5. Barrett
5
BARRETT
The screen blurred in front of me. How long had I been looking at it? There was a mountain of documents to read through and videos to watch. Yet, nothing was concrete.
Young men were disappearing in Dremest. It wasn’t strictly on the eastern or western side. This involved the entire city. They were single men, aged eighteen through twenty-five. My gut told me they were being taken and trafficked, but nothing I’d found led me to that. Or to where they were at all.
Some were unhoused men who frequented shelters or slept on the street. Some were men who lived alone and were going about their day. Each one disappeared out of range of a camera. There was footage of them in front of buildings, in stores, at work, and then… gone.
The city couldn’t afford to put up more cameras. We weren’t exactly rolling in it. And the money the city did get certainly didn’t go to the police department. Jordan donated or fundraised the majority of it. He hated the East Dremest PD.
Although, this was something going on in his city. Maybe I could ask him for help. He had people all over the place. I also wondered if he already knew about this and had his ear to the ground, trying to figure out what the hell was happening.
I pushed back from my desk, the chair wheeling easily over the floor. I shut the lid of my laptop and put it into my bag. There was a mafia boss I had to see.
Except the chief stopped in front of me. There were other people between my lower rank and his at the top, yet for some reason he liked to get in my business all the damn time. “Where do you think you’re going, North?” He was tall, with more gut than muscle and a receding hairline. He honestly shouldn’t be in this role. He was as crooked as everyone else. He didn’t work for Jordan though. It was the opposite. He wanted Jordan behind bars.
When Vail’s ex, Gil, was missing, the chief wanted Jordan nailed for it. Gil had cozied up to the chief and become friends, all the while having him play into Gil’s hand. The more important people on Gil’s side, the easier it was for him to not face charges.
Gil had abused Vail for years. When Vail was free from him, Gil still kept tabs. When Vail fell for a mafia boss, Gil flew into a jealous rage. One thing led to another, and Gil staged his own disappearance, framing Jordan, while plotting to get Vail back.
Needless to say, it didn’t end well for Gil. There I was in the aftermath of Jordan’s fury, having to stage the mess so it didn’t look like Jordan and his men went on a murderous rampage.
“I was leaving to work on the case you gave me.” He didn’t only give it to me. There were others working it too.
“You can’t do that from here?” He knew damn well I couldn’t do it all from my desk, but he loved to push every one of my buttons. We despised each other.
“No, sir. I need to follow up on a few tips.” Calling him sir made me want to grind my teeth to dust. It went against everything inside me.
“Don’t fuck this up. Everyone is watching us. If we can solve it first, we’ll get the accolades.” Right, because that was what was important here. Solving the case before the West Dremest PD did. Not finding who was doing this, rescuing the men who were taken, and preventing it from happening again.
Instead of saying what I thought, I nodded. “Of course.”
He finally stepped out of the way so I could make my exit. I didn’t worry about leaving personal items out in the open on my desk. There was nothing here. I’d gotten teased about it over the years. The people I worked with knew I had a brother. They found it odd I never talked about him.
They also couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t fucking every eligible person in sight since I wasn’t tied down. I didn’t bother coming out to them. My choice of partner wasn’t their concern. So, I let them believe I was bi. I wasn’t about to hide my preference for men, but at the same time, pretending I liked women as well kept the bullshit to a minimum. These weren't the friendliest assholes. In fact, if I walked out the door and never saw them again, I’d consider myself lucky.
That wasn’t to say there weren’t good people here. There were. But, like me, they kept to themselves and became targets as well. Initially, I’d tried to stick up for them or befriend them, but no one was interested. I developed the fuck all of you, I don’t need you mantra. I could look after myself. I’d been doing it long enough already.
Outside, I kept my eyes forward as I found my SUV. It was new, thanks to my old car getting wrecked while parked. A guy who was too busy texting and not paying attention creamed it. I wasn’t in it, and no one was seriously hurt. The department gave me a Ford Explorer, one of a handful they’d just gotten in. I was surprised they didn’t give me something else. I wasn’t a favorite, but I was in need, and there was no reason not to hand one over.
I got inside and put my bag on the seat. Beating my head on the steering wheel was a solid idea, although I could be seen doing that, so I decided against it. Time to start it up and get the hell out of here.
Driving through the streets of East Dremest was where I was happiest while I worked. Sitting behind a desk didn’t thrill me. It was part of the job, so I did it because I needed to keep doing well. I wanted to be promoted again, but fuck, I loved being out here.
The problem I had now was I couldn’t contact Jordan while riding around in this—not with the cameras on it. So, I did what I’d told the chief I would: I stopped at a few of the businesses that had already been investigated and asked for their footage and if they’d seen anything. There was no harm in following up again. It looked like I was doing my job.
I was far enough away from my SUV when I noticed Jordan’s Maserati Quattroporte parked outside one of his businesses, a legit one, not the illegal kind. And it just so happened I had to go in there. I barely reached the front desk when there was a distinct growl behind me. A chill raced down my spine in the best way.
“Barrett,” Reghan ground out. I wasn’t Bear today. Good to know.
Spinning on my heel, I came face-to-face with six-foot-six of pure muscle and obvious hatred. He only had a few inches on me, but I felt at least a foot shorter in times like this. I couldn’t let him know that though.
I stood straighter and pasted on my best fake smile. We were in public, after all. Reghan could be pushed more here than if we were alone or no one was paying us any attention. “If it isn’t the local mafia’s favorite guard dog. How’s it going, Reghan? Did you help Jordan wipe his ass today?” That was my limit. Everything else from me during this encounter would be less poking the bear and more fanning the roaring flames.
Reghan stepped closer, getting right in my face. I could smell the mint on his breath and saw the sheen on his lips like he’d just licked them. What I wouldn’t give to taste them. It didn’t matter how many times we argued, how much he couldn’t stand to be near me, or the words he’d said; my body got sucked into his orbit and didn’t try to break free.
He spoke low. “You think I don’t know the game you play with me? How you enjoy seeing how far you can push me?’
“Oh, I know you’re aware. That’s what makes it exciting.” My smile was still firmly in place.
“If we weren’t standing in the fucking lobby, I’d have my hand around your throat.”
“Is that supposed to be a threat, or is this foreplay?” Maybe it was both. My knees almost buckled.
The sound of shoes on the expensive floor slowly approached. The only time Jordan ran was when someone he loved was in danger. Outside of that, he assessed every situation, no matter how small, with the eyes of a man who had years of honing his ability to not give a fuck, at least on the outside. Inside, well, he probably wished I wasn’t standing in front of one of his best guards.
I turned and gave him my smile, noting Raiden at his back. “Jordan.” I nodded. “I didn’t think you’d be here.”
“At my own company?” He stopped before me, his charcoal-gray suit tailored to his body, thanks to his talented partner, Hartley. “What are the odds?” he deadpanned.
“Well, this is one of many companies you own. If you have a moment, I’m investigating a case and would appreciate access to your security footage.”
His short beard moved slightly, indicating he was clenching his jaw. Without looking over his shoulder, he said, “Raiden, find us a secure room.”
“Yes, sir.” Raiden left to approach the front desk and lean over it to talk to the woman behind it.
I clasped my hands behind my back and rocked on my heels, not bothering with small talk. Jordan wasn’t the type I did that with. Nor did I tease him most of the time.
Raiden returned and gestured for us to walk toward the elevator. We rode it to the top, where I assumed Jordan’s office was. He didn’t work here for the day-to-day operations, but he still had a substantial office, which we strode past to get to the executive conference room. Here or not, Jordan needed his employees to remember who was in charge.
The door shut once the three of us were inside, Raiden staying outside to keep guard.
“This is some fancy shit,” I said, coasting my hand over a leather chair. The plaque on the door read “executive,” so I figured it would be nice, but this was butter-soft leather.
“Sit,” Jordan commanded.
I did, not in the mood to fight with him. It wasn’t as fun as it was with Reghan.
Jordan sat across from me, and Reghan leaned against the wall. “Talk.”
“Are you aware of the men disappearing from both sides of Dremest?” All that separated the city was a creek and a small bridge. Each side was night and day, clearly run by different people, and I didn’t mean in the government.
Dexen Dremest and his family ran the western side along with Jordan’s nephew, Perry Altair Jr. The eastern side belonged to the pissed-off man in front of me. He really hated it when I interrupted his day.
Jordan leaned forward, his forearms resting on the table. “Tell me.”
It was easy to verbalize the information I had so far. I had no qualms about telling Jordan. We’d known each other for a while now, me as a cop, then a detective, and him as he is now, more powerful today than ever.
We’d formed our relationship over threats and the mutual desire to improve the city. Of course, money changed hands. Jordan had more than he knew what to do with, while I could use it to put aside for my brother.
We had a relationship that worked for both of us. It was an understanding where we didn’t stab each other in the back, though we were still very aware it could happen at any point. I was under no illusion Jordan was a good man. I’d seen him kill people without hesitation, but he was more than a killer. He cared deeply about those around him. Not me, but others.
“How many?” he asked when I finished telling him.
“Ten so far. Six from West Dremest, four from here.”
“Goddammit,” he bit out and fisted his hands on the table. “I’ll get my people on it and have them fan out across the city. If you give me the exact locations where they were last seen, I’ll also have those investigated.”
I nodded and told them where they were. The four on this side, that was. Jordan didn’t have nearly the same pull on the other side of the city. Besides, if we could figure it out here, it would benefit both.