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Delighted, I laughed at Jax’s sheer expression of frustration.
“Then where is my daughter? That bitch knows something, and she’s hiding behind this gang!” he yelled.
“Not a gang. We’re a club. Insult Rage again, and you’ll have more than words with me,” Drake warned.
Jax stared at him, and I saw when Jax decided.
“You got nothing on me. Think I’m frightened of a group of gang bangers who ride bikes and act like thugs. You’re harbouring a criminal and a bitch who killed her own best friend,” Jax yelled again.
Drake stuck his face in Jax’s, who flinched and stepped back. I stared as Ramirez and the two cops watched but did nothing.
“Ain’t telling you again. Rage is a club, not a gang. And it seems to me that you keep yelling this bitch’s guilt; who are you trying to convince, yourself or me? Get the fuck off my land. You aren’t wanted, ain’t got permission and now are trespassing. You got to the count of ten, and then I’ll have Ramirez arrest you!” Drake hissed.
I laughed at the expression on Jax’s face. Whatever happened in the last ten years had given him an ego far worse than when we’d been together. He’d changed, and for the worse. Mind you, being married to Cordelia would do that to anyone, I guessed. Jax clearly had learned not to accept no, and by the looks of it, Arlo had too. They were so different from the two men I knew a decade ago, and I knew my decision to keep Faelea from them had been right.
“This isn’t over,” Jax hissed.
Drake laughed.
“Bring it. Think you can take me down, boy? Better people have tried,” Drake taunted.
“Yeah, that’s enough of the threats, Mr Myers. Drake has said he doesn’t have Miss Folkes, and apart from your word, we have no other evidence she’s here. And I have nothing to question Miss Folkes about. I’m here because someone threw a tantrum at the Chief, and he couldn’t be bothered to deal with it. Got more important shit to sort!” Ramirez exclaimed finally. He swapped glances with the two uniforms.
“More important than tracking my sister’s killer?” Arlo exclaimed, outraged.
Ramirez sighed, and his face set into an expression I wouldn’t argue with.
“Miss Folkes did her time, so I have no argument with her. Unsure why you have when justice has been served. It’s also clear from the report ten years ago Miss Folkes had been drugged and had nothing to do with your daughter’s kidnapping. But I tell you what I do have, Mr Myers. I have a cop killer walking the streets. Someone who shot an innocent guy to lure four police officers to their deaths. He succeeded in killing a good man, a great detective, and paralysing another cop. The third is in a coma. The fourth is so distraught he can’t set foot in the precinct yet.
“Think chasing a woman who’s served time and hasn’t committed a crime takes precedence over a cop murderer? A man who was a close friend? Think chasing your personal agenda means shit to me? Not when someone is out there ready to murder innocents for whatever sick reason they have. Now I got a job to get back to, one that means every officer is out looking for this guy in their own private time alongside pulling their usual shift. Because that’s what Justin Goldberg meant to us. We’re willing to work a few hours without pay to find his killer.
“Drake has told you the woman’s not here, and I’m going to take his word. At the end of the day, Miss Folkes did her sentence, although it seems dodgy as fuck to me, and she’s not committed a crime since. So I’ve got no beef with her. Move off Rage land. It’s private, and Drake would be well within his rights to have you arrested. Take your vindictive revenge elsewhere. But hear me on this; I find you’re causing this woman trouble, I will haul you in for harassment and wasting police time. Leave Miss Folkes alone,” Ramirez snapped, his temper on show.
“Holy shit!” I gasped.
“Dude means it. Ain’t been four weeks since we buried Goldberg. Axel and Horton are still in the hospital, and Nando hasn’t woken from his coma. Don’t need some rich fuck coming here thinking his shit doesn’t stink,” Gauntlet said bluntly.
“But what Jax is saying is true. I am here, and so is Faelea.”
“But that money-grabbing cunt doesn’t know that,” Gauntlet replied. “He will when his bitch wife and her family go down. And if he was part of this injustice, your ex will pay the price too. The Juno Group and Rage will ensure that.”
“You’re all grieving?” I asked. Something tugged deep inside.
“Justin Goldberg was a great cop. Yeah, we’re grieving his death. Our founder Axel was shot to get the police out to him. When they arrived, they were attacked too. That day Axel was paralysed in one leg. He’ll never ride two wheels again. Detective Hernando Hawthorne, a close friend of ours and a cousin to an ally, was shot and remains in a coma. His partner Justin Goldberg was shot through the head. Goldberg left behind a six-year-old son.
“A uniformed cop, a great man, Dan Horton, is paralysed from the waist down. His partner, Bobby Lucas, was the only one physically uninjured. But mentally, Lucas is suffering because he watched three good guys shot in front of him. We’re hoping he’ll come back to the force. Can’t afford to lose another good cop,” Gauntlet explained softly.
I sensed Gauntlet’s pain and reached out and rubbed his arm.
“Those men are lucky to have you,” I whispered.
Gauntlet grunted as Faelea launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Don’t be sad,” she whispered as Gauntlet sent me a terrified stare. Faelea squeezed tighter, and Gauntlet’s arms slowly hugged her back. Faelea buried tighter into his chest, and I felt a moment’s envy before shrugging it off. I’d like to know how it felt to burrow into that strong chest.
“I’ll try harder,” Gauntlet murmured.
“Your friends would want you to find the baddies and kick their asses,” Faelea stated.
