Chapter 21
Brewer
“That’s not fucking happening,” Rock said. “I can go in there and you know it.”
“I’m the only one that makes any sense,” I said as I looked at the guys.
“There’s still no reason why I can’t go in there,” Grave said. “It’ll be quick and clean with me.”
“You have a child on the way. You and Knox,” Diesel said. “Neither of you are going in to do this.”
“If you guys really want me to do it, then I will,” Mick said.
“No offense,” Rock said, “but your shooting is shit. There’s a reason you wield a shotgun.”
“It sprays,” Knox said.
“Well my name’s the only name that hasn’t been thrown on the damn table, so there it is,” Mick said.
“And I appreciate it, but we all know I’m the better choice. Rock’s got his technological skills that are needed on this side and Diesel is our President. They’ll smell him coming from two miles away,” I said. “It has to be me. I’ve got the contacts. And I’ve already been putting some things into motion.”
“The fuck does that mean?” Rock asked.
“It means I’ve been tapping into some of my police buddies and pulling some strings,” I said. “You guys interested in hearing them?”
“No. No, I’m fucking not,” Rock said. “This is bullshit, and you’re not doing it. I’m going in, and that’s that.”
“No, you’re not,” I said. “I’m going to need you on this side to tap into the closed-circuit network somehow so you can keep a damn eye on me. All right?”
I bucked up to Rock and we stood there, toe-to-toe. I knew where this was coming from. He didn’t want to see me do this anymore than I wanted to see him do it. But I was the perfect man for the job, given my expertise in the group. And I knew that pissed Rock off even more.
“The fuck you been working on?” he asked.
“I’ve already contacted some officers who owe me favors,” I said as I turned towards the guys. “They’re going to be waiting for me to hit the jail for something, and then the schedule of the guards are going to turn in my favor.”
“You’re going to have all of the guards that are on your side guarding the jail,” Diesel said.
“And Rex. They’ll never know it’s coming,” I said.
“That’s… actually not a bad plan,” Knox said.
“It’s a shit plan,” Rock said.
“We get it. You don’t want to see your buddy in jail. Trust me, I get how you feel,” Grave said. “I want to be the one to take out Rex. But Brewer is set up the best to make this happen, so I say we go for it. We’ll have his back just like we had Knox’s, and we’ll get him out of there.”
“But in order to make this look real, it has to be real,” I said.
“Which is where Monroe comes in,” Knox said.
“What?” Diesel asked.
“I’ve already been talking with her about this shit,” he said. “And here’s her suggestion. She’s already our lawyer, right? So, we get Brewer into some legitimate trouble. A bar fight or some shit. She can defend him in court, get his sentence reduced to a few months, and boom. He’s in jail for a real reason, he’s got guards on his side, and Rex doesn’t fucking stand a chance.”
“Again, not a shit plan,” Grave said.
“Diesel?” I asked.
We all looked over at our leader as he chewed on his lower lip. He looked like shit. Haggard. Tired. All of this was taking a toll on him. For a man who enjoyed settling things the diplomatic way, always having to resort to violence and killing was beginning to wear on him.
That man needed a special kind of woman in his life.
I couldn’t believe I was thinking some shit like that.
“Can you get Monroe on the phone?” Diesel asked. “I want to confirm that plan with her before I put my stamp of approval on it.”
“Yep. Gimme a sec,” Knox said.
He pulled out his phone as Rock turned his gaze towards me.
“I’m going to be watching your every fucking move,” he said.
“I don’t doubt it for a second. Thanks man,” I said.
He nodded before he threw his arms around me and clapped my back. I wasn’t a hugger. I didn’t like them. Hugs hid faces, which meant it was easier for people to lie while engaging in something intimate. But I felt Rock’s tension and I knew he was pissed. Worried for my safety. Our friendship had always been that way. Even when one of us simply got sent to the principal’s office, the other would find a way to creep around and figure out what the hell was going on.
But this was a much larger scale than a damn principal’s office.
“Talked to Monroe,” Knox said.
“Can I pause for a second and ask you how close she is to going into labor?” I asked. “Because I don’t want this shit to be too much on her.”
“We got a few months still. Her firm still doesn’t know she is pregnant. Which is why we need to get this going tomorrow,” he said. “The quicker we get this handled, the more she can help before they completely pull her from our case.”
“Then we’ll put this in motion tomorrow night,” Diesel said. “What did Monroe say?”
“And do you guys need anything?” Grave asked.
“We need this shit wrapped up,” Knox said. “And Monroe told me that a bar fight would be the best scenario. Battery charges could be filed and she said that’s the easiest thing to knock down in court if Brewer goes in and pleads guilty right off the bat. She’ll be your defense, and she’ll put up a good fight. But in the end, she said she’s confident you’ll see no more than five months.”
“Five months?” Rock asked.
“It’s what we’ve got, and we gotta go on it now,” Knox said.
“I’m in,” Grave said.
“Whatever you need, I’m there,” Mick said.
“Brewer?” Diesel asked.
“Is no one gonna ask me how I fucking feel about it?” Rock said.
“We already know,” Mick said.
“Sounds like a plan to me. We’ll get this thing rolling tomorrow night,” I said.
Then, church was dismissed.
I stayed behind and let Rock rant at me for a little while, but I had a favor I needed to ask him. I listened as he vented and talked about how all of this was bullshit while pulling out all the necessary tools he would need to tap into the prison I’d be sent to. He flew off the handle, cussing like a damn sailor and spewing everything under the fucking sun.
Rock was like that when he got upset.
Hot-headed and crass to his core.
“I need to ask a favor of you,” I said, once he finally calmed down.
“Whatcha need?” he asked.
“And I need you to not put in your two cents, all right? I know how you feel about family and shit, so just keep it to yourself and listen.”
“What’s going on, Brewer? The fuck you talking about?”
“While I’m gone, I need you to drop in on my neighbors.”
“You got old neighbors or something?” he asked.
“No, but my neighbor, Makenna, has a daughter. Ana.”
“Uh huh. And exactly how old is this neighbor?” he asked.
“Don’t do that, Rock.”
“Really, Brewer? You, too? You’re fucking your neighbor when you know damn good and well the shit we’re all simmering in right now?”
“It’s only happened a couple of times, but she caught me with my gun a couple of days ago. She wanted to know if her daughter and her were safe with me, and I told her they absolutely were.”
“And now you’re going to fucking jail. Good one, Brewer.”
“Rock.”
“Yes, I’ll fucking drop in on them. Make sure they aren’t being messed with. But really? A single mom? You couldn’t tuck it in until all of this shit was wrapped up?”
“You’ve been out every damn night fucking around with women in this town,” I said.
“Yeah, but I don’t fall in love with them.”
“I’m not in love, Rock. You know me better than that.”
“But you’re attached enough to fear that someone will come after them,” he said. “Enough to ask me to make sure they’re okay while your ass is in jail for assault.”
“Are you going to do it or not?” I asked.
His eyes hardened on mine as I drew in a deep breath.
“Of course, I will,” he said. “But this woman better be pretty as fuck for you to risk blowing her life away with the shithole we’ve dug ourselves into.”
“It’s not just how she looks,” I said. “It’s who she is.”
“Oh yeah,” Rock said. “You got it bad. Like, Knox and Grave bad.”
“She’s got a kid, Rock.”
“And I told you I’d check up on them. The fuck else do you want?”
“For you to keep your damn mouth shut.”
“Can I get in one more?” he asked.
I groaned as I raked my hand through my hair.
“Can I be your best man when you get married?”
“The fuck is wrong with you?” I asked with a grin.
“Uh huh. I know that smile. Shit. I haven’t seen you this giddy with a girl in years. Don’t worry about them. I’ll make sure they’re fine until you can get back and plug her holes.”
“Are you fucking kidding me with this shit?” I asked.
“Whoa. You’re sounding a lot like Rock right now,” Diesel said. “Everything okay?”
“Yep,” I said as I eyed Rock hard. “Everything’s fine. What’s up?”
“Monroe wants to talk with you. Knox has her on the phone,” he said.
“Coming,” I said.
“I bet you are,” Rock said with a grin.
“I’m going to break your damn nose.”
“I’d like to see you try,” he said with a smile.