Chapter 27
TWENTY-SEVEN
STORM
“ W e know where he is. We move now to take him down.”
My words greet the tense silence brewing between me, Axel, and Riale. Axel sits at his computer desk, capping and uncapping his BIC pen. Riale leans on the surface two feet from Axel with his arms crossed.
Both wear serious looks, and for the first time in what feels like forever, they look like they’re on the same team.
The team that’s decidedly against me.
“Listen, I don’t give a fuck about anything.
He’s here—he showed up for Kenyon Braxton’s funeral like a psychopath, knowing where we stand.
The deal won’t face any resistance from Keystone’s existing board members, and Orisun’s holding a vote of no-confidence to bypass Shae next week, allowing them to close the deal without her.
He wants a face-off, and I’ll give it to him. ”
With him meeting the end of my Glock and eating a clip.
Riale draws in a breath as if preparing himself for an argument. There will be no argument.
“Storm, I know you want to take down Lakeland, and I’m with you on that,” Riale says, Axel nodding to each word. “But are you really willing to let his legacy continue?”
I give him a bland look.
“Riale. We’ve known about Lakeland’s involvement in fuckshit since the beginning. What’s different now?” I grind out.
Axel and Riale share a look, and Axel sighs before laying everything out in one breath.
“Storm, I’ve got intel that Lakeland’s facilitating the transport of more than a hundred trafficking victims within the next two weeks.
They’re going to Isla Cara, and if what my source tells me is accurate, Lakeland and his buddies are gonna host some kind of fucked battle royale, pitting them against each other and hunting them like the goddamn Hunger Games . ”
The words come at me so quickly that I squeeze my eyes shut just to focus and sort the information.
“That’s a whole helluva lot, Axel. Absolutely terrible,” I grind out. “And, the reality still remains that we, as a trio of people, can do nothing to stop that. Furthermore, the thing I care most about is wiping Lakeland Sandoval off the face of this planet.”
Maybe if I say it in precise English, they’ll get it.
“I hear you,” Riale says, taking on a tone I don’t usually hear from him. “The fact still remains that there’s some crazy shit about to go down, and we can do something. ”
I can’t help it. My skin tightens, and I’m sure I’m going to burst out of my flesh if I try to control this fire any longer.
“What the fuck are you even going on about right now, Riale? Why is this even a discussion? Lakeland killed my parents, tried to kill my girl. So why the fuck are you dancing around this?”
Riale makes a rough sound.
“Storm, you’re in your feelings about this, and I get it?—”
“In my feelings? Nigga, you are gonna be in your motherfuckin’ feelings if you keep playing with me,” I shout.
Riale raises his hands, looking at Axel and walking away from us and toward the door, pacing.
Axel leans forward. “Storm, we’ll get Lakeland. I promise we will make him finally pay for what he’s done. But we’ve got to be smart about it.”
Smart. Being smart has stolen years of my life. Being smart, being cautious, has caused me to miss the birth of my children, their first steps, every single fucking milestone.
Fuck being smart.
“Lakeland’s weak now, and he’s here in Chicago . There’s no reason not to take him out, especially since bringing down his operations is so much bigger than him.” I want revenge, not necessarily a suicide mission.
Especially not with Shae and my kids back in my life. Just thinking of them has my shoulders unknotting.
But then I think of them being wrapped up in all this shit, and tension resettles in my gut.
“Seeing as you all refuse to get a little dirty and grab his daughter—who most likely is suffering somewhere, mind you—this is the next best shot. We need to act,” I say, feeling like I’m talking in circles.
“No,” Riale grinds out, and when I examine him, he looks like he’s on a mission to burn the world down.
“What do you mean, ‘No?’” I throw back, trying to be patient.
“I mean,” Riale begins, stopping his movements to look at both of us. “Sure, you can take Lakeland out. You can blow up as many of his boats as you want, set as many warehouses on fire as you want. But it would be a crime against humanity to let the rest of this just…keep existing.”
I clench my jaw.
“Damn, you’re just gonna let shit like this keep existing? Man, I thought better of you,” Riale throws out.
“Nigga, I got a family to think about. I’ve got my kids.” I stand up, moving toward him in a rush until we’re chest to chest.
“I have kids that I missed out on their lives because of you and your ideas. So, excuse me for not wanting to follow you to the end of the earth. I’ve got people to think about.” I deliver the words with lethal calmness, even though I feel anything but.
“Yeah, your kids ,” Riale drawls, and my fingers flex, demanding that I ball them into a fist and punch the shit out of Riale.
“What the fuck is your goddamn problem, Riale?” I shout, and Axel places a hand on each of our chests, pushing us away.
“My problem is you! Your spoiled little rich boy act is exhausting,” Riale yells.
“Exhausting? Please!” I scoff, letting Axel push me back a step before rushing forward and bumping into Riale.
“Yes, nigga! You are the most entitled person on the goddamn planet. ‘Oh, I’m gonna break up with my girlfriend and expect her to keep it on ice for me until I get around to being with her again.’ Are you fuckin’ for real? You’re too emotional, too selfish, and the reality is, we don’t need you.”
Each syllable from his mouth ratchets my rage tenfold until I feel like a bomb about to explode all over the goddamn room.
“This is bigger than one man or your feelings, Sandoval,” Riale continues, sounding as exhausted as he claims to be.
“We’ll do this for you; we’ll keep standing by you to get your justice.
But you can’t expect Axel and me to just sit by while others are hurt.
We have to do right by everyone, and not just as part of your plot for revenge against your uncle. ”
I take in every word he says—the man who once was my best friend. Am I approaching this through a lens of entitlement? Probably. It’s hard to see the painting from inside the frame, right? But his feelings don’t change the facts.
“We’re still only three people, Riale. And you say you don’t need me, but you all sure as fuck need my money to fund whatever the fuck you wanna do.”
Riale’s jaw moves, his teeth grinding.
“My number-one objective is to make sure this world is safe for Shae and my children. That’s it.
My focus has forever been on taking Lakeland down because he poses a direct threat to my family.
I hear what you’re saying, Riale. I understand why this is critical to you.
And unless we can get more help, I’m not signing up to take down an entire cabal. ”
There.
Maybe it makes me a selfish, entitled motherfucker.
Maybe it makes me my father’s son.
But I don’t give a single shit.
My family comes first. The rest of the world?
It can burn for all I care.