The Lies That Shatter by A.V. Asher
Chapter Twelve
“Iseriously don’t understand why Whitley hasn’t dropped this case by now. So fucking stupid,” Tyler Cooper said, a pissy sneer on his punchable face. “Their witnesses don’t know shit and Jason is a fucking liar. What do they even have?”
Like usual, Tyler was pacing the floor of the conference room, the lights of the bay sparkling across the night behind him. Pictures of witnesses and important players were strewn across the table in disarray. Marcus’s idea to bring his son up to speed to take over the empire was a joke. The twenty-six-year-old had the attention span of a gnat, especially when it had nothing to do with him. For some reason, Tyler thought griping about it was going to make it all go away.
Adam did his best to mask his annoyance at the little fucker, but even his considerable training was faltering.
Marcus Cooper leaned back in his chair. “We’ve been over this, Ty. We’re going to trial whether we like it or not. They’re going to use every tool to make sure they fuck me. We have no choice but to fight.”
Tyler’s eyes flashed at Adam. “Why can’t you do something about it? What do we even pay you for?”
You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me, you little fuck. Adam hid his disdain behind a cold stare. “What exactly would you have me do?”
“Take them out.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. Every witness they have.” Tyler shuffled through some of the papers on the conference table. “The bankers, the accountants, the expert witnesses, that security team from London. You took out the lawyer, are you telling me you can’t get to any of these other people?”
Jesus Christ, what an idiot.“So, you think I can manage a major kill operation of twenty to thirty minor targets, all on my own, while the FBI is hunting me?” Adam paused and waited for Tyler to have some sort of realization of how stupid he was.
The little shit only shrugged. “Then let’s get them together and spray the place with bullets.”
“For fuck’s sake, Tyler,” Marcus snapped. “This isn’t a fucking mafia movie. There are consequences to every move we make. Each person we bribe or witness we silence costs us. We eliminated Seth Collins, and Mara ran for it, taking every document she could with her. We killed Mercedes Elliott and now Jason is taking the stand and the McKinleys are out for my blood.”
“Who gives a shit about them?”
Adam scoffed. “That’s easy for you to say. Are you the one going up against the McKinleys now?”
“No. That’s your job.” Tyler looked disgusted. “It can’t be that hard.”
You have no fucking idea.
A raging Alec McKinley would be a nightmare. A nightmare Adam had been expecting over the past few months. He knew what Mercedes Elliott had meant to Alec McKinley. That he hadn’t had any visits from the Scotsman meant they still had no idea where Adam was.
Tyler plopped down in a chair. “Nothing a bullet in their heads couldn’t fix.”
It was the utter confidence in Tyler’s expression that pissed Adam off the most. His privileged life was a series of college parties and drunken debauchery. No one had ever told this little shit no, and now Adam had two arrogant fucks to keep under control. At least Marcus seemed to have a grasp of reality. His dumbass of a son seemed to think this was a video game.
Marcus sighed and ran his hand over his eyes. “Adam, tell me what you know about Mara. Have you located her yet?”
“Why do you need to know about her?” Tyler snipped. “You know Mom will have your ass if she finds out you’re looking for that little whore.”
Adam’s jaw clenched until it ached.
“Watch your fucking mouth,” Marcus snarled at his son. “I don’t need your goddamn opinion about Mara or any other woman I want. Are we clear?”
Tyler glared at his father, but backed off, their little standoff making a nice cover for Adam’s brewing anger.
Fuck them both.
Adam cleared his throat. “I have every reason to believe she’s alive and living somewhere within the UK. The trial is only weeks away now. We would have heard whispers if the prosecutor had found her. I don’t think she’s a threat to your case.”
“I’m not worried about the case,” Marcus said, irritation sharpening his words. “She belongs to me. I want her back. What I can’t understand is why she is still out there. When are you going to figure out where she is and who’s helping her?”
Marcus had asked this before, but this time he seemed certain she had help.
Fuck.
“I’ve been in the States for months. I can’t be here and there at the same time. If you want me to look for her, you’re going to need to let me go back to Britain. Otherwise, I’m doing everything from thousands of miles away.”
Marcus was quiet as he thought it over. Adam held his breath.
“No.” Marcus shook his head. “As much as I want Mara back, I need you to work on the other avenues we discussed.”
Adam exhaled. “Understood.”
“Who is this?” Tyler cut in, flipping a photo over from the file.
Adam frowned at the photo. “That’s Cressida Bennett. She works for the McKinleys as a computer tech. Why?”
“Look at her. She’s fine as fuck, isn’t she?”
In a normal man, this sort of talk would be stupid dude banter. But Tyler’s appetites were sick as hell. There was no doubt disgusting perversions were playing out in his twisted little mind.
Marcus snapped the picture up and tossed it on the pile. “Jesus, Tyler. You’re getting married in a few weeks. You need to stay focused and out of trouble.”
“You’re one to talk,” Tyler sneered. Then he glanced back at the photo on the table. “I just like the look of her.”
“It took a hell of a lot of work to get Dahlia to agree to this marriage. Keep your dick in your pants and stay focused on revamping the image of this company.”
“Whatever,” Tyler murmured, shuffling through the photos again.
Marcus called an end to the meeting and Adam was grateful to get the hell away from both of them. Whenever Marcus brought up Mara, Adam’s blood ran cold. He was waiting for the day to come when his boss figured it all out.
Then he’d be fucked.