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ChapterThirteen
Laz dragged his tired body up the stairs leading to the crash room he was using at Supreme Security.
His body ached.
His mind whirled.
His emotions were all over the place.
He wanted nothing more than to fall face-first into bed and sleep for a week. Which was what he should be doing, but how could he? He couldn’t possibly let the people gunning for him win. That would be unacceptable and not the way he operated.
An eye for an eye.
It was only fair for those involved to experience the pain that he had endured. The fear of not knowing if his child and wife were safe. The horror of watching a young man who had turned his life around bleed out in front of him.
Yeah, somebody was going to pay.
Laz had just left a meeting with Mason, Ashton, and Parker to discuss what they knew so far regarding the gunmen, which wasn’t much. Technically, it had been too late in the day for anyone to be gathering, especially on a Sunday night. But that’s what friends did, even if there wasn’t good news to share.
At least there had been one high point in the conversation. Laz had learned that the day before, Hamilton had called in his own favors to keep Laz’s name out of the press.
The media would’ve eaten up news about a former Atlanta PD detective who now worked for a security agency involved in a fatal shooting. Thanks to Ham, there had been nothing in the news about the incident.
At least not yet.
One thing about Hamilton and Mason was that they protected the people who worked for them, and also did whatever was necessary to protect the stellar reputation of the agency.
Outside of that, the last two days had been a bust.
Laz gripped the stairwell railing, pushing himself to make it up the second flight of stairs though he was bone weary. It had been a long-ass day.
After finding nothing in the stolen vehicle that morning, he, Parker, and Ashton started reaching out and hunting down their personal contacts around the city. His Supreme brothers were amazing at finding answers, but Laz had to tap into some of his other sources every now and then. In other words, those who were connected to the illegal shit on the streets of Atlanta.
People like C-Dogg. Working with them was the only way he’d be able to find the shooters before the cops did.
Otherwise, he’d miss his opportunity to inflict the worst type of justice on those responsible. He wouldn’t hold back but planned to stop just short of killing them. Because the last thing he wanted was for his ass to end up back in jail.
Mason’s parting words rattled inside Laz’s mind before they left the meeting minutes ago.
I want you to let the cops handle this case going forward, and I also want you to take some time off. You got lucky with the bullet not hitting any arteries or doing any major damage. But you’re no good to anyone if you don’t let that shoulder heal. Besides, I don’t need you getting into any legal trouble—or worse.
“I just won’t get caught,” Laz mumbled under his breath as he trudged up the last few steps. “I should’ve taken the damn elevator.”
He reached the landing and pulled open the door to the hallway. When he turned the corner too short, he bumped his shoulder, and a sharp pain pierced through him like a serrated knife scraping against his bones. His breath caught.
Shit.
He leaned forward, gritting his teeth, waiting for the pain to ease. So much for the pain pill he’d taken a short while ago. The wound hurt like someone had branded him with a hot poker.
Seconds ticked by before he stood upright and readjusted the sling holding his arm in place. Moving again, he continued down the hallway.
The moment he reached the door, a sudden need to go home enveloped him like a tight band around his chest.
He knew what that was about. The idea of sleeping without Journey made him physically ache inside. He didn’t sleep well without his wife next to him.
Still, Laz pushed open the door, knowing their temporary separation was for the best.
He stepped across the threshold, and the scent of barbecue had him pulling up short just inside the door. The enticing aroma reminded him that he hadn’t eaten since lunch and was suddenly hungry.
