Riding Dirty Read Online Free Page A

members.
    “That’s him,” she said.
    “Are you sure?”
    “Absolutely. I’ll never forget his eyes.”
    Damon came back with another set of photos. Mia recognized her attacker in all of them. “His name is Gordon ‘Gonzo’ Lowe, and he’s the president of White Lightning.”
    “He’s their leader?”
    “Yes.” Damon nodded, showing one last photo. It was a recent shot of Gordon Lowe displaying his wrists. They were bare.
    “Oh my God,” she said, covering her mouth with one hand. Had she imagined the tattoo, or gotten the two men mixed up?
    “I believe this is the man who attacked you,” Damon said. “It fits his MO. He does home invasions. But you only saw half his face, and eyewitness accounts are notoriously unreliable. Yours might not hold up in court.”
    “What does that mean?”
    Damon leveled with her. “We need more evidence, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get it. Until then, it’s better if he thinks you’re dead.”
    And that was how she died alongside her husband. They’d even had a double funeral, and buried an unidentified body in her grave.
    The evidence Damon was looking for never materialized. Mia spent two years in Arizona under WITSEC. They’d allowed her to pursue a doctorate in forensic psychology. She’d been working as a mental health counselor before the robbery, and she already had a degree. After she completed her studies, she’d begged to come back to California. Her mother lived in a facility in Palm Springs, and her health was failing. Mia had lost her father when she was twenty. She wanted to reunite with her mother before it was too late.
    The program relented, and Mia became a transitional member. She returned to California with a new look, a new degree and a new identity. She was able to visit her mother once a week. She kept a low profile, counseling law officers and female inmates. But she didn’t feel recovered. If anything, she’d grown more and more disconsolate.
    She couldn’t go on like this, waiting for justice. She refused to be passive and cower in fear forever. What did she have to lose in pursuing the men who’d killed her husband? Nothing.
    She had nothing.
    A few weeks ago, Damon had handed her a solution in the form of Cole Shepherd’s file. Damon coordinated with WITSEC to ensure her safety on the job. He was one of the reasons she’d been cleared to return to California. He hadn’t cleared this particular assignment with WITSEC, however. He’d known they wouldn’t approve. She’d studied the file, pausing at the list of Cole’s enemies: the Aryan Brotherhood and White Lightning.
    “Will that be a problem?” Damon had asked.
    “No,” she’d replied coolly. More of an asset, really.
    Damon claimed he had a limited budget and needed someone who would work for free. He also thought Cole would be less combative with a female psychologist. Mia didn’t really care if Damon had ulterior motives. As long as he stayed out of her way, she’d stay out of his.
    When Mia reached the Desert Breeze Assisted Living Center, she parked outside the main building. A blast of air-conditioning greeted her as she pushed open the front door. After signing in as a visitor for another resident, she continued to her mother’s room. She removed her hat and sunglasses on the way.
    Her mother was delighted to see her, as always. “What a wonderful surprise,” she said in Spanish, greeting Mia with open arms. She used a wheelchair now, though she could still get around without it. Her hands were slender and wrinkled, but strong.
    Mia released her and sat down. “How are you feeling?”
    Her mother rattled off a list of mild ailments. Nothing serious, thankfully. Her main issue, other than mobility, was Alzheimer’s.
    “I asked my daughter to bring me crema de concha . Do you know my daughter?”
    “Yes,” Mia said, making a note of the request. “I’ll remind her.”
    Her mother chatted about her day for a few minutes, and they watched her favorite