Page 27 of Chase
“Where’s your proof that this asshole raped your girl and beat the fuck out of her?” Johnston demanded to know. I barely resisted flinching at how callously he spoke about what happened to Sophia, and I literally had to bite my tongue to keep from challenging him. “Not a goddamn thing is happening until I hear this shit for myself.”
Tango clenched his jaw when I looked at him. Snarling, he shoved back from the table and looked at Johnston. “The boy is fragile. I don’t give two fucks how powerful you are or who you are, Johnston, you will treat him with care and be gentle with him, do I make myself clear?”
Everyone held their breaths. Tango was challenging the mother charter president—the fucking king. One of the most feared men in the United States.
Jesus Christ, this could turn ugly quick.
Johnston quickly stood up. Scorpion lurched forward at the same time I did, putting an arm across Johnston’s chest. I pressed my palm to Tango’s sternum, forcing him back a step. Johnston’s nostrils flared, rage twisting his features. “Watch who the fuck you’re talking to, Tango, or I will burn that tattoo off your back and knock you back down to prospect level, do you understand me?”
Tango snarled at the mother charter president, still not backing down. “I mean it, Johnston. He’s been through a lot of shit, more than any of us standing in this room put together.”
Johnston clenched his fists, somehow keeping his cool, which was honestly a damn miracle. “Bring me the fucking kid,” Johnston snapped.
Tango leaned forward, knocking my hand off my chest. “Not until you give me your word, Johnston.”
Johnston stared at him for a moment. Everyone was silent, waiting to see what the fuck was going to happen.No onesaid shit like this to Johnston. He was a dangerous man, and no one, not even Alejandro Garcia, one of the most feared men in the Western hemisphere, dared to cross him. But Tango was.
All for the boy he’d rescued.
The mother charter president nodded once. “You’ve got my word,” Johnston finally told him.
Tango nodded once in return and left the room. Johnston sat back in his seat like nothing had happened, and I took my leaning position back against the wall next to Blayke. Amusement lingered in his eyes, and I snorted. “Fucker,” I muttered.
He chuckled. “Not often a man gets bent out of shape like that over someone.”
I elbowed him in the ribs, biting back my own laughter now that the situation was resolved and tensions weren’t riding high. I for sure thought Johnston was contemplating putting a bullet between Tango’s eyes at one point, but I also had a feeling Johnston understood where Tango was coming from. Johnston had tamed a little since he’d settled down with Aaliyah, but he was still a ruthless, cold-blooded asshole at his core. And it didn’t take much to bring that man forward.
A few minutes later, the door opened, and Tango carried the boy in. Fucking carried him. Gabriel was clinging to him, his arms and legs wrapped around Tango, and his body was shaking so badly, his teeth were chattering as his eyes landed on all of us.
“Shh, baby boy,” Tango soothed, settling into his chair at the table and leaving the boy wrapped around him. His fingers slid into Gabriel’s hair as he gently began to rock him. “It’s okay. No one here will hurt you. I promise. I’ll rip their fucking throats out if they try.”
Johnston, miraculously, stayed silent, his eyes glued to the small figure Tango was holding like he was the most precious, rare gem in the entire world. The last of its kind.
“Fuck,” Johnston whispered, staring in horror at Gabriel. He stood up and rounded the table. “Goddamn, kiddo, they did a number on you, didn’t they?”
Gabriel looked up, his eyes widening when they landed on Johnston. “J-Johnston?” he stuttered.
Johnston smiled, which was a goddamn rare sight. I roughly cleared my throat so I wouldn’t choke on my own saliva. “Yeah, kiddo. It’s me. How are you holding up?”
The boy shrugged. Johnston reached out and ran his hand over Gabriel’s dark locks. Tango clenched his jaw but stayed silent. I figured it had to do with Johnston helping put the kid at ease. “Can you tell me how you ended up here? Your old man never let you out of that damn clubhouse.”
“Got older,” Gabriel muttered. “And Mark and Tango caught me and Rick trying to get into one of the businesses they run security for.” He swallowed thickly, calming down now. Tango ran his hands over the boy’s back and hair, soothing him as he talked to Johnston. Hell, all of us were still shocked that Johnston knew how to be tender and comforting. I wasn’t even sure if he was like this with Aaliyah. Gabriel really was something fucking special. Two of the grumpiest mother fuckers I knew were sweet with this boy. “I spilled everything to Tango when he was asking me questions.” He sniffled, tears blurring his eyes. “I didn’t want to die slow.”
Tango pressed his lips to the boy’s temple. Johnston followed the movement, but no surprise showed in his eyes. “Can you tell me what you told them?” Johnston asked him.
Gabriel nodded and began to quietly relay what he’d informed Tango of. Johnston listened patiently, allowing him the pauses he needed when he began to get emotional and upset, which was when Tango upped his comfort, gently rocking the boy, whispering soothingly to him, his hands running all over his small form.
“Alright, Gabriel,” Johnston said quietly. “That’s all I need to know. You can go back to your room now. Is there anything you need or want?”
“No,” Tango answered for him, shooting Johnston a dark look as Gabriel burrowed his face in the curve of Tango’s neck. “I’m more than capable of taking care of him.” He stood from his chair and carried Gabriel out of the room without another word.
“He’s soft over him,” Johnston said, striding back to his chair. Once he took a seat, he looked at Scorpion. “He gets protected like he’s an old lady, clear?” Normally, I’d have been surprised, but after witnessing how he was with Gabriel, I kind of saw it coming.
Scorpion nodded. “Crystal.” There was no need to tell Johnston we already were. He wanted confirmation that we would continue, no matter what happened between him and Tango.
The room was silent until Tango came back in and took his seat back at the table. “First things first,” Johnston said, “Gabriel gets protection. Understand? His father is a nasty fucker.” We all sounded our agreements. He pointed at me. “Tomorrow morning, you begin working on getting your hands on the VP, clear? You have twenty-four hours to get it done—that’s getting your hands on him, torturing him, and getting rid of the body and the evidence. Understood?”
“Yes, Prez,” I immediately answered. That was more than enough time.