Chapter 5 - THE BETRAYAL AT MORNING GLORY
Emily couldn’t breathe. The air in the ruined nursery felt thick, heavy with dust and a betrayal so sharp it physically hurt.
"Donna," Emily gasped, her thumb trembling over the cursive signature. "Donna wrote this. She’s... she’s working for them."
Marcus took the paper from her hand, his eyes scanning the elegant script. His jaw set into a hard, unforgiving line. "She pointed us to the freezer. She wanted us to find the box."
"Why?" Dex asked, his massive frame filling the small doorway. "If she's working for Blackwell, why show us the photos?"
"To distract us," Emily realized, a sickening wave of nausea washing over her. "She knew we'd find the box and focus on the ring and the photos. She was buying time."
"Time for what?"
As if on cue, the wail of police sirens cut through the quiet afternoon air. They weren't distant. They were turning onto her street.
Marcus rushed to the window, peering through the broken blinds. "Two cruisers. County Sheriff. They're blocking the driveway."
"They set us up," Dex growled, his hand dropping to the heavy maglite at his belt. "Blackwell’s goons trash the place, Donna stalls us, and the Sheriff shows up to catch the Hells Angels in a ransacked apartment with the widow."
"They're going to say you did this," Emily panicked, clutching her stomach. "They're going to arrest you, and Blackwell will take the evidence."
Marcus turned to her, his expression remarkably calm for a man surrounded by police. "Emily, listen to me. I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"
She looked at the man holding her husband's lighter, the man whose brother her husband had tried to avenge. She nodded. "Yes."
Marcus took the manila envelope, folded it in half, and shoved it down the front of Emily's maternity dress. "You're pregnant. The Sheriff legally cannot pat you down without a female deputy present, and I saw who got out of those cars. Two men. Keep your arms crossed, act terrified of us. Understand?"
Before Emily could process the instruction, heavy boots pounded up the stairs. The splintered door was kicked all the way open.
"Sheriff's Department! Nobody move!"
Sheriff Hodges, a thick-necked man with a silver mustache and eyes like dead coal, stepped into the living room, his hand resting casually on his holstered sidearm. His deputy stood behind him, hand on his taser.
Hodges looked at the slashed couch, the broken drywall, and finally at the six massive bikers standing in the center of the room. He smiled, a greasy, satisfied look.
"Well, well. Looks like a home invasion. Property damage. Intimidation." Hodges tipped his hat toward Emily, who was standing by the nursery door, her arms tightly crossed over her chest, trembling genuinely. "Ma'am, I'm sorry we didn't get here sooner. Did these animals hurt you?"
"We didn't touch her," Marcus said, stepping between Hodges and Emily.
"Shut your mouth, biker," Hodges snapped. "I got an anonymous tip from a concerned citizen that a gang was tearing apart this apartment. Looks like they were right. Hands behind your heads. All of you."
The Angels didn't move. They looked at Marcus, waiting for the nod.
"Do it," Marcus commanded quietly.
As Dex and the others slowly raised their hands, Hodges stepped closer to Emily. "Don't you worry, Mrs. Carter. Mr. Blackwell actually called me this morning. Said he was worried about your safety with this element in town. He’s offered to put you up in a nice hotel until the eviction goes through. He’s a generous man."
Emily stared at the Sheriff. The corruption wasn't even hidden; it was worn proudly, a badge pinned right over his heart. She felt the thick manila envelope scratching against her collarbone.
"I don't want Mr. Blackwell's help," Emily said, her voice shaking but her gaze steady.
Hodges's smile slipped slightly. "Well, that's a shame. Because child services is mighty particular about mothers who associate with violent criminal gangs and live in destroyed properties. Wouldn't want that baby taken away the second it's born."
The threat was a physical blow. Emily gasped, stepping back.
Marcus’s head snapped toward Hodges. "You threaten a pregnant woman again, badge or no badge, and I will tear your throat out."
Hodges laughed, pulling his handcuffs. "Assaulting an officer. Add it to the list. Deputy, cuff the loud one."
As the deputy stepped forward, the radio on Hodges's shoulder cracked to life. “Dispatch to Unit 1. We have a 10-33 at the Morning Glory Diner. Repeat, emergency at the diner. Multiple calls of a disturbance.”
Emily froze. Donna.
Hodges frowned, pressing the button on his radio. "Unit 1 here. What kind of disturbance?"
“Caller states a man matching Thomas Vance’s description is tearing the place apart with a crowbar, holding the owner hostage.”
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Emily locked eyes with Marcus. Thomas wasn't at the diner to hurt Donna. He was there because Donna had failed to find the documents, and Blackwell was tying up loose ends.
"Looks like your boss is cleaning house, Sheriff," Marcus said softly. "You going to arrest us for a fake home invasion, or are you going to do your job and stop an actual murder?"
