Page 40 of Last One Standing (Saint Brothers #5)

CHAPTER FORTY

ANGEL

I sat beside Kona, holding his hand while Noel explained everything.

The clubhouse was in disarray; it was beautiful.

Nick was able to locate Colette’s number—how he’d done that, I had no idea and I wasn’t asking.

Not sure we’d understand him if he did explain.

We had to act now and contact her because we had no idea what would happen with the Dead Kings after the argument.

“She’s not a woman who’s gonna take kindly to us calling her or offering up this information. So, whoever talks to her needs to be calm, and not take the bait if she should throw it in your face.” Nick was looking at everyone.

“Are we going to vote on who should do it?” Mason rolled his eyes. “Either you do it, Nick, or Angel.”

“Why Angel?” I shot a middle finger at Gabe. “Dude, I just mean you hate people, and you barely tolerate us.” Gabe smirked, clearly knowing that wasn’t true. Everyone in this room knew I loved my family.

“Why not both of you?” Phoenix shrugged. “You can each answer different sides of things and having someone pick up a conversation if the other falters isn’t a bad idea.”

Noel kissed Phoenix on the cheek. “Great idea, babe.”

“Okay, should we make, like, cue cards?” Matt asked, earning him a wide-eyed look from Nick.

“Sweetheart, what the fuck? This isn’t 1940—we have advanced technology.”

Matt playfully shoved Nick. “I know, I was just wondering how you all were going to do this so you don’t bumble your words and interrupt each other.”

“Valid concern,” Kona agreed.

“Angel should take the lead, introduce himself and Nick however you want, then Angel can explain things. If there’s a technical thing or something Angel can’t answer, Nick takes over. You both have strengths in this; use them.” Four stared at me pointedly.

“Good plan.” JJ smiled at Four. “Such a smarty.”

“We can’t sit on this. It has to be done today.” Noel had his tablet in hand and clicked something. A view of the clubhouse appeared. “They’re likely having a meeting. No clue how this will turn out, so we need to plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

“Get it set up, and we’ll do it.” I squeezed Kona’s hand. “It’s just a phone call.”

He nodded shakily. “Right.”

Nick set up some program on his computer I’d never understand.

Supposedly it acted like a burner phone.

A fake number would show up, and Nick would enter the name of who Colette would see on her end.

He said something about her possibly having certain technology that could potentially push notifications that would reveal the origin of the call and whatever, but Noel would be dealing with that should she try.

I moved closer to where Nick was sitting with his laptop in his lap. Our names were displayed, aliases of course, and the number was there. He just had to hit the key.

“Do it.”

Nick pressed the button, and it rang through the speakers. Everyone stood around us, waiting.

“Who is this?” a female with a French accent answered; I was fairly certain it was Colette.

“Good afternoon, I am calling to speak with Ms. Barbier.”

“And again, I will ask, who is this?” While the accent was thick, we were able to understand her easily.

“My name is Jerome Fawkes, and my associate Cameron Ness is on the call as well.”

“I’ve never heard of either of you, and this is a very private number.”

I chuckled. “Makes you wonder how we got it, doesn’t it?”

“ Oui .”

“We have many talents; it’s unimportant the how. You’ll be more interested in the reason we’ve hunted you down to talk to you.”

“ Hmm …will I?”

“We have a mutual acquaintance. We were working with him for a time until he betrayed us.”

“I am sorry to hear this, Mr. Fawkes, but it has nothing to do with me, and you’d be wise to think twice about calling me again.”

“If you hang up, you’ll find yourself in a jail cell wondering why you didn’t listen to me.”

There was a brief silence. “Explain.”

“A few months ago we discovered that the Dead Kings were working with the FBI. Brick apparently made a deal with them to turn us over in exchange for his freedom. We barely got away. Once we were settled we began digging, wanting to find out everything we could, and we stumbled on something.”

“What?” Her tone was full of anger—whether it was toward us or the MC, I wasn’t sure.

“You.”

“ Moi? ” She laughed. “And what did you uncover?”

“That Brick and the rest of the Kings are about to do the same thing to one of your contacts.”

She sighed loudly. “Tell me everything and when you are finished, Mr. Fawkes, I will decide how valuable this information is.”

“You ordered drugs and guns from Brick. He was holding them and the deal was, he’d ship them out to your cartel buddies.

Problem is, your merchandise got destroyed.

The whole place got lit up. But because he’s an FBI rat, the agency agreed to help him.

The shipment to the cartel will be the FBI’s shit, and as soon as it gets to where it’s going, they, along with a shit-ton of other agencies are going to take apart the cartel.

And with all the proof Brick’s been gathering, I doubt it’ll be too long before they come for you as well. ”

I glanced at Nick, who nodded.

“Would you like me to send you some proof, Ms. Barbier?”

“Yes,” she practically growled.

“Cameron is sending you an encrypted file. In there is everything you need to know.”

“I wonder, Mr. Fawkes, why it is you’re telling me this. You must have a price—everyone does.”

I chuckled. “As a matter of fact, I do. I came to you with this, first to give you a heads-up simply out of respect. I’m aware of who you are. But mostly, because my group wants to deal with him, and we don’t want your interference.”

“You want your pound of flesh.” She released a breath. “But if what you say is true, so will I.”

“You won’t get busted by the Feds, and your cartel friends won’t get a nasty surprise on delivery day. What I want from you is to stand down.”

Her laughter came out like a chittering sound. “I’m going to want to read this file you sent, and then, I at least demand a chance to meet with the Dead Kings to find out what they were thinking, fucking with me.”

“He’s protected by the FBI. You show your face, they’ll swarm you.” While we wanted her out in the open so we could end her as well, I wanted it to sound as if I were protecting her.

“How kind of you to worry. I have a splendid idea.”

I looked over at Nick, who shrugged.

“What’s your idea?”

“Let me read the file, and I will call you at this number. If I agree this has to be dealt with, you and Mr. Ness can be at the meeting I hold, at an undisclosed location. It’s the only deal I’ll make. If you refuse and act upon the Kings, I will see it as an attack on me as well.”

I gritted my teeth, glancing at everyone in the room. Our backs were to the wall on this, so we’d have to make it work.

“Very well.”

“You’ll be hearing from me.” She ended the call, and I slammed my hand against the coffee table.

“Fuck!”

“It’s okay.” Kona squeezed my shoulders.

“New plan?” Four asked.

I nodded. “New plan.”