Chapter 18
Beau had no plans to wait in the truck like a sitting duck.
They were out of options. So, he stormed the SUV as two…
no…three people were exiting the vehicle.
Clay and Royce were there along with Talon, the last person to exit the SUV.
It shocked the hell out of Beau to see him there.
He would’ve thought the man would hide behind his thugs.
Maybe the guy had a spine after all—unless he’d grown frustrated with the fact his men hadn’t already finished the job.
“Whatever you think Emma has…you’re wrong,” Beau said, his gaze zeroed in on Talon.
Ivy was out of the driver’s side, joining them in a heartbeat.
“You see all these cars?” she shouted. “That light is about to change, and people will wonder what’s holding up traffic.
They also have cell phones to record everything that happens.
If you don’t go down for the other crimes you’ve committed, you’ll be nailed for this one if you attempt to harm any one of us. ”
Talon looked to be in his early fifties. The man worked out. His nostrils flared, his jaw was tight, and the glare in his eyes indicated that he had a temper, and it was flaring.
“I need the evidence Emma has, and I’ll be on my way,” Talon said through clenched teeth.
“Be careful, you’ll crack a molar if you keep grinding your back teeth like that.
” Beau’s comment was meant to stoke the fire.
Was it the smartest idea? Probably not. But if he could provoke Talon enough, the man would come out swinging.
Then, Beau could press charges, and the man would spend time behind bars.
It wasn’t the same as him going down for his crimes, but this way, Beau’s mother stayed out of trouble.
“You think anyone will report me in this neighborhood?” Talon asked. He nodded toward Clay, who reached behind his back and produced a weapon.
Shit.
Crime was more common in this area, and folks were more likely to stick their heads in the sand out of self-preservation.
Ivy’s dad exited the truck along with Beau’s mom.
“I’m the one you want,” she said, hands in the air. “Leave my boy alone, and I’ll go with you. I’ll take you to the evidence, and then you can do what you want with it after that. Just promise never to lay a hand on my son.”
Talon’s gaze bounced from Emma to Beau and back. “What’s to keep you from lying to us again, Emma?”
“You know who my son is, and I have no doubt you’ll come after him if I mislead you again,” she said.
“I can’t let you sacrifice yourself for me,” Beau said to her. No way in the world would he allow this to happen. “Get back inside the truck, please.”
A horn honked. Then another.
“Do you want to keep holding up traffic?” Ivy asked. “Draw more attention? Because this seems like a very bad idea.”
Horns blared.
“We’ll follow you to the abandoned warehouse at the end of the street,” Talon finally said. “Try to lose us, and the safety comes off the guns.”
“Fine.” Ivy ushered them back to the truck.
This time, Beau claimed the driver’s seat. He would veer off if the opportunity came in order to buy some time.
The shell of a building came up too fast for him to make a move. A few squatters watched silently as both vehicles pulled up to the rusted-beam, broken-window warehouse. No way was Beau going inside or allowing anyone else to, for that matter.
For a split second, he questioned the wisdom of not calling the law. As much as he didn’t want his mother to be arrested, she needed to face consequences for her actions. Attempting to blackmail someone for money wasn’t a smart move beyond being illegal.
Within seconds, both vehicles emptied, and a circle formed.
All Beau could think about was protecting Ivy and his mom. Despite what she’d done, he wanted her safe. Jack had been quiet on the short ride. In fact, he’d been quiet ever since his daughter had asked Beau not to call the cops.
“I’m the one you want.” Beau’s mother tried to step forward. He stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t do it,” he warned.
One of the squatters seemed to sense enough danger to pick up and move on. Not exactly a warm and fuzzy sign.
“This is between you and me,” Talon said to Emma.
“I’m just as to blame,” Jack finally piped in.
“Do you know where the thumb drive with the evidence is hidden?” Talon asked.
“I sure do,” he said.
“No, he doesn’t. I’m the only one who knows.” Beau’s mom turned toward Jack. “Stop trying to be a hero. You’ll get yourself killed when they figure out you don’t know what I did with the proof.”
Beau needed to level the playing field. Clay and Royce had guns. Would they use them? It would be one against three if he tackled Talon. With Beau’s injuries, he had no idea how he would fight his way out of this.
He needed a miracle.
“Hands in the air where I can see ’em.” Travis’s voice boomed from a megaphone.
Beau glanced around. Where the hell was Travis?
“The place is surrounded.” Travis spoke with the authority of someone with many years of experience in law enforcement. He left no room for doubt where he stood. Since sheriffs were peace officers, they had the authority to make arrests under a mutual aid agreement, such as this one. Hands raised.
“One by one, I need you to move slowly to remove any weapons from your person. Gently place them on the ground and then kick them away from you. No sudden movements,” Travis instructed.
Royce went first, followed by Clay. Then, Talon.
Beau kept his hands high in the air.
“I mean all of you,” Travis said, giving away nothing of their relationship.
Beau wondered if Travis had been the one to pick Chloe up from the ER. Or had he been following Beau and Ivy, figuring they would need him the most?
If so, he hadn’t been wrong.
Warmth filled him, knowing he was important enough to the family for someone to stay behind in case he needed them.
Talon’s gaze studied the area. He cursed. “You’re bluffing. There’s only one of you.” He turned to Clay and Royce. “Pick up your weapons.”
Travis emerged from behind a tree; his rifle aimed at Talon. He had on his sheriff’s uniform and looked every bit the part. “Do you really want to try me?”
Talon made a move for his gun.
Three male figures emerged around them. Owen. Archer. Hudson.
Kade emerged from behind Talon. “You should definitely watch your back.”
“These men have been deputized by yours truly,” Travis said. “They’re excellent marksmen and have permission to shoot if threatened.”
Hands immediately flew up as Travis began reading the trio their rights.
Travis handcuffed Talon, who surprisingly didn’t put up a fight.
Or maybe it wasn’t that big of a surprise.
The man was wealthy beyond imagination. He would definitely lawyer up.
But he wouldn’t get away with it. Not with a sheriff’s testimony.
No, Talon was going to be put behind bars for many years to come, if not the rest of his life, for his dealings.
Evidence. Beau turned to his mother as Clay and Royce were arrested. “You said you hid the evidence. Where?”
“That’s the thing,” she said on a shrug. “Neither one of us remembers. We weren’t exactly in a good way when we tried to pull this off.”
Beau glanced toward the sky, his blood pressure spiking.
Where would his mother hide…?
The answer dawned on Beau almost immediately. She’d taken him there more times than he could count. If she’d been in a drunken state, it was the place she would most likely return to.
“I know where it is,” he said, letting out a deep breath.
He gave a quick rundown of the situation to Travis after the trio was secured in the back of the sheriff’s SUV.
“I need to wait here for Austin PD to pick these perps up,” Travis said.
Beau rattled off an address. “Have an officer meet me there as soon as possible.”
Travis nodded and then called it in.
Beau turned to his mother. “You stay here and give your statement to the cops. Don’t leave anything out in case I’m wrong.”
“What can I do?” Jack asked.
“The same as my mom. Stay here and talk to the law.”
“Okay,” Jack said.
Beau reached for Ivy’s hand. She met him halfway and linked their fingers on the way to the truck.
Once inside, he drove the few blocks to the first apartment he’d shared with his mother. Her internal GPS was set to here, and he would be shocked if he’d guessed wrong.
A cop met them in front of the building.
“Travis just called. Do we know what we’re looking for?” the officer asked after introducing herself as Lieutenant Arden Voss.
“It’s a thumb drive with enough evidence of money laundering, and stolen credit cards to name a few of Talon’s crimes to lock away the prominent businessman for the rest of his life—in addition to the kidnapping charges he’s already facing,” Beau said.
“A thumb drive is small.” Lieutenant Voss held up her pinky finger. “Not much bigger than this. Got a good idea where she might have hidden it?”
“I know exactly where my mom would have put it,” he said. What they might never know was how she’d convinced the current tenant to let her inside the apartment, but he didn’t want to overthink it.
The tenant answered after the first knock. He had on pajamas and a muscle shirt. He froze for a moment, clearly caught off guard. “Can I help you, Officer?”
“May we come inside?” Lieutenant Voss asked.
The man in his late thirties frowned. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, sir. It’s believed a visitor placed evidence critical to an investigation in your home.”
“Without your knowledge,” Beau added.
The man hesitated, but then stepped back and allowed them inside.
Beau motioned toward the hallway that led to the master bedroom. “May I?”
The lieutenant stood guard at the door as the occupant nodded.