The story sickens me, and I shake my head. “He offered up Letty as a sacrificial fucking lamb to get at our money in the safe.”
Ace’s eyes widen in surprise. “She didn’t give it up?”
“Seems like she didn’t, not that it fucking matters with the church in ruins now.”
Ace turns to the group. “Wild Man, Jordi, go back to the church and find that fucking safe. Chief Doherty won’t cause you any problems.” The two men take off quickly at the Prez’s orders. “We’re gonna need a bigger safe.”
Joaquin laughs the loudest. “A bigger safe,” he snickers. “Like a bigger boat.”
Lucky rolls his eyes but ultimately joins in on the laughter.
“Is he dead?” Ace asks with a nod in Braden’s direction.
“No.” Preacher speaks up with confidence. “He’s unconscious, probably from the shock or the pain, but he’ll live.”
Ace nods. “Good. Anything else?”
“Other than the fact that Hector is so fucking jealous he’s willing to burn Angel Harbor to the ground to get at us, not really.”
“Too bad. We’ll keep him until I’m sure he has nothing else to offer,” Ace says ominously, but the truth is I look forward to watching the fucker wither away until he’s nothing but skin and bone.
“Doherty has Hector, Nogales, and two other Iron Kings in custody. Don’t know if it’ll last, but for now, they’re behind bars.”
“Fuck yeah,” I roar with excitement. “Should we hit a stash house or ten while the leader is out of commission?”
Ace grins. “Love the way you think, brother.”
The metal door creaks, and on instinct, each of us pulls a gun and aims at the door. No one knows about The Chamber but us.
Whoever it is clearly is too fucking dumb to realize he’s about to get pumped full of lead, and I cock my gun, forefinger ready to squeeze the trigger.
A figure steps inside. The darkness in the parking lot and the shitty illumination of the naked bulb do fuck all to reveal his identity, but the intruder is big with broad shoulders nearly spanning the width of the door.
A deep voice says, “What the fuck is going on down here?”
Ace shouts, “Don’t shoot!”
Oh shit! Who could it be?
* * *