“You can’t just fucking take money from the trust, Raif!”
Raif slams on the brakes, skidding to a stop on the gravel road. His nostrils are flaring, and he’s breathing hard.
“I did what I had to do for our family.”
Axel doesn’t say anything else as Raif drives. What can he say? The money is gone, paid to someone who tracked Maury down. He should have tried harder, not given up when the detective told him Maury had left. He should have been the one to hire someone for help. He pats Raif on the shoulder, squeezing lightly, and feels Raif relax under his hand. All he can do now is hope that they find Maury and that Maury gives back the money he stole.
They pull up to what looks like an abandoned trailer. There are weeds and a fallen tree, and the trailer sitting crooked on blocks. No one can possibly live here. As Raif throws the truck in park, Axel sees the curtains move a little.
“Someone’s here.”
“I know,” Raif says before opening his door.
Axel follows him out as Raif approaches the trailer door, banging on it quickly.
“Maury! We know you’re in there,” Raif bellows before banging again on the door so hard it shakes on its hinges.
Maybe this isn’t even where Maury is living? Maybe it’s someone else’s home? As Axel raises his hand to clasp his brother’s shoulder, the door opens a crack, and Axel sees Maury’s round face looking out at them.
Raif shoves the door open, and Maury scrambles back into the kitchen.
“How’d you find me?”
Raif bares his teeth, and Axel worries he might shift right here in the trailer, tearing it apart.
“We need to talk.”
Maury is sweating through his shirt. It’s stuffy in the trailer, but not hot enough for him to be sweating like this. He’s scared, and he should be. Two very angry bear shifters, one almost feral. He should be very scared.
“Please. I didn’t do anything.”
“You didn’t do anything? You didn’t embezzle three million dollars? You didn’t sell my land off to Harvey Development Group?”
“I didn’t want to. It wasn’t my idea. I liked your family, I really did. But they said I could keep the money as long as I took enough. Then, when I didn’t want to sell the land, they threatened me.”
“Who? Who threatened you? Harvey Group?”
“Two men. Big like you guys. Always in black leather. They roughed me up one time.”
A pang of empathy hits Axel. Maury is an old man, overweight, single, with no kids or family they know of, and he was hurt by these men. Doesn’t excuse what he did, just makes Axel feel bad for him.
“Why did you start taking the money from us?”
“I was approached about seven years ago.”
“The same two men?”
Maury moves himself from the floor to the kitchen table bench.
“There were two men, like bodyguards, but there was another man with them. A suit. He said I needed to embezzle from you. That I would be able to retire in luxury. He, he threatened me.”
“What did he threaten you with?”
Maury looks at his hands and fiddles with them.
“He had pictures.”
“Pictures of what?” Raif growls out. “Come on, old man!”
