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They’re guilty.
Chapter 26
Gunner
“What thehellwent wrong?” Sergeant Johnston bellowed as soon as he barged into the conference room. “I said to fuckingscarehim off! Not run him down and murder him… intown limits!”
Viper’s face darkened with crimson, but he only shook his head. “We didn’t kill your cop.”
“Right, so the night your fuckin’ club goes to scare him, somehow, he just magically runs into a murderer? I’m not buying it, and you know that all the fingers are pointed at your club. We’re going to have feds all over this.” Sarge started to pace the front of the room, shaking his head.
And I couldn’t be more indifferent to his concern. The only thing I could think about was the look Hallie had given me outside of the café. She had gawked at me like I was some kind of monster…
“I don’t know what we can do for you,” Viper said, his tone remaining cool and collected. “This is just the one crime that we didn’t have any hand in at all. We scared the guy, Axle made sure he was leaving, and then we considered it a success. And as far as I’m concerned, wedidsuccessfully do what was asked of us.”
Johnston looked like he might blow his lid right then and there. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. How do you know that your enforcer didn’t just kill the guy before coming back?”
Axle burst into laughter. “That would’ve been the biggest waste of bullets. That guy was gone, man. He was so scared that his corruption was going to put him in the ground anyway. Your goody-two-shoes cop was a piece of shit, Sarge.”
Johnston froze. “What?”
“Guess you didn’t know?” Viper raised a brow. “Francis was in bed with some drug dealers in Oakland. He was just trying to cover his ass with turning in that warehouse—and take us out.”
Johnston was silent for a few moments, and the blank expression on his face caused a few chuckles in the room. “Andyoudidn’t kill him for that?”
“Nah,” Viper answered. “It would’ve been a waste. He was offering up services—and everything else under the sun—to try and get us to let him live. Guy breaks under any amount of pressure. He’s worthless to us, even offered to call up his crooked FBI agent brother.”
“Fuck, we’re in for it then,” Johnston grunted. “His brother is a powerful guy. He’s climbed his way to the top.”
“And now you know how he did it,” I muttered. My eyes drifted down to my phone in my lap. I concealed it from everyone by resting my leg over my knee. For some reason, ever since Hallie had called everything off, all I ever did was check my phone…
Hoping like hell she would have a change of heart.
“So what do we do?” Johnston pulled out a chair, plopping down. “This could easily lead to an internal investigation.”
“And you should have all your ducks in a row for that, right?” Axle raised a brow at him. “It’s literally what we pay you to do. Working for us means covering your tracks, too.”
“I’m not worried about this club. I just don’t know what other corruption is going on under my nose—and then thereisthe warehouse issue.”
“Which was cleaned out,” I reasoned, finally speaking up loud enough for them to hear. “Pictures were erased. If you can prove that Francis was a dirty cop, then you’d be fine anyway.”
“You just need to hunt down his partner,” Will added. “That’ll lead you to the evidence of his corruption. I’m sure that whoever that is will happily give him up for immunity.”
“Unless that’s who killed him,” Viper chuckled, running a finger along the top of the table. “Or maybe it was the drug dealers that he pissed off. That’s who he thought we were.”
“Of course he did,” Johnston groaned, running his hand over his face. “What the fuck has happened? This was supposed to make it easier…”
“Well, now it looks likeyouneed to solve the case before the feds get called in.” Axle leaned back in his chair, looking completely indifferent to the situation.
“Well, they’re coming in day after tomorrow, so that’s not long. I highly doubt whoever offed him is going to be the kind that comes forward.”
“I ain’t got a clue,” Viper said with a shrug. “But you might wanna start with your son, who wanted to pay us a hundred grand to kill him.”
I clenched my jaw, surprised Viper took the jab—even if it was the truth. Johnston didn’t say anything, but the look on his face said it all.
I bet he already suspected him.
“Well, looks like I have a lot of shit to get done then,” Johnston stood to his feet, tapping the table. “You boys let me know if you hear anything.” With that, the Sergeant left the conference room, slamming the door behind him.
