Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
P arker stood outside the restaurant where he and Chelsey were supposed to meet, but he didn’t see her anywhere.
“Excuse us,” someone said next to him, and he jerked, realizing he was in the middle of the walkway to the entrance.
“Oh, sorry about that.” He moved to the side to let the group by, and his gaze continued traveling over the parking lot, but he didn’t see Chelsey.
Where are you?
He pulled out his cell phone to call her, hoping she was okay. It wasn’t like her to be late for anything, especially when she’d been looking forward to their date.
Her phone rang twice before she picked up. “Parker, baby, I’m so sorry,” she said in a rush. “Time got away from me and India, and I just got home. Let me change clothes really quick, and I’ll be right there.”
Relief flooded through him. “Are you sure you don’t want to do something different?” Parker asked. “I can pick food up for dinner or we can…”
“No way. You promised me a night out on the town with dinner and dancing and that’s what I want.”
Parker frowned. He didn’t remember anything about them going dancing. Then again, considering how she’d been putting up with him the last few weeks, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her.
Two more days.
In two days, when Wolf was out of the picture, Parker could get his head back on straight. Right now, he had a one-track mind. He couldn’t seem to think of anything else but the fact that his father was going down.
“Oh, crap,” Chelsey grumbled. “I need to charge my phone before it dies. I’ll meet you in front of the restaurant in fifteen min…”
When she didn’t continue, Parker glanced at his phone screen. The call had dropped and he chuckled.
“Alrighty then.” He guessed she really did need to charge her phone.
The good thing was, it never took her long to get dressed, and she only lived five or ten minutes from the restaurant. Yet, Parker doubted she could get to him as quickly as she was thinking.
Instead of returning to his truck to wait, he moved further away from the busy entrance. No sense in sitting in his vehicle when it was a beautiful evening. The weather was gradually changing into autumn with warm days and cool nights. As the sun slowly started its descent, a gentle breeze made it comfortable enough to stand outside.
While he waited, he called Angelo. They’d been playing phone tag for most of the day, and he was looking forward to talking to his buddy.
“Hello,” Angelo answered.
“Hey, man. What’s going on? Are you in town?” Parker leaned against a thick wood pillar while keeping his attention on the parking lot for Chelsey.
“Nope, still in Miami. You know how much Zenobia loves the beaches, but I called to check on you. The big day is almost here. How you holding up?”
“Anxious,” Parker said on a nervous laugh.
Most of his Atlanta’s Finest team were being kept abreast of everything regarding Wolf, especially Angelo. He’d been instrumental in getting the DEA and a few others involved.
“I’m glad it’s almost over. I can’t wait to be rid of Wolf.”
“I hear you, but keep in mind, the best-laid plans don’t always work, especially with drug dealers. This I know,” Angelo said. His time working undercover for the DEA had left a black mark on his soul. “I can give you fifty horror stories about how bad raids went or how we’d have everything planned to a second and then, poof. One small twist of fate and months of planning flies out the window.”
Parker rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I know you’re right.” Still, he was trying to think positive. He wanted a life where he wasn’t always looking over his shoulder. That could only happen if Wolf and the Kingz weren’t in the picture.
“However,” Angelo continued, “I think we have a good plan with some amazing people working together. It’ll happen, one way or another. You’ll get your freedom. In the meantime, I wanted to let you know that I made a decision about joining your security team in Miami. Count me in, bro.”
“Yes!”
Parker couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. Angelo would be the second person on his security team. Chelsey would be first. He had already told Rock that he’d asked Angelo to join him. Rock was cool with it and said he had a lot of respect for his brother-in-law, even though he’d never tell him.
“That’s awesome, man. I’m glad you’re in. So I guess Zen is okay with moving to Miami?”
Angelo snorted. “Are you kidding me? Why do you think we’re always here? She and her Mamita have been hinting around about us making this leap for some time now. So, yeah, they’re excited, but with all of my family in Atlanta, I hadn’t been ready to make a move this big until now.”
As they talked, Parker glanced around. Despite the number of people coming and going from the restaurant, he zoned in on two guys. Dressed in T-shirts and jeans, they were making their way from the parking lot.
What snagged his attention was how they moved, how they carried themselves in an arrogant type of way. He recognized the walk. Hell, he had mastered the walk.
They also had their heads on a swivel as if they were up to something or expecting trouble.
More importantly, they kept glancing at him.
Okay…what’s going on here? Or was he being paranoid?
“Lo,” Parker said slowly, using the nickname that they sometimes called Angelo. He lowered his voice. “Umm, let me call you back.” He disconnected the call before giving his friend time to respond.
The guys, still glancing around as they moved in his direction, split up, coming toward him from different sides. That was, assuming he was their target. He still wasn’t sure since he was standing outside of a busy restaurant minding his own damn business.
He wanted his hands free—just in case. Slipping the phone into his pocket, Parker thought about his options. His 9mm was in his glove compartment, but he had a small Glock in his ankle holster. Or he could just fistfight his way out of whatever was happening here.
“Parker Wilcox,” the first guy said when they were a couple of feet away. “Need to talk to you?”
“Do I know you?” he asked, trying to buy some time while taking in the situation.
He gave them both a quick once-over. One was tall, around his height, but not as big. The other might’ve been about five feet ten, with some extra weight on him—weight that wasn’t muscle.
Parker could take them.
When his attention returned to the talker, the tall guy, he noticed the full sleeve of tattoos on his left arm, and his breath stalled in his throat.
Oh, shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.
He looked away. He didn’t want to bring attention to the fact that he’d spotted a six-point crown tattoo with flames shooting out of the center point on the inside of the man’s left wrist.
The Kingz .
The other, who had managed to move closer when Parker wasn’t paying attention, didn’t look like a banger, but…
Parker felt the muzzle of a gun in his ribs, and he gritted his teeth. He could disarm the asshole, break his hand, and put a bullet in the other dude before they knew what happened.
He wouldn’t.
Not yet.
Not before he got some answers.
“Don’t make a scene and no one gets hurt,” the guy with the gun said close to his ear.
“If you don’t want a scene, get that damn gun out of my back.” Parker might’ve sounded calm, but inside he was fuming.
“Can’t do that. You being former SWAT, you probably have a few tricks up your sleeve.”
Someone did their homework , but the tall guy had called him Parker. Not Junior .
Parker suddenly had a bad feeling that whatever was going on here had something to do with the two visitors at Supreme the other day.
“Just want to talk.”
“Then talk,” Parker snapped.
“Not here.”
“I don’t know who you are or what this is about. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“See that little girl right there?” the other guy said of an adorable grade-schooler who was skipping toward the entrance of the restaurant with her parents strolling behind her.
“You either take a walk with us or I’m gonna shoot her. I won’t kill her. I’ll just maim her, then I’ll do the same to her parents.”
The last thing Parker wanted was for innocent bystanders to get hurt, but…
Ah, hell. Chelsey.
Dammit !
She was in the parking lot walking toward the restaurant. On any given day, he’d be able to spot her anywhere, even if he wasn’t looking for her. But today, the yellow blouse she was wearing was like a blinking neon sign that screamed: look at me .
He needed her to get out of here. Or maybe he could go with these guys, and at least get them away from the restaurant.
Parker snuck another look at Chelsey, and she looked directly at him and smiled. But just as quickly, her smile dropped. They had a special connection, and Parker prayed to God that she could somehow read his mind.
Don’t come any closer. Get out of here. Go! Now!
She froze.
Yes. That’s it, sweetheart. Turn around and get out of here.
When she eased back, partially hidden behind a minivan, Parker released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He didn’t want Chelsey anywhere near him. In case whatever he decided to do next with these guys went sideways, he didn’t want her to get hurt.
Knowing her, she’d be able to read the situation and call the cops. Or better yet, maybe she’d send out a 311 alert to Atlanta’s Finest. The code meant that one of them was in trouble, and the calvary would show up within minutes.
Right now, Parker needed to figure out how to deal with these bastards.
And how the hell did they find me?
“Let’s go,” the guy with the gun said.
Yeah. Let’s.