“Barbara I need you to get Jack back into the car and drive to your sister’s house. Stay there until I come and get you, okay?” Kyle demands, turning toward his wife, making sure she hears every word he says. Barbara doesn’t bother saying her goodbyes. She walks to the door on shaky legs before grabbing her son and doing exactly what she was told.
“I thought you were smarter than this.” Kyle says while walking past me, heading in the direction of a liquor cabinet, toward the back of the living room. He pours him a glass of whiskey. Swallowing it down in three easy gulps.
“The fact that I am still living lets me know you came here for something. I’m going to go out on a limb and say your little girlfriend is in some trouble. Otherwise you would not be standing in my living room.”
“He’s taken Izzy.” I state, now making my way toward him. “I want her back.”
“I haven’t seen or spoken to Gunner since last week. He came into our headquarters and said he needed some time to get his personal life together. I assumed it was over Izzy. Guess I was right.” Kyle declares, pouring himself another glass. He holds up the bottle, in my direction, silently asking if I would like a drink. I shake my head no as I watch him down the glass he just poured.
“Forgive me if I seem a little thirsty. Having a man-made killer in my house, near my family has suddenly turned me into a lush.” He mutters out.
“If you give me what I came for you won’t have to worry about me ever being near your family again. If you choose to lie, I will make sure your wife receives your body in the mail at her sister’s house. Cindy is her name, right?” I ask, knowing without a doubt the sister’s name is Cindy.
“You break into a federal agent’s house, threaten him, and you’re not one bit worried about the repercussions. Wow! That sick bastard must have done a real number on you when you were growing up.”
Releasing the blade of the knife, I had hidden in my hand, I throw it across the room. He curses out when he reaches down, and comes into contact with my knife that is now sticking out of his left thigh. Rushing over to him, I take the glass bottle he had, and break it across his head. When he hits the floor, rolling around in broken glass and whiskey, I bend over and pull my blade out of his leg.
“You’re not saying anything I want to hear, Kyle.”
“What the fuck did you expect, Kade.” He spits out at me. “I’m not going to give up my partner to you. You might as well kill me because there is no way I’ll tell you ANYTHING.”
“I bet there is a way, Kyle.” I state taking my phone out of my pocket and dialing Stick’s. When he answers on the first ring, I say what I need, “have someone go to Cindy’s house and pick up Barbara.” Before Sticks can even acknowledge he heard me, Kyle has a change of heart.
“Okay..Okay. I’ll tell you everything, just leave my wife out of this.”
“You’ve wasted enough time of mine.” I state.
I see the cockiness he once felt turn to regret when he realizes wasting my time was a mistake. “He just bought a new house. It’s on the outside of Tampa Bay city limits. I don’t know who’s name it’s under, but I do know it’s not his. I swear that’s everything.” He rushes out.
“Did you get that?” I ask Sticks. When he confirms he got the information we need, I hang up the phone, then look down at the rat. He might think he is getting off easy, but there is still a lot of pint up aggression raging through my veins. This is only just the beginning. I’m about to find out if that truly is all he knows.
Chapter 32
Gunner
Leaving Izzy in my house alone, when I just got her back, is not something I wanted to do but the text I received from Kyle last night gives me little to no choice. He said the devil himself payed a visit to his home when Barbara and Jack were there. I knew K.J. would go to drastic links to find Izzy, but it never occurred to me that my partner’s family would ever be put into danger. I held onto hope that K.J. is just an evil product of his childhood environment, believing deep down he could have redeeming qualities.
I remember when Kyle and I were first handed this case. An undercover officer by the name of Brandon Leeks, assigned to Lorenzo Alvarez, had gone missing. He was last seen alive in the traffic camera’s close to the house he stayed in selling dope for Lorenzo. He was reported missing when he didn’t make it to headquarters for a debriefing a week later. He all but vanished in thin air and left no clues as to what happened to him. Thankfully he was married to the job and left behind no family but an estranged aunt on his mother’s side. The bureau decided not to assign anyone else undercover, instead handing over the case to their two best agents.
Brandon had taken a lot of notes in the two years he was undercover. At the beginning it was just the usual information, who was who of the Alvarez organization and where they hung out. Most of the intel was stuff we had already suspected. Just a few short months of him working for Lorenzo he finally met K.J. and his investigation soon revolved around the man he nicknamed, The Watcher. Reading over his notes it seemed like he became obsessed with the man he insisted was the glue that held the organization together. He no longer thought we should focus our time on Lorenzo. Brandon was adamant that without K.J. the organization would fall.
Turning into the abandoned parking lot Kyle insisted I meet him at, I notice he is standing next to a white dodge truck. I start to notice his slouched posture the closer I get and instantly know K.J. did more than just talk. Parking beside his truck I get out of my car, and take the few steps needed to be in front of him.
“Tell me you at least got a hit in.” I joke.
“I think I may have bloodied his nose but he seemed to enjoy the pain.” Kyle laughs out.
“He is a sick son of a bitch, man. I’m just glad you were able to get Barbara and Jake out of the house.” I state, taking a step to his left side to lean on the door of the truck.
“I told him about your new house, Gunner. I had no choice. He doesn’t know where it is or that you put it in your sister’s boyfriends name.” Kyle blurts out. Judging by his stiff movements and all the bruises outlining his face, I know he’s telling the truth. He would never sell me out if it could be avoided.
“I don’t want you to worry about that. This will all be over soon. I got a call last night. Lorenzo’s off shore accounts have all been drained. Clarisse has everyone working on finding out where the money went. I give it just a few days and we will find out all that money was used to pay off Anthony. That leaves a trail of blood money, and I’m sure with all the other evidence we have, a warrant will be filed.”
“That takes care of Lorenzo, what about Kade?” Kyle asks.
“K.J. will go down with the ship. We have all the proof needed to show he was at the top of their organization.”
Kyle turns his head, looking me in the eye, before saying what it is he really called me down here for. “You need to think more about what you’re doing, Gunner. Kade is a psychopath that was crafted to be the ultimate killing machine. You’ve seen the photo’s Brandon was able to get from Lorenzo’s office. No child goes through what he did and comes out of it with any human like emotions. You took something from him and he isn’t going to stop until he gets her back.”
I have thought about those pictures many times, trying to envision what it must have been like, thinking he would have been better off dead. “I don’t doubt his will to have Izzy back, but I’m not going to throw her back into the wolf’s den. She was lucky to escape the first time. I don’t just see her as a mark anymore, Kyle. I love her and I’d be damn if I let someone like K.J. ruin her forever.”
“I was afraid you would say that.” He states while shaking his head in disapproval. “That is why I put in the request to get a new partner.”
The news of his decision doesn’t come as a surprise to me. Since I got involved with Izzy he has been relentless in telling me of his disapproval. I respect him enough to realize he has every right to make the switch. His family was threatened and it’s his j
ob to protect them. Just like I’m doing what I can to protect Izzy.
“I’m sorry your family got involved and I’m sorry K.J. rearranged your face to get to me. It’s been a pleasure working with you. Maybe after all this is said and done we can go have a beer.” I state.
“You’re buying.” He declares, sticking his hand out for me to shake it. Placing my hand in his, I pull him in for a hug, softly slapping him on the back. “I guess I do owe you.”
“One drink isn’t going to pay off your debt, asshole. Barbara is going to come after you after she nurses me back to health.” He jokes once again.
“I’ll be sure to send her some flowers.”
“Don’t do that. Then I’ll have to hear about how I never send her those smelly ass things. Just keep your eye open, and don’t underestimate Kade, Gunner.” He says in the serious voice he uses while questioning a suspect.
“I’ll be fine.” I reassure him, as I walk around to my car, opening the driver side door. I get comfortable in my seat watching Kyle as he scans the parking lot, before getting in the truck. I wait for him to leave then make my way to a meeting with my boss, Clarisse. I would love to find where the trail ends on that money before going home to eat dinner with Izzy.
Chapter 33
K.J.
I’m sitting on a hard metal chair, listening to the shallow breathing of Sal, thinking of my Izzy while waiting for this asshole to wake up. He’s made the entire apartment smell like piss. It’s a good thing I have some people coming in to clean this place up before Izzy gets back. Growing impatient, wasting valuable time, I walk over to the bastard and kick the chair he’s sitting in backwards. It crashes to the floor, making a loud thud, when it hits.
“When I cut you free I suggest you run as fast as you can before I change my mind.” I seethe at him, cutting the ropes loose with my knife. He watches me closely, and stumbles out of the apartment as soon as he is loose.
For the last two days I’ve been working on no sleep, driving myself crazy, trying to find Izzy. Sticks is working nonstop as well. Constantly reassuring me that it may take some time, but he will find the information I need. So while he is playing on his computer, I am left out here on the streets, to deal with the Anthony and Lorenzo situation. Determined to bring Izzy home to a place she will be safe.
I got a tip, from one of my guys, that the Cholo Brothers might know exactly what it is I am looking to find out. I’ve met the brothers a few times, here and there, while working for Lorenzo. They are both disrespectful little pricks that think they run the game. The only thing they are good at running are their mouths, and I’m about to prove that to them tonight. Placing my knife back into my boot, I shut the apartment door behind me, reigning in my anger before I let it over take me completely.
Breaking into the house, my nose is assaulted with the smell of stale cigarettes and body odor as I enter through the back window. The floor is covered with trash and beer cans, making it almost impossible to be quiet. It being early in the morning I can almost guarantee they are still stoned out of their minds and passed out in one of these rooms. Looking closely at the bed I see a naked woman lying in the center of the bed, on her stomach, completely oblivious to me being here.
Managing to make it all the way to the end of the house, stepping over multiple passed out bodies, before making it to the oldest brother’s room. Nick’s door is wide open, basically inviting me in. Walking to the head of the bed, I place the cold steel of my knife to his throat, cutting him deep enough to wake him. His eyes shoot open, landing on me, before growing large with fear.
“Up.” I order.
He throws a woman, that was splayed across his chest off him before slowly rising to his feet. I keep my knife on him, making him walk in front of me, heading to the main room of the house. Standing in front of the people passed out. I kick his legs out from underneath him and watch as he falls to his knees.
“You’ve got three seconds to get your brother out here.” I command.
He peers over his shoulder, looking up at me, the fear still in his eyes. I knew the moment he stood toe to toe with the devil himself his attitude would change.
“Nate, get your fucking ass out here.” He yells out, waking up some of the people lying on the floor. “NATE.”
“Run,” I tell them. I didn’t come here to take out a bunch of addicts. By the time Nate finally appears there are only three bodies left on the floor.
“What the fuck do you want Nick? “Nate asks, coming into the room. When his eyes meet mine, I see him reach to the table on his right, grabbing the revolver I already unarmed. Pointing it at my head he gets a cocky smile on his face. “You’ve fucked with the wrong brothers, Mother Fucker.”
His brother starts to rise, thinking they now have the upper hand, but my blade going through his shoulder stops him. “I wouldn’t do that.” I warn him. He doesn’t listen, they never do, and pulls the trigger of the gun aimed at my head. When the sound of the empty chamber clicks, his smug smile vanishes, and he drops the gun. Coming here I knew it would be smarter for me to have more than just my knife, so I went by my apartment and grabbed my nine millimeter.
Removing my gun from the waist band on my jeans I point the barrel at Nate. “I warned you not to do that.” I state before shooting him in the knee cap. The sound of the gun rings out waking up the remainder of the bodies on the floor. One girl starts to scream, so I point the gun at her, “leave.” I yell out. It doesn’t take long before they are all running out of the front door to my left. Aiming the gun back at Nate, thinking no one else is in the house, I see someone familiar out of the corner of my eye.
Bethany is standing in the entry way, wrapped in a blanket, barely able to keep herself up. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what she is doing here. Stoned out of her mind, half naked, and sleeping in a drug dealers home. The anger I’ve been trying to keep under control, since Izzy left, releases.
Nate has stopped rolling around on the floor in pain and he’s now holding a dirty rag to his wound. Glancing back and forth between Bethany and I, “you know this bitch?” He asks me, as he starts laughing like a crazed idiot. “I fucked her nice and slow. She was hollering my…” His sentence is cut short with the bullet now lodged in his head. Thinking his brother is going to try something, I place the barrel against his head. I had planned on dragging the questioning process out, but Bethany being here has ruined my plans.
“What do you know of Lorenzo and Anthony?” I ask.
“I know they are going to kill your psychotic ass. The two of them together will be unstoppable.” He yells out. I knock him over the head with the grip of my gun watching his unconscious body falls to the floor. Killing him would be to easy. I want Lorenzo to know that he told me everything. So I bend down and carve out a warning to them both, using my knife, on his chest.
Finished leaving my message, I slowly make my way over to Bethany, pulling her chin up, forcing her to look me in the eyes. Where her normal brown irises would be seen, there is nothing but the black of her irises. Her hair is a tangled mess, sticking to the sides of her face, and she can barely hold herself up. The girl I once knew is not the one standing in front of me. She’s a weaker version, a broken person, a witness to what I have done.
“Does Dalton know where you are?” I ask her. She continues to look into my eyes, slowly blinking, not saying a word. It’s clear she won’t remember anything that happened tonight, not when she can’t even form a sentence. Reaching down I make sure the sheet is securely wrapped around her before lifting her into my arms. Her head is laying on my chest while her right arm hangs to the side. Dalton is going to be crushed when I drop her off. I had warned him this would happen if he didn’t get her the help she needed. Carrying her outside, placing her in the first car that is unlocked, I hot wire it to start and turn the car toward the highway. It’s time to take her home and force Dalton to see what I’ve already told him.
Chapter 34
Dalton
Rolling out of bed, wiping the sleep from my eyes, I stumble over the pair of shoes Bethany left on my floor. She must have dropped them when she was moving her stuff to our guest room. Catching my balance, I rush to the front door that someone is now banging on. Walking past the hole I punched out of the wall earlier, I shake my head remembering the fight between Bethany and me. We had been having a quiet dinner, that I picked up on my way home, when I cautiously brought up all the pills I have seen her taking. I had mentioned that seeing a therapist would be beneficial for both of us, and our relationship, but she is convinced that it would be a waste of time and money. The discussion didn’t last long and the rest of the meal was eaten in silence. I watched as she went into her room, grabbed a pill bottle from her purse, and dumped two in her hand. That was my breaking point.
Grabbing the pills and bottle from her hands, having her claw my arms and back, I walked to the bathroom and flushed the Codeine down the toilet. I’ll never forget the look on her face as she watched me destroy the only thing she loves anymore. I had been in denial for some time, K.J. pointing it out opened my eyes, but I won’t sit around and watch someone I love kill them self.
Opening the door, I’m not prepared for the scene in front of me. K.J. is standing a few feet from me, holding an unmoving body in his arms, a look of pure rage on his face. Thinking he has gotten himself into real trouble this time, I open the door wider for him to enter.
“What the fuck happened?” I ask, while he walks to the couch, laying an unconscious woman down. At closer inspection I can see the only thing covering her naked body is a, dingy white, sheet.
“I found her at a drug dealers house stoned out of her mind.” K.J, responds.
Breaking The Silence (Fatally Flawed Book 3) Page 11