Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

K night and Donovan were looking over the security footage they had received from the grocery store. When his cell phone rang, he was pissed at the intrusion.

“This better be good, Cross.”

“M-Ms. Jones. Mackey’s goons have her. She wanted to c-come to her h-house and get clothes a-and go to the store to g-get groceries to make dinner for you and Mr. Donovan. W-we were ambushed at her place. I was shot. S-she caused a scene to make them focus o-on her so I could call y-you.”

“Fuck! We’re on the way. Stay alive damn it!”

“What’s wrong?” Donovan asked when he hung up the phone, worry in his eyes.

“Fuck!” Knight threw his phone across the room, luckily hitting the couch. “Avery didn’t have clean clothes, so she had Cross take her home to get some. They were ambushed by Mackey’s men. He’s been fucking playing us!”

“He’s a dead man. Where’s Cross?”

“He’s still at Avery’s house He’s been shot. She fucking protected Cross, according to him so that he could stay alive to call us. I’m spanking that ass red when we get her back!”

“We will get her back. Now, let’s go deal with Cross. Get him the medical attention he needs.”

Knight got up, walked over to where his phone landed and picked it up. His screen background was that of Avery laughing at something his sister had said the other day. She looked so carefree and utterly fucking beautiful. Yeah, they were getting her back. She was his. Mackey was fucking dead. He put hands on what belonged to him. He would make that fucker scream for mercy before cutting his throat.

When they had arrived at Avery’s place, their inside contact for the local police department was standing there with another officer. An ambulance was there, getting ready to load Cross into the back.

“She put her fucking body over mine when the bastards shot that fucker, Green. He was waiting for her in her bedroom. She screamed for me to run! Find her!”

“You can bet your sweet ass we will. You go to the hospital and get patched up. We’ll be there when it’s taken care of.”

Knight nodded at the medic and then walked away with Donovan towards their police department contact. Heads were about to roll.

“Adams. What the hell is going on? I thought Mackey was under control?”

Donovan was pissed. When he paid good money for someone to do their damn job, they had better be worth the price, if not better than what they have earned to stay on his good side. While they knew mistakes happened and shit can pass through the cracks, this was an epic sized fucking hole in that bitch.

“Looks like Mackey had a mole in the department as well. We’re digging to find out who it is. Cross could only identify the head guy. He did mention Officer Green, but he wasn’t privileged to half the information that we’re finding out now that Mackey knew. So, we believe, strongly, there’s someone else in the fold. Whether it’s my department or higher up, which is where I’m leaning because of the kind of business Mackey runs.”

“You’re redeeming yourself with that thought then, Adams. Who are you thinking?”

Knight watched as Adams looked around for several minutes. He studied Adams. He knew Adams well since they served together in the Army and saved each other’s bacon a few times.

“I’m going to be honest, I have a strong feeling it’s either the captain or the chief, if not both, which wouldn’t surprise me with as chummy as those two are. While they give you lip service, there are a few things that I have noticed but wanted more evidence before I brought it to your attention. The chief has an affinity for younger girls. Young girls if you get my drift. The captain? He likes anything that will give his dick the time of day. I don’t trust either one of them to be honest.”

“Knight, it’s time I let you off the leash. Adams, anytime you’re ready to come work for me, you’ve got a job. It’s time we cleaned up the department, starting with those two.” Donovan’s voice went ice cold, letting Knight know he had hit his limit of bullshit for the day.

“I do have one question, did you get the footage from the store?” Adams asked, causing Knight to look at the man in confusion.

“Yeah. Wait, you sent me that?”

“I did. The man who took out yours and took Delaney works for Mackey. He brought him in out of state to do what was needed. Word on the street, and I’m just hearing this today, is that Avery’s mother and sister sold her to Mackey a couple of months ago. She’s avoided Mackey’s traps like the plague. He sent in Green and his brother, who is also a schoolteacher at Avery’s school to bring her in, but she’s hasn’t fallen for anything with those two.”

“Wait a fucking minute! That fucking twat that came in while I was with Avery works for Mackey? He’s a recruiter, isn’t he?” Knight’s voice went cold.

The one thing they hated more than anything is someone who kidnapped young children and used them for the sexual fantasies. That’s why they didn’t go into the trafficking business. The girls that worked for them worked because they wanted to and they were well taken care of. They didn’t allow them to be on drugs and they had to be clean. It was a huge pet peeve of his and Donovan’s.

“Yeah. We’ve been trying to nail them both for years but, thanks to the captain and the chief, we’ve fallen short for a while now.” Adams confirmed, running his hands through his hair after rubbing his face.

“Let’s go hunting!” Knight smirked over at Donovan.

“If you’re going to go looking for Green’s brother, he’s in the morgue. Looks like Mackey is cleaning up and getting ready to run now that he has Avery and knows you’re going to come looking for him. Be careful. Me and a few of the guys believe he’s making a power play trying to take you boys out so that he can take over your turfs.”

“Knight, you’re officially off the leash.” Donovan advised his brother as he cracked his neck side to side. “I’m calling in O’Malley. He hates this shit as much as we do. Knowing that Avery is really his daughter that he never knew about, he’s going to give you a run for your money in the crazy as fuck department.”

“Wait, Avery is Patrick O’Malley’s daughter? As in the O’Malley out of Boston?” Adams asked in shock.

“Aye. Her mother never told the man. She got knocked up and ran from Boston and came here.”

“Oh shit! I’ll let the guys know to stay out of your way and we’ll deal with the cleanup. We’ll have a blackout when you let me know you’re getting ready to handle business.”