Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Shades lunges toward the slick patrolman and gets in his face, towering over him by at least five inches.
“We don’t work with coppers, so I suggest you get back in your fucking car and get off my property before I shoot first and ask questions as I bury your fucking body.”
Briseno’s thick brows shoot up behind his over-styled hair.
“Threatening an officer? I could slap cuffs on you right now.”
Shades looks over his shoulder at me and then Doherty, laughing. “Officer? I don’t see an officer. I see a petty motherfucker with too much gel in his hair, no badge, no patrol car, no indicators of law enforcement at all. Asshole.”
Doherty grabs Shades’ shoulder and gives him a gentle shove back. “I’m looking for Hector Santos, executing a search warrant.”
“Here?” Briseno is incredulous, shaking his head in disbelief. “And you came here?”
“Who would know his whereabouts better than the men he’s determined to take down?” On the surface, Doherty seems like the goofy sort, but the man sees more than he lets on, says very little, and is a damn good lawman. “What are you doing here?”
Briseno frowns, his mind on earlier information, giving away more than he realizes. “Warrant? I didn’t see an active warrant for Santos?”
Doherty nods and strokes his chin. “That’s funny because you’re a patrolman, and you don’t get to see or know anything about warrants until you run a name in the database. There a reason you’re digging into Santos?”
Briseno’s eyes go round and wide. “Other than he’s a notorious criminal? None.”
“On your day off? I find that hard to believe.” The Sheriff is calm, almost cool as he lets his subordinate keep pushing that line.
“Cut the shit, Doherty. You’re working for the Reckless Souls, and these fucks have done something to Hector. I know it. He hasn’t been seen by anyone for at least a few days.”
The man is shaking, and I wonder if he’s genuinely worried about Hector, or if Nogales is tightening the screws.
“What do you know, old man?” He pulls out a black-on-black gun and aims it at the Sheriff.
In an instant, Briseno finds himself with three guns trained on his head. Doherty is the only one without a weapon in his hand, and he steps forward, not between the two factions but close enough.
“Listen, Antonio, there’s no reason to go this route. If Hector is missing, it’s my job to find him.”
“No!” Briseno’s eyes are wide, and his hand is shaking. “They have him. They know where he is, and you’re protecting them.” His dilated eyes and twitching gun hand tells me all I need to know about how he got mixed up with the Iron Kings.
“You’re a goddamn junkie,” I say and tighten my grip on my gun. “Hector isn’t here. We were just telling your boss the same fucking thing. It’s time for you to go.”
Briseno shakes his head again. “I ain’t going nowhere until you tell me where he is.” He swings the gun back toward Doherty and repeats the question.
“That’s what I’m trying to find out or was anyway until you showed up. Now I have to convince these guys not to put a bullet in you.”
“That’s not fucking good enough! I need to know where he is. Now!” He adjusts his grip, and his index finger slips between the trigger guard.
I’m already on the move toward Doherty when I shout, “Trigger!” My forearm takes the Sheriff down as two double taps sound behind me, the beautiful rhythm of sending a dirty cop straight to hell.
“You good, Wild Man?” Ace’s voice is tight and tense.
“I’m good. Sheriff is good, too,” I pull back and look down at him with a smile. “Right?”
“My back took a beating it didn’t need, but, yeah, I’m good. Thanks,” he grunts as I help him back to his feet.
Shades stands after confirming that Briseno has no pulse and smiles. “Like old times,” he grins, and fist bumps Ace.
“Shit,” Doherty grunts. “I have to call this in, boys.”
“No, you don’t.” Ace steps in front of Doherty with a cool yet serious expression on his face. He’s not intimidating or threatening toward the Sheriff, just two men without a lot of choices. “If this goes out, the news will get wind of it, and it’ll erupt in a shit storm for all of us.”
Doherty is listening and nodding. “What do you suggest?”
Ace drops a hand on his shoulder like they’re old friends. “Let Internal Affairs keep investigating. When they find what they need, they’ll assume he fled to avoid prosecution. We’ll take care of the rest.”
The Sheriff frowns and shakes his head. “I don’t like the sound of that. What does it mean?”
Shades takes a step forward. “It’s best you don’t know the details, Sheriff. Keep an eye out around the cop shop to see if Briseno was the only one serving Hector or Nogales.”