The ties that bind 3, p.40
The Ties That Bind 3, page 40
part #3 of The Ties That Bind Series
“You’re right. It’s not ideal but it’s the right call,” Blaze said. He gave a tired chuckle. “I can almost hear Slade cussing me up one side and down the other, boys. I second it. All in favor say ‘aye’.”
The men shared a reluctant laugh and a chorus confirming the motion rang out. There was a knock on the door.
“Come in!” Blaze hollered.
The newcomer was known as Crow. His eyes met Ransom’s, and he nodded respectfully. He was Bones’ oldest brother and a sergeant-at-arms in his chapter. On his first day in Chatham, he’d walked up to Ransom, looked him in the eye, and extended his hand.
“The name’s Crow, brother. You don’t know me, but I just wanted to express my sincere condolences and thank you for straightening out my knuckleheaded brother Bones. I’m sorry he came at your lady wrong. I hate to say it but he got what he deserved.”
He grimaced apologetically. “The things he said…that’s some generational horseshit. I don’t know if you can understand this, but Bones has always had a hard-on to impress our old man. He’s dead now and I’ve been trying to straighten him out. That doesn’t excuse what he did—”
“Say no more. You and I are good,” Ransom shook his hand.
It was nice to know he wasn’t the only member in the ‘‘Fucked-Up Dead Dad’s Club’’.
“Sorry for the interruption. Blaze, Mitchell wanted me to tell you he wants to meet with you and Ransom in two hours.”
“Got it.”
Ransom’s phone rang as soon as Crow shut the door.
“Yeah?”
“Get your ass here. Now.”
Ransom stiffened. “Tell me something good, Rage.”
Every head swiveled his way, expressions ranging from eager to suspicious, and he held up his hand to ward off the questions already forming on their lips.
“That’s contingent upon how much money you brought because I just hit pay dirt.”
Thirty-four hours in…
“Marcus, it’s Director Shore.”
Immediately Marcus had to stifle his irritation. He’d been trying to reach his former boss since Shakes shared the tragic news.
“Sir, I’ve been calling you-”
“I’m away on assignment, so I’ll make this brief and to the point. You are to stand down in your pursuit of Agent Fitzgerald, Mr. Glover.”
Two things struck Marcus at once. Shore had referred to him by his civilian name when he’d formerly only addressed him as Agent Glover or Marcus, and Lorelai was being referred to as an active agent.
“What the fuck is going on here, Shore? Enough with the bullshit too! You never looked into my intel about her fake aliases.”
The director expelled a heavy grunt as if Marcus was trying his patience.
Ain’t this about a bitch? he thought, because it literally was.
“Listen to me. What I’m about to tell you stays between us for the time being. She’s managed to do the impossible, something I’ve aspired to do my entire career. Agent Fitzgerald facilitated Barrera’s capture. Tomorrow we’re going after Peña.”
Marcus’ jaw dropped to his balls. How the hell had Lorelai managed to pull off a feat like that?
“And you’re telling me that surpasses what she did to my daughter and her stealing from me?! Sir, with all due—”
“With all due respect, you’ll listen to me, Marcus! Before Agent Fitzgerald played her hand, let me remind you of the facts. You are the one who jeopardized your daughter’s safety by not sending her away in the first place. You are the one who compromised our operation by sleeping with Claudia Lawson of all people! A fact that you neglected to mention in your haste to point sticky fingers. I’ve been informed by Agent Fitzgerald that she’d warned you on several occasions that your daughter’s presence would complicate matters, especially when she became involved with the enforcer fellow. She should have never been there, Marcus! I can’t believe I even considered you for my position,” the director finished with disgust.
“Sir, nobody wanted your damn position to begin with!” Marcus shot back. “I’m getting the sense that Agent Fitzgerald left out the part of us being ex-lovers and her being pissed when she discovered my interests were not invested in her. Is that true?”
“What?!” Director shore bellowed. “Jesus, it was like a fucking Jerry Springer Show down there! No, she didn’t tell me that!”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Keep in mind that I may have fucked up, but I didn’t commit multiple felonies. Last I checked, aiding and abetting, purchasing forged documents, and theft fell under that category. Are you really going to let her get away with that?”
“Your daughter is safe, Marcus. Be happy with that knowledge. She’s safe and not six feet under, unlike the hundreds who have died at the hands of this cartel. You can sleep at night knowing you’re not the parent of a daughter forced into the sex trade, hooked on drugs, or forced to carry them inside of her body. She’s not caught in the crossfire between warring gangs. You know what I’m talking about! You’ve seen the atrocities these people are willing to commit for a little power and money. That’s why we do what we do and make the sacrifices we make. Are you really asking me to decide between the two? Because if so, that isn’t a hardship for me. Not sorry.”
Like a cat with nine lives, that triflin’ bitch had landed on her fucking feet. If he didn’t hate the scheming cunt so much, Marcus might have given Lorelai her due.
“Then I guess we have nothing further to discuss. Congratulations on Barrera, and I wish you much success on tomorrow’s mission.”
“Thank you, Marcus.”
Director Shore hesitated, debating whether he needed to resort to drastic measures and decided he did. Glover had always been persistent in the field. He wouldn’t stop until he’d gotten what he wanted. In this case, it was his teeth wrapped around Fitzgerald’s neck. Shore didn’t blame him. It wasn’t as if he had any love for the bitch either.
“I understand your disappointment and am hoping you won’t force my hand on you leaving Agent Fitzgerald alone. Stay away from her and stop any inquiries into her activities. Your contacts admire and respect you. Do you really think they’ll continue to feel that way if you get them fired? You retired with a clean record and an impeccable reputation, on and off the field. Let’s keep it that way. Understood?”
A fuming Marcus didn’t bother responding and hung up.
The week had been perfect until this shitstorm hit Chatham. Now, he had a rightly hysterical woman and daughter back home whom he’d promised to keep apprised of the situation. A situation that he still couldn’t explain. His buddies in law enforcement were stumped too and walking around like dazed zombies scratching their asses. Marcus had upped his pricing for information, yet his usual informants had suddenly developed amnesia at the night in question. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten anything but a cinnamon roll from the hotel’s continental buffet that morning. It was three in the afternoon, and Marcus felt like a dog chasing its tail in circles.
He needed a Hail Mary in the worst way.
It came in the form of a phone call ten minutes later.
“Hello?”
“Agent Glover, this is Deanna Flores. Are you in town by chance?”
Was his luck about to change? A hopeful Marcus sat up on the bed, trying to contain his excitement.
“I am if you have something for me, Ms. Flores.”
On the other end, Deanna smiled victoriously.
“Depends. Did you bring your checkbook?”
“Brothers, it looks like this clusterfuck is growing to epic proportions,” Mitchell announced direly. “The law’s walking around with their heads jammed tightly up their asses and refusing to share anything they might possibly have with us. Do you have any leads?”
“Afraid not,” Blaze responded. “Hope that shit changes soon. We’ve put out rewards and haven’t gotten a nip. Personally, I think it was the government trying to run us out of here. Either that or it’s some Roswell shit.”
“Aliens,” Mitchell muttered and nodded as if he actually believed it. “Christ Almighty, it’s just as I suspected! I didn’t want to share my theory and stir up even more of a mess with the government in town. The last thing I need is for them to try and throw me in the looney bin again.”
Looney bin? Again? Ransom and Blaze exchanged a ‘‘what the hell’’ look. They certainly didn’t mean to make light of the situation, but it wasn’t like they could share the actual truth. Mitchell would go ape shit and Armageddon would commence.
“Okay, so we dig deeper and let them cocksuckers know we’re not going anywhere. I called this meeting to see which direction you’d like to go in now. Blaze, you’ve stepped up during this crisis, but as Slade’s only living son—”
“I don’t want it,” Ransom quickly interjected, chagrined for what felt like an incoming insult to Blaze. “Mitchell, were you not aware that I’d left the club?”
The president leaned back in his chair and surveyed them with amusement. “I was. I still had to ask, though. Blaze tells me that you always knew to step the fuck up when it was needed. He could use a VP like you. Said it himself. This chapter will need to rebuild, and we pledge to help you every step of the way. The question is, do you want to do it from scratch? Slade was already grooming you; however, I’ve known you your entire life, Ransom. You’ve had the chops for this since birth. That’s what made it easier for me to grant him permission to bypass Harley. I hate to speak ill of the dead, but I just didn’t see in him what’s always been apparent in you.”
At his words, Ransom’s face closed off and Mitchell’s eyes filled with empathy.
“I get it, son. He was a hard man. Most of us are. We were bred that way and sadly, it’s the only way we know how to do life. There’s no room for regret until we’re most likely standing in front of our maker, and even then, we’d spit defiantly in the devil’s eye. It doesn’t make us bad men necessarily, but it does leave room for constant friction. Our lives and those surrounding us will be what we make of it. Seems to me that between you and Blaze, you just might have found the right combination to make it work for this chapter. That is, of course, if you’re willing.”
And there it was. The temptation Billy had the foresight to understand. The lure of Mitchell’s words to do things the right way for their people and give them what they deserved for their loyalty. To remove the bleakness that was presently overshadowing their existence. Fuck, if his baby couldn’t call it like she saw it. God, he missed Billy. Ransom thought the freedom of the road and fresh air would his soothe his soul and clear his brain. Instead, his mind and heart were still tethered to the memory of the brave front Billy had tried to put on for him. Even coming home, a place Ransom had lived his entire life, didn’t feel right without her, knowing that she loved New Mexico as much as he did.
“I appreciate the offer, Mitchell. However, I’m respectfully declining it. There is no better man to lead the Immortals Southwest then Blaze Gomez. He’s got some good men behind him, men who respect him and are willing to follow him to hell and back.”
Ransom faced Blaze solemnly. “Even though I’m not an official member anymore, Immortal blood flows through my veins the same as it does yours, which makes me proud to be one of those men. You’ve been more of a father to me than my own ever was. You need me, you’d best believe I’ll come every time…Prez.”
“Gimme another.”
“No can do. Your cut-off was three drinks ago,” the bartender stated firmly. “You’ve been getting ripped the last two nights, and I’m too old to be dragging your fat ass to the door!”
“I’m fucking sober as a judge, asshole!” Frankie protested, slamming his shot glass on the bar.
The door opened. Both men were too engaged to notice the new arrivals.
“The hell you are! Don’t start with the name calling either! I promise I’ll ban you for a month! You need me to call Lupita for you?”
“Nah, that won’t be necessary,” Ransom said, sliding onto the stool next to Frankie who stared at him as if he’d seen a ghost.
“Yeah, his ride’s already here,” Shakes added, taking the stool on his other side.
“Fuck me,” Frankie groaned, closing his eyes.
The bartender’s eyes jumped between the two men and the third locking the door and turning the ‘‘Open’’ sign to ‘‘Closed’’.
“Look here, this is a clean establishment,” he pleaded. “I don’t want no trouble. Please.”
“Then you should be more particular about who you’re serving drinks to,” Blaze drawled, joining the group. His large hand clamped down on the Aztecs VP’s shoulder, squeezing it hard enough to make him wince.
“How you doing, Frankie? We need to talk.”
Raymundo remained seated when Blaze, Ransom, and Shakes entered the conference room of the Aztecs clubhouse. They weren’t surprised by his deliberate show of disrespect. The gig was up. Both clubs knew what this was. He watched with hateful eyes as they took seats at the opposite end of the table with Blaze sitting directly across from him.
“Well, look who’s back from the dead,” he jeered. “I wondered who would get the title when that fucker met his maker. It’s a pity the way he went, though. In my opinion, Barrera didn’t make him suffer nearly enough.”
Blaze ignored his malicious remarks and got straight to the point. “We wronged you and your family last summer. I’d like to tell you what happened if you’re willing to listen.”
“I don’t care what they did!” Raymundo snarled. “I already know what you did, and that’s the only thing that matters! They didn’t deserve to die like that! To be buried away from the world!”
“You’re correct,” Blaze calmly acknowledged.
The Aztec president was shaking with rage and could no longer contain it. He jumped to his feet and jabbed his finger in Ransom and Shakes’ direction. “And I know what you two rapists did to mi princesa!”
“Motherfucker, take a big step back, and sit your ass down before I lay you the fuck out,” Ransom warned coldly. “You don’t wanna fucking test me right now, Raymundo.”
“Same, bitch,” Shakes growled. “Just so we’re clear; if we had raped your sister, you, the asshole who was trying to peddle flesh, would be offended? Get the fuck outta here with that shit, Vargas!”
“Mentirosos!” Raymundo snatched the remote control up and pressed play on the VCR.
The trio looked at each other, perplexed and unable to believe what they were hearing. Where had the bastard gotten his information? The shocking answer became obvious as the screen came to life.
“It was Ransom who shot Vargas’ little sister. Somehow, she got the jump on him and went for his bike, trying to escape.”
“Ransom raped her in front of us. Slade killed Caesar and the rest of the Aztecs died trying to help the girl. When Ransom was done, Shakes did her next, doggy-style while she bled out.”
“Those animals were caught in a blood-lust and didn’t give a damn that she was just a kid! Harley, Digger, and I tried to help. We got our asses beaten and branded as traitors for our troubles! Slade exiled us, threatening death if we breathed a word to anyone.”
Pitch was selling his schtick convincingly. With his blonde-haired, blue-eyed angelic Boy Scout looks, he had a disbelieving Ransom ready to confess to the sick garbage he was being accused of.
Raymundo turned the television off and sneered at the group. “Am I still lying, Lawson?”
“Based on the bad intel you got? No, you’re not. I don’t expect you to believe me, but we never touched your sister, Vargas. Enough said!” Ransom ground out.
Blaze spoke up. “Your sister wasn’t raped. She was wearing a fucking mask, so we didn’t even know she was a girl until she was dead. She and Caesar, along with the prospects, were ambushing and robbing department store big rigs for their product then fencing them. We got the Bimmerman security gig and ran into them. There was an altercation between her and Harley. Garcella got the jump on him and tried to take his bike, so he shot her. Caesar went ballistic, and Ransom tried to calm him down. He couldn’t. Given the situation, that’s understandable, but he threatened war and Slade shot him.”
The Aztecs stirred angrily, and Blaze acknowledged their anger and pain with a slight nod.
“Nothing out of the ordinary should have happened that day, Raymundo. I regret the way everything played out afterward. I want you to know something about your little brother and sister, though. Before shit broke loose, Caesar confessed to doing the jobs to prove himself to you. Your brother died trying to raise money to help your club.”
That sounded like his little brother, Raymundo thought, forcing his tears back. Caesar had taken his first steps by following him. Despite their mother’s pleading, he’d done nothing to discourage Caesar from joining this life.
“We don’t have any reason to lie about why we shot them when we’re already here confessing to it,” Shakes pointed out.
Ransom nodded gravely. “Pitch always had his own agenda against the club. Seeing the video is proof of that. My woman is Rage’s daughter. Lorelai had him kidnap her before Christmas. Luckily, we got her back. I killed him because of the things you accused Shakes and I of doing to Garcella. If it had been Pitch, they would have come true. He, Digger, and Harley were some sick ass motherfuckers. Harley left my mother a letter confessing to the things he did, and she’s reporting it to the authorities. In a nutshell, Lorelai played your dumbasses with that video,” he added brusquely. “She’s been playing everyone from the start.”
Raymundo refused to look at Frankie. He could feel his VP’s disapproval, and his face drew into a tight frown.
“Knowing what you do now, do you feel better for pitting a deranged cartel boss against us?” Shakes questioned, staring at him venomously.
