7. Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Joshua “Loki” Ledet
The sound of the balls on the pool table colliding and the brothers’ laughter reverberated through the clubhouse. Today, as the minutes passed, the brothers would arrive one by one, responding to my call to Church so we could discuss the disappearance of Monica and her little sister.
However, right now there was hardly anyone here, and the deafening voices of the demons inside my head were going non-stop. They had been since Monica’s disappearance. At this very instant, their taunting words pierced through me, reminding me of how much of I failure I was because I couldn’t keep Monica safe. Usually, I could use her as a distraction from the alcohol, but now she was gone. And I had to fight to not take a drink because that was the only thing that silenced them.
Monica still hadn’t shown up for work or returned home and guilt was all I could feel. There was more that I should have done for her, and I would never forgive myself for letting her down. Either she was dead, or she had suffered the same fate as her sister. And I wasn’t quite sure which one was worse.
I flipped my sobriety coin across my knuckles, trying to gather my thoughts on what to do next. While Monica wasn’t around, I promised her I’d get her sister back. I’d live up to that promise whether Monica was alive or dead. But we needed a solid plan to end this shit after we got Lila back. If we got her back . And who the hell knew, it might end up being a rescue of not only her sister but Monica too.
At least I hoped so.
I groaned at the sound of my cellphone. I didn’t want to fucking talk to anyone. I had too much on my plate to deal with anybody and their bullshit right now.
As I grabbed my phone from the bar top to send the call to voicemail, a smile instantly spread across my face seeing my brother’s name.
Johnathan was always busy and so was I, but we always talked whenever we could. Since he established his law practice in California, he managed the Oakland chapter’s legal affairs, and it had been a while since we saw each other in person.
“What’s up little bro?” I asked as I slid off the barstool and headed towards my office. “It’s been a while.”
He let out a deep sigh. “I know bro, but you know how work goes. It’s always a non-stop shit show dealing with the rich and powerful.”
“That’s for fucking sure. So, what’s up?”
“I have a client who needs some assistance,” he said. “I couldn’t think of anyone else to call.”
As I closed the door to my office, my brows knitted together in confusion. My brother had never called me for help for himself, let alone help for a client. He was good at his job, definitely helped the Sinners out of some serious shit multiple times. I didn’t know what kind of help I could be. He was the one with the law license.
“What do you need?” I asked, dropping in my chair behind my desk.
He took a deep breath and released it. “His wife’s friend is missing.”
More confusion swirled inside me. “Okay. I’m still not understanding what that has to do with me, Johnathan. A lot of people go missing, little bro.”
“Apparently, she’s a journalist, and she was going down there to chase a lead on a story. A dangerous story from what the wife has said. They haven’t heard from her. I don’t know the details or her name, but I’m going to give him your number, so expect his call.”
“I assume this story may have gotten her into some deep shit and they don’t want the cops involved.”
“Exactly. His woman just wants answers and some help to find her.”
I let out a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I’m already dealing with some shit, little bro. I don’t know if I’ll have the time to chase down this woman. They don’t even know if she’s actually missing.”
“Just listen to what he has to say. And if you can’t help, I’ll recommend they go to the police and file a missing person’s report.”
The cops definitely won’t be much help.
Although I hated to take on anything else, it had always been hard to say no to my brother especially when he never asked me for help.
“Alright.” I let out a sigh. “I’ll be expecting his call. But let him know, I can’t make any promises, Johnathan. We got a bunch of shit going on down here. A bunch of nasty shit.”
“You need me for anything?” he asked.
I chuckled. “Nah, we don’t need any legal expertise at the moment.”
“Okay. Well just do whatever you can to help with his situation if it’s possible. I told him I couldn’t guarantee anything.”
“What’s his name?”
“Brian Hamm.”
Why does that name sound familiar?
“Like I said, I can’t make any promises. But I’ll listen to what he has to say.”
“That’s all I ask. He’ll call you within the next few minutes.”
“Okay. Good to hear from you, bro. Make sure the next time you call, it’s not about of business. Or how about you take a trip home?”
He laughed. “You got it. Love you, Joshua.”
“Love you too,” I said, and he ended the call.
I sat my phone on my desk, leaned back in my chair and took a deep breath before releasing it. We’d just got finish taking care of some shit with Dragon. Even lost a man in the process. Now it looked like we had to prepare for a shit storm again. And if we were going to take down this trafficking ring, all eyes would be aimed at us. It definitely wasn’t the best thing for the club, but I couldn’t just sit by and let this happen, especially in my town.
My phone started ringing, and once again reality set in that this was just the beginning of all this bullshit. I didn’t mention it to my brother, but it was very possible that this missing woman may be caught up in the same shit we were dealing with. I hoped not but anything was possible.
“Yeah,” I answered.
“This is Brian Hamm. I got your number from Johnathan Ledet. He said you might be able to help me.”
“Yeah. Do you know who I am?”
“From what my man could dig up on you, I say you’re exactly the person that can do this. I’m not looking for someone who will do things the right way, Mr. Ledet. What I need is someone who will do anything if the price is right.”
“I don’t want your money.”
He was silent for a moment, but I understood he had to weigh what I said. He was probably shocked. Who doesn’t want money? But the Sinners had their own money. We didn’t need shit from anybody. No doubt if he was dealing with Johnathan, he had more money than he knew what to do with because my little brother was one of the most expensive defense attorneys in the country.
“Then what do you want, if you don’t want money?” he asked with skepticism lacing his voice.
“I’ll have to bring this to my club, but if my guys get involved in this, you will be in debt to the Sinners.”
“And that’s it?”
“That’s it,” I replied.
“And what will I owe the Sinners?”
“Whatever I ask for,” I said, propping my feet up on my desk. “Whenever I ask for it. Those are my terms, Mr. Hamm.”
“Deal,” he answered without hesitation.
I got the feeling Brian Hamm wasn’t the typical man with money. He might straddle the line of what was considered right and wrong, just like me.
“The name’s Loki by the way. Mr. Ledet is my father, and he’s been dead and gone for a while. Exactly who are you looking for?”
“Her name is Dominique Honoré. She’s close friends with my wife.”
I pulled my feet from my desk as an urgency moved through me. I leaned forward, closing my eyes.
No, it can’t be her.
“Is she from here?” I asked, hoping he’d say no. “Or was she just chasing the lead on this story?”
Reggie’s little sister’s name was Dominique, but we called her Nikki. There’s no way it can be her. That would be too much of a coincidence.
“I think so. All she told my wife was that she had to go home. She was chasing a lead on a very dangerous story. And for them not to worry unless they hadn’t heard from her in a week. It’s been almost two.”
“I’m not sure what I can do other than ask around…”
“I think I might know what story she’s chasing,” he said, interrupting me before I could finish my statement. “From what little information I could gather from my wife, I think Nikki, we call her Nikki, may have been chasing a story concerning a certain senator. He’s involved in some pretty shady shit, has been for a long time, and law enforcement has been turning a blind eye to it for a while.”
Fuck it might be her.
Reggie Honoré was my best friend when we were younger, and Nikki was his little sister who had a crush on me. The feelings were definitely mutual even though they couldn’t go anywhere.
After 9/11 Reggie and I decided to enter the military like a lot of people during that time. We became Army Rangers a part of the same unit. And we both thrived. We thought we had really made something of ourselves. Until the reality of war ripped it all away changing our lives forever.
While deployed, Reggie made me promise if he didn’t make it home, I’d look after his little sister. He didn’t make it home. But my demons took over my life, and I didn’t live up to my promise to him. The last time I saw Nikki was at their grandmother’s funeral.
“The auction?” I asked, my heart dropping to my feet.
He was silent for a minute. “You’ve heard of it?”
“I have.”
Even though the man’s name resonated with me, and I trusted my brother explicitly, I chose to stay silent about my source of information regarding the auction. And I wouldn’t interrogate him on how he came to be aware of it.
“I don’t think the participants are willing.” He sighed. “But I don’t have any evidence to back that up. Just rumors. Anyway, it’s something Dominique would definitely try to uncover. She’s always looking for the next big story regardless of the danger it’ll put her in.”
Well, this may have gotten her caught up in some shit she can’t get out of.
“Alright, let me bring this to my guys and I’ll get back to you, today.”
“Thank you, Mr. Ledet.”
“Loki,” I called out.
He chuckled. “Right. Thank you, Loki. I’ll be waiting to hear from you,” he said before ending the call.
I placed the phone on top of the desk and blew out a heavy breath. I opened the bottom drawer of my desk and grabbed the bottle of whiskey. I could almost taste the brown liquor on my tongue. The burn as it made its way down my throat. I craved it all. Just one drink to silence the demons.
I sat the unopened bottle on my desk. I didn’t know how many times I’d pulled it out, ready to throw away everything I’d built for one more taste. Just to feel the burn one last time.
As soon as I tried to twist off the cap, a knock sounded at the door. “Shit!”
I made sure the bottle was closed before shoving it back inside the desk drawer.
“Come in!” I shouted as I closed the drawer.
The door opened and New York poked his head in. “There’s breaking news.”
“Fuck! Is it about Monica?” I asked jumping from my seat and rushing out of my office.
“I think so,” New York said as he followed me back to the front of the clubhouse.
The brothers huddled together in front of the flat screen television waiting to hear if this was it. If it was her body they had found.
All the guys knew Monica. She was one of the more popular dancers at the club because she was just easy going, beautiful, and one of the hardest working women out of all the dancers. And when we all found out she had gone missing, we all had been on pins and needles waiting for any information about her disappearance. We all felt helpless as we waited for the police to do their damn jobs. However, I believed they were dragging their feet looking for her and her sister.
Probably because of this fucking auction. They all know who’s behind it.
I propped myself against one of the chairs and waited for the reporter to give their report. It was so quiet in the clubhouse you could hear a pin drop. There wasn’t a lot of hope in this room who thought she was alive including from me.
I knew she was dead. I just needed confirmation.
We are going live to Barbara Rosales who has more information on the police’s investigation. Barbara…
Thank you, Charles. I’m reporting to you live from Bayou Segnette State Park. Authorities are confirming that the body of a woman found yesterday in the early morning hours by visitors on this trail where I’m standing, has been identified as Monica Goins. She had been reported missing more than a week ago by her co-workers.
Fucks and groans from the brothers echoed around the room.
The police stress that this is the early stages of the investigation, but they do believe foul play may be involved. And Charles an added twist to this tragic story is that Monica Goins had reported her younger sister, Lila Goins, missing. Her case is also still active.
The authorities ask that if the public has any information about either of these cases to please contact the police. We will have more information about this case when more details become available. I am Barbara Rosales reporting live from Bayou Segnette State Park.
A heaviness weighed on my chest as my heart sank deep into my gut. Monica was a sweet and compassionate woman. All she wanted was the best for her little sister and a brighter future for herself. She didn’t deserve this shit, and I should have done more to protect her. Her blood was on my hands. And the only way to fix what I’d failed to do was to find her sister. Hopefully, she was still alive.
“Fuck! Turn that shit off!” I shouted. “Church now!”