Chapter 36 Trey
Trey
One too many beers and a day in the sun, I need my bed. I’m so close to the day being over when my phone rings.
“Yeah?” I answer when I don’t recognise the number calling.
“It’s James.” Officer Sketchy. “Heads up, your club is going to be raided in one hour.”
The call cuts off and I turn to Angel at the bar. “Where’s Luca?”
Pointing his finger upward, he says, “With Victoria.”
“We’re gonna be raided, in an hour.”
He rushes into motion, and I run up three flights of stairs in record time, knocking on Luca’s door trying to get my breath back.
Suddenly sober when the door opens, Luca stares at me. I tell him, “Sketchy called, we’re gonna be raided in an hour.”
“Shit.” He turns and tells Victoria, “Take River, find somewhere busy to eat, and stay there. You’ve got five minutes to get your shit together and be down in the bar.” Pushing me backward, he runs down the stairs with me following suit.
Angel and the brothers are already moving out guns and the stockpile of ammunition.
Luca and I help out and we take the load out back.
The prospect and Max jump the wall, and King and I climb onto the wall and act as the middlemen getting the guns over.
Once they are all over, King and I jump down, and we haul them all into the warehouse.
“You think this is about Annabel?” King asks quietly.
I shrug. “Most likely.”
“Shit.”
Back in the bar, Luca is ushering Victoria and their kid out of the door. He comes back in a few minutes later.
“Where’s Rudi tonight?” I ask Angel.
“At the hospital.”
“Everyone, check every corner in case we’ve missed anything. I don’t want shit left when they show up,” Luca orders.
“You think this is to do with the Mayor’s daughter?” King asks everyone else.
I don’t bother repeating myself. He’s freaking out. I check behind the bar and find nothing.
“Probably,” Angel grunts.
“Didn’t the rat cop say why?” Max asks me.
“Nope, just said what he said and hung up.”
“Maybe you should tell him you need details in future. It would help more,” Max argues.
“Doesn’t matter,” Luca snaps. “They won’t find anything about anything. We’re gonna sit and drink beers, and when they show up, we’ll act like we’re in complete surprise.” He looks to us all and then adds, “Someone open the door, it’ll save us fixing it up or paying out for a new one.”
I cross the bar and leave the door half open. On my way back I turn the music on and turn it on low.
The prospect hands out beers and we all take a seat around the largest table we have.
Cigarettes are lit. Angel drums his fingers on the tabletop. Luca texts away on his phone. King looks guilty. No doubt thinking he’s at fault if this is about Annabel.
“Before the pigs get here, I wanted to tell you all that I’m getting married soon.”
All eyes swing in Maxwell’s direction, brows raised, no one saying a word for a long minute. Not until Warren asks, “Since when? And more importantly, who the fuck would marry you?”
“She’s called Ruby, and brothers, she is a fuckin’ Goddess.”
“How come we haven’t seen her around?” I ask.
Warren laughs and slaps his brother on the back. “Because he’s dreaming.” Looking at Maxwell, he asks, “Is Ruby the woman who turned you down at Darius’s place the other night?”
“She didn’t turn me down, she wasn’t ready to know me.”
Brothers burst out laughing. “What’s so funny? She’ll come around and when she does, I’m marrying her. Tying her down as soon as I can.”
“What if she doesn’t?” I ask him.
Rolling his eyes, he says, “She will. I’m a fuckin’ catch.”
Over his shoulder I see cops creeping up to the door on the security screens.
“Show time,” I murmur just as the door slams wide open.
Luca was right, we’ve been saved from having to replace the door. He’s first on his feet. “What the fuck is going on?” he demands.
Brothers, including me, holler and do our part to make them believe we had no idea they were coming.
“Every ass down on the floor, now! Hands behind your heads!” A cop hollers. We’re outnumbered four to one and have just as many guns trained on us.
“Are you gonna tell us why you’re here or shall I assume you’ve got the wrong address.”
With us all on the floor with our hands behind our backs, officers cuff us. The Mayor walks in and paces before us.
“Tell me where my daughter is and I won’t rip this place down.”
Luca’s laughter sets off the Mayor. “Tell me what happened to her!” he bellows.
“How the fuck would I know? She was here and then she left, didn’t tell any of us. Don’t make this our problem,” Luca replies.
“Oh this is certainly your problem. My daughter was last seen here, there is no sighting of her since your call to Jamie Hayward. She wouldn’t go this long without calling me for money or help.
If you are true to your word, then you’re going to help me find her.
The death threats I was receiving before, you will start with them, and you will track her down. ”
“I don’t have to do shit. I was asked to keep watch over her and I did. She left. She’s no longer my problem.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You have seventy-two hours to bring her back to me or you all go down for twelve counts of murder. Your little shoot out didn’t go unnoticed, and I will make sure you and your club pay for it if my Annabel doesn’t come home.”
Watching Luca speak with the Mayor, you wouldn’t know he is lying through his teeth. “Where the fuck am I supposed to start? Apart from her reading her books, we don’t know shit about her.”
“Start from here, it was the last place she was seen after all.”
An officer walks over. “There’s nothing here.”
The Mayor’s disbelief is comical. Fuck him.
The place empties as fast as they rushed in. The Mayor glares at Luca one last time and he too, leaves.
“What the fuck are we going to do?” King asks.
“First, you’re gonna stop asking stupid questions,” Luca snaps. “We ain’t doing shit. We don’t bend to the Mayor’s will just because he speaks. He’ll soon learn that.”
I pick up a couple of chairs and set them straight. Brother’s have the bar straightened up in less than ten minutes while Luca stares at the door.
“What’s wrong, Luc? Angel asks him.
“That’s twice we’ve let the police walk right in.
There won’t be a third.” He turns to us and tells us, “We’re gonna brick it up.
The back will be the only way in and out.
It will make it easier for us to hole up if needed.
The gate will be locked at all times. The prospect will sit on it when he ain’t needed. ”
“Maybe we should look at getting more prospects,” the prospect grunts.
Luca ignores him and focuses on me. “Look at ways to fortify this place, and cover the warehouse too.”
I grin. The adrenaline is coursing through me, and I’ve never felt so at home as I do here with this bunch of assholes.