Chapter 17
TATUM
Poor Beckham is still trying to process his father’s scent match. All I know is that I wouldn’t want to watch my dad dick someone down either, so I’m glad we got the hell out of that meeting when we did.
The last couple of days, Jamie, Alaric, and I have been scarce, trying to piece together what’s really happening with the drug situation. We all told our omega that this isn’t his fault, and it’s not, however it does need to be dealt with.
Beckham’s still very distraught over the students that are dying, and the families are feeling the heat for the drug dealing. That can’t stand, and our dads have told us to handle it.
A part of me says that Ralph has something to do with it due to his outbursts at the meeting.
Beckham’s old man is clearly putting too much trust in the alpha, and the truth needs to be revealed about this piece of shit, whatever that might be.
It’s dangerous to have someone at your side that has secrets, and Beckham’s scent always changes when he sees him.
This alone is reason to run down some leads.
I’ve taken to the computer to check security cameras around the city to see where Ralph’s been spending his time, and I’ve also been looking into Cross Pharmaceuticals.
The drugs are clearly coming from Jamie’s dad’s company.
I know because I lifted some off a student last night at a party.
He didn’t even say thank you, the ass. There’s a high probability that he would have OD’d without my intervention. Since I can’t help everyone, I left a few Narcan single use nasal sprays with the host of the party, telling him to watch the students partying at his house.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll inadvertently help someone else.
I’m not against the selling of illegal drugs. People need their fix, and we’re willing to supply it. My issue is someone fucking with our drugs.
“Arlo says that there’s a new buyer,” Jamie says, leaning against a brick wall. I’m hunched over my computer running through our records, looking to see how much their person has been buying. “The problem is that he never gives a name.”
“He’s also buying a lot of the good shit,” I observe. “Tell Arlo to cut him off, Jamie. No one else on our list of distributors would be this fucking stupid. Dead college kids mean cops sniffing around. Wait, there’s a delivery scheduled for tonight…”
“Let’s make sure we’re there,” Alaric growls out.
“Beckham’s cries are all I think about. I refuse to let him continue to put this on himself.
It’s not his fault, but he’ll continue to worry about this until it’s handled.
Ralph has been very chatty around town. Do you think he’s trying to make trouble or maybe trying to wrestle Eddy Kennedy’s empire from him? ”
“He could say that Eddy is getting too old,” I muse.
“However, even our dads don’t want to tangle with him.
Eddy is ruthless, and his word means something when he speaks.
If Ralph is attempting to say that Eddy missed this under his own leadership, he will rightfully rip his fucking head off.
This is a dangerous game, and it’s time to end it. ”
“Yes,” Jamie agrees. “Should I let Arlo know to expect us?”
“Let’s not trust anyone on this,” I decide.
“There’s been too much cloak and dagger bullshit as it is.
No one should be buying anonymously from your father.
It’s more difficult to solidify proper business relationships and loyalty this way, and then if things go wrong, harder to put a stop to things. ”
I may not be going to school to become book smart, but I know our businesses like the back of my hand. Alaric, Jamie, and I are our fathers’ heirs, and our dads didn’t raise numbskulls.
“Ralph’s favorite haunts appear to be the docks and the warehouse district, and Eddy doesn’t have any business there currently. As his second in command, there’s no fucking reason for Ralph to be there,” Jamie grumbles, checking his phone.
“What time is the drop, and is this a fact finding mission or are we shutting it down tonight?” Alaric asks, allowing us to take point.
Great leaders are willing to delegate, and Alaric knows how to do that.
“In two hours,” I murmur, checking my computer again.
“Ralph seems to be all over town again. I have glimpses of him recorded at lunch with some guys I don’t recognize, and then he went into a meeting at a club.
It was five in the afternoon. What the fuck is he doing at a strip club? Is he that hard up?”
It’s not a secret that a lot of nefarious deals happen at strip clubs. If he’s not getting his rocks off, then he’s up to something.
“Let’s go by the house and change,” Alaric says. “It might be a late night, so we’ll pick up takeout on the way.”
We’ve been working outside today as we’ve been checking out leads. I’m starving. If we’re going to be playing Sherlock Holmes tonight, I need some grub.
Leaving the alley, we walk to our car and get in. The takeout doesn’t take long to pick up, and we eat at home before getting ready.
“Gear up!” Alaric shouts from downstairs to get us to hurry. I swear…
“Yes, Daddy!” I yell back, sliding my gun into my ankle holster.
I’m wearing black cargo pants with lots of pockets, my favorite combat boots in case I get blood on them, and a black long sleeved shirt that is well fitting. Now, I’m hiding my guns and knives where I can easily reach for them.
This is a fact finding mission to both endear us to Beckham’s father, as well as figure out the mystery that’s been plaguing our omega. Both things can be true at the same time, and I really hope whatever we find out tonight will help ease Beckham’s mind.
The man needs to sleep better.
“Jamie, we gotta roll!” I call out. He’s in the closet grabbing his favorite weapons from the gun vault, and pops his head back out.
“Ready. Let me just shut this up tight,” he says. I can hear the moment it closes because it’s not quiet, and then he’s walking out with me.
Alaric already has his car keys in his hand, and a dark hoodie is shadowing his face. He looks really fucking dangerous and hot.
“I don’t want anyone to see us,” he explains.
Nodding, we pull on our own nondescript hoodies and then we’re out the door.
Alaric drives in silence to the drop, and makes sure to park in an alley not far from the warehouse. We can run if necessary, and I can put a tracker on the vehicles sitting outside of the warehouse.
Moving quickly, we find an open door and slip inside, hidden amongst the boxes on the far side of the room so no one can see us. We’re a couple of minutes early, but I can see Arlo with the merchandise along with some of our guys.
“We’ve got shit to do after this, people,” he calls out. “Let’s make sure there aren’t any issues.”
No one wants trouble with a drug drop, so this is pretty standard.
A knock on the steel door has Arlo crossing the warehouse and pushing the door open slowly.
“Good. Let’s do this, shall we?” he asks, allowing a few people inside.
Alaric makes a face as the light hits Ralph’s face, and I take a photo of the people entering the warehouse. I’m going to need a lot of evidence in order to show Eddy that his right hand man has flipped allegiances.
I noticed how loud Eddy got while defending Ralph. Shrugging, I decide to record whatever conversation happens during this drop as well. There’s no such thing as overkill when it comes to gathering evidence.
“Thanks for getting this shipment together so quickly,” Ralph rasps.
The fucker is trying to conceal his identity. Idiot. Switching to video, I smirk as his guilt is recorded in technicolor for his boss to see.
“No problem,” Arlo shrugs. “Your money wire has cleared. It’s a pleasure doing business with you. Now get the fuck out.”
Ralph signals his cronies to come forward. One of them has a tire iron in his hand, and he uses it to open one of the wooden boxes to check the product. Carefully piercing a bag with a knife, he licks it to confirm that it’s good.
I roll my eyes at the theatrics. If he’s used us before, he knows that Connor Cross doesn’t fuck around. It also shows that he doesn’t trust us, and Arlo’s eyes darken with disgust.
“Mm. Yeah, it’s good shit, boss,” the man says.
“As always, thanks for the product,” Ralph says, watching as his men pick up the boxes before following him out.
“Stupid fuckers,” Arlo mutters as the door slams shut.
He’s busy in his tirade as he gets ready to leave, and doesn’t notice as my pack slips out a side door to follow Ralph. They pack up the vehicle while Alaric runs for our car.
“Stay here,” I mutter to Jamie, before using the shadows to get close to Ralph’s vehicle. They’re packing the product into three different cars, and Ralph’s is one of them. It’s a fuck ton of product.
We can’t let that make it out onto the streets. Fuck.
Moving silently, I use the noise of the men loading product to tag the SUV. Syncing it to my phone, I move behind a dumpster to hide until they leave.
“I’ll meet you at the next location,” Ralph says, getting into his vehicle. I watch from my hiding place as they leave, and then run to where Alaric’s car is, his headlights off beneath a broken streetlight.
Thank god this is such a shitty part of town. This would be so much harder in a rich area full of perfectly working streetlights.
Jamie is already in the backseat while I jump into the car, my hand already outstretched for Alaric to follow.
“Stay back, but I have them tagged so we can keep up with them,” I explain, showing him the little dot on my phone.
“You’re such an awesome nerd,” he says, chuckling as he drives. “Your brain is fucking sexy.”
“Are you trying to say that you want to fuck his brain?” Jamie asks, trying to distract himself.
What we’re doing will go a long way to clear Cross Pharmaceuticals from the deaths of these kids. Connor isn’t responsible for people fucking with his drugs when they’re clean. If they had been, that guy who tried the product would already be foaming at the mouth and dead.
“If I could get away with it and he’d still live afterward, I’d consider it.” Alaric chuckles.
“Crazy fucker,” I murmur with a grin, watching the taillights farther up ahead.
Alaric is driving without his headlights so he can’t be seen, and while dangerous, I know he can handle it. This shit would freak Beckham out, but it’s shit that we live for.
Ralph and his guys drive for another twenty minutes before pulling into what appears to be a scrapyard.
“Real classy,” Jamie sneers.
“I’ll keep driving,” Alaric says. “Bail out together.”
He slows down to a crawl as soon as he’s out of sight of the scrapyard, and then Jamie and I jump out, making sure the doors don’t make any noise as we shut them.
Alaric keeps going as we pull our hoods up higher and sneak onto the property.
There’s a lot of shit to hide behind as we get closer to where there’s a group of people talking with Ralph.
Like before, I stay in the shadows and video record Ralph signing his death warrant. Eddy won’t accept this as anything else but a betrayal because of how against drugs he is.
“This shit that you’re going to cut the drugs with will make them go farther?” he asks a man dressed in a full suit.
It looks so out of place in the junkyard, Jamie has to choke back a silent laugh. Smirking, I have to admit that it’s a very odd outfit choice.
“Oh yes,” the man says. “This works the way that Fentanyl would. It’s almost untraceable, and better than the stuff I’ve been using. It’s also way more addictive.”
“The kids will be back for more.” Ralph smirks.
God, that means way more college kids dropping dead.
Swallowing back my anger, I watch as Ralph digs his hole deeper before finding out that they’re planning to start selling the product on campus in a few days.
Sneaking back out of the junkyard with Jamie, we begin walking, knowing that Alaric will find us. It’s just how this works.
As we get to the intersection, he pulls out in front of us. Calm as can be, we climb into the vehicle, both seething in anger.
“Give it to me straight. How bad is it,” Alaric demands.
“Really fucking bad. We need to make sure these drugs never hit the streets, or it’s going to be much worse than it is now,” I admit.
“It’s time to lay it all out in front of Eddy then,” Alaric decides as he drives.
Leaning back into my seat, I nod. Ralph better count his last hours, because they’re fucking numbered.