“But slaughtering us all?” Candace says. “Won’t that turn eyes on him?”
“That’s the beauty of all of this,” I reply. “Tag thought he set it all up. Tag was the perfect fall guy. The problem for us now is that I’m also a problem for Pocher. He has to get rid of me in a way that doesn’t make Walker start digging around.”
“Then we have to take him the fuck down,” Blake says, already done with his burger and tossing his paper in the bag. “I’m sure I can hack a million secrets on that man.”
“We don’t have to do shit,” I say. “I told Walker to stay out of this for a reason. He will hurt you. Just step the fuck back now and let me handle this.”
“We don’t step back from our brothers,” Blake says.
“I agree,” Kara adds.
“You cannot win against the Society,” I say. “Don’t be an idiot.”
“Kane Mendez can, but we can’t?” Blake challenges.
“You aren’t connected to a cartel that cuts off heads and leaves them on the border.”
“Oh my God,” Candace says. “We can’t get help from someone who cuts off heads.”
“The cartel.” I squeeze her knee. “Not him.”
Candace’s cellphone rings in her jeans pocket. “I have no idea who would be calling me.” She grabs it and glances at the number. “It’s unknown.”
Blake and I share a look before I say, “Answer it on speaker.” She nods and punches the button.
“Hello?”
“Candace. This is Ted Pocher.”
Her eyes go to mine and I catch her hand and nod for her to continue. “Hi. You heard about Gabriel I’m sure?”
“Yes. I heard. A terrible tragedy. I also heard that you were here in New York City. We should meet. Let’s talk about the funeral and your future. And before you answer, I know Rick Savage won’t favor that idea. Tell him to come with you. I’ll text you my address. Be there at six.” He hangs up.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Savage
“What just happened?” Candace asks. “What was that?”
“A trap,” I reply. “One we’re going to turn on him.” I’m already dialing Kane, as I add, “Give Blake the address he texts you,” while listening to the ring of the phone that takes me to Kane’s voicemail. Irritated as a bee that just got pinched by his own damn stinger, I disconnect.
Candace slides her phone in front of Blake, who now has his MacBook open in front of him, and after a few keystrokes of his computer, he says, “The meeting spot is a members-only cigar and whiskey club.”
“Of course it is,” I murmur. “I need a number for Lilah Love. She’s Kane’s fiancée.”
Blake goes to work again and then glances up at me. “She’s an FBI agent?”
“Yep,” I confirm. “What’s the number?”
“He’s Kane Mendez, and she’s—”
“Lilah Fucking Love,” I say. “What’s the number?”
Blake grimaces. “This gets more fucking complicated by the second.” He punches a few keys. “I just texted it to you.”
I pull up the number and punch the call button. Lilah answers on the first ring. “Special Agent Lilah Love.”
“I need to reach Kane.”
She laughs. “And I need to follow a yellow brick road lined with M&M’s to catch the bad guys, but instead I get a trail of blood. He’s not here, I’m not his keeper, and this is not a good time for me to explain that obvious fact to you.” She hangs up.
I curse and call her back. The call goes to voicemail. I might have to kill her, too. And fucking Kane Mendez. I eye Blake. “I need you to do that mojo shit you do and use her phone, or the FBI database, or whatever you need to do, to tell me where she’s at right now.”
He studies me several long beats. “What’s Pocher’s end game?”
“Us all dying. I need the damn address.”
Blake grimaces. “Are you sure this is the right path you’re traveling down, Savage?”
“It’s the yellow brick road lined with M&M’s,” I say. “I need that damn address.”
“What if Kane doesn’t help?” Kara asks. “What’s plan b?”
“I kill Pocher, Kane, Alejandro, and I’ll add a few more to the list.” I pin Blake in a stare. “Stop the bloodbath. Get me the address.” Blake’s lips press together, and he gives a “fuck, fuck, fuck” murmur which is pretty much his language of love, hate, frustration, and the need for a snack, from what I’ve observed before he starts tapping away on his computer.
Satisfied he’s on this, I lift Candace off the chair and turn her toward the stairs. “Go get your purse, gun, and a jacket.”
“She should stay with us,” Kara says. “We’ll keep her safe.”
“You stay with me,” I say to Candace, in her ear. “Go now. Hurry.”
She rushes toward the stairs and I turn to face Kara. “She’s going with me.” I don’t even begin to tell them they need to step back from this part of this story before the Society marks them. I don’t tell them how close to that they already are. Because they won’t care. That’s how stubbornly loyal they are, which is exactly why I have to save us and them.