Chapter 23 Ryker
RYKER
“Mic check,” Rock said.
“Testing, one. Two,” Diesel said.
“I got him,” I said.
“Me, too,” Bear said.
“Three,” Toxin said.
“And four,” Saint said.
“Guess I’ll say ‘five’ to keep the train going,” Cage said.
“Wonderful. Now, camera test,” Rock said.
Diesel turned on the small camera we had implanted into the button of Diesel’s pants.
A terrible place for a camera. But if Lars knew what we looked like and knew how we dressed; it’d look weird if Diesel randomly showed up with glasses on.
Or in some fucking button-down shirt. So, Rock angled the camera up, placed it as best as he could, then made Diesel wear a black shirt to try and get the camera to blend in a bit more.
“Yep. Gotcha on camera just fine,” Brewer said.
“How’s the angle look?” Diesel asked.
“I mean, it is what it is. If someone’s in front of you, though, we’ll know who it is.”
“Perfect.”
The task was simple. We all had earpieces in that hooked up to Diesel’s earpiece so we could hear everything.
But the reason why the prospects had to test ours was because we’d be walking around.
Casing the damn place in case something went wrong.
We had everything recording, too. With the intention of taking what we had to the police.
Or at the very least, using it as a bargaining chip against Lars and his men.
But Brewer had every mind to take what we got to the police.
And I was all for that plan.
“All right. Everyone know their mission?” Diesel asked.
“Yep. Old guys at the building across the street. Young guys casing this building in case shit pops off,” Toxin said.
Knox rolled his eyes. “We aren’t old.”
“You got kids and wives. You’re old,” Toxin said.
Saint snickered. “I mean, if that’s the definit—”
Diesel cut him off. “Focus.”
We ran down the plan one last time before we all parted ways.
It was simple, really. Lars wanted to meet at the back of a restaurant.
One where he’d probably paid the owner off to use the facility or some shit like that.
A public place, so neither party felt the need to kick up a stink, if necessary.
Though, we all knew Lars wouldn’t hesitate to take us out if something fishy started happening.
Which was why me and the rest of the prospects fanned out around the building.
“All right. Entering,” Diesel said.
“Back’s clear,” Bear said.
“Right side door clear,” Toxin said.
“Left side door clear,” Cage said.
“Ryker and I got eyes on the front. You’re good, Diesel. We just lost sight of you, though. So, stay on your game,” Saint said.
“I got him on camera,” Brewer said.
“Good. Keep it that way,” Rock said.
Saint and I continued strolling up and down the walkway. Up one side of the street. Down the other. Diesel’s breathing ticked up a bit. I knew he was nervous. And just as we heard a door open over our earpieces, I saw him.
Alex.
Standing outside the restaurant.
“Stop, Saint,” I said, jutting my arm out over his chest.
“What’s up?” Toxin asked.
“Got sight of Kaylynn’s brother out front. He’s alone. And I don’t like the look of things,” I said.
“Ah, Diesel. Take a seat,” Lars said.
“Here we go,” Brewer murmured.
“We’re recording now. Keep a hand on your guns, boys,” Grave said.
“Everything’s good on the roof, thanks for asking,” Knox said.
We all chuckled as I caught bits and pieces of the conversation taking place.
“A deal for the girl is quite a nice negotiation,” Lars said.
“I’ll let you know when it’s a good deal,” Diesel said.
“What? Don’t care about the girl’s well-being?”
“She’s not my girl. I’m just here as a favor to a friend.”
Had I not already obtained my daughter; I would’ve fumed at that comment.
But I understood why Diesel kept doing things this way with this man.
He wanted to get under our skin. So, our best play was to make it seem as if he couldn’t.
As if we didn’t have weaknesses. As if we weren’t phased by the kidnapping of children.
Lars chuckled before things became muffled.
Then, Lars’ voice came back into the clear.
“I want your club disbanded,” he said.
Diesel snickered. “Seriously? You kidnapped an innocent little girl just to see if you could force us to break up? We aren’t a band, Norden.”
“That’s not all. My men will be usurping your business. Whatever it is you guys, well, do with your lives. I don’t know, and I don’t really care. But I want it.”
“Sounds like the plea of a toddler.”
“And I want my fucking daughter back,” he snarled.
“Ah, daughter for daughter. That makes a little more sense,” Diesel said.
I peeked down the alleyway and watched Cage stiffen.
Toxin dashed down, wrapping his arm around the man before he charged through the door he stood in front of.
Saint and I backtracked as the guys continued to talk.
More muffled sounds. More frustration as I tried to make sense of the noise over the earpiece.
“You guys got eyes on him; I take it?” I asked.
“We can hear them fine, too. Because we aren't moving,” Brewer said.
“Gotcha,” Toxin said.
“I want at that man’s throat,” Cage growled.
“If you can’t stand down, I’m removing you,” Rock said.
“Kaylynn’s brother hasn’t moved, but he also isn’t standing guard. He could ruin this,” I said.
“What do you want to do?” Grave asked.
I paused. “What if I went up and spoke with him? Bought Diesel enough time to finish this up?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ve got my scope on him, just in case,” Knox said.
“You aren’t shooting him unless absolutely necessary. Do you hear me?” I asked.
“Yes, I hear you loud and clear, Norden. But you aren’t getting what you ask for. End of story,” Diesel said.
Yet, somehow, I knew he wasn’t simply speaking with Lars.
“Ryker. Stop it. Fall back. I said fall back,” Saint said.
“I can get him out of this. Just trust me,” I said.
He gripped my arm, but I yanked out of his grip.
I crossed the street, trotting in the middle of traffic toward Kaylynn’s brother.
His eyes landed on me and he postured. His hand flew to the butt of his gun.
I took my earpiece out, refusing to listen to the guys yell and hiss at me to get back.
But I knew I had this. I knew I had the capability of saving Alex’s life.
If the guys simply gave me room to do it.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Alex snarled.
I held my hands up in mock surrender. “I’m here to help you. If you’ll listen.”
“The fuck would I want to listen to you for?”
“Because your sister’s life depends on it.”
He glared at me. “What have you done?”
“Nothing, yet. But if you go in there and reveal to Lars what’s really going on, you know she’s as good as dead. And he’ll kill you first before you can even turn and run for the door.”
His eye twitched. “What. Do you want? Asshole.”
“Work with us to take Lars down. Work with us to save your own skin, and the skin of your sister.”
“Not a fucking chance.”
“You don’t have another choice. The two of you are either alive or dead.”
“You don’t give my sister enough credit.”
“Neither do you. You’ve got no idea how much she loves you. What she’s willing to do for you in order to make sure you stay alive. Do her proud, for once. Choose the life you want for once.”
“I already have.”
“Then, why is your eye twitching?”
He paused. “What?”
“Every time you get upset, your eye twitches. But you're not upset right now. Not really. But it’s still twitching. The only other reason there is for the twitching is the fact that you’re lying.”
He scoffed. “What are you, some sort of body language reader now?”
“I suppose it’s a gift. But I’m not here to show off my skill set. I’m here to try and save you because I promised your sister I would. And if you walk into that building, you’re dead. You and I both know that.”
He licked his lips. “And if I agreed to doing this, what do I get in return?”
“Other than a new lease on life?”
“Yeah. Other than that.”
I shrugged. “A decent relationship with the only living shred of family you have left.”
And as he slowly moved his hand away from his gun, he nodded.
“What do we do now?” Alex asked.
But before I could answer his question, I heard a commotion in my earpiece.
Along with a gunshot that ricocheted through a window in the alleyway.