SAX
Immediately, I pushed Loren back as I surveyed the area. It was doubtful anyone was still here, but I wouldn’t take the chance. The past month had been too quiet, and I’d been waiting for something to happen. Atticus had told me to calm down, but it wasn’t in my nature.
“Take Loren back into the club,” I said, knowing Monroe and Wells would listen. Once the door closed, I pulled out my phone and called the police chief. We couldn’t let this go unreported. Even if it didn’t point any fingers, I wouldn’t let Dayton think he got one over on us.
“It’s late. This better be important,” he sighed into the phone.
“It is. Send one police car down to Climax. No lights. Tell them to come around to the back. This needs to be done the right way, but without any media attention. Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah.” I could hear him moving, and it was enough for me to know he’d do what I asked. Hanging up the phone, I jogged back into the club and headed to the break room. Opening a cabinet, I pulled out a box of latex gloves, a flashlight, and a trash bag. Once I had the items, I returned outside, putting on the gloves.
Slapping the box at Nicco, he nodded, following suit. Atticus was on his phone, I assumed it was to call in other guards or check on the kids, probably both. He’d become just as paranoid as Loren, and between the two of them, I didn’t know how long it would be until they convinced each other to place GPS units on all of them. It was bad enough as it was now with their constant shadows for the kids, making them roll their eyes anytime they shifted and had an audience.
Though, I wouldn’t have done anything different. Plus, it was nice that I wasn’t the one making a fuss, so no one complained about me being too protective. The joke was on them—I always knew where they were. I’d keep my secret for now, as it was fun to watch the others scramble.
Shining the light, I surveyed the damage as I felt Nicco reach my side.
“Is it me, or does this seem a little petty for Dayton?” he asked, crossing his arms as he thought.
“He’s in jail. Maybe it’s all he has the reach for anymore?” I shrugged my shoulders. “If it’s not Dayton, then we have another enemy, which isn’t something I want to consider. It’s the obvious choice. He wants us to know he can get to us even behind bars.”
Nicco grunted but seemed to agree as he started to take pictures with his phone. Whoever had done this had taken their time, and it made me question whether or not we had another leak among us. Atticus had set aside time a few weeks ago to go through and vet everyone, letting those who seemed to be loyal to his father go. The Rawles were under new leadership now, since Ethan had sold us out, and it was the only way Atticus would let them stay in the underground. However, they were no longer on the committee, being replaced with another family, the Vazquezs.
It was a different landscape for Chicago, with two of the founding families no longer reigning. The Mascro name was also changing. We were rooting out the corrupt and putting people who wanted to prosper the right way into place. It had been a busy month overhauling the family, but too quiet.
And now we had to show Dayton he didn’t scare us.
Atticus walked over, a sigh leaving him as he watched Nicco and me. I couldn’t help but snort at him, dressed as he was. It was almost funnier to be caught in this weird getup than the actual destruction of our vehicle.
“Thomas is bringing us a new ride. They’ll be here in a few minutes and will take over the cleanup. When will the police be here?” he asked, knowing I’d call the chief.
“Should be soon.” Just as I finished, a car pulled around the back, and we froze, making sure we weren’t about to be ambushed. When we spotted the police cruiser, my shoulders dropped, and I walked over to it.
“Evening, officers. We haven’t touched anything, just assessing the damage.”
They both nodded, pulling out their own flashlights and evidence bags. Between the five of us, we quickly took pictures, collected the evidence, and bagged it for them to take back in under five minutes.
“We’ll have someone out to tow it to impound,” one of the officers said, nodding. He finished writing a report on his pad, handing it to Atticus. “We’ll be in touch.” They headed back to their cruiser just as the other SUV pulled up. The guys stepped out, and we all waited until the police had left before walking to the car.
“Strip the inside. Don’t leave anything behind,” Atticus ordered, tossing Nicco the keys. “I’ll grab Lore. Let’s head home.”
The part of me that wanted to check on Loren and make sure she was okay tugged at my heart, but I calmed it, reminding myself she’d been with the other two idiots. She wasn’t a damsel in distress, so I needed to curb my cavemen tendencies to wrap her up in bubble wrap and never let her leave the house.
So instead, I slid into the passenger seat next to Nicco, exhaling. It was quiet for a minute as we listened to the team of guys begin to dismantle the inside of the SUV. They removed weapons and listening devices, so they didn’t fall into the wrong hands. Only then could it go into police custody when it was a shell of itself.
“Do you think he was looking for something?”
“What would we possibly hide in a car?” I asked, turning my head.
“I don’t know. It just seems so strange. To vandalize a car and leave it for us to find.”
“I think you’re focusing too much on why instead of the what. He did it, Nicco. It doesn’t need to make sense.”
“Yeah, okay.” He leaned his head back against the headrest just as the door to the back opened. I glanced around, checking them all over. They might’ve been out of my sight for only half an hour, but I still wanted to make sure they were good. Loren’s hot pink dress hugged her body in all the best ways, and I really wish the night wasn’t ending this way. Figured, just something else Dayton was stealing from us.
When she sat back, I could see the tiredness in her body as she buckled in, leaning against Monroe. “It’s so weird to be in a normal car,” she said, a yawn breaking free.
I looked around at the guys, the love for our woman shining in their eyes. It didn’t take long for her eyes to close as we headed home. It might seem like I was being overprotective, the measures I’d go to keep our family safe, but it was nights like this that showed me how much they were worth, and I’d do anything to keep Loren as happy and carefree as she’d been before we stepped through that door.