Talon (Uncompromising #1)(95)
I walked out onto the lanai. “Then come get her.”
“You know I can’t do that. Shit’s locked down tight and this mess Stone started is closing in.” For the first time ever, Candle sounded worried.
“Like you didn’t have a hand in it.” Fucking asshole.
The background noise got quieter and I heard a door close. “Listen, you asked for a favor. I had that shit taken care of. No one would’ve been the wiser, it would’ve looked like an accident, but Stone sunk his teeth in it and now we’re all in danger from those sick cartel assholes.”
I played dumb. “What exactly did Stone do?” For the first time, I was starting to think Candle really was in the dark about all the shit Stone had going on.
Candle sighed and at first, I wasn’t sure he was going to give me an answer. But then he started talking. “The second Maldonado croaked, Stone simultaneously struck three of his locations—a warehouse, a strip club and an underground gambling place. All were execution style, in and out, no warning. He took out more than half of his organization, women and civilians included. The whole thing was calculated and I didn’t have a fucking clue. He even got four LCs on the payroll at Miami port authority as of this week. Legit jobs, so no one fucks with them. Stone probably thought Christmas came early when he found out what I was planning for Maldonado.”
“So it was him.” I fucking knew it.
“Yeah.” Candle grunted. “You were fucking right. And it didn’t take him more than a minute to throw his own son to the wolves and have him openly claim responsibility for the hit. Fuck, I shouldn’t even be telling you this, Stone would shoot me himself if he knew but the point is, you can’t bring Kendall up here. What’s left of Maldonado’s crew has rallied and they’re already in Ocala.”
“I haven’t heard shit about the three strikes.” I was guessing neither had André, or he would’ve said something. Ariel used to work at one of Maldonado’s strip clubs.
“It’s not even on the news. I can’t imagine who Stone has in his pocket to keep that shit quiet.”
Damn it. “We’re about to go after his grandkid, anything else you wanna tell me?”
“Yeah, keep your head down and pray to God Maldonado’s men take Stone out before he finds out.”
“Anyone gonna tell him you were askin’ around?”
“Don’t think so, but at this point I don’t know who the fuck to trust.”
“You need to get outta there.”
Candle laughed bitterly. “Too late. Besides, there’s only one way to walk away from an MC alive.”
Take out the top. “Sounds temptin’.”
“No shit but believe me, I don’t want the headache of cleaning up the fucked-up mess that’d be left behind. The club is split in two. I don’t even know who’d still want the old ways back. Bunch of bloodthirsty one-percenters in here now.”
I had no sympathy for him. “You made your bed.”
“And Stone tucked me in.”
Not my problem. “Good thing you’re in a fortress.”
“Right.” He snorted. “A fortress with a weapons hold Stone has been stockpiling for years. A couple of well aimed RPGs and the whole place will blow.”
“Shit, don’t tell me that.”
“I’d almost rather you and your Marine buddies take this place out,” he said, miserable.
“I’m not getting involved except to help Nic.”
“Sounds like I’m not the only one who made his bed. Just take care of Kendall, that’s all I ask.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “We can’t leave her here.”
“Put her in Luna’s penthouse. He’s got tighter security than a virgin’s pussy up there.”
How the fuck did he know about that? “He doesn’t live in a penthouse,” I lied.
“Bullshit. Just put her there and I’ll pretend I don’t know about it.”
Christ. “She that good in bed?”
Candle burst out laughing. “You think I tapped that?” He laughed harder. “You are one dumb motherfucker.”
No denying that. I was caught between a motorcycle gang and a pissed-off cartel, about to steal a stolen kid and play house with the MC’s president’s dead son’s woman while I hid his Sergeant-at-Arms’ coveted lady crush. Dumb didn’t begin to cover it. “Pot, kettle. Go fuck yourself.”
Neil stepped out on the lanai. “Wrap it up.”
“You first.” Candle hung up.
I turned to Neil. “We might have a problem with extraction.”