each other over territory.”
Shit. Joey was being pinned for the murder? “Witnesses?”
“No. Well, one, though I question her reliability. Oliveri’s sister claims to be a witness. Said someone else did it. We’re going to bring Joey Oliveri in and take samples. I’m sure the blood on him will be the victim’s.”
AJ needed to talk to Teresa. And Joey. Figure out what happened. “Can we question the suspect and the witness? This could have direct bearing on our investigation.”
“As long as one of my guys is present, fine.”
AJ nodded and went over to Teresa, who stood and flew into his arms, burying her face in his neck. AJ felt wetness against his neck, knew she’d been crying. He put his arms around her. “It’s going to be okay.”
AJ flashed his badge to the officer sitting with her and explained that the detective had given his okay.
She pulled back, and Pax moved to her side. “Tell us what happened.”
The officer in charge of her stood and let Pax and AJ sit, but he stayed close to Teresa.
“Larks and Joey were going at it,” Teresa said, her face pale and streaked with tears. She clasped her hands together and laid them in her lap. “I kept my eye on them because I was afraid for Joey, scared Larks would pull a weapon.”
“Did he?” Pax asked.
She shook her head. “No, but there was so much going on around them, others fighting. It was hard to see, so I moved around the bar.”
AJ winced. “You could have gotten hurt.”
Her gaze shot to his. “I was fine. I can take care of myself.”
Pax leaned over and rubbed her back. “It’s okay. Go on.”
She swallowed and nodded, then wiped her palms on her jeans. “Joey didn’t kill Larks. One of his own guys did.”
“What? Did you see who?”
“Yes. But I don’t know any of their names. All I saw was this guy come up behind Larks and shove a knife into his back. Then he disappeared into the crowd.”
“Did he drop the knife?” AJ couldn’t believe this. One of the Fists killed their leader? Why?
“Not that I could see.”
“Could you pick this guy out again?”
She nodded.
“Stay here with her,” AJ said to Pax. “I’m going to talk to Joey.”
Detective Warner was with Joey, so AJ stood back and listened while Joey recounted the fight.
“It was physical, his fists and mine,” Joey said. “And that was all. I took a punch and went down. Then Larks went down on top of me. I thought he was attacking me, but he was deadweight. I felt something wet covering me. It was blood. A lot of blood. I threw him off me, but he didn’t move.”
Detective Warner wrinkled his nose. “But you
The guy arched a brow, examined their badges and looked them up and down. “You in the middle of this?”
“The fight, yeah,” Pax said. “We were trying to maintain cover so we had no choice. Didn’t know it was going to end up with a murder.”
“So you didn’t see what happened to that guy?”
AJ shook his head. “We got hustled out of here when your black-and-whites showed up. Didn’t see him go down. We weren’t even aware there was a dead guy.”
“Detective John Warren. Why don’t you tell me what you’re working on?” AJ explained what they were doing there, though he embellished a bit about working an undercover case on the Fists so they could stay.
“No one knows your situation?” John asked.
AJ shook his head. “This is my hometown, so I’d appreciate keeping it on the down low.” Though he was afraid it was already too late for that. Teresa had seen him flash his badge and had frowned in confusion. He was going to have to explain to her who and what he really was. And since the Wild Riders kept their identities secret, that wasn’t going to make General Lee very happy.
“So what happened here?” Pax asked.
John looked down at the body. “It appears the leader of the Thorns stabbed the leader of the Fists. Not surprising considering the clashes these two gangs have had with each other over territory.”
Shit. Joey was being pinned for the murder? “Witnesses?”
“No. Well, one, though I question her reliability. Oliveri’s sister claims to be a witness. Said someone else did it. We’re going to bring Joey Oliveri in and take samples. I’m sure the blood on him will be the victim’s.”
AJ needed to talk to Teresa. And Joey. Figure out what happened. “Can we question the suspect and the witness? This could have direct bearing on our investigation.”
“As long as one of my guys is present, fine.”
AJ nodded and went over to Teresa, who stood and flew into his arms, burying her face in his neck. AJ felt wetness against his neck, knew she’d been crying. He put his arms around her. “It’s going to be okay.”
AJ flashed his badge to the officer sitting with her and explained that the detective had given his okay.
She pulled back, and Pax moved to her side. “Tell us what happened.”
The officer in charge of her stood and let Pax and AJ sit, but he stayed close to Teresa.
“Larks and Joey were going at it,” Teresa said, her face pale and streaked with tears. She clasped her hands together and laid them in her lap. “I kept my eye on them because I was afraid for Joey, scared Larks would pull a weapon.”
“Did he?” Pax asked.
She shook her head. “No, but there was so much going on around them, others fighting. It was hard to see, so I moved around the bar.”
AJ winced. “You could have gotten hurt.”
Her gaze shot to his. “I was fine. I can take care of myself.”
Pax leaned over and rubbed her back. “It’s okay. Go on.”
She swallowed and nodded, then wiped her palms on her jeans. “Joey didn’t kill Larks. One of his own guys did.”
“What? Did you see who?”
“Yes. But I don’t know any of their names. All I saw was this guy come up behind Larks and shove a knife into his back. Then he disappeared into the crowd.”
“Did he drop the knife?” AJ couldn’t believe this. One of the Fists killed their leader? Why?
“Not that I could see.”
“Could you pick this guy out again?”
She nodded.
“Stay here with her,” AJ said to Pax. “I’m going to talk to Joey.”
Detective Warner was with Joey, so AJ stood back and listened while Joey recounted the fight.
“It was physical, his fists and mine,” Joey said. “And that was all. I took a punch and went down. Then Larks went down on top of me. I thought he was attacking me, but he was deadweight. I felt something wet covering me. It was blood. A lot of blood. I threw him off me, but he didn’t move.”
Detective Warner wrinkled his nose. “But you
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