Chapter 34 Reid
REID
An hour later, the farm was crawling with cops. Flashing lights reflected off corn husks and the sides of the barns, while officers scurried around the property, rounding up men—some alive, some dead—and trying to make sense of what they were seeing.
“Explain to me one more time what happened?” one of the officers asked Marcus, shaking his head as he glanced over at two of the clowns leaning against a cruiser.
It was safe to say that the police were more than a little confused. Being called out to a farm in the dead of night, only to be greeted by bikers, clowns, and men shot to shit—oh, and fifty men, women, and children all looking confused and scared.
Reid got it. It would take the police a few times to get the full story.
“Well, it’s quite simple. My buddies and I—” Marcus began before being cut off.
“Including the clowns,” the officer added, still eyeing the clowns with suspicion.
“Yes, including the clowns. We were out for a leisurely drive on this fine summer night when we heard screaming coming from this farm. So, naturally, doing our civic duty, we all pulled into the farm to investigate. And that’s when we stumbled across this human trafficking ring!
” Marcus looked at the man as if he had been in utter shock upon making the discovery.
“We tried to talk to the men holding these people captive, and that’s when they opened fire and tried to murder us all where we stood.
Thankfully, we managed to grab their guns from them and do what we needed to do to protect ourselves, as well as these poor traumatized victims.”
Reid stood silent, listening to Marcus recount their harrowing tale. For the most part, the police appeared to believe it—or perhaps they really didn’t care and were just happy that someone else handled these pieces of shit for them.
Either way, none of Marcus’s crew or the clowns were being placed in handcuffs.
The officer nodded.
“I think we have all the information that we need. It was lucky that you… and your friends were riding by when you did.”
“Yes, very lucky,” Marcus noted as he watched the last of Mikhail’s surviving men get carted away in handcuffs.
Stepping aside for some privacy, Reid called Simon to give him a heads-up on what had just gone down and that there were at least fifty victims who currently needed help getting situated.
Simon promised that he would share this information with the LA police, along with the laptop they had stolen. He hoped this would help uncover the connections between New York and LA.
“Are you alright?” Niko asked as he slid up next to Reid. He wrapped his arm around his waist and pulled him into his side.
“Yeah, I’m alright,” Reid said, leaning his head against his best friend’s chest. “Glad he finally got what he deserved.”
“Me too. I wonder when the hell he got out of jail?” Niko asked, rubbing his hand up and down Reid’s arm for comfort.
“Simon said he had been released early two years ago. I guess the man had powerful friends. My gut tells me that he was probably looking to start up his old business.”
Niko nodded. “Looks like it. Did Simon say anything about Kazimir?” Kazimir was the big boss. The man who gave Mikhail his orders.
“Still in jail, apparently.”
They both leaned into each other, seeking warmth and comfort as they always had.
“I’m sorry you had to see me like that,” Niko whispered. His words were barely audible.
Reid raised his head and locked eyes with him.
“What do you mean?”
“Violent. And cruel. I hope you don’t think differently of me.” Niko lowered his head as if ashamed of his role in ending Mikhail’s life.
Reid lifted his chin and stared long and hard into those big, gorgeous eyes of his.
“You are exactly the person I’ve always known you to be. You are fair and just, and have one of the biggest hearts I know. You care deeply about your friends and family, and you protect them with every fiber of your being. You are the man I fell in love with, and I will never stop loving you.”
With that, Reid leaned up and took Niko’s lips with his. He kissed him long and deep, showing Niko just how much he loved him.