Preacher maneuvers his black SUV into the parking lot, and we both hop out when he comes to a stop. He hands me the Glock, and after I put the silencer on, I put it in my waistband.
“Let’s get this shit over with.” Preacher nods, and we go through the unlocked door at the end of the strip mall.
Reed and Chandler are already there. I stand in the middle of the room with Preacher next to me and wait for them to speak.
“Jackie said you had him in a cage and Ripley King almost killed him,” Reed Brennan gets right to the point, and even though I appreciate that, I remain quiet. There was no question, and I’m not Ripley King.
“Is there a question?” Preacher asks on my behalf. I’m sure he’s just as eager to get the fuck out of here as I am.
Reed steps closer, and so does Chandler. I don’t flinch. They hardly come to my chest. I can take them both without breaking a sweat.
“Did you handcuff my brother in a cage and let that giant hurt him?” Chandler speaks this time.
“Your brother the trafficker?” I ask. They don’t know about the child porn, and they won’t hear it from us. The less they think we know, the better.
“Our baby brother,” Reed says. “Our mother’s favorite son.” He raises both hands to signal that he comes in peace. “Gentleman, we’re here to talk, not fight,” Reed speaks in a slow cadence.
“Preacher, tell them what you have so we can get the fuck out of here. And this will be the last time we speak,” I warn.
Preacher slams a folder on a table and points. “This is the owner of the car Jack was driving when he tried to kill Ripley’s woman.” They open the folder, and their brows rise. “Yeah,” Preacher adds. “Your baby brother was involved with Steel Titan’s daughter. Word on the street is he put his hands on her, and I don’t mean in a romantic way. They are the ones who dealt with him.”
“Then why would Jack say it was you?” Chandler points his bony finger at me.
“Because I’m safer than a family of drug kingpins, gentleman. And did you miss the part where your baby brother stole one of their cars? That’s the car that almost killed King's woman. If you want to fight with the Titan clan, go ahead, but it won’t end well for you. Are we done here? Don’t summon me again,” I warn.
“Jackie wouldn’t lie about this.”
I shrug but offer no rebuttal.
“Jackiehas done nothing but lie,” Preacher tosses out. “He couldn’t find the truth with the map from Dora the Explorer.” I snort at that one. “His actions put your operation at risk. He can potentially bring the feds, gentleman, and when he does, we don’t want to be anywhere near it. This is an internal affair, so why are we here?”
Chandler approaches his brother and whispers something in his ear. I put my hand on the gun, ready to act if I need to.
“He had to have his spleen removed. He broke three ribs and his right arm. He had some internal bleeding and almost died,” Reed says. It took all of King’s willpower not to kill that useless pile of trash, but unbeknownst to these fools, it’s only a matter of time before their baby brother meets his unfortunate end.
“He messed with a drug kingpin’s own and put his hands on her,” I remind them. “He stole their car and used it to commit another crime. Honestly, gentleman, you should be thanking us for keeping that quiet.”
“Any man who puts his hands on a woman deserves whatever justice they get,” Preacher adds.
“Let me tell you how this is going to go.” I pull out my Glock. The brothers take a step back. For two people who deal with illegal firearms, they sure are averse to it. “After today, we will never talk to each other again. If you summon me, I won’t be as friendly as I am now. You won’t think of me, my men, or my operation again. You have bigger problems with the Titans.”
“It doesn’t have to come to that. We can still—”
“We can’t,” I interrupt before they suggest we continue working together. “I suggest you figure out a way to help your brother.”
I put the Glock down, but I don’t put it away. The brothers look at each other, and it’s as if they are speaking with their eyes. I don’t give a fuck what they have to say, as long as they leave me alone.
Without a word, they leave. We follow behind them, and I get in the driver’s side while Preacher gets behind the wheel.
I pick up my burner phone and make a call.
“Stone,” the voice on the other end says. Oh, fuck. I’d rather deal with Steel, but I should have known it would be the fixer.
“Thirty minutes,” is all I say before pressing end.
“Was that Stone?”
I sigh before answering Preacher’s question. “Yup.”
