Chapter 19

With Luke asleep, Jud got up and cleaned up a bit. He changed into fresh clothes and left the room. He hadn't been anywhere in the house other than Luke's room, but his mind was jumbled. He couldn't just sit and ponder all the questions rolling around in his head.

Even though Luke had been honest, there were still many, many questions he needed answered. He knew Luke didn't have the real answers. The only reason the man had those was because his father had told them, and as a result, he believed them to be true. The truth, the actual truth, lay with Amos Meyers.

Since this case had crossed his desk nearly three weeks ago, something had felt off about it. No matter how far he dug into the past, nothing ever went back to Luke. He had always had a clean record and a good credit score. He'd never been late on any payments, and he was in good graes with his community. There hadn't been anything to link him to his father's sordid past.

So why all of a sudden was this falling on him? Why were they all targeting Luke? He didn't make the plans for the Kings. Amos did. This couldn't be entirely about opening a drug pipeline, could it? What more was there? All the answers were with Amos in the end.

Jud ran into Lou. The man seemed shocked to see him. He asked where he could find Amos, which shocked Lou even more. He led him to the study at the end of the west hall. Jud was shocked at how large the house actually was. Amos had enough money to afford the payments and the upkeep. Plus it suited his crazy personality. There was plenty of space for everyone.

Lou knocked on the door then pushed it open. He let Jud in then closed it behind him. Jud wasn't surprised. Lou tended to mind his own business unless it dealt directly with the family. If Amos needed him, he'd call him. Until then, he'd let the men talk in peace.

Jud looked aorund. For a large house, the study was modest. It was more than likely an old bedroom no one had claimed. Amos had taken and decorated it tastefully. An oak desk took up most of the space, the L-shape going from the bay window to two-thirds of the way down the wall. The other third was taken up by two bookcases.

On the opposite wall was a small bar. Pictures hung along it, displaying a happy family. He could see many of Luke and Amos. Some had a woman who could only be Luke's mother. He was glad Amos hadn't hidden the photos of his late wife. It meant he wanted to keep her memory alive.

Amos was on the phone. He motioned Jud to sit while he finished his call. Jud sat down and stared at the desk. Files were fanned out all over, stacked rather neatly despite them being open. They looked to be his business files, and from what Jud could tell, they were his ledgers. He must be doing his budget.

All of this had to be causing some issues with his businesses. After being raided twice and a threat of a takeover, he wondered how AMos and his workers were faring.

Amos ended his call and signed the top file before closing it. He set it aside and the same with the last two. He folded his hands on the desk and looked at Jud.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

Jud couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. "You're not mad I'm wandering freely?"

"The only one's home are Luke, Raymond, Lou and the housekeeper. Luke's asleep and Raymond is probably in the kitchen eating. He's been at Bennett's helping with the clean up." Amos leaned back and swiveled from side to side. "What is it?"

He knew he had to tread carefully. He didn't want to open up any old wounds. But he had to know what was going on for someone to target his son.

"When this case hit my desk, I thought it was cut and dry. We raid the places we need to, and we get as many drugs off the streets. Then it included Luke, and I was not ready for the rest." He paused as a dull ache started in his chest. "And then…"

"And then you were shot," Amos supplied.

Jud nodded. "Correct. After last night, nothing makes sense. Luke's ex came to the club tonight and he said he was going to take Luke down. But I can't figure out why. Luke said all he did was try to steal some money."

"Is that what he told you?" The younger man tilted his head with his tongue peeling out the side of his lips. His eyes drew together as he frowned. "It's true Luke and Michael dated, but Michael was in thirty-five thousand dollars worth of debt. Miguel Arturo offered to pay it all off if he stole the deed to Luke's bar."

Jud licked his lips as that sank in. "Does Luke know that's the real reason? Or is that what you've told him, that Michael stole from him to clear his debt?"

"You're very perceptive, captain." Amos loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. He was rolling up his sleeves when he spoke again. "Miguel Arturo has always wanted to branch out, but Luke has always unknowingly stood in the way. The property he owns? He outbid Miguel twice for it. If you know anything about the leader of the South Bay Saints, you'll know he does not like to lose."

"He's been wanting to link all three cities for a while now. We've caught him on recording saying so, but we've never been able to figure out who it was he was talking to."

"It could be anyone honestly."

"May I?"

Amos nodded. Jud grabbed a pen and some printer paper. He began to jot down all that he knew. He linked everything to Amos in some way. The man in question looked on with a curious eye. He pointed out some inaccuracies but didn't otherwise speak. He wanted to see what the captain would come up with.

When Jud wrote down Luke's name, his hand paused. He stared at the page, stared between the two names. Amos Meyers, King; Luke Meyers, Prince. A name was missing.

"What was Luke's mother's name?" he asked. "Full name?"

A slight smile tugged at Amos's lips. "Cecilia Garcia Meyers."

Jud wrote it down then stared at it. The name looked familiar. So familiar in fact that he nearly glossed over him. He looked between Luke's mother and the other kingpin written on the page.

He looked up at Amos. "You failed to mention that you married Daniel Garcia's only daughter." The other man hummed in confirmation. "Does Luke know his grandfather is an original member of the South Bay Saints?"

"Daniel is currently serving a life sentence upstate. He never wanted to meet Luke so I never told my son about his parentage."

The captain continued writing. He'd been studying everything Kings and Saints since coming to the narcotics unit. He could spit out verbatim what he'd learned. Writing dates and names down would have to suffice. He didn't want to give too much away. He'd already said more than he'd intended, but he knew he had to say something to get Amos to open up.

Amos wrung his hands several times as he watched Jud focus. He was very smart and knew how to ask all the correct questions. His brain worked faster than his hands, and he looked as if his hand was tiring out.

"Did Luke tell you about his mother?" he suddenly asked.

The other man looked up. "He said something, but I never pressed for more. It was right after I was shot."

"She was shot and killed while chaperoning a field trip. Someone opened fire on the classes, and she protected the children. Luke watched her slip away before help got there. A teacher was also hit by gunfire."

Jud nodded. "Yeah, he told me that. He said he didn't want to lose someone else to gun violence like he did his mom." He leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on the arm. "But there's more, isn't there? Something you kept from him?"

Amos's mouth tightened into a line. "When Cecilia and I married, she was already pregnant with Luke. It was a shotgun wedding at a wedding chapel in Las Vegas. It was so fast she never told her other suitor until after Luke was born."

The officer was following the story and filling in what he wasn't saying. "Arturo was the other suitor."

The King of the Kings nodded solemnly. "Miguel had proposed to her before he'd been deployed to Kuwait. She never gave him an answer. By the time he returned, we were married and Luke had been born. Her ather never told anyone she married, opting to tell everyone she abandoned the family."

Jud scratched his head. "Are you saying the reason your wife died was becasue he - as in Arturo - tried to kill your son?"

"Yes, he did. He warned Cecilia that if she didn't come back home voluntarily that he would force her to."

Amos watched Jud as he processed the newfound knowledge. He knew that by telling him the truth he was putting himself at risk. Jud could tell Luke at any time. His son would understand why he kept it from him, but he would not be happy.

Then again… if Jud thought it was safer for Luke not to know right now, he wouldn't say anything.

"Is the reason…" Jud's voice was thick with some unknown emotion. He cleared his throat so he could continue. "Is the reason Daniel Garcia is in prison is because he found Cecilia's killer?"

Amos nodded. "Yes."

The officer leaned back in his chair. "If I was a betting man, I would say Arturo was next in line to take over the Saints. He used Cecilia's death to try to blackmail you into giving up Baymont. When that didn't happen, he snatched up every piece of land to squeeze you out. An anaconda plan or sorts. Now, he's trying to kill the only thing that would remind him of his ex."

He gnashed his teeth together in agitation. "Just out of curiosity, why didn't you tell Luke?"

Amos stood and walked to the canvas picture above the bar. He stared at the woman smiling back at him. A tear welled up and ran down his face. He wiped it away then turned back to Jud.

"Ever since that day, my son has had a strong sense of honor and justice. He's never cheated, he tells the truth, and he keeps his word. Most importantly, he has protected every person he has ever loved. It was why his reaction to your shooting was so violent."

He paused as a shaky breath escaped him. "He has never taken a life, but he will if someone he loves is in danger. I don't want blood on his hands."

Jud realized Amos wasn't the badass leader everyone thought he was. He was a father who just wanted to protect his son. He had been doing it for twenty years, so long that it had become second nature. Now that Jud was involved, he had two people to protect.

He spilled his guts. He told Amos of the plan they'd cooked up. He told him about Michael and Myka's infiltration. Lastly, he told him of Luke's possible involvement in ransacking a warehouse where the Saints possibly stored their drugs.

He said he didn't want him to go alone. He told him of his fears and what he wanted from Luke.

"I want him to stay here and be safe," he said. "I want to be the only one who takes risks in this relationship. But I'm dead by intentions and purposes. I don't want him to go alone."

"If you feel this strongly," he said, "will you remain idle? Will you let him do this alone when you know all this?"

Jud stared at him. He had never thought about it like that before. Would he really stay put? He had never promised Cameron, and Raymond hadn't told Luke the plan yet since he was still asleep. So he really hadn't made any promises to anyone.

Amos cleared his throat, drawing his attention back to the older man. "By your silence, it seems you already know your answer."

Jud didn't have to answer because he was right. He did know his answer. He just didn't know what was going to happen for him to get what he wanted.