11. Jordan

11

JORDAN

“What?” I growled into the phone. This was not what I wanted to be dealing with on the morning of Vail’s birthday. I should have woken him up with my mouth on his cock or my tongue in his ass. Instead, Hartley and Vail were sound asleep while I yelled into the fucking phone far enough away they didn’t hear me.

“We still can’t find Cameron,” Barry said.

After my men went in search of the delivery truck, which they found empty, they started looking for Cameron. There were signs of a struggle and blood on the steering wheel and seat. Bloody handprints, to be precise, like he was injured and kept trying to drive.

They scoured the woods in hope he didn’t crawl away and die somewhere. There was no blood trail, no nothing. Just an empty truck. I debated on whether to call the local authorities. There was no trace of the original illegal contents. But it would draw attention to me and my organization. The guards knew working for me came with hazards, including death. I still wanted to know where Cameron and my guns were.

Barry and Vincent had returned with my truck, not wanting to leave it on the side of the road with blood in it. At least the cops hadn’t found it. Barry said it looked like a broken-down vehicle. We got to it in time.

But I had no answers. And I fucking hated when I had no answers.

“Where’s Vinny?” I asked.

“He’s still up north. I have him looking for Cam. So far, he hasn’t found anything.” Neither Cameron nor Vincent had family waiting to hear from them. Most of my men were unattached. It made things easier when one of them disappeared. Not that it happened often.

“Keep me posted.”

“I will, and Derek’s still being a dick. He called again this morning asking for another shipment.”

“Fuck him,” I seethed. After he received his shipment, he was told that was the end of our business. I didn’t work with people who came to my building, my fucking home, and demanded shit from me. Now he was pissed because he lost me as a quality supplier.

“I know. We have to do something though, because he won’t shut up.”

Glancing at the time on my phone, I saw it was only seven. “Get me the address to his home. I’m going to pay him a visit. And tell Sheldon, Reghan, and Albert they’re joining me. Have Raiden come up to guard Hart and Vail. We’re leaving in ten.”

“Got it.”

I hung up and went to the closet in my office. Spare suits hung there if I needed them in a hurry. Boxer briefs, shoes, socks, guns, and knives. I quickly dressed, put a gun in my holster, strapped a knife to my calf, and left the room as the elevator arrived with Raiden in it.

“Stay here,” I said to Raiden as I approached. “If they wake before I’m back, tell them I had to attend to something and will return as soon as humanly possible.”

“Yes, sir.”

Leaning heavily against the elevator wall, I hated every floor I was putting between myself and my men. I shouldn’t have to leave on Vail’s birthday, but if I didn’t deal with Derek, he would become an increasingly bigger problem. Maybe I’d kill him today. Maybe I wouldn’t. It depended on my mood when I arrived and the stupid shit that would inevitably flow from his lips.

I tried to calm myself with memories of dinner last night with Vail’s sister and brother-in-law. How happy Vail looked. How much he enjoyed being surrounded by those who loved him. All those memories did was piss me off more since I was being pulled away from him. He hated what I did. Hated I got blood on my hands. I would make sure I scrubbed better today and not in my shower. I had a feeling I was going to get bloody.

Albert was waiting for me beside my Maserati. He opened the back door. “Good morning, sir.”

“Albert.”

Sheldon and Reghan climbed into the SUV behind us.

Then Caius appeared. I rolled down my window. “Why aren’t you with Romeo and Tristan?”

“I’m off shift, sir. Just got back here.”

“Are you tired?”

“No.” Caius had a deep, soothing voice. Not quite to the degree Sheldon did. He was good at keeping his cool too.

“Get in.”

He didn’t ask questions, simply slid into the front seat beside Albert. Caius didn’t fit easily. He was broader and taller than Albert and me.

Not knowing what I was going to find at Derek’s home, it was better to have more with me. Albert rarely fought but he would without hesitation. Now I had four men plus me. That was good enough for this little venture.

“Where to, sir?” Albert asked.

I sent him the address Barry had texted me. Outside the city limits wasn’t ideal. I had an easier time cleaning up in East Dremest, but I couldn’t let this shit slide.

We left the city, going in the opposite direction of most. Being a Saturday, traffic was lighter than normal. Soon enough, country roads lay out before us as we wound our way northwest, until we turned onto an even smaller road that didn’t have any lines painted on it. I was surprised there was a fucking street sign.

This wasn’t the first time I’d visited a buyer at their home. In the beginning, I’d sneak up on them, so they didn’t know what hit them. Now, I didn’t give a fuck and drove up to their front door.

The road had maybe four houses on it, and they were spread apart by acres of land. It made sense given the amount of products Derek bought from me. They were easier to hide on a vast amount of property rather than in the city.

Albert stopped the car in front of a large two-story house with white siding and navy shutters. The curtains were drawn over the windows, the morning sun hitting the panes. Albert opened my door, and I stepped out, not waiting for anyone. They’d follow.

There were cameras around the house, hidden where most wouldn’t see. I did though. Peering over my shoulder, I looked at Reghan. “Lawson.”

He nodded and lifted his phone. Lawson would scrub every inch of us from the security footage and turn the system off.

“Caius,” I said next.

He stepped up and, using sheer muscle, broke the door from its frame. He was the first into the home with his gun drawn. Reghan followed, then me. Sheldon was behind me while Albert stayed with the vehicles. He’d handle anyone out here. By the looks of it, there wasn’t anyone around the exterior.

I pulled my gun from the holster and watched for movement, which was easy enough to predict. The sounds of a person walking upstairs reached us. Caius stayed on the first floor to clear it. He’d go out back in case someone exited a window while Reghan took the stairs two at a time with me following.

“Don’t fucking move,” Derek seethed, a gun pointed at Reghan. He was also stark-ass naked. Reghan had his gun on Derek. If I had to bet, Reghan would hit Derek first, but he could die in the process. I wasn’t willing to lose Reghan’s life or any of the men with me today.

Before I could say a word, a muffled shot was fired, and Derek crumpled to the ground, clutching his knee.

Over my shoulder, I saw Sheldon and cocked an eyebrow at him.

“What? It’s Vail’s birthday. We don’t have time for negotiations.” Vail had made an impression on many of my guards, so after a morning with Hartley and me, I had Irene plan a party for Vail and my guards. It was going to be dinner and a movie. Oleander supplied a big screen and projector. Vail was going to love it.

“Thank you,” I told Sheldon, then stepped around Reghan, who kept his gun on Derek while kicking the one Derek held out of the way.

Derek howled in pain. “What the fuck? You come into my house and shoot me.”

“You came into my building and demanded things of me,” I said plainly. “I cut you off after you received your agreed upon delivery, and you won’t leave me the hell alone. Now I’m here to tell you to knock it off or this will be the last day you live.”

Before he could respond, the sound of a body hitting the floor drew our attention to the bottom of the stairs. There was blood on Caius’s face but that wasn’t what had me pausing while Reghan kept his gun on Derek. No, it was the body of Cameron who now sat beaten on the floor. He tried to sit up, but Caius put his boot to Cameron’s back to keep him on the ground. Cameron was also naked.

“He crawled out of the fucking window,” Caius growled.

“Watch Derek,” I said to Reghan as I descended the stairs. At the bottom, I used my gun to lift Cameron’s chin. His eyes held genuine fear in them. He knew what was coming. “Where are my guns?”

“I was robbed,” he said, his voice trembling.

“Try again.”

“I was. Derek took them.”

“Mmhhmm, and what did you do? Climb onto his cock on the drive here so you could revel in the free shipment he got out of me?”

“N-no, sir.”

Fuck this. I tilted my gun up and shot him. Blood and brain matter hit me, Caius, the fucking stairs, everywhere. I guess I really needed that shower when I got home.

With him dealt with, I ascended the stairs again to find Derek shaking so badly he could hardly sit up. He didn’t get a chance to plead for his life before I shot him in the head.

“Call someone to clean this up,” I told Reghan. “Albert!”

He peeked his head in the front door a moment later. “Yes, sir?”

“Scour the property and find my fucking guns. Take Sheldon with you.”

“Of course, sir.”

Albert was very thorough. If those guns were here, he’d find them. If they’d been sold, well, I wouldn’t punish the person who bought them. Derek likely used them for his own ventures though. He must have been planning a big job. Too bad it wasn’t happening now. His men would scatter, not wanting to take me on. He was too small for them to come for me.

I descended the stairs and went out the door. The stench of blood was getting to me. I shouldn’t have to kill on Vail’s birthday, but I also couldn’t leave this any longer. Now I knew what happened. Cameron wasn’t robbed, kidnapped, or any other such story.

With my clean hand, I pulled my phone out of my pocket to call Barry.

“Sir?”

“Bring Vinny back. Cameron was fucking Derek. They took both shipments and only paid for one.”

“Fuck,” he bit out. “Did Reghan already call in the crew?” Barry didn’t need to ask what I’d done to rectify the situation.

“Yes. I know this isn’t in your job description, but please speak with Irene and make sure everything is in place for breakfast when I return. I’d also like to guarantee the party will go off without a hitch. There’s already been enough bullshit today. I don’t need more.”

“Of course. And I’ll have supplies ready in the clean room.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sir.”

We didn’t linger at Derek’s. The house was far enough away where no one would have heard us. And if they did, it could be played off as hunters or some other bullshit. Sheldon and Albert would stay to ward off anyone who visited, since they were without blood on them. They could return once things were handled here. Reghan, Caius and I changed before climbing into the Maserati. There were always enough spare clothes in the trunk for multiple sizes. We also wiped down the best we could. The rest would have to be taken care of at home.

My fucking guns were found in the garage. Albert had already called for transport. I’d be damned if I was leaving my merchandise behind. Fuck Derek and Cameron. They got what they deserved.