Chapter 18 #2
“Mon doux bébé, I will be super careful. I’m coming home to you. And when I do, you and I have more things to figure out.”
“Like what?”
“You’ll see,” I smirked.
I knew it would drive her crazy, wondering.
She pinched my side before I gave her one last peck on the mouth and walked out.
My smile slid away, and my Tyrant side entirely took over.
I was about to teach the Jacquots what happened to those who fuck with the Kings of Anarchy and why they should’ve never targeted my club. There will be blood flowing tonight.
???
We’d made it to the handoff place in plenty of time.
Since we didn’t want to draw attention to ourselves or be recognized if we were seen, we’d left all the motorcycles at the compound.
Yeah, bikers riding in cages wasn’t a pretty sight.
It was nothing but grumpy faces and muttered curses.
In addition, to make it worse, we left our cuts behind.
It felt like we were naked and without a weapon.
We didn’t worry as much about our clothing because it was nighttime.
Dark jeans, boots, and dark shirts were okay.
Crypto and River were monitoring the police radio in case anyone called about the address.
In addition, they were tapped in and ensured there were no cameras at the building to worry about, and that traffic cams in that general area would be on the fritz so that nothing would record us in that section of town.
We also brought a frequency jammer to kill cell phones that others might bring to the building.
Our radio comms, used with the earpieces we wore to make communicating and coordinating in the thick of things possible, were set to a rarely used frequency so the jammer wouldn’t affect them.
It was something that Crypto had tinkered with and improved.
He did that to a lot of things. To protect against being shot and killed, we wore Kevlar vests.
It would reduce the odds of us dying from a gunshot wound unless we took one to the head.
The drivers of the various vehicles dropped us off at different points around the property, then parked in their assigned areas.
They would meet us back at the building.
Some men were serving as lookouts outside while the rest of us were inside the building, waiting for the Jacquots to show.
Rémi was inside with me. I made sure he was kept close to me.
If he tried to warn or help the enemy, I’d shoot him dead before he could expose us.
While many people would grow tense as they waited, this kind of situation made me feel calmer and more focused.
It had been the same whenever I went into battle or danger with my club or when I’d been with my SEAL team.
If Lakelyn had been nearby or in the crosshairs, that would have been a stressor for me.
We were spread throughout the building. There were two stories to it.
It was a cross between a warehouse and a plant, like where one would’ve built automobiles.
There were cranes and other heavy-duty equipment scattered throughout it.
Although it had been abandoned, Rémi assured us that most of it was still operational.
I wondered whether the Jacquots had left the utilities on, or if whoever owned it had forgotten they hadn’t turned them off.
Wouldn’t they realize they paid the electric bill?
From the looks of it, it had been decommissioned for more than a year or two.
When I mentioned it to Rémi, he told us he’d been here more than a time or two over the last three years.
“You have incoming. ETA five minutes out. There is a silver Escalade and a black Mercedes 7 Series sedan. Get set,” Crypto’s voice spoke into our ears.
Rémi, Howler, and I were back toward the office area, which Rémi told us they would head to first when they entered.
We’d turned on the light in the office but left the others off.
In addition, the vehicle he and Henri had driven to kidnap Lakelyn was parked outside, where it would be visible.
The rest of the men inside were ordered to remain hidden until we had them inside the office door.
Then, we’d reveal ourselves to them. Those outside would, as quietly as possible, dispose of the people they left outside on patrol.
“They’ve pulled in front of the building. Getting out and scanning around. It’s Hugo, Jean-Baptiste, and six men, including the sedan’s driver,” Crypto informed us.
“Everyone, hold your positions until I say,” I murmured.
A handful of moments later, the squeaky door we’d entered at the other end of the building sounded.
From my hiding spot, I saw two men enter.
They were followed by Hugo and his son, and another guy brought up the rear.
That left three outside to be dealt with.
Recalling what happened with Arturo and his men, we wouldn’t expose all our outside forces to take out the three guys standing guard in case they had others watching.
“Henri, Rémi, where the fuck are you?” Jean-Baptiste yelled as he stormed toward the lit office. He was so impatient that he pushed past their two guards.
“Sir, let us check first,” one of them stated.
“I don’t need you to check on shit. I can do that myself.
If you want to do something, find the switch and turn some more lights on in here.
I need to see what I’m doing when I teach this bitch a lesson.
You’ll want to see the show. You’ll learn how to train a woman properly,” Jean-Baptiste sneered.
“Fils, son, she’s here. Another moment or two won’t make a difference. I know you’ve been waiting a long time. Anticipation can be a good thing,” Hugo cajoled him.
“Père, it can be, but I’m impatient to start her lessons.
Lakelyn has cost me too much time and energy.
If goddamn Barbeau hadn’t gotten greedy and run to them, I would’ve had her in my bed and under my control a long time ago.
I should’ve never listened to you. I wanted to take her from the start, but you didn’t want to upset her father.
You said we needed him. Well, as you can see, we didn’t.
I should’ve acquired her, and to hell with the consequences.
Over six months of wasted time,” he snapped at Hugo.
“I know, I know. I miscalculated. I thought his accounting skills couldn’t be matched. But I agree with what Gerald told you about his son and his capabilities, when added to those of Lakelyn, that they can more than fill their père’s shoes. And if we find someone better, they can be sold.”
“I’m not selling her until I’ve used her up.
She owes me. As for River, I don’t care about him.
As soon as his superior is found, he’s gone.
See how that high-and-mighty whore likes her precious baby brother sold into a life of servitude.
She’ll do everything I want and beg me to keep her and him. ” Jean-Baptiste darkly chuckled.
Listening to him talk about my woman and River like that and imagining what he would do to Lakelyn made me want to rush out of my hiding spot and shoot the cocksucker. But I had a better end in mind for him.
As they argued, they’d reached about ten feet from the office door.
The lead guards stopped and peered around the area.
Their hands were under their jackets. They were wary.
Not wanting them to start shooting, I pressed the remote I had in my pocket.
There was the sound of scuffling and then Lakelyn’s muffled scream from the office.
I’d recorded it earlier at home. At that moment, Rémi came walking out of the darkness.
The bodyguards had whipped around and almost drawn their weapons, but froze when they saw him.
“I don’t like to be kept waiting, Rémi. Why didn’t you or Henri answer when I shouted for you?” Jean-Baptiste snarled.
“I’m sorry, sir. I had to step out back to take a piss. I didn’t hear you. As for Henri, I don’t know. He’s in there with the woman.”
When Rémi pointed to the room, Jean-Baptiste pushed past his men, jerked the door open, and rushed inside. The others and his father were on his heels. Most of my team and I emerged from the darkness and entered behind them.
“What the—” Hugo’s puzzled tone cut off as he turned and saw us standing behind them. Our guns were out and pointed at the five men. His son swung around at his father’s words. His hand lowered.
“Jean-Baptiste, I’d keep my hands where I can see them if you don’t want me to shoot you in the head right this second. The same goes for your father and these men. We’re going to spend some quality time together tonight. We have several things I need to get off my chest,” I growled.
“Tyrant, what is the meaning of this?” Hugo asked.
I wondered if he’d try to play innocent. Surely, he wasn’t stupid enough to believe we were here by accident. Although to keep them guessing, Rémi also had his hands in the air as if he were surprised by our appearance. It had been his suggestion to delay any gunshots until we had them contained.
“Where are they?” Jean-Baptiste barked at me.
“Who? Did you lose someone?” I smirked.
“Don’t fucking play games with me, Tyrant!
I can have you and your little club of biker trash wiped out of existence without lifting a finger.
If you harm a hair on our heads or we don’t return home in perfect health, our family and men will move against your entire club and burn that shithole you call a compound to the ground, and we’ll take Lakelyn and River.
It makes no difference to us. I will have what I want,” Jean-Baptiste snarled.