The Lies That Shatter by A.V. Asher
Chapter Three
The smell of urine and garbage filled Adam Wilson’s nostrils, making him huff out the air and hold his breath. Even in the pretentious Nob Hill neighborhood, the back entrances smelled like shit.
He climbed the stoop and stopped at the metal door to enter the code on the keypad. Once it beeped, he pulled it open and stepped into the hallway.
Adam doubted the FBI knew Marcus Cooper was here tonight, but he could never be too sure. Marcus wasn’t known for his subtlety. Trying to keep that man’s fucking ego under control since his arrest had become its own challenge.
Not only that, but Adam was taking a hell of a risk marching his ass through this place. The FBI had a target on him, especially since he’d offed one of their agents in London a few months ago.
Fucking London.
Their once flourishing operation had taken a big hit after that shit show. Patrick was dead, Mariah was in the wind and Jason was in jail. The biggest blow came when Marcus himself was indicted.
It was insane for Adam to be coming in for a face-to-face meeting with so much heat on them, but if Marcus wanted him to take the risk, he’d do it. He didn’t have a choice.
Adam made his way up to the top floor. One of their security team met him at the elevator door.
“Have you swept the room and hallways?” Adam asked.
“Yes, sir. Finished up ten minutes ago. Mr. Cooper is . . . entertaining a guest. I’ll do a sweep again after she leaves.”
Adam pulled the card out of his pocket and opened the door. Music played throughout the penthouse. A breeze moved through the rooms and a killer view of the San Francisco skyline appeared through the open door. Adam kept himself out of the doorframe. They had swept the penthouse for bugs, but he wouldn’t put it past the FBI to rent out nearby spaces to observe Marcus’s visitor list.
A noise from outside drew his attention, and Adam walked to one of the other windows. He peered through the sheer curtains enough to take in the sight on the balcony.
For fuck’s sake.
Marcus was standing on the patio, his pants around his knees, his cock in the mouth of a naked woman. His hips were thrusting, ramming her throat hard. Grunts carried into the suite. She was certainly eager. Based on her blonde hair and toned ass, she wasn’t Mrs. Cooper.
Only a rich fuck like Marcus would get a blow job on a balcony to piss off the FBI.
Adam walked to the fully stocked bar and mixed a gin martini, making sure he made a lot of noise when he shook the drink. Marcus wouldn’t hurry things up on his account, but he might for a drink.
“Fuck,” Marcus shouted. “Suck me, fuck! God yeah, right there.”
Oh good, he’s nearly done.
Adam poured himself a shot of tequila and sat on the barstool. A minute later, Marcus came in from the balcony, followed by the busty blonde, her tits on full display for him. He slid up the zipper of his pants.
“You’re certainly punctual, Adam. I’ve always appreciated that about you.” Marcus slapped the girl’s ass. She giggled, shooting a lusty stare at Adam.
Adam curled his mouth up and pushed the stem of the martini toward his boss.
“You want a turn?” Marcus said, gesturing to the girl with his head.
“You offering?” He raked his gaze over the woman. Rich brown eyes fluttered back at him and his cock hardened a bit more. She had the look that turned him on, but the eyes were all wrong. If only they were a blue gray. He’d fuck her all night, for sure.
“Should I wait in the guest room, Mr. Cooper?” Her hand played with the collar of Marcus’s shirt.
Marcus’s gaze scanned Adam. “Perhaps. Why don’t you get comfortable? Mr. Wilson might join you. We’ll see how our meeting goes.”
Once she had left the room, Marcus picked up the martini glass, swirling the olives on the glass pick. “I pay a significant fee for your services, do I not?”
Adam’s gut churned. “You have always been generous.”
“In fact, some might say, out of all my employees, you’ve benefited the most?”
A shiver crawled down Adam’s spine. “Yes, sir.”
The saccharine smile dropped from Marcus’s face. “So, do you mind explaining to me how Mercedes Elliott is still alive?”
“We had a hit scheduled, but they got word we had compromised her safe house and moved her.”
“How did they know?”
“We’re still working out the details of that. We recently turned a new asset. They’ve provided her location, but I’m waiting for visual confirmation she’s actually there.” Adam sipped, letting the tequila burn down his throat. “Once we know for sure, I have a pro on standby ready to strike.”
“That’s admirable work. But she’s already given testimony. The hearing yesterday was a disaster for us. She got Whitley almost everything he asked for.”
“Jason got a few things removed. And he’ll be instrumental in tearing her credibility apart if we have to go to trial.”
“Yes, but enough got through to fuck us. And forgive me if I don’t think Jason Hollis was the best person to be providing evidence on my behalf. It’s because of him I lost a decent man and had to have brains cleaned up off my marble floor.”
Marcus wasn’t wrong. Jason was a volatile mess.
“Jason’s aware of his position with us. His fate is not only tied to ours, but at our mercy. He won’t testify against you, and he is in the unique position of making Mercedes seem crazy. Dead or alive, we’re going to need to discredit the hell out of her.”
Marcus stirred his drink with the pick of olives. “I want him gone. He’s a fucking liability when it comes to that woman.”
Jason had been taken to a federal facility and Adam’s diminished network was struggling to support the primary targets. He was going to need to be creative if he was going to get to Jason.
Marcus smirked. “Too many mistakes, Adam. The last three years have been one clusterfuck after another. It’s been quite exhausting.”
“I know I let you down. It won’t happen again.”
Marcus sipped his drink. “Any word on Mara?”
Adam stiffened. Mara Donovan, Marcus’s longtime assistant, had been the catalyst for all this chaos. Everything the feds had on Marcus had been because of Mara.
“Not yet. They never found her body, so it’s likely she’s alive.”
Marcus inhaled deeply and let it out. “I should have left my fucking wife. If I had, Mara never would’ve spoken to that damn lawyer. Then she’d be the one sucking me off and not some slut with fake tits.”
Adam’s jaw tightened. “I have eyes in the UK working to find her. Unlike Mercedes Elliott, Mara doesn’t have someone like Alec McKinley to keep her off the grid. I doubt she can stay hidden much longer.”
Marcus turned an icy stare on him. “She’s evaded us now for over a year. Are we sure she doesn’t have help?”
Adam grimaced at the implication in his boss’s words. “Not that we can see. But we’re doing what we can.”
Marcus sighed. “Fine. Take care of Mercedes and Jason first. She can’t be allowed to testify at any more of these hearings. The evidence they’re allowing in is fucking killing us.”
“Yes, sir.” Adam finished his drink and set it on the counter.
“Good.” Marcus stood up and held out a hand to Adam. “Now get your ass in there and fuck that girl. Consider it a bonus. You’re one of the few who managed to keep himself out of jail so far.”
* * *
An hour later,Adam slipped out of the building and made his way down the steep hill where his car waited. Shooting a load into a pouty little mouth was usually a decent stress reliever, but somehow, he still walked away unsatisfied. There were only a few women who had ever been enough to pull him away from the day’s worries. High priced hookers didn’t do it for him anymore.
His phone buzzed, and he answered with his earpiece.
“This is Citadel.”
“Good evening, this is Prodigy,” a deep male voice came through the line. “We have confirmation.”
Adam stopped walking, his heart leaping in his chest. “You sure?”
“Positive. Our asset is on site.”
Fuck.
There was too much at stake. He had made his deal and sold his soul. The time to turn back had come and gone years ago. He was either all in, or he was going to lose everything.
“Do I have instructions or what?” Annoyance coated Prodigy’s tone.
Adam closed his eyes. “Affirmative. Take her out.”
“Copy.”
Adam pressed the end button, regret hollowing him. This wasn’t the man he was supposed to be, but it was the man he was.