Page 58 of Last One Standing
“You have no idea.” Noel gathered his hair and put it back up in a ponytail.
“If there are corrupt police in this town, I have people I trust to help me. You’re going to have to leave it in my hands, though.”
“What about Angel and the others?” I asked.
Carmichael pursed his lips. “I will see what I can do about having them released, but I can’t guarantee I can get them off the hook just yet. It truly sounds like the Dead Kings are a huge issue, and if guns and drugs are involved, the ATF could get involved, and if it’s crossed state lines and is an FBI issue, I’ll get on it too.”
I didn’t want Brick arrested; I wanted him dead, and there was no question Noel and the others did as well, but no one was going to tell that to an FBI agent.
“Thanks, Carmichael.” Phoenix smiled.
“Yeah, yeah. Thank me when this is over.”
I really wished that day was today.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
ANGEL
We wereall in the same holding cell. I wasn’t sure why they’d done that other than maybe hoping we’d talk to each other and give ourselves away. We weren’t idiots. Four was in the corner with Lizzy pressed against him. Her eyes were red rimmed, and she looked shell-shocked. While she’d known we weren’t golden boys, she’d also understood we weren’t like the monsters that killed Darby in cold blood today. She was Lizzy’s friend, and Darby was our responsibility. And now she was dead. Maybe we did deserve to be locked up.
I made eye contact with Shep, whose face had looked better. He’d clearly been hit a few times. The EMT had patched him up some, but just the bare minimum. JJ rested his head on Shep’s shoulder. Nick and Gabe were whispering to one another. Nick had been brushed by a bullet on his arm and had a bandage on it. Gabe wasn’t shot but he had fallen onto the table, getting a piece of wood in his leg, so he too was sporting a bandage. Four was unscathed, I didn’t know how.
As I peered down at myself, I had cuts on my arms. I knew I had some on my face, but the blood that soaked through my clothes wasn’t my own. It was Darby’s.
“Angel, Gabriel, Shepard, Jaxon, Four, Elizabeth, and Nicholas.” An officer came, unlocked the cell, and pulled it open. “You’re free to go at this time.”
What the…?We all stood in unison and without a word followed the officer out. When he led us to the main area of the police station, I was shocked to see Agent Carmichael standing there with an expression that could only be described as that of a disapproving father.
“Thank you, Officer.” Carmichael waved us out of the building.
Once outside, Carmichael handed us each a bag with our belongings, and it was Gabe who spoke first. “How are you here right now?”
He peered around and spoke low. “I was called…by your brothers. Seems there’s a situation in this town, and you all got yourselves tangled with the unlawful.”
“Since when do you mingle with the morally gray?” I lifted a brow.
Carmichael glared at me. “When said morally gray might be police.”
Ah. Okay.“How’d you get us out? We clearly killed people.”
Carmichael shrugged. “I have my ways. Right now, I think it’s best you all get off the street and back home. Stay there and keep safe. Don’t make this harder for me.”
Nick chuckled. “Do you even believe we won’t?”
“Sadly, no.” Carmichael sighed. “Your cars are still at the shop, but you’ll have no trouble getting them.”
“I’ll call a ride.” Nick pulled out his phone.
“Seriously, get your cars, go home.” Carmichael narrowed his eyes at each of us.
I didn’t have the energy to do much else. Once the car came—Nick had ordered a minivan so we’d all fit—they drove us to the shop.
“Hell, man,” the driver said once he pulled up, clearly referring to the shattered remains of our shop, the yellow tape, and obvious carnage.
None of us answered; we just piled out and over to our cars.
“Can someone take me home?” Lizzy asked.
