Badge of Honor (The Town of Pearl 9)

“No fucking way. And that’s what everyone including Wyatt agreed with and saved you from jail time. It helped, too, that the asshole had a record and was in violation of his patrol. He dropped charges and you got away with giving him an ass kicking he’d never forget.”

“No woman deserves to get treated badly.”

“Agreed. Let’s talk with Wyatt then head to the store.” Galvin parked the SUV in the sheriff’s department parking lot and then they headed inside.

Chapter 4

“It’s been three months. Where the fuck did this bitch disappear to?” Rafael asked Miklos.

“I don’t know, man. We couldn’t get to her in that hospital. After the first botched attempt, and the Feds getting involved, we had to shut the operation down,” Miklos told his boss.

“One fucking female cop and her asshole partner fuck all this up? How the hell does shit like this happen? I’ve got the Columbians on my ass for product and no place for the shit to be made, transported to, and stored for safety. Fuck, I want this bitch dead.”

“What about her partner?” Orlando asked his boss. “He was in bad condition.”

“They covered that shit up, too. Who knows if he is dead or alive? It was the bitch that killed Aces. We’ll revenge my brother’s death, even if it takes years,” Rafael told his men.

“What about the shipments, the new investors you’re looking into? Any connections with them that could help nail this bitch?” Miklos asked.

“Possibly, but right now we need to rebuild. We’re down a little thanks to that fuckup. Aces had other information only he knew about. I’m trying to pick up the leftover pieces and it sucks. I’ve got the Columbians on my ass, and then this fucking Russian asshole demanding a piece of the action.”

“Those crazy bastards. We should own those locations by the waterfront and in East Harlem,” Miklos replied.

“They own a lot of the action in all the major cities, but New York, this area is ours. They want a fucking war, then we’ll give them a fucking war. Keep your eyes and your ears open. Maybe put some pressure on some of those cops you guys have on the payroll. Someone is bound to know where she went to. When we do find her, she’s going to suffer for all the shit she caused and ultimately for Aces’s death. She killed our brother, Miklos. The woman is going to die a long, painful death.”

* * * *

“Dmitri, it seems you’ve gotten yourself into the middle of a situation. I’ve heard some chatter about the Columbians and this Tenth Street gang wanting to move in on part of your territory in New York. It’s prime location, though small,” Storm said to him as they sat in Dmitri’s home office.

“It is prime location, and I get what they are attempting to do. It’s all hearsay right now. They think they have this power and ability,” Dmitri replied.

“So it’s typical small gang shit. They don’t know who they’re dealing with,” Storm said.

“That’s because these people are savages. They think nothing of slitting throats and dumping bodies. Their greed of money feeds their egos,” Dmitri told Storm.

“So you have no concern, and there’s nothing you need us to do to assist?” Storm asked.

“No. Not for now. If this attempt by the Tenth Street gang doesn’t blow over soon then I’ll do something. I’ll send a clear message. But for now we’ll sit tight. You know that you would have done the same thing for Mary. Helped out a situation like this.”

“I agree. Lauren Michaels’s father Al was a good man and loyal to the organization. With Mary’s connections and long line of supporters, it was a smart move on your part to assist. Mary will owe you big time,” Storm said.

“That’s not why I did it. This was a fucked up situation.”

“Aren’t they all, Dmitri? Maybe Aspen is right, and you do actually have a heart,” Storm teased.

Dmitri stared at him intently. “Never say such a thing. You know I don’t have one. This was something that needed to be done. I don’t need to explain but can tell you that Al helped someone very close to all of us. Let’s leave it at that.”

Storm nodded his head.

“So we wait?”

“We wait.”

“You call me, you say the word, and me and the team will be there for you to resolve this neatly.”

Dmitri leaned back in his chair.

“Neatly? Hmm. Now that sounds more like a fairy tale. If these fuckers push, then when I push back it will be to end it all.”