Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
“ I f I help you, what’s in it for me?”
And there it was.
Parker stood between Chelsey and Angelo as they faced Rock, who was standing behind his huge oak desk. It was Friday evening, and they’d arrived in Miami a short while ago and were now in Rock’s home office.
Parker had known it was only a matter of time before Rock posed that question. Heck, he grew up with a gangster, and they rarely did anything for anyone unless it benefited them in some way. But in all honesty, it was a fair question. He was asking Rock to use his knowledge, resources, and possibly his influence to help him destroy Wolf. There were risks involved. Why shouldn’t he get something out of the deal?
“What do you want?” Parker asked.
He folded his arms across his chest and braced himself for whatever was coming next. The thought of selling his soul to a devil to take down another devil didn’t appeal to him, but he had to get rid of Wolf.
Slow to respond, Rock readjusted his long dreadlocks that were bound at the nape of his neck. Mixed-race, African American and Latino, the man was around six feet four and solidly built with two hundred and fifty pounds of muscle. Yet, it wasn’t his size that made him look intimidating. No, it was the hardness of his eyes that would keep a lesser man from approaching him.
Casually dressed in white linen pants and a royal-blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up over his tatted forearms, Rock looked like just another wealthy guy in Miami. Except he was no ordinary guy. This man had built a multimillion-dollar empire despite the DEA and other government agencies unsuccessfully trying to take him down. Parker had mad respect for him for that alone.
Still, approaching him for help might not be the best decision, but he didn’t have any other viable ideas.
“I always liked you, Parker,” Rock said, and a slow grin spread across his mouth as he sat in the leather chair behind his desk. “You remind me a lot of Gavin.”
Parker had no clue what that meant as he glanced at Gavin who was standing to the right of the desk like some edgy royal guard. At six feet tall and slim, he might’ve looked harmless in a navy sports jacket, white T-shirt, and jeans, but like Rock, his eyes told a different story. Gavin wasn’t harmless at all. He had seen some shit and had indulged in his share of criminal activity. Otherwise, there was no way he’d still be hooked up with Rock after so many years.
“But now that I know a little more about you,” Rock continued, “I have a whole new respect for you.”
They didn’t really know each other. Parker had only met the guy a couple of times when the man visited Atlanta. So he wasn’t sure what Rock was talking about unless Angelo had shared some details about Parker’s past with him. Which would make sense. No way would Rock agree to meet with him on this subject otherwise.
But the fact that Rock was comparing him to Gavin should’ve been a compliment. According to Angelo, his brother-in-law often referred to Gavin as his brother and there was nothing they wouldn’t do for each other.
Yet, Parker didn’t trust easily and compliment or not, he needed to know up front what Rock’s help would cost him.
“What do you want?” Parker asked again. “What’s it going to take for you to help us? Or should I say help me?”
Silence fell between them as Rock regarded him. He was impossible to read, and for the first time since Angelo mentioned calling him, Parker was having second thoughts.
“I want you to come work for me.”
“ What? ” Parker, Chelsey, and Angelo said in unison.
“You do realize I work for Supreme, right?” Parker asked, though the question was rhetorical. “I’m not leaving them. If that’s what you’re suggesting, this conversation is over.” He owed Mason too much and had too much respect for him to walk away from him for the likes of Rock.
Parker reached for Chelsey’s hand and headed for the door. He didn’t like games, and clearly that’s what this guy was playing.
“Wait.” Rock’s one word crackled through the quietness of the room. “I’m not done talking to you.”
Parker glanced over his shoulder. “You are if you think I’m leaving Supreme.”
“Rock, what the hell are you up to?” Angelo snapped. “You’re either going to help or you’re not. Don’t be wasting our time.”
“Hey!” Rock slapped his hand on the desk, the sound deep and booming. “You’re the one who called me. I’ll take as much time as I damn well please! You’re all here because you know I can help take Wolf down, maybe even with as little as a few phone calls.” His gaze leveled on Parker. “And you and I both come from the streets. Surely, you knew I wouldn’t be doing anything to help you without getting something in return.”
Still holding Chelsey’s hand, Parker returned to the desk. “ Again , what do you want?” he bit out, his patience dwindling.
“I want you to oversee my security. Not just my personal security but all my security needs. I have some big projects in the works, and I want someone I can trust and depend on to have my back.”
Parker stood, dumbfounded. Rock didn’t even know him. What made him think he could trust and depend on him?
Granted, it wouldn’t be a hardship for Parker to live in a city that averaged over two-hundred-and-forty days of sunshine a year. And the beaches? Yeah, he could live with that, too.
But working for Rock—who may or may not have gone straight—was too much of a risk. There was a strong chance the man still had his hands in illegal activities. That was something Parker wanted no part of, especially since Chelsey was in his life now. No way would he put her in jeopardy any more than he already had.
“What about Gavin?” Parker asked, as if he was seriously entertaining this crazy idea. “Isn’t he currently over your security?”
“I look out for my boss, but I have enough on my plate without overseeing all of security. Besides, I agree with Rock. You’d be better suited; for more reasons than one,” Gavin said and Rock nodded.
Parker understood exactly what that meant.
Whether Rock had gone legit or not, he’d made a lot of enemies—enemies who might someday try to come for him. Rock could hire anyone to oversee his security, but Parker had something many others didn’t. He had law enforcement as well as criminal experience. A valuable combination in Rock’s world.
Now Parker was the one studying him. There was nothing more dangerous than a smart criminal, and Rock didn’t get to where he was today by being a dummy. No, the man might be ruthless, but he was also good at strategizing.
“Why not hire Supreme Security?” Angelo asked. “You’ve said more than once that they have the best security model you’ve seen, and that you’re impressed with the organization. Parker doesn’t provide personal security outside of Georgia, but there are several guys on staff who do. You’d have your choice of people to be on your detail, and you already know that Mase and Ham hire the best.”
“I agree. I’m seriously impressed with what they’ve built, and I want to create that here…with Parker overseeing it. The main point here is that Parker would head my security. I doubt Mason and Hamilton would let him be here all the time for that. Yes, I’ll want personal security, especially since some of my future business deals will be taking me out of town on day trips here and there.
“But the security team I want to build would be much bigger than that. I recently bought a major record label in which I agreed to provide security for certain artists, and I have several other unrelated deals in the works, including building a resort here in Miami and one in Paris. Both, for a very high-end clientele. I’m going to need the best security team money can buy, and I want that team based in Miami with Parker leading it,” he emphasized again.
Well, damn. Now he had Parker curious and if he was honest, a little interested. Yet, his loyalties would always be to Mason.
“Parker, if that’s something you think you’ll be interested in, why don’t you run it by Mason? I know you’re his golden boy so I’m sure he wouldn’t let you leave Supreme easily.”
Exactly how much had Angelo told his brother-in-law? Probably more than Angelo had wanted to, but at least he’d been able to get them a face-to-face with Rock. Which was more than Parker could have done on his own.
“What if I say no? What would that mean for you helping me with this situation?”
Rock picked up the pack of cigarettes that were on top of his desk and shook one out but didn’t light it.
“I think the real question should be—how bad do you want to destroy Wolf and the syndicate?”
That was an easy question, but Parker kept his mouth shut.
Again, he needed to decide if he was willing to sell his soul to one devil to destroy another. Then again, assuming Rock really had gone straight, would being over his security really be a bad thing?
If he’d really gone straight, this could be an opportunity Parker didn’t know he wanted.
“Think about it overnight and talk to Mason. Then hook up with me tomorrow evening. In the meantime, I’m going to start looking into a few things.”
“What exactly are you looking into?” Parker asked.
Rock chuckled. “And you wonder why I want you as part of my team. Anyone else, out of desperation, would’ve already agreed to work for me. Not you, though. I like that about you, Knuckles . Trying to get as much information out of me before deciding on whether you can trust me. I can respect that.”
Parker stiffened at hearing his street name. Damn, this guy really was good. The only person Parker had given that information to was Chelsey, and he knew she hadn’t shared it with anyone. He didn’t even think Mason knew.
Rock picked up his lighter, but instead of lighting the cigarette, he rolled the gold-plated object between his fingers.
“Are you sure you want to know where I’m planning to start with your father?”
“I want to be in on anything that will take Wolf down once and for all. If you know something that I might be able to use against him, yeah, I want to know.”
A slow, ruthless smile kicked up the corners of Rock’s mouth.
“If you must know, after Angelo called me about this meeting, I made a few inquiries about Wolf and the Kingz. Your father is in the process of brokering a gun deal with someone who owes me. Depending on what you tell me tomorrow about overseeing my security, I might decide to cash in that debt. Which would mean, my ass would be all up in that deal. If that happens, and everything goes as planned, that would be the first dent we put into Wolf’s organization.”
Angelo stiffened next to Parker. “What happened to you going straight?” he snapped. “Our deal was, if you become a law-abiding citizen, then I’ll let you have a relationship with my family.”
Angelo hadn’t wanted Rock anywhere near Zenobia or their twin infants, but after Rock promised that he and his dealings were legal, Angelo changed his tune.
“Relax, brother-in-law. You’re the one who came to me to help your friend here. Remember? ”
Angelo was slow to respond, and Parker should feel guilty about stirring up a mess in their family. Selfishly, he didn’t. If Rock had the means and an idea of how to take Wolf down once and for all, Parker couldn’t just walk away.
“I might’ve called you for help, but I didn’t ask you to do anything illegal,” Angelo countered, looking as if he wanted to leap across the desk and throat-punch the guy.
Heated seconds ticked by with Rock and Angelo staring each other down. The tension was palpable. Thick enough to cut with a chainsaw, and Parker wasn’t sure how to slice through it.
Then Rock broke eye contact. “ Fine , I won’t do anything that could bring heat to any of us, and when we do go after Wolf, I’ll keep everything aboveboard.”
Angelo released a low, menacing growl. “Why don’t I believe you?”
“You can believe whatever the hell you want, but I’m serious. I told you, Zen, and my mother that I was cleaning up my act, and I have. Now that I have a niece and a nephew, I want to make sure I’m a part of their lives. Besides, the last thing I need in my life is your former DEA cronies, the Feds, or even ATF breathing down my neck.” He shook his head and cringed. “Nope, I don’t need that type of shit again.”
Parker and Angelo were not just coworkers, they were friends, and Parker didn’t want any bad blood between them.
Still, he wanted to be rid of Wolf. If he could ensure that Rock kept everything legal, or if nothing else, maintained several layers of protection between him and his criminal contacts, then Parker wanted to move forward.
But before he made any decisions or promised anything, he needed to have a conversation with Chelsey. She hadn’t said much during this meeting, and whatever he decided to do would affect her as well as him.
She was giving him a second chance with her, and there was no way he’d mess that up. Which meant he needed to tread carefully on all fronts, but could he do that and be connected to Rock in any way?