I wait for one of them to interject, but I have their complete attention, so I continue. I pace the room as I talk. “Taking my father down is tricky, because he covers his bases and he has tons of law enforcement in his back pocket, but there’s got to be some jurisdictions his influence doesn’t extend to.”
“The issue with that,” Kai says, “is we have to lodge criminal charges in the state where they committed the offense.”
“There has got to be one judge, somewhere in the state of MA, who isn’t corrupt?”
“I wouldn’t bank on it,” Sawyer says.
“But your fathers are influential as hell, and they want to see my father brought to justice. Surely, there is something they can do?”
“Dad has already lodged charges against your father for the fraudulent theft of his company,” Kai says, telling me something I wasn’t aware of. “But, it’s like your father and dickhead Montgomery said in the ballroom. They are already burying him in red tape, and at this rate, it’ll take years to come to court, if it even sees the light of day.”
I scratch the side of my head. “So, we’re back to the murder charges. We have to find evidence to pin either my mother’s or your mother’s murder on him.”
A muscle pops in Kai’s jaw. “Except we have no clue where to find the evidence your mother stole proving he murdered my mom. We were so sure it’d be in your father’s safe.”
“And my aunt didn’t know where she’d stashed it?”
He shakes his head. “Your mom wouldn’t tell her because she said it wasn’t safe.”
“Maybe he found it and destroyed it,” Jackson says. “I know that’s what I’d do.”
“But you’re not a psycho.”
“That’s debatable,” Sawyer deadpans, and Jackson flips him off.
“My father would hoard the evidence like a trophy, because it was the first nail in your father’s coffin,” I say to Kai. “This vendetta they have against one another has consumed them. My father would gloat over the evidence and take it out whenever he wanted a reminder he’s King Big Dick.”
Jackson chuckles, inhaling a long drag from his joint.
“If that’s the case, then your father has more than just the evidence of my mom’s murder,” Kai says, sitting upright.
“He has evidence of all his crimes,” I murmur, getting excited. Of course, he does!Why have I never considered this before?
“Where would he store that?” Sawyer asks. “Think carefully, Abby.”
“I’ve already thought about it,” I admit, “and there are any number of places in that creepy mansion he could hide it.” I prop my butt on the edge of the couch. “But I don’t think it’s there.” Three sets of eyes lock on mine. “I think it’s at Parkhurst.”
Sawyer and Kai stare at one another.
“What?” I ask, my tone laced with suspicion.
“We’ve considered the same thing,” Sawyer admits.
“But that place is a fucking fortress,” Kai says. “There’s no way we’d get in and out of there undetected, and that’s if we even knew where to look.”
“Wedon’t,” I say, leaning forward. “But my brother might.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“We need to mend bridges with Drew and Charlie. We need to resume working as a team again. Xavier included,” I say, because it’s the only logical choice.
“It’s too risky,” Kai says, shifting on the couch and avoiding eye contact.
“They can’t be trusted,” Sawyer agrees, casting a surreptitious glance at Kai that doesn’t escape my notice.
Why are they being so cagey?We all worked together before. Until they screwed us over. But we still have a common enemy and reconciling is not insurmountable.
“I don’t see that we’ve other options,” I argue. “Hiding out here indefinitely is not a good idea, because nothing is moving forward. It’s only a matter of time before my father finds us. It’s best to tackle it head-on. Let me contact Drew. See if he can make a deal with my father in exchange for him calling off the hitman on Kai.”
