What kind of revenue goals were Fox and team responsible for? Millions? Multimillions?
The sound of a ding drew Cash from his musing to see a video call initiated on the screen. Cash placed the coffee cup aside and reached for his headset. He scooped his hair off his forehead as he added the headphones and accepted the call.
Even in the early morning hours, Lily was put together, not a hair out of place. She stared at him for a good long moment before saying, “You’re at it early.”
He nodded. His bad mood didn’t allow for any polite pleasantries. “From this point forward, I need accurate intelligence. Between what Carly Fox told Dev and what Diesel let out last night, we’re all in a state ofwhat the hell. I should’ve never been kept on the outside of the facts.”
Lily nodded. “I agree. I spoke with Diesel last night. He’s in the same mindset as you. But as I’ve told him, there’s reason to our madness. We were contractually bound…”
“You couldn’t tell me Fox was a government employee? Mack, Ace, and Tank, right there with him? The entire club presence is a mask for a federal government operation? All of that information should’ve been stated before I ever started this case. Had I known, I could’ve made a better effort to target their inner circle—” Lily cut him off.
“But could you have?” Her voice became as stern as his. “For years, Diesel has spent some part of every day with Fox and hasn’t been able to learn what you’ve learned in such a short time. At this point, your directive hasn’t changed. We still haven’t located the missing money. Yesterday happened for many reasons. Of course, Fox and his men were our lead suspects. But their sudden deaths make everything more difficult for this investigation.”
Cash scrubbed a hand down his face.
He considered what she was saying. They know nothing more than they did before Fox was gunned down.
And Dev’s safety wasn’t guaranteed.
“Is it important the money’s found?” he asked, brainstorming, speaking his theories aloud. “If the skimming off the top of the sales has ended, isn’t that enough for an operation that’s run federally?”
“You’re assuming the theft has stopped,” Lily pointed out. “We have to find where the money has gone or assume we didn’t get the proper target.”
“We didn’t get?” Cash asked, homing in on the short phrase. “Wemeaning a government department was responsible for yesterday’s slaughter?”
Lily blinked and mashed her lips together. The slight tensing with zero reply was probably the only confirmation he was ever going to get.
“My plans are to go to the bike shop and office after the club meeting this morning. Then I’ll hit up Fox’s home. I need you to make sure I have proper access to both sites. I’ll take Shanna with me,” Cash said. The urgency to find answers fueled his motivation. His mind raced with the possibilities. “I don’t know where Fox’s side piece lives. If she’s at Fox’s place, I’ll need a police presence.”
“We’ve made Fox’s home part of the criminal investigation. I’ve also elevated the security presence around your entire team,” Lily explained. “We’ve given Mitch Knox the instruction to work without permission. In this case, it’s much needed. I’ll forward you the details when the call ends. They’re all at your disposal.” Lily moved some papers around in front of her, adding reading glasses before she continued.
“Diesel’s also available to you. Trace will continue to follow Devin. Nothing’s changed in that regard. The attorney general’s currently out of the office but making time for me this morning. We need the club to appear steady with a strong foundation. At this point, since the club members believe Devin is next in line, he needs to have a strong, authoritarian presence while following through with the club’s burial rituals.
“We’re receiving reports that yesterday’s attack is having a ripple effect among the motorcycle clubs across the country. Dev must stand strong and needs to make a show of Diesel being his second since he has no male heirs himself. If you find a different way, I’m open to suggestions.” She removed her glasses to stare directly at him.
Cash nodded instead of doing what his heart wanted him to do the most, which was give Lily the middle finger.
“I can tell you’re angry. Let’s get through the next few days, and we’ll reconvene. I promise to have better answers for you,” she said carefully.
He didn’t believe a single word. This was up to him and Dev to make right.
Cash shook his head, his fist gathering into his pajama bottoms. “I’ll let this ride for now because I believe Dev is truly the only club member to hold the brothers together without utter chaos ensuing, but no matter his strength, it won’t last long. They’re too rowdy, full of anarchy, and have gotten away with too much over the years.”
Lily nodded. “You’re justifiably angry. I get it. Stay the course for me. I’ll stay in touch. No more secrets. I need to start my day. Contact me when Dev finishes the meeting this morning. I promise to be at your disposal until we end this case,” Lily said in a complete non-answer. The same bullshit cheerleader communications pushing him to work blind every day.
He didn’t hide his continued aggravation as he whipped the headphones off his ears and reached to end the call on the touch screen monitor. His stomach gave another low hungry grumble, causing him to rise and go for the pizza. In those few steps back into the kitchen, he decided that whether or not this case was going to end sooner or later, he was making his intentions clear. First with his parents then with the federal government then with Dev.
With his parents, he wanted to tell them about Dev. Also, to explain they may experience a lull in the money he was able to send. His mom and dad needed to be self-sufficient for a couple of months until he was financially able to get the payments going again.
Next, he was done with government field work. He’d made a few good contacts over the years. Maybe those leads could transition him into another line of work.
He pulled the pizza from the oven with zero guilt of his future plans because the man asleep over there deserved better than what he got from the world, and Cash wanted to be the one to give it to him.
Chapter 28
Cash swiped his hands together, distributing the gel over his fingers before absently picking at the longer hairs up front, guiding them into place. He was maybe an hour outside of his phone call with Lily, and his bad mood hadn’t changed even with his belly full and a shower underneath his belt.
The best he could tell, he teetered somewhere between anger and depression, but he had to pull up the brake, and put it all behind him for Dev’s sake. No matter what happened from here, he had to drop the professional veneer in place. Focus on appearing to be a company man. Dev, with all his intuitiveness, would sense any subtle shift away from a team-playing vibe.
