Chapter 14 0014
JASON'S POV
I was working on my bike in the garage when Marcus came in with his phone and a look on his face that told me I wasn’t going to like what he had to say. I put down the wrench and wiped my hands on a rag while I waited for him to say the bad news.
“We got word from our guy inside,” Marcus said. “Hayes is having a party tomorrow night at his big house.”
“So what,” I said and went back to the bike. “Rich people throw parties all the time.”
“It’s not just any party,” Marcus said. “It’s a pregnancy announcement. Hayes is saying his wife is pregnant.”
I dropped the wrench and it clanged on the floor. My hands shook and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Did I just hear the word pregnant? Caitlyn was pregnant with my kid and Hayes was going to stand up in front of everyone and say it was his.
“Jason,” Marcus said carefully. “You need to calm down.”
“Calm down?” I turned to him, feeling rage burn inside me. “That’s my kid and he’s going to pretend it’s his. How am I supposed to calm down?”
“I know this is hard but you have to think,” Marcus said. “Going there and causing trouble won’t help anyone, not even Caitlyn.”
I wanted to punch something. I wanted to tear Hayes apart with my hands. That was my child; he had no right to say it was his. He had no right to stand next to Caitlyn and act happy when he was a lying snake who helped kill my brother.
“How did your guy find out?” I asked.
“He works for the catering company,” Marcus said. “He said it’s going to be a huge event. Over a hundred people, including some very important ones.”
“What kind of important people?” I asked.
Marcus hesitated, and I knew I wouldn’t like this part. “Politicians, judges, police chiefs, and Dimitri Volkov are coming.”
My blood turned cold. Dimitri Volkov was the head of the Russian crime gang that controlled half the city. If he were at Hayes’s party, this was more than a pregnancy announcement. Hayes was showing off his power.
“This is bigger than we thought,” I said.
“Yeah,” Marcus said. “That’s why you need to stay away. If you go there and start a fight, the whole Volkov gang will come after you and the club.”
He was right but it didn’t make it easier. My kid was in that house with Caitlyn and Hayes was going to use the party to claim both of them. The thought made me sick.
“I’m not going to just watch,” I said.
“I’m not asking you to just watch,” Marcus said. “I’m asking you to be smart, we can watch from outside. Find out who’s on Hayes’s side but we can’t go in guns blazing because that’ll just get people killed.”
I picked up the wrench and threw it across the garage. It hit the wall loudly and left a dent, marcus didn’t even blink. He knew I needed to get the anger out.
“He’s taking everything,” I said quietly. “My brother, my kid, and I have to just watch.”
“You’re not watching,” Marcus said firmly. “You’re being patient, waiting for the right time to strike. That’s what smart people do.”
“I don’t feel smart,” I said honestly.
Marcus put his hand on my shoulder. “I know this sucks but rushing in is exactly what Hayes wants. He wants you to mess up so he can have you arrested or killed. Don’t let him win.”
I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Marcus was right, even if I hated it. Going to that party was dumb and dangerous, and might end with me dead or in jail, but staying away felt like giving up, and I wasn’t good at that.
“What do you want me to do?” I asked.
“We watch from outside,” Marcus said. “Take pictures of everyone who comes, keep track of who Hayes meets. Get proof we can use later.”
“And Caitlyn?”
“For now, she’ll be okay,” Marcus said. “Hayes wants her alive and healthy because she’s carrying what he thinks is his kid. He won’t hurt her.”
I wanted to believe that, but wasn’t sure. Hayes was dangerous and crazy, I didn’t trust him. But Marcus was right, I couldn't protect Caitlyn if I got myself killed.
“Okay,” I said. “We watch from far away but if anything happens to her, I’m going in.”
“Deal,” Marcus said. “I’ll get the guys together and we’ll set up cameras around the house tomorrow night.”
He left and I was alone with my thoughts and my anger. I thought about Caitlyn. Was she okay? Was she happy about the pregnancy or scared? Did she even think about me or had she moved on?
I pulled out my phone and looked at the picture I saved from that night at the bar. Someone took a photo of the crowd and Caitlyn was dancing in the background. She looked so happy and free, I wondered if I’d ever see her like that again.
My phone rang. I answered without checking. “Yeah.”
“Jason, it’s Tommy’s old partner from the police,” the voice said. “I have something you need to hear.”
Tommy’s partner was one of the few cops not on Hayes’s side. He helped me get info about Tommy’s murder and only called when it was big news.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I found the file on your brother’s case,” he said. “You were right. Hayes’s law firm helped cover up the murder, i got proof they paid witnesses and hid evidence.”
Finally. I had something real to prove Hayes was behind Tommy’s death. This changed everything.
“Can you get me copies?” I asked.
“Already done,” he said. “I’ll drop them off tonight but Jason, be careful. If Hayes finds out you have this, he’ll come after you hard.”
“Let him try,” I said.
I hung up and felt a little satisfaction. I might not stop Hayes from announcing the pregnancy tomorrow, but I have proof he helped kill Tommy. That was something.
I went back to fixing my bike because I needed to do something with my hands. Tomorrow night I’d watch from the shadows while Hayes pretended to be the happy husband and father-to-be. I’d watch him lie about the baby being his and I’d plan my next move.
Marcus was right about waiting but waiting didn’t mean giving up. It meant waiting for the right time to strike, and when that time came, Hayes would wish he had never crossed me.
I thought about Caitlyn again. What was she thinking now? Did she know I was watching? Did she care? Or had she really moved on and accepted her life with Hayes?
I didn’t have answers, and that bothered me but I would get them. I’d find a way to talk to her and tell her what Hayes really was. Then she’d have to choose, the life she thought she wanted or the t
Ruth.
Tomorrow night would change everything. I knew it and I’d be ready for whatever came next.