Page 44 of Protected
“Why are you telling us now? Has something happened?” Myles, who they often referred to as a ghost, asked. The former spy was the quietest of all of them and the most observant. Nothing got past him, and he was like a walking, talking encyclopedia when it came to strategizing. He was one of thebiggest assets to their team. Hell, they all were incredible, and Parker was honored to call them friends.
“Nothing’s happened yet,” Parker said, and then he told them about how the media had gotten a picture of him. Though he probably didn’t have to explain, he told them that he feared that Wolf would one day see the photo. Though Parker had some work done on his face, anyone who’d once known him might still recognize him.
“I’m also bringing this up now because I’m planning to go after Wolf. I can’t keep looking over my shoulder, hoping he won’t discover I’m alive. As long as he thinks I’m dead, I’m fine, but I don’t want to keep taking that chance.
“Are you kidding me right now?” Kenton ground out. “You’re the son of a gangster who tried to kill you, and you’ve been hiding from him. Now you’re dating my sister, pulling her into your bullshit life. You need to break things off with her…now!”
“That’s not going to happen,” Parker said. He didn’t bother telling Kenton that he had already tried that.
“If you love her—”
“There’s noifabout it!” Parker snapped. “Kenton you might as well get this through your thick skull. I’m in love with your sister. No matter how you try to deny it, it’s a fact. She’s the main reason I need to deal with Wolf once and for all, because I’m planning to spend the rest of my life with Chelsey.”
Kenton balled his hands into fists at his sides, but he didn’t move from the sofa. “How can you claim to love her and risk her life like this?” There was so much emotion behind his words, and Parker understood his concern. Hell, he was concerned, too, but he either needed to destroy Wolf, or plan to hide out for the rest of his life.
He looked Kenton in the eyes. “I considered disappearing, but if I do, I’m taking Chelsey with me.”
Kenton leaped to his feet. For a big man, he had the agility of a tiger. “The hell you will! No way you’re taking her on the run with you. Besides, she’d never go.”
“You sure about that?” Parker said calmly. If he raised his voice and argued with Kenton, they might end up back where they were hours ago rolling around on the floor throwing punches.
Breathing hard, Kenton stared him down, and Parker could imagine what the man wanted to do to him. He hoped his and Chelsey’s relationship wouldn’t ruin his friendship with Kenton, but if he had to choose between being with her or being friends with Kenton, he’d choose his woman every time.
“How can we help?” Hamilton asked, ignoring Parker and Kenton’s exchange.
Parker ran a hand down his chin as he organized his thoughts. He’d prefer to go after Wolf alone, but he knew that wasn’t realistic. His father wouldn’t go down without a fight, and Parker wouldn’t fool himself into thinking that he could be successful alone.
“I’d first like to brainstorm ideas on how I can take down Wolf’s operations.”
Angelo released a long whistle. “I haven’t personally dealt with the Kingz, but I know they are formidable adversaries.”
Parker nodded. “I know.”
“What do you know about Wolf and what he has going on these days?” Myles asked.
“Wolf’s territory has tripled since I left California, and he owns several businesses in various sizes. I know of ten of them, but there might be more. I’m not sure if they’re all above board, but I’d be surprised if they aren’t set up to clean money.”
There was no doubt in Parker’s mind that his father was involved in money laundering. He’d done it when Parker was a kid. Now, he’d probably taken operations to the next level.
“I also heard he’s in the process of partnering with a gun trafficker.” Laz had been the one to share that information with him, and Parker knew his friend’s contacts were solid.
“To take him down, you’re going to have to hit him from all sides at once,” Angelo said. “The moment Wolf notices any changes with his products, distribution, or if his businesses are getting unwanted attention, he’s going to disappear. Or he’s going to come out fighting. And as organized as the Kingz are, I’m sure there’s an escape plan.”
Parker had thought about all of that; he just hadn’t come up with a solid plan to address each area. But as the guys, including Kenton, tossed ideas around, he felt more encouraged. He wasn’t in this alone.
“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I think we should reach out to Rock,” Angelo said of his brother-in-law, Monty “Rock” Rockwell.
Zenobia’s half-brother was once the biggest drug lord in Miami, and maybe even on the east coast. Supposedly, over the last couple of years, he had cleaned up his act and had gone legit.
Though it wasn’timpossibleto do, Parker would be surprised if everything Rock was involved in was legitimate. These days, many considered him a smart, savvy businessman. No one, specifically law enforcement and maybe even the government, seemed to care that the multimillionaire once made his money illegally.
But who knew? Maybe the guy really was walking on the right side of the law.
Angelo and Rock had met many years ago before Angelo even knew Zenobia existed. To say this world was small was an understatement. Years ago, while undercover, Angelo had infiltrated Rock’s organization. During the op, when Angelo thought he’d finally play a role in taking Rock down, the operation went horribly wrong. Not only did some of Angelo’sfellow DEA agents lose their lives, but Angelo almost died, too. The worst part of the situation was that the DEA abandoned him, and he almost spent the rest of his life in prison.
The moment Angelo had been able to clear his name, he left the organization and never looked back. At least not until a couple of years ago when he provided personal security for Zenobia when she had a stalker. Angelo had fallen hard for the pop singer, but then he learned that she was Rock’s half-sister. Shit hit the fan, and it had turned into one of the most dangerous assignments for all of them. But in the end, Angelo got the girl, and he and Rock were at least cordial. They would probably never be good friends—too much bad blood—but for Zenobia’s sake, they tried not to kill each other.
“What do you think Rock could offer to the situation?” Mason asked, and everyone, except Parker, probably was thinking the same thing.