Trusting Nicole (The Last Hangman MC #4)(36)

I walk straight to the sheriff’s office, not wanting to waste any time. I knock on the door and walk in as the door was ajar.

“Morning Dereck. You wanted to see me?”

“Morning Sanders. Yes. Sit down. We have a lot to talk about.” He arranges a couple of files on his desk.

“A lot? What’s going on?” I sit down as he rounds his desk and closes the door.

“Russian mafia is in town along with those bastards from the Hades’ Disciples. Do you know anything about that?”

“I was aware of the Disciples, but not the Russian mafia. What makes you think they are here?” I ask, trying to keep a straight face, not wanting to give anything away.

“Of course. Russian guns were found in a hangar that belongs to the Disciples.” He sighs.

“Do you think they are teaming up?”

“I can’t be sure about anything. It seemed odd though, like they were put there to incriminate or put the target on the Russians’ back instead of theirs. They are all in the evidence room if you want to check it out later.”

“Will do.” That’s weird. If Sergei was up to something he would have told me as I’m usually the one setting them up.

“I heard your plan was a bust yesterday, sorry about that. They seem to be laying low as no one has reported anything since they were last seen in Baton Rouge. Either something has spooked them or they are setting up camp and are planning something.”

“Or someone tipped them off.”

“That’s a possibility too.”

“Where was that hangar where you found the guns?” I ask him perplexed.

“Old Kings’ territory, why?”

“Right. The Kings dealt with the Russians in the past until they f*cked the Russians over, the Russians didn’t like it and managed to kill a few of the Kings. I remember hearing something about the Kings wanting revenge for what the Russians did to them, they could be setting them up. It would take our focus from the Disciples and put it onto the Russians.”

“You might be onto something. They seemed to have been placed there specifically to be found.” He sighs, no doubt frustrated by all of this.

“We just need to be careful and keep an eye out for the Disciples. It looks like they’re not targeting anyone in particular, just hurting anyone they can.”

“We will. Don’t worry. We’ll put those scumbags behind bars.”

“I was thinking more like six feet under.” I chuckle.

“That’s where they belong that’s for sure. What’s your position with the Hangman?”

“What do you mean?” I look at him confused. Where did that come from?

“How close are you to them?”

“We worked well together on taking the Kings down.”

He nods. “Don’t stay too close to them. They won’t be beneficial to your life, especially considering what’s coming our way.”

“Duly noted.” I’m not happy with his assumptions and how this discussion is going.

“You won’t listen to me, will you?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Sounds like woman trouble.” He chuckles and sobers up. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay and yes, I’m close to them. We worked well together in the past and they’d be instrumental in helping to take the Disciples down.”

“They would, but I’m not going to give them immunity for their good deeds. If in the process of taking the Disciples down they are caught, there’s not much I’ll be able to do.”

I scoff. “You could let them go freely for helping the city you’re supposed to protect, you’d just choose not to. Are we done?”

“We are.”

I nod and get up to leave. “Sanders, be careful. You’re playing with fire and you’re going to get burned if you stay too close.”

“Good day Dereck.” I walk out of his office and into mine.

I don’t know why it’s pissing me off this much that he’d use the Hangman’s help against them. I am too close. I’m well aware of that but there’s no going back though. Even if there were, I’m not sure I would. For the past six years I’ve been doing something I loathe, impersonating people I can’t stand, working alongside the Hangman has made me feel like I mattered and was useful. It’ll all be over once my cover is blown, it’s going to be a f*cking mess. I’ll be back to being on my own with no friends, no family and no Nicole.

I try to focus on work, I have to fill out reports for yesterday’s failure. I can’t help but take look at Nicole’s file, there’s nothing much there except what I already knew. It takes me a while, but I manage to dig deeper and hack into a separate system, a better protected one so corrupt cops don’t find them. It turns out that they have a huge f*cking file on her, things I had no idea about. I’m shocked by what I’m seeing. She can’t be linked to him.

I feel f*cking numb. How could she do that? How could he do that! I’m f*cking seething.

I’m brought out of my train of thought by my phone ringing.

“Hello?”

“Jason. Jason. Jason. What a pleasure to hear your voice again.”

“Slider.” I nearly growl.