Chapter 18 #3
“Garcon, boy, that’s where you’re wrong.
See, you should’ve done more research before you got into business with us.
And you sure as fuck should’ve done so before you tried to have Arturo and his buddies double-cross us on your orders.
But where you really fucked up was going after Lakelyn and River,” I calmly informed him.
I knew calling him a boy would infuriate him. I was right. His face turned red, and there was hatred in his eyes.
“I told Père it was a mistake to do business with the likes of you. You were stupid to think we’d let you have such a lucrative territory for long.
If you want to survive, walk away and leave your businesses and territory to us, and hand over River and Lakelyn.
If you don’t, you’re dead,” Jean-Baptiste hissed.
I glanced over at Hugo. He appeared to be sweating and looked pale. His gaze kept darting between his son and me. “Hugo, I thought you were the head of the Jacquot family. You allow this enfant, infant, to speak for you?” I asked.
He swallowed and was opening his mouth when his son answered for him.
“Mon père is no longer the head of the Jacquot family. I am. He realized it was time to step back and let me move the family in new and more profitable directions while he enjoyed a well-deserved rest. My brother and cousins now answer to me. What will it be? Death and I take, or you live and give everything to me?” He smirked.
The tabarnak, motherfucker, thought he held all the cards. I smirked when Crypto’s voice entered my ear. “All hostiles neutralized, including those that were on standby. You’re clear to proceed, Pres.”
“Why don’t you call in your men from outdoors, Jean-Baptiste? And I don’t mean the three outside the building. How about those you had on the perimeter to come in and ambush us like Arturo’s tried to do? You had to wonder if this was a setup when it took so long for your man to call you.”
“It did take much longer than it should’ve. I trust no one, so yes, I brought backup, just in case. Rémi, I’ll deal with you and your family when I’m done with this bunch,” he sneered.
“No, I’m afraid you won’t. Call them,” I challenged.
My confidence finally began to sink in. His arrogance dimmed momentarily, then he shrugged and ordered one of his men to call. The man gave us a nervous look. I jerked my chin at Howler. He went over and felt in the guy’s jacket. Howler palmed his gun, took out a phone, then handed it to the guy.
“Put it on speaker,” Howler ordered him.
The guard pushed a few buttons, and then we heard the call ring. It kept ringing, and no one answered, so Jean-Baptiste’s confidence grew dimmer. After a dozen rings, the man disconnected the call.
“While you were preparing for what you thought was the worst-case scenario, my brothers and I prepared better. I figured you were watching my compound and would see reinforcements coming. And you’d be prepared for us to pull something.
So I gave you what you expected. What you saw was only what I wanted you to see.
“Meanwhile, a third chapter of the Kings came into Kearney and staked out your estate for the past two days. It was just bad timing for you that Mera tried to remove Lakelyn from my compound when she did. While all eyes were on mine and the Ohio chapter, our South Dakota chapter, led by their president, Bull, infiltrated your estate and wiped out all your main men, or those who weren’t identified as men forced into working for you the way Rémi was.
Your man here supplied me with the names of those like him.
Those names were passed to Virus, their hacker, and Crypto, mine, to ensure no mix-ups.
Rémi, are any of these three one of those names? ” I asked.
“No,” he said.
“Good,” I said, shooting the closest between the eyes. Howler and Scythe took out the other two. Hugo jumped back. Jean-Baptiste didn’t move. I stood there waiting to see who would speak first.
“What about Bastien and my nephews?” Hugo asked shakily.
“They’ve been executed. It’s down to you and your oldest,” I coldly answered.
“Then what are you waiting for? Shoot us and get it over with, encoulé, cocksucker!” Jean-Baptiste shouted.
“Oh, no, I’m afraid it has gone well past me shooting you and done.
See, you had to go after my woman, my old lady.
Lakelyn was never yours and would never have been.
She’s Kings of Anarchy’s property, specifically my property.
And you should’ve remembered that when you decided to betray me and then try to take my woman, that my name is Tyrant.
Let me educate you. A tyrant is someone who uses his power or authority in ways that are harmful, unjust, or cruel.
In this case, it’s cruel and harmful but hardly unjust. And to prove it isn’t unfair, I’ll make you a deal, Jean-Baptiste. ” I paused.
“What kind of deal?” he gritted between his clenched teeth.
“If you fight me, man-to-man, and beat me, you and your father walk free. I’ll instruct all my brothers in every chapter to let you both go and not to bother you unless you bother them first. And to show I’m not lying, I have it written and signed in a contract.
All you have to do is sign it, and we’ll see who the real man is.
Who is the man that Lakelyn should be with? ” I instigated.
I knew there was no way, as egotistical as he was, that Jean-Baptiste would be able to resist. “Give me the paper,” he said.
“No, no, don’t! Tyrant, I swear I’ll give you anything you want if you allow me and my son to return to Canada. You’ll never see or hear from us again. There will be no retribution. We’ll remain there,” Hugo pleaded.
“I won’t run and hide from this dog!” his son yelled.
“Shut up, you fool,” Hugo hoarsely muttered.
“You’re the fool! We wouldn’t be in this situation if you had never formed this business connection. I’m not scared of him or his fucking name. If he thinks he frightens me, then he’s delusional. I can beat him,” Jean declared.
“No, you can’t. I don’t know anyone who would be stupid enough to go up against him and expect to win. He’s unstoppable under normal circumstances. I’ve seen how he is with his old lady. He loves her. He’ll gladly kill and die for her. Take the fucking deal,” Scythe told him.
As expected, Jean-Baptiste refused to back down, and no matter what his father said to him or how much Hugo pleaded with me, the challenge was accepted.