Chapter 24
Idaho
Ishoved my gun down into the saddlebags on my bike. We were going to have to do this without any weapons. To even get into the building where the mayor's office was we'd have to go through metal detectors. As soon as the others were ready we began moving in that direction.
"How we gettin' in to see him?" Hush asked in a low voice as we entered the building.
Before we left the police station I'd made a call to Senator Gonzalez. "We have an appointment," I told them with a toothy grin.
"Who you here to see?" the guard asked in a bored voice.
"Mayor Powell," Lock told him.
"You have an appointment?" he echoed with a narrowed gaze and a tone of disbelief.
"We do."
A second guard picked up a phone and dialed a number. "Sir. Some...gentlemen are here, claiming they have an appointment with you." He listened, then nodded. "Name?" he asked.
"Levi Sharpe," I replied.
We listened to him finish the call. "Third floor, second door on the right," he told us, not looking the least bit thrilled that he didn't get to toss us out on our asses.
I led the way over to the elevator, ignoring the looks from everyone else in the building.
We were out of place amongst the suits and ties.
We were all in our jeans and cuts, looking as rough as usual.
Even if I had the time, I wouldn't have bothered to change into a suit.
Mayor Powell was a lowlife. He shouldn't be in office, but he had his fingers in a lot of pies and one of those pies was dirty money.
Money that Lock was sure came from Fremont's dealings.
Once he was finished looking into Krier, I intended to put James on it.
He'd sniff out anything the mayor and the DA were involved in.
When we got off on the third floor, we followed the directions to where we were supposed to go. My lip lifted in disgust when Powell met us in his lobby.
"Mr. Sharpe," he all but shouted, his huge gut moving like fucking Jello. "To what do I owe the...pleasure?"
The man's eyes strayed over our cuts, then down to our boots, before coming back up to our faces again.
His expression was one of disdain, but I could see the worry in his eyes.
When a senator called you and demanded you meet with a business colleague of his, even he couldn't refuse.
"Let's go into my office," he said when I didn't say a word.
We followed him inside and once the door was shut, I finally spoke. "Let's skip the bullshit," I told him.
His face flushed red and the veins on his neck stood out as he glared at me. "I don't know who you think you are-"
"It's true that you don't know who I am, and that's your first mistake. So, sit your fat ass down and listen, " I snapped, cutting him off.
His eyes narrowed, but he did as he was told. "Well, then," he said, voice deceptively calm. He was a snake to his core. It was easy to see for anyone who could read people the way my brother and I could.
I glanced over at Lockout and he nodded. He saw it, too. He crossed his arms over his chest. "We want you to help us with a little...problem...we're having," Lock told him.
"Oh?" Powell asked, leaning back in his chair, trying to look like he had the upper hand.
"We need you to call off Fremont," Lock said.
Powell's brows rose as he looked at each of us in turn. "I don't have any authority over the district attorney."
"Not officially," I replied, "but we know you have a… personal… relationship with him." We didn't really, but the redness sweeping up Powell's neck confirmed it. "So, you're going to do what we ask."
"Or what?" he dared.
"We currently have a foreign dignitary staying with us.
The Grand Duke of Luxembourg has tasked us with watching over his daughter while she visits Tucson.
" My words caused Powell's face to pale, washing away all the earlier anger.
"If you don't want to deal with an international incident within your city, you'll do as we say. "
"You can't be serious." He looked at each of us again, but none of us spoke. "You're blackmailing me."
"No," Lock said, shaking his head, "we're giving you an opportunity.
One that will keep your name from being dragged through the mud.
If something happens to Lady Tatiana while she's under our care, because Fremont couldn't resist coming after us, then it's going to not only fall on him, but you as well. We'll make sure of it."
The fact that he wasn't denying knowledge of Fremont's grudge against us told me we had him rattled.
He was panicking, trying to figure out what to do.
He may not necessarily be directly involved with Fremont's vendetta against Lockout and the others, but he knew about it and didn't try to stop it.
That made him just as guilty in my book.
Not to mention, he likely knew about everything else Fremont was involved in, and really, I just hated dirty, corrupt officials.
Shit stains like this shouldn't be in charge. They didn't deserve the position.
"How do I know you're not lying about her being here?" he asked.
"Do you really want to take the chance?" Lock countered.
"If you doubt it, call her father." Reaching forward, I grabbed a pen and wrote down a number on a sheet of paper nearby.
"You can't write on-" he gave up as I finished, sighing.
Grabbing the phone, he dialed the number I'd gotten from Eva's contact list last night.
"His name is Louis," I offered.
"Hello, is this..." Powell stuttered to a stop.
"Well, Sir, I got this number from Levi Sharpe.
He claims that he is in charge of protection for your daughter while she-" He jerked the phone away from his ear and we could hear Eva's father laying into him.
"Just one moment." With a resigned look, he handed the phone over to me.
"Hello again," I said into the phone, my eyes on Powell.
"What the hell is going on, Sharpe?"
"The mayor found out we had royalty visiting our fair city and is making things...difficult," I told him. "He doesn't believe who Tatiana is and is unwilling to allow us to do what we need to remain anonymous and protect her."
"Give the phone back to him," Louis ordered. I handed it over.
"You're in deep shit now," Hush muttered with a grin.
Powell shot him a dark look as he answered the phone. "Yes? Well you can't expect me to take their word for-" He fell silent once more, then the cell phone sitting on his desk chimed. He picked it up and read something. "How did you get my email so quickly?"
"He has people for that," I answered, but Powell was busy cringing at whatever the duke was telling him.
"Yes, Sir. I'm more than happy to assist your daughter in any way I can while she's here. Oh, you're coming, too?"
Lockout shot me a look and I shook my head. "Tell you later," I promised.
Powell hung up the phone and blew out a breath. He wasn't happy, but his next words satisfied me. "I'll make that call as soon as you leave my office."
"Pleasure doing business with you," I told him and we walked out.
Lock wrote down a new number on the same sheet of paper I used, ignoring Powell's dirty look as he messed up more of the document.
"Text that number when you've gotten Fremont in line," he ordered.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning.
Leadership suited Lock. Watching him command the Mayor of Tucson was making my day.
Getting back to Eva would override the event, but for now, it was the highlight.
Powell just entered the number into his phone and nodded. While still looking at the phone, he said, "You know that she'll have to go home at some point."
I gave him an innocent smile, pretending like I didn't hear the implied threat. "Don't you worry about that, I'll take care of any lingering business long before she has to leave." I winked and we strolled out.
"You gave him your number?" Hush asked.
"It's a burner phone," Lock replied under his breath.
"That was fuckin' great," Hush sighed. "That bastard deserves a lot worse than just gettin' his name sullied."
"Some other time," Lock told him. "For now we have enough to focus on without involving ourselves with that corrupt piece of shit."
"True," Hush replied as we got back on our bikes. "But damn, it would feel good to get rid of him."
"Agreed," I said, as I started my bike.
We waited when Lock held up his hand, motioning for us to hold up while he answered a call. It was connected through the Bluetooth in the speakers on his bike, so we listened in.
"We have a problem," Hellfire said as soon as Lock answered.
"What kind of problem?"
"Keely left the property. We're assuming she went to the police station to try to help with Riptide. I already called Priest to give him a head's up, and Toxic and Ricochet are driving over to see if they can catch up to her to give her an escort."
"How the fuck did that happen?" Lock snapped.
I watched with interest as anger and worry flashed across my brother's face.
He'd always been protective of the women around him, but I'd never seen him this worked up about just one woman.
He was one to nag at me over Eva when it was clear to me there was something there between him and the lawyer.
Judging by the color of his face we were close to getting a demonstration of why I'd given him the nickname 'Lockout'.
"She snuck out," Hellfire answered, "while we were distracted with Sloane and the others."
"Goddamn it!" His hand fisted as he tried to calm himself down. After a few seconds he replied. "We'll head over there now. Our problem with Fremont should be resolved, but I'm not taking any chances."
"Alright."
Lockout hung up and I leaned forward on the gas tank and grinned at my twin. "Problem?"
"We need to make a stop," he muttered.
"Something going on between you and the gorgeous lawyer?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
He scowled at me. "No. Now shut the fuck up."
Hush was watching us quietly, a grin growing bigger on his face with every word exchanged.
"Sure seems like it."
"I don't have time for your shit," Lock muttered, shoving his helmet on his head and taking off without us.
Hush's chuckle was only slightly muffled by his own helmet.
He started up his bike. I followed suit and went after them.
Arizona didn't require that you wear a helmet while you rode, so I didn't have to worry about getting pulled over since Eva had my helmet, but most of the guys wore them more often than not.
It was better than having your brains splattered all over I-10.
When we got to the police station, Toxic and Ricochet were just pulling in. They waited for us as we parked and walked inside. "She's already inside," Ricochet said as we approached.
"Thanks," Lock told him. "Go on and head back to the clubhouse. We'll meet tonight to go over everything that happened."
The men nodded, started up their bikes and headed out. I got off my bike and paused when Lock's cell dinged.
He looked up at me with a grim smile. "It's done. That bought us some time. Thanks."
"Anytime," I told him, meaning it. I didn't want Fremont harassing the guys. But I especially didn't want it now. I couldn't afford to have our attention split and risk something happening to Eva while we were distracted.
"How long you think it'll take before they let Rip out?" Hush asked.
"Not sure, but Static and Keely are some of the best," Lock said. "So probably not long."
We walked inside and Priest shot Lock a wary look. "She's already back there with Static and Rip," he told us.
Lockout nodded and leaned up against the wall, waiting.
Judging by the look on his face, Keely was in deep shit.
I couldn't keep the grin off my face. It was looking more and more like my brother had found himself an old lady.
At least now I had some fire power when he tried to give me a hard time about Eva.