by Jen Davis
“Well, like I said, it wasn’t either of your fault. Sometimes bad things just happen, but don’t the two of you lose any sleep over it. Things happen for reasons that we aren’t supposed to understand.”
“Ain’t that the truth.”
***
Matthew sat at his usual table in the back of the hotel restaurant, quietly attempting to enjoy his dinner, while at the same time trying to come up with new and different ways to make his daughter’s life just a little more unbearable every day. He didn’t care about the altercation with Mr. Myers; she had handled it the way she should in addition to forcing him to pay for Violet’s non-existent medical bills. Unfortunately, Mr. Myers still hadn’t followed through with his promise to pay, so Matthew had sent Tucker to eliminate the debtor.
At the same time the waiter came to Matthew’s table to pour him another glass of wine, Matthew’s posture stiffened and he gritted his teeth in annoyance as he heard a familiar flirtatious voice. “Matthew, it’s so good to see you.”
Taking a seat across from him, Madeline had a smile on her face and hunger in eyes. Matthew gave her a glare that showed he was clearly annoyed and had no interest in seeing her.
“You know, Madeline, you could call instead of dropping by.”
She laughed. “As if you would take my call.”
Matthew let go a resigned sigh. “How are things in Atlantic City?”
“How are things with Renee? Of course, with Patricia coming back to work for me, I heard all about her homecoming. It’s too bad her boyfriend couldn’t come with her. I’m sure she misses him terribly.” Madeline’s smile deepened at Matthew’s stunned reaction. “I have to say, Matthew, that you surprise me. You should know by now that when I come to you, it’s usually with information that is valuable to you.”
“And what do you want in exchange for this information?” he asked.
“You know, I haven’t decided yet,” she gave her shoulders a happy shrug, “but I’m sure I will let you know.”
Chapter 52
Chloe embraced David with the strength of a bear, listening to him repeatedly tell her how happy he was to see her again and how much he had missed her. Matthew impatiently stood against the wall of windows in the conference room, waiting for the reunion to come to an end. When David and Chloe broke their hug and took their seats, Matthew moved to his seat at the head of the table.
Beaming a smile, David turned to Matthew. “It’s so good to have her back, isn’t it, Matthew?” When Matthew didn’t answer, David smiled and turned to Chloe. “You and I will go out to lunch and catch up.”
“That would be lovely.”
Matthew’s scowl turned to indifference as David addressed him. “Now, let’s get down to business. I would like to arrange a meeting with all of the underbosses of the Family. We will hold the meeting here, in Boston. There is business to discuss and announcements to be made.”
This news was unexpected and Chloe could see the wheels turning in Matthew’s head. She also saw intrigue.
“Is there anything in particular you would like them to know about this meeting so they can prepare?” Matthew asked.
“Nothing that can’t wait,” David replied with the wave of his hand. To Chloe, he said, “You’ll make the arrangements?”
“I would be happy to,” Chloe said with a smile. “It’s so good to see you, David. How have you been?”
“Better than I thought I would be at this age. Maybe I should retire.” David let out a hearty laugh while Chloe watched Matthew’s wheels spin faster.
“All I know for sure,” David continued, “is that I’m getting older, I’m widowed six years now, my son is gone, and people I love are leaving me. Even Sasha. I haven’t heard from her in months.”
At the mention of Sasha, Matthew’s body tensed and his eyes burned with hate, but Chloe ignored him.
“Really?” Chloe asked, a slight pang of loss for her friend kept to herself. “Did she finally meet a strange and mysterious man who swept her off her feet?”
“Ha!” David exclaimed, playing along. “I think it would be wonderful if she did; however, she went to California to see her sickly mother and I haven’t heard from her.”
“Speaking of strange and mysterious men,” Matthew chimed in, “it has recently been brought to my attention that the Family has caught the government’s eye. Specifically, the FBI.”
Chloe’s features didn’t give away the surprise and fear she was actually feeling, which meant Matthew wasn’t getting the reaction he wanted. She knew that no matter what she heard going forward, she had to react as if she wasn’t already aware of the truth. David’s reaction was exactly as expected when the Boss of the Lundy Family found out that the government was keeping tabs on him—inquiring, furious, and determined to shut any investigation down.
“What do you know?” David asked.
“There is an agent in New Orleans—two agents actually—who have taken an interest in our Family.”
“Would their interest have anything at all to do with our former employees showing up on the news every other week?” Chloe asked.
Matthew shot a malicious look at Chloe then turned his attention back to David. “Jack called to let me know that a former associate by the name of Mack Finley was willing to turn against us in exchange for government protection. Because Finley was in his jurisdiction, and these two agents are subordinates of Jack’s, he has been keeping an eye on the situation. I was informed that Mr. Finley was prepared to talk, then suddenly changed his mind, deciding to stay in jail instead of facing the consequences of speaking out against the Family. Mr. Finley went back to his cell, fell asleep, and never woke up.”
David stated the obvious. “You have been in this business far too long not to consider the fact that if they are able to connect Finley to this Family, and the fact that he worked for you, you will become the target of their investigation.”
“I’m not that naïve, David,” Matthew said as he nodded in Chloe’s direction, “but, on the other hand, it’s possible they could suspect Renee.”
Chloe’s head snapped up. “Me?”
“You have the tattoo and you have recently been in Louisiana,” Matthew stated. “If you were careless, it’s possible someone has been watching you, which brings about a bigger problem. If they are watching you or looking for you, once you come out of hiding in Boston, they could easily find you and connect you to the Family. That would be a problem we would want to resolve before it becomes a reality.”
Chloe and David exchanged a look that said they were both thinking the same thing—Matthew would use this as an excuse to either eliminate Chloe or use her to get David’s position of power.
“What are you suggesting, Matthew?” David asked.
“Like I said, I talked to Jack and he and I are both in agreement that these two agents of his need to be quietly and quickly eliminated in order to prevent any kind of investigation against Renee, or the Family, from becoming a reality. I have already sent Tucker to New Orleans.”
There was no way she could warn Hunter. Chloe tried to keep shock out of her voice. “He’s already there?”
“If these two agents aren’t stopped, they could ruin me and everything I have worked for in a matter of weeks,” Matthew said sternly. The fact that he was talking only about his own ruination did not go unnoticed. “Tucker needs to be there on my behalf to make sure their death is imminent.”
Reading between the lines, Chloe knew Matthew was more than worried. Her father had finally realized the enormity of the mistakes he had been making, all the while David had been sitting back and letting Matthew braid his own hanging rope. How he obtained Hunter and Judd’s names wasn’t important at the moment. What was important was that over the years, Matthew had ignored David’s golden rule of staying out of the spotlight and not drawing attention to the Family through the media, and was now facing the possibility of irreparable consequences. Matthew’s arrogance had finally gotten the best of him and he r
ealized that he was not invincible. Even though he tried to justify and rationalize placing the focus of the blame on Finley or Chloe, he knew all evidence would lead back to him if Hunter and Judd weren’t killed first.
Finally, David gave a curt nod. “You’ll keep me posted, I assume?”
“Of course,” Matthew said. Then to Chloe said, “In the meantime, we have a meeting to set up. I’ll leave the details to you.”
Chapter 53
Jack sat in the car across the street from Ma and Pop’s Java, with Tucker in the passenger seat, watching Hunter, Judd, and Dennis at their table, apparently engrossed in a serious discussion. Accompanying Jack and Tucker were four of Jack’s associates and two of his captains, strategically located around the coffee shop to ensure their targets wouldn’t be missed. Jack was careful in his planning, knowing that the morning’s events would be a public event and had given specific instructions to make sure there were no unnecessary losses.
Tucker turned to Jack with an impatient look. “How much longer do we have to wait? He’s right there.”
“What’s the rush? You got a hot date?”
“I don’t like waiting.”
“Waiting is part of the game. We don’t spend time planning for no reason. We have to be precise and get it done right the first time. You’ve been with Parnell long enough to know that.”
Tucker let out an exasperated sigh. “Yeah, well, Mr. Parnell gave me exact instructions for the boyfriend and I’m not going to fuck it up.”
“What were his instructions?”
Tucker stared out the window, ignoring Jack’s question. Jack dealt Tucker a slap to the side of his head with so much force that Tucker’s forehead hit the window. As Tucker tried to rub the pain off his scalp, his irritation turned to confused panic as Jack pressed the barrel of his gun under Tucker’s jaw.
“I asked you a question, boy, and I expect an answer, or my first bullet of the day will exit the back of your skull. What were his instructions?”
“He wants his heart!” Tucker cried out, and Jack’s eyes widened in disbelief. “He wants to give it to his daughter so she’ll know he will make sure nobody will ever be able to love her as long as he draws breath! That’s what he told me, word for word! I swear!”
Jack slowly drew his gun back and sat back in his seat, contemplating. David had told him how Matthew felt about Renee, and knew that Matthew was an asshole, but never would have imagined he could be so sadistic.
***
Hunter was cornered by Mrs. Davidson and grateful that Dennis decided to save him. She was still hell-bent on finding him the perfect woman even though he had already told her he met somebody else.
“I won’t believe you until I meet her,” Mrs. Davidson told him.
Thankful for the rescue, Hunter cordially said goodbye to Mrs. Davidson and joined his friends at the table in front of the window facing the street. Hunter opened a file and started scanning the documents inside.
“All this is new?” Hunter asked.
“Everything I could find last night,” Judd said. “Unfortunately, there isn’t much more than there was a few days ago.”
Hunter thought about telling Dennis and Judd about the recorded confession regarding the murder of Wyatt Lundy all those years ago, but he had promised David and Chloe that he wouldn’t pursue it. Hunter had to respect the fact that David had the right to deal with Matthew concerning the death of his son and the father of his granddaughter.
Hunter went back to focusing on the papers in front of him and, finding nothing new, tossed them on the table in frustration. “She talked about these two guys, Crescent and Tucker. Have you been able to find anything on either of them?”
“If I could, you would have it in front of you, man,” Judd said, then took a bite of his pastry. “So far, the only one I can find anything on is the doctor, and even that isn’t much. It’s like the second he retired, he fell off the map.”
Surprised when they saw who entered the shop, the three men turned to watch as Jack walked in, greeted them with a wave of his hand, and went to the counter to order a coffee.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Judd asked.
“Good question. I’ll be right back,” Hunter told the others, and then joined Jack at the counter.
“I understand you met Mr. Lundy.” That was all Jack had to say to let Hunter know he knew what was going on.
“I got quite the education. Are you here to tell me more secrets?”
“Have you told them?” Jack asked, indicating Judd and Dennis, who had turned their attention back to the work in front of them.
“No. They know what they know, but the fewer people who know, the better.”
Jack took a photo out of his jacket and handed it to Hunter. “Do you know who this man is?”
It was a man in his mid-thirties, with broad shoulders and sandy blond hair, standing on a sidewalk outside of a restaurant, looking to be waiting for somebody or something. Just from the look in the man’s eyes, Hunter instinctively knew everything about this man was dangerous, but he didn’t know who he was.
“Did Chloe ever mention a man who works for Parnell by the name of Tucker Wilson?”
Every muscle in Hunter’s body seemed to atrophy as he remembered everything Chloe had told him.
“I see you’ve heard of him,” Jack observed.
“This is him?” Hunter asked.
Jack nodded. “It is. He’s sitting outside in the black SUV waiting for you and Fowler. Parnell has issued a contract on you both. Sanctioned, of course.”
Hunter tried to maintain a casual demeanor, but to say he was speechless with disbelief was an understatement. Hunter had too many questions running through his head and knew with this revelation time wasn’t a luxury for getting answers. Giving Jack a skeptical look, Hunter asked, “Why are you here, Jack?”
Finally getting his order, Jack took a drink of his coffee. “I will explain only what I can as quickly as I can. There is a schedule in place, and if we are to make Matthew believe his orders have been followed, it is my job to get the two of you outside. Make no mistake, I will get you outside if I have to drag you both out by your balls.”
***
Hunter had no choice. He had to get Judd outside without telling them what he knew and hope that following Jack’s orders would succeed. Once Jack left, Hunter squared his shoulders and mentally prepared himself for what was coming.
“We should get back,” Hunter said to Judd and Dennis.
“I need to hit the head,” Dennis said. “I’ll meet you at the car in a few minutes.”
Take as long as you want, Hunter thought as Dennis excused himself and Judd gathered the clutter from the table.
Hunter and Judd exited the coffee shop and walked toward Judd’s car. Hunter’s eyes quickly scanned his immediate surroundings and, just as he was told, he saw Jack standing on the passenger side of the SUV talking to Tucker as he exited the vehicle. Hunter quickly assessed his options for the inevitable and realized he couldn’t formulate a plan fast enough as a shot rang out and a bullet lodged itself in the grille of Judd’s car. Traffic stopped and pedestrians scattered at the sound. As three more shots were fired from different directions, Hunter pushed Judd, who was completely caught off guard, behind the car, where they both drew their guns.
Judd was in his first fire fight and Hunter was confident he would be able to handle himself. He had no other choice than to trust Judd would do the right thing and hope for the best. Judd didn’t let him down as he took cover and returned fire, even though Hunter wasn’t completely sure if Jack’s plan included them being able to hit anything they weren’t supposed to. Hunter had to trust Jack knew what he was doing when he told him the plan.
Jack and Tucker broke their cover from behind the SUV long enough to fire shots in Hunter and Judd’s direction. Both Judd and Hunter returned fire, but Tucker got off three shots; two missing his target and one going through the window of Ma and Pop’s Java. The world seem
ed to move in slow motion as Hunter turned to look through the window just in time to watch as Mrs. Davidson fell into Dennis’s arms with a gunshot through her neck. Infuriated and without any concern for his own wellbeing, and completely ignoring Jack’s instructions, Hunter broke his cover and ran for the SUV.
“What the hell are you doing?” Judd yelled, but Hunter ignored him.
Hunter ran toward Tucker and Jack, firing every bullet he had in Tucker’s direction as fast as he could. He crouched in front of the SUV and was able to take quick cover to reload his weapon. He caught a glimpse of one of Jack’s associates standing on a corner the next block over, standing down, his gun at his side, and another of Jack’s associates randomly firing his gun into the air. Hunter could only hope Tucker hadn’t taken notice of these two men and figured out what Jack was up to.
The play of gunfire continued as Tucker turned back to get to his cover when Hunter rounded the SUV and pulled the trigger, firing four rounds before Tucker could think about getting another shot off, all rounds hitting their mark. It took about two seconds for Tucker to hit the ground with one bullet taking him in the forehead, one in his right eye, one in his right thigh, and one in his neck. Gunfire ceased and all Hunter could hear were sirens in the distance and his heart pounding in his ears. Both stunned and furious, Hunter watched Jack smile down at Tucker’s corpse, then give Hunter a satisfied nod.
Hunter knew Jack’s associates had quietly and discretely concealed their weapons and left their positions by now. Judd ran over to make sure Hunter and Jack were okay and, once convinced, ran back to the coffee shop to help Dennis try to control the panicked people hiding under tables.
Hunter looked toward the coffee shop, then back to Jack, shaking with anger. “Goddammit, Jack.”
There was true remorse on Jack’s face. “I’m sorry, Hunter.”
Hunter spoke through clenched teeth. “She was a good, innocent woman. You tell your boss that I made the choice to play along with his game and did what I was told, but if he doesn’t kill Matthew Parnell, then I will.”