Page 50 of Jordan

Barrett wasn’t an easy man to get the upper hand on. He proved it by only giving Reghan so much leeway before he broke the hold Reghan had on him and slammed my guard face-first to the ground with Reghan’s arm twisted behind his back. Barrett put his knee on Reghan’s spine and leaned down. “Don’t put your hand on my throat unless you're fucking me while doing it.” He pulled Reghan’s arm until he hissed in pain, then released him.

Standing, Barrett grabbed his shirt and slipped it over his head. “As I was saying…” His eyes met mine. “I need Leeland gone. He’s causing too much trouble. On top of whatever issue you have with him, he created an uproar, trying to unload a truckload of guns. Not only is my boss aware of it, but he’s breathing down my fucking neck to handle it. Except every time I try to nail Leeland for his crimes, he slips through my fingers. You probably want to torture him, but I need it to look more like a suicide so I can keep you clear of things. Your name was mentioned around the station more than a dozen times since Leeland became prominent on our radar.”

I bit back a curse. He was right. I wanted to torture Leeland, but I couldn’t do that if I needed the heat off me. Turning, I said to Albert, “Call Sheldon and get him down here. Tell him to bring something that would be easily marked off as a suicide on the medical examiner’s report. And text Kayli letting her know the change of plans.”

“Yes, sir.”

If only I could torture Barrett for ruining my fun.

Reghan dusted off his jeans as he walked toward me, fire blazing in his eyes. He and Barrett had never gotten along. Every chance Barrett had to drive my guard crazy, he did. At one point, I was hoping they would fuck, just to get it out of their systems. I thought the better of it. My luck they’d get attached, then I’d have a new fucking issue to deal with.

“Let’s go,” I said to Barrett.

We filed into the building, a rundown residence that had more broken windows than functioning ones. I couldn’t kill in the same spot all the time. I had to vary my locations to keep people from following me or anticipating where I’d be next.

Leeland was in the corner of the room, his arms above his head, tied at the wrists, as he hung from a hook on the ceiling. His wrists bled from the force of his weight pulling him down. And most likely the tightness of the rope. Kayli wouldn’t have gone easy on him.

“Jordan,” he exhaled when he saw me. “I’m so glad you’re here.” His gaze kept darting to Kayli, who sat cross-legged on a chair, tossing a knife into the air, and catching it with ease. “She’s fucking crazy. You should have heard the things she said to me, the threats she made.”

She scoffed. “You’re one of the weakest excuses for a man I’ve ever met. The only reason I haven’t cut out your tongue to shut you up is because you’re Mr. Altair’s to handle.” Kayli shook her head. “I’ll be glad when he’s dead. All he does is whine.”

I stopped in front of Leeland with Barrett on one side and Reghan on the other. “You have no one to blame for your situation but yourself. I warned you what would happen if you tried to take what was mine. Then I find out you’re trying to sell to one of my buyers. Did you think that would work out for you?”

“I couldn’t help it. I needed to do something to move myself up. You weren’t helping me.”

Leaning forward, I got into his face. “Helping you? That’s not how this works. We had a deal. Guns for a meeting with the senator’s daughter. I can’t control that she wasn’t in the country when you wanted to see her. But you could have controlled your own actions. Now you’ll die.”

His eyes went impossibly wide. “You can’t do that, not in front of a cop.”

When Barrett put his shirt back on, he kept his badge out. He was a smart man and probably wanted Leeland to think he was on his side and could help him.

“Who me?” Barrett asked. “I don’t give a fuck about you. Do you have any idea the work you’ve caused for me this week? I was supposed to be on vacation. Instead, I’m here so I can witness your demise. One less asshole on my radar.”

“You took an oath!”

Barrett laughed then laughed some more. “Oh, the stories I could tell you. I won’t because I don’t like you and, honestly, Jordan doesn’t need anything else to hold over my head. Let’s just say I welcome whatever is about to be done to you.”

Leeland focused on me again, his attention bouncing to whoever he thought would save him. It sure as fuck wasn’t me. “Jordan, please. I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“I already have men on their way to clear out your inventory and dispose of the people working for you. Consider this your last day on this earth. I don’t give a fuck about you, your family, or whoever else you’ve been with. I’m done. You had your chance and now you’ll pay the price.”

The rumble of Sheldon’s Ducati pulling up drew my attention and put a frown on my face. Reality sank in that I wouldn’t get to kill Leeland the way I wanted. Instead, I’d have to poison him.

Sheldon entered the room a moment later, a black leather jacket tight on his body. His blond hair was blown back from his face. Pennsylvania had a no helmet law that Sheldon regularly took advantage of as he weaved in and out of traffic on his bike.

He unzipped his jacket and pulled out a small vial to hand to me.

“What is it?” Barrett asked, his eyes on the liquid.

“None of your damn business,” I replied. I no longer asked what Sheldon put in his poisons. The one time I inquired, I got a lesson on each ingredient and what they did. That was the end of that. I didn’t need to know and simply trusted he would do what I asked.

“How are you going to explain the injuries from the rope?” Barrett asked.

“Silly man,” Kayli tsked. “If you think I didn’t already match his handwriting and pen a perfect suicide note just in case we needed it, you have no idea who you’re dealing with. We have contingency plans for everything. Jordan has the best working for him, and I am a master at handwriting.” She shrugged. “It’s a hobby. I bet I could match yours. Anyway, it seems Leeland likes to be tied up in bed and things got a little too out of hand. He’s not the only one to suffer, are you?” She stood and gripped his chin. “Do you remember the man you took to bed before I found you? The one who ran when he realized I was in the room? If you would have used your brain instead of your dick, you wouldn’t have had to kill him.” She backhanded him across the face as her features hardened.

“I didn’t,” Leeland rushed to say. His eyes darted to Barrett. “I didn’t kill anyone.”

“But you did,” Kayli told him. “It was a crime of passion. I have the note and fingerprints to prove it. It was all too much for you to bear, so you ended your own life. Before doing so, you listed the people you wanted to apologize to for the crimes you’ve committed. It’s enough to have Mr. Altair cleared of some of the investigations currently on him.”

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