Chapter 28
Tatum
Five days…
Never in a trillion fucking years did I think I would be leading an army or be the one planning the attack to save Alexander Denver. Six months ago I would have laughed in your face and told you to lick my ass but now, I can’t stop myself from being in a constant state of worry. Anxiety is a bitch to live with on a good day but these past five days have been agony. It’s the not knowing part that is killing me. It feels so strange to be so consumed with worry and fear over someone other than myself, this is new to me and I can honestly say, I fucking hate it.
“The tracker’s been activated, we have a location!” I dart across the room to where Halo is sitting at the table with his laptop set up in front of him. Halo has been working tirelessly since Omen and Carnage decided three days ago to go after Alex. We had no way to know where he was being held and Devon has gone dark ever since he texted us a warning that we needed to get him out now.
Omen and Carnage offered to go to Desire and get taken, knowing she wouldn’t kill them. Carnage has a tracker on him that we’ve been waiting for him to activate. This is huge. Halo said we would get one shot since the tracker would be able to be detected if he was checked for transmitters. For both of them to offer themselves up like this shows just how much Alex means to them both.
“Where?” Pope asks as he peers over his other shoulder. Vatican comes to stand at the other end of the table with a tense look on his face, I know this whole situation is hard on them as well.
“Downtown Chicago, they’re being held at…” Halo clamps his mouth closed and frowns at the map on the screen.
“Spit it out!” Vatican snaps.
“They’re at the courthouse, well, underneath it by the looks of this thing,” Halo mutters as he zooms in on the map. I press in closer to get a better look but honestly, I have no idea how to read a fucking map, I rely on Siri calling out directions as I drive. “Why the hell would she take them there?” he wonders aloud.
“Because she has the cops on her payroll,” Pope grits out. I look up and meet his angry gaze.
“What does that mean?” I ask.
“It means, we’ll have to go through the CPD to get to Alex and my brothers,” Vatican answers for him.
“How the fuck are we supposed to do that?” I exclaim.
“By calling in the favors you have garnered. Don’t second guess yourself, Tate. What you have accomplished in five days wouldn’t be possible for anyone else in fifty years.” Halo’s acknowledgment of my achievements these past couple of days has me preening, I admit, it wasn’t fucking easy but I did it. I have no idea who the inner badass was that I was channeling when I walked in that room three days ago, but I had those men eating out of the palm of my hand and I didn’t need to flash them my pussy to hold their attention.
“Can we trust them to keep their word?” I ask the guys as I look at each of them.
“Given what you have promised them?” Pope says then scrubs a hand down his face. “Yeah, I think you can because the demise of my family means the rise of theirs and they won’t pass that shit up.”
I release a breath and nod. “Okay, let’s make a call and then get ready to head to Chicago. I want to get Alex out of there because I don’t trust that bitch not to kill him.”
“She won’t kill him, Tate,” Vatican says, trying to ease some of my worries but fails.
“I didn’t mean literally. She’ll destroy his mind first because she knows he can withstand the torture anyone inflicts on him,” I admit bitterly.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Halo pushes.
I take a deep breath and meet his gaze with a firm look. “She’ll use Omen and Carnage against him. To truly destroy Alex she’ll hurt the ones he loves most.” All three of them stare at me like they never considered this option. I did. As soon as Omen and Car told us about their plan to cause a distraction so we could meet with the others, I knew Desire would use them to get to Alex.
“Fuck!” Pope roars and punches the wall, leaving a nice little hole in the wall. I frown at him and shake my head.
“Breaking things won’t change what’s happening,” I scold. I know they may all be older than me but the three of them haven't been thinking clearly since Alex was taken. I know they all harbor guilt over that but it wasn’t their fault. My brother is to blame. He set all of this into motion. That shit burns me deep. Nexus is no better than our father. I trusted him blindly because he saved me from being subjected to Thomas’s wrath that night at the crematorium with Vivian. I thought he did it because he cared about me. My need for family clouded my judgment, all I wanted was for someone to be there for me. I didn’t realize it then, but I already had that with Vivian, Nova and even their guys. Now, my circle has widened as I now have Alex and these guys who I care about… a lot.
“Make the call, Tate. We leave for Chicago as soon as the plane is ready. I want my brother’s back,” Halo grits out as he climbs to his feet and stalks out of the room. Pope and Vat follow after him with their heads down, I can see the tension wafting off them in waves. I know this has to be hard for them. I get it because much like them, I have to face off against my own sibling and that shit is a hard pill to swallow. I push those thoughts away because they will do nothing but eat me up inside, and I can’t afford for that to happen. I need to keep a clear head and focus on what’s important.
Alex.
I pull my phone from my pocket and bring up my group chat with Nova and Vivian and hit call. I wait for them to answer.
Vivian is the first to answer. “Hey, how are you holding up?” she asks.
“I’m okay,” I answer as Nova joins the call.
“I’m making this a Facetime,” Nova says a second before my phone pings, alerting me to accept the change. I do. Both their faces fill the screen and I hate that they both look worried, I never wanted to involve them in this but I was out of options. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I breathe out.
“Stop pouting, girl, we’re here for you,” Nova says in a firm tone, bringing a small smile to my face.
“I’m sorry for dragging you both into this?—”
“Tate, stop,” Vivian snaps, forcing me to clamp my mouth closed. “We’re your friends. This is what friends do for each other. We’ve got your back and so do the guys.”
“Are they sure about this?” I press.
Nova scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Tatum, let me tell you something about Vox Hatchett. There is nothing and no one in this world that can make that man do something he doesn’t want to do. He’ll be there and he’ll do what’s needed of him because that’s just the type of person he is. I promise you, Vox, my brother and the guys will get the job done. You can count on them.” Her words should reassure me but the last person I counted on used me and lied to my fucking face. It still twists me up inside, Nexus’s betrayal burns like acid through my veins. Vivian and Nova both tried to warn me about my brother but I ignored them. I just thought they didn’t know him like I do but I was fucking wrong.
“Thank you both. I know what you are risking by helping me and I just want you both to know that I will never forget this and I swear, I won’t let anything happen to them,” I vow. I spend another few minutes talking to them and letting them know the plan before I end the call and dial the next person. My breathing turns harsh and I force myself to relax and channel my inner bad bitch.
“Tatum, what a pleasure to hear from you.” I fight not to scoff at his condescending tone.
“Yeah, I’m sure it is.” His laughter just serves to grate on my fucking nerves, I don’t trust this fucker as far as I can throw him. “Look, we have a slight issue but the guys assure me that you'll be able to aid us.” I try to keep the bite out of my tone but fail.
“What's the situation?” His voice is serious and gone is the humor from a second ago.
“We have a location, they’re being held at the courthouse.”
He snorts. “Of course she would choose that place, the gutless bitch.” His hatred for Desire is clear, I think his hatred for her could even rival my own.
“Why do you say that?” I hedge.
“She’s the only one who could get those greedy pigs in her pocket. What she pays them is worth those useless cocksuckers giving their life up to protect her.”
“Why was she the only one who could get the cops on her side?” I question.
“Because she’s the only one with a pussy and willing to allow the Sergeant to plough her rotten cunt to seal the deal.”
I shudder in disgust, women like Desire give the rest of us a bad name. She is the definition of fucking her way to the top .
“Can I count on you and your men to be there and support us?”
“I gave you my word.” His tone is strong and unyielding. “Unlike the De Santis, when I give my word, I don’t break it. “ I nod even though he can’t see me. “What exactly is the play here?”
“I want minimal bloodshed. All we need to do is cause a distraction long enough for my guys to extract them then… you can do as you like once we’re out of there.”
“Are you certain they will follow The Butcher?” His tone is filled with caution and I don’t blame him.
“I won’t lie to you, I’m not certain at all but I’m hoping their loyalty to the true Don will prevail and they will see reason.”
“That right there is the reason I agreed to aid you, Tatum.”
I reel back in surprise. “What does that mean?”
“It means, you could have lied to me when we first met and you could have lied again right now but you didn’t. You would make a great leader.”
I scoff. “I appreciate that but I’m not made for this life.”
He laughs. “You may not be, but the man you are risking your life to save would burn any city to the ground and not bat an eye at the loss of lives. A man like him needs a woman like you.”
“How so?” I find myself asking.
“You are the Yin to his Yang, the goodness inside you breathes life to the darkness inside him. Alexander is lucky to have someone like you by his side.”
“I would agree with you but Alex would probably disagree. He seems to think I have anger issues and I do admit, I tend to throw shit at him when I’m mad.” His laughter booms through the phone and I find myself smiling.
“Have your men send through the time and positions and I’ll relay the information to my own men. You have my word, Tatum, I will not double cross you.”
“As you have mine, Mr. Vatel.”