The next day
“Have you heard from Gerard?” I walked up to Chief Dade’s door and leaned into his office.
“Me? I thought he was your roommate.” Chief Dade lifted his head, and I saw a look of concern on his face.
“Yeah…” I realized I probably shouldn’t have asked him, but it was past time for our shift to start.
“He called in sick.” Chief Dade immediately turned his attention back to the paperwork in front of him—and I saw a word at the top of the first page that caught my attention.
“Chief?” I took a step forward. “That looks like—retirement paperwork.”
“It’s just missing my signature.” He leaned forward and grabbed a pen.
“Hold on.” I walked over to his desk and put my hand down on the papers. “What the fuck?”
“My time is up, Liam.” Chief Dade looked up at me again. “I got a call from the mayor this morning. Early retirement…”
“You can’t do this.” I dug my nails into the stack of papers. “You—why?”
“I’d like to walk out here with my dignity intact.” He shrugged. “I can either sign this or wait for the mayor to fire me—either way; this is my last day.”
“You haven’t done anything wrong! This place is running better than it has in years! Our numbers are the best in the city!” I tried to rationalize it in my head.
“Doesn’t matter.” He shook his head back and forth. “The mayor feels like it could be better—and he has the final say.”
“No, he doesn’t.” I lifted my hand. “You and I both know who has the final say in this town.”
“I should have known it would only be a matter of time.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I wanted to believe Robert Townsend would be happy with what he had—that was foolish. He wants to control the entire city, and as long as I sit in this chair, he’ll always have resistance on the north side.”
“So, what? He just wants to burn it to the ground?” I exhaled sharply and shook my head. “The cops are already looking the other way—now we’re going to wonder if every fire we get called to is Robert Townsend’s doing—fuck!”
“There’s money to be made.” Chief Dade’s shoulders slumped forward. “Buy the buildings at a discount, get a huge insurance policy, and then collect on it—that’s what the south side has been dealing with, even if they can’t prove it.”
“Yeah, because Robert Townsend doesn’t let the investigators do their fucking job.” I looked over my shoulder at the guys who were getting ready for the day. “Someone has to put an end to that bastard’s bullshit.”
“I wish it was that easy.” He sighed. “But, that’s not my fight—not anymore. All I can do is sign the paperwork and move on. I’d rather not find out what sort of scandal the mayor would come up with to remove me from this position.”
“I know who Robert Townsend is going to replace you with.” I grabbed the door and slammed it. “And I know how he’s getting away with it…”
“Huh?” Chief Dade tilted his head as I turned back around. “How could you know?”
I sat down and told Chief Dade everything. I didn’t feel like I had anything to lose at that point. Chief Dade deserved to know the truth—especially if it was going to cost him his job. He was about to become another victim in Robert Townsend’s game—one that was started because of Billy. Chief Dade was stunned when I finished going over the details of how all of us got to that point—how Gerard became tangled up in a web of deceit because of the deal he was forced to make with the bastard who had taken over our city. There was silence for a moment, or maybe he was just too shocked to speak. He held up the pen and stared at it—then he put it down without signing the paperwork.
“Fuck this.” He grabbed the paperwork and flung it across the room. “God damn it!”
“I know…” I sighed and nodded. “We can’t let him win. We have to find a way to fight back because it’s more than your job at risk. If he makes Gerard the new chief…”
“Gerard doesn’t need that on his conscious.” Chief Dade exhaled sharply. “If I refuse to sign the paperwork, they’ll have to put me on administrative leave until they can push the termination through city hall. That will keep them from being able to name a new chief immediately. I’m calling my lawyer.”
“I’m going to find Gerard.” I nodded and stood.
19
Gerard
I called in sick to work, but it wasn’t because Robert Townsend told me to. It was because I had a meeting with Special Agent Jones. I told him a little about my situation, but I didn’t tell him everything until we were face-to-face. The FBI was aware of Robert Townsend, and they had him a list of people they were watching, but they didn’t have any way to make charges stick. The FBI had been getting railroaded by the local authorities, and every time they found something worth investigating, they ran into a brick wall. I couldn’t tear down that brick wall with my bare hands—I couldn’t fight Robert Townsend on my own—but I could wear a wire. I could risk everything for a chance to hold the woman I loved in my arms again—I could do it if I knew she was safe—that her family was safe. Maybe Robert Townsend was right in a way—perhaps I was an honorable man, just not the kind he was looking for.
“Okay.” I read over my statement and put it down in front of Agent Jones. “I’ll sign this as soon as the agreement is drawn up.”
“It should be here any minute.” He nodded. “We’ll have agents following the Lawson family immediately, and we’ll even have one waiting at the airport when Mr. Lawson’s plane lands. If there’s any sign of trouble—or if this goes south—we’ll get them out of New York. The same goes for your parents and anyone close enough for Robert Townsend to target.”
“Robert Townsend didn’t have his guys search me after I visited his club the first time. I think his arrogance may be his downfall.” I stared at my statement. “He truly believes he’s untouchable.”
“He is.” Agent Jones sighed. “We’ve tried to get someone inside his organization for years, but he’s always a step ahead of us.”
“Hopefully I took enough of those steps on my own and was desperate enough that his guard will be down.” I looked over at the fax machine as it started printing something. “I guess that’s the agreement?”
“Yeah.” Agent Jones waited for the page to finish printing and put it down in front of me. “You’ve definitely got something that we haven’t had up until this point—you’re exactly what he’s looking for. The north side is one of the last pieces of New York he needs to seize control of the entire city.”
“Then let’s use it against him.” I grabbed the pen and signed the agreement. “When are you going to pick up Liam?”
“I’ve had someone on him since he left his apartment this morning. He’s at work right now. We’ll need to wait until he’s away from the Fire Department.” Agent Jones picked up the agreement. “I’ll make sure he’s safe before you walk back into Robert Townsend’s club.”
“Good.” I moved the pen over to my statement and signed it. “Then I’ll get what you need so you can put the bastard behind bars.”
Special Agent Jones was someone who came to help our department during an investigation involving a serial arsonist a couple of years back when our investigators weren’t able to make any headway on the case. He wasn’t like the other federal agents that came in and tried to run everything. He worked with us, and it was more like a partnership. He was also a good man—I saw that when we went out for drinks one night, and he kept his wedding band on instead of taking it off, so he could keep talking to the beautiful blonde who tried to hit on him. I believed I could trust him, mainly because he was outside of Robert Townsend’s reach. I wished I had the ability to handle it on my own, but that wasn’t real. I needed help, or I was going to be Robert Townsend’s bitch for the rest of my life. The bastard wasn’t going to take my dignity or my balls—and he sure as fuck wasn’t going to keep me away from the woman I loved.
&
nbsp; I just hope I hadn’t made her hate me again already when I didn’t come home last night. I hope she understands that this is for the best and the only way we can be together.
“Mr. Townsend.” I motioned with my hand when I saw him walking through the club. “I called in sick today like you suggested—what happens now?”
“Ah, already getting excited about your new job?” Mr. Townsend smiled as he approached the bar.
“Just thinking things over—changes that I need to make.” I nodded and sipped my drink. “Any suggestions?”
“Don’t worry about that.” He patted me on the shoulder. “I’ll take care of everything when the time is right.”
“Yes, sir…” I nodded, and my jaw clenched when he walked away.
Fuck, that isn’t enough. He didn’t admit to anything.
Special Agent Jones told me that I would need Robert Townsend dead to rights. A full confession was the only thing that was going to get him behind bars. It couldn’t be vague, and it certainly couldn’t leave anything to the imagination. He had good lawyers—the best that money could buy. They had gotten him out of a couple of jams, and then the witnesses disappeared—especially the people who were responsible for getting him into the jam, to begin with. If I fucked up, everyone I cared about would be safe, but I wouldn’t be with them. I would be six feet under the ground—if I even got the courtesy of a grave. I was already in too deep though. My statement confirmed that I made a deal with Robert Townsend. It laid out everything that led to the point I was at. I had to take the next step, even if I was walking into a fire without the suit I usually got to wear that kept me from getting burned.
“Mr. Townsend…” I followed behind him as he got to his office. “Are you sure I shouldn’t be there when Chief Dade announces his retirement? Wouldn’t that help my case if I’m going to be the new chief?”
“It’s not necessary.” He shook his head back and forth. “It would just create suspicion. It’s better that nobody knows you’re getting the job until the mayor announces it.”
Okay, that’s almost what I need.
“You’re probably right.” I nodded quickly.
“Yes—I always am.” His head turned to the side when his phone started to ring. “Excuse me; I need to take this.”
I walked towards the door, but I didn’t close it all of the way. I stood outside his office, trying to listen to the call. If I was lucky, the wire I was wearing might pick up his side of the conversation. I doubted he was going to say anything incriminating unless the person was sitting right in front of him, but it was worth a shot. My blood ran cold when I realized that the call was about Chief Dade—and he was not going to retire. The discussion was heated, and as soon as he hung up the phone, I walked towards the bar as fast as I could. If something had gone wrong, then he would probably come looking for me—but that might be a good thing. I quickly ordered a drink and gulped some of it to make it look like I had been sitting there since he sent me out his office to take the call. A few seconds later, Robert Townsend walked up beside me.
“Fucking hell.” His jaw was tight, and he was nearly seething.
“What’s wrong?” I tried to keep a casual expression on my face as I turned my head in his direction.
“Chief Dade is refusing to retire—he told the mayor that he’s going to have to drag him out of his office in handcuffs if he wants him gone!” Robert Townsend slammed his hand on the bar—hard enough for people to look at the dancer and us to stop in the middle of her routine. “Let’s go back to my office—too many ears out here.”
“Yes, sir.” I nodded quickly and followed him.
He’s upset, and he wants to talk. This is it. I just have to make sure I don’t say anything. God bless Chief Dade for having a set of balls—I could hug him right now.
“Okay, we need a new plan.” He was fuming when he sat down behind his desk—the steam was practically rising up from his ears. “I thought Chief Dade had enough sense not to fuck with me, but apparently I was wrong.”
“He’s—he’s an honorable man.” I sat down across from Robert Townsend and shrugged. “He’s always been on the up-and-up.”
“He’s a fucking fool, that’s what he is.” Robert Townsend glared his desk and then yanked the drawer open—a second later he was holding a gun.
“Fuck! What the hell?” Fear ran through my veins immediately.
Does he know? Oh my god. What happened? I haven’t done anything that would be remotely suspicious except sweat so much my armpits are drenched…
“You know what you have to do.” He turned the gun around and put it on the desk with the handle facing me.
“You’re fucking kidding.” I stared at the gun, and my jaw fell open.
“The mayor can’t fire Chief Dade. He can threaten the fuck out of him, but—firing him is complicated. We would need a scandal, and that doesn’t happen overnight. We could probably get the votes required to do it, but he’s already threatening to call his lawyers.” Robert Townsend pointed at the gun. “That’s the answer.”
“Mr. Townsend…” I shook my head back and forth. “I can’t!”
And I won’t but keep talking you son of a bitch. Keep fucking talking.
“You have to! As soon as we made our deal, I started making calls—people are chomping at the bit for what we’re going to do the north side of the city. I can’t wait for a scandal—I can’t wait for the system to push him out the door. I need him gone, and I need him gone—today!” He pointed at the gun again. “That gun is either going to put a bullet in Chief Dade or Rachel Lawson. You choose.”
“Fuck you.” I grabbed the gun and pointed it at him. “I’ve had it with your shit.”
And I don’t have to listen to another word, because you’ve just signed your arrest warrant.
“Really?” Robert Townsend shook his head. “Do you really think I would give you a loaded gun?”
“Let’s find out.” I tilted it the gun to the side and realized there was no clip. “Fuck!”
“I’m disappointed, Gerard.” Robert Townsend opened his jacket and pulled out another gun—one that I was sure was loaded. “I thought you would do anything to make sure the people you care about are safe. I guess you won’t be around long enough to regret your decision. You’re just as foolish at Chief Dade.”
“No, I’m not.” I turned the gun over in my hand and threw it at Robert Townsend as hard as I could—right as he squeezed the trigger and an intense pain ripped through my arm and sent me tumbling out of my chair.
The gunshot in Robert Townsend’s office wasn’t the only one. I heard gunfire from the front of the club. It had to be the FBI. They had enough to put Robert Townsend away—I just had to live long enough to see them put the handcuffs on him. My arm hurt like a mother fucker, but I managed to bounce the gun off Robert Townsend’s skull when I threw it. That only allowed him to fire one shot. It wasn’t enough to knock him out though. He grabbed his skull, and I saw him standing out of the corner of my eye—aiming the gun at me again. The first bullet tore through my arm, but the next one wouldn’t—not if I couldn’t stop him first.
The only thing between us was his desk, so I sat up as fast as I could and grabbed the edge. It was massive—oak—, and the bullet had wrecked one of my arms. Luckily, I had adrenaline to compensate. I toppled the desk and pushed it into him as the gun fired for the second time. The desk managed to knock the gun to the side and the bullet went into the floor. I had to keep going—I needed one more burst of strength. I leaped across the toppled desk, using my bad arm as a shield when he tried to aim the gun for the third time. My other arm recoiled, and my hand formed a fist—a fist that slammed into Robert Townsend’s skull as soon as I crashed into him.
“It’s over, you son of a bitch.” I put all of my weight on the arm holding the gun and started driving my fist into his face.
I would have probably beaten him to death. I was in a rage—fueled by his threat against Rachel—fueled by the monster he trie
d to turn me into. The only reason I stopped punching him was that the door of his office was knocked off the hinges by the FBI and Special Agent Jones grabbed my arm. Robert Townsend was barely conscious when they hauled him to his feet, but that didn’t cause them to be gentle when they slammed him into a wall and handcuffed him. Once I regained my composure, Special Agent Jones led me back to the central part of the club. Most of the patrons were in handcuffs, the FBI agents were talking to the girls that had been ushered into another part of the club, and a couple of Robert Townsend’s goons were dead on the floor. It was a horrific sight, but a sign that it was truly over.
“Those girls” I grabbed Special Agent Jones by the arm. “They aren’t just dancers—some of them are here against their will.”
“We’ll get that sorted out.” He nodded and pointed towards the door. “Right now, we just need to get you some medical attention.”
He was right. I definitely needed medical attention. My arm was starting to go numb, and my entire sleeve was covered in blood. He led me outside, and it wasn’t long before an ambulance pulled up, and ironically enough, it was one from the fire department. A few of the firefighters I worked with made jokes about me calling in sick because I got shot. The rest looked to be concerned. They had just gotten me seated when a black car pulled up, and Liam hopped out of the passenger seat. He ran towards me, but the FBI agents stopped him. Special Agent Jones went over to get them to let him through. He had a worried expression when he saw my arm, especially with the sleeve ripped off and the paramedics trying to control the bleeding. I was definitely going to have to go to the hospital once they got it under control, but they didn’t need me bleeding out on the way.
Blaze & Bind: A MFM Firefighter Romance (Surrender to Them Book 10) Page 14
