Page 69 of Too Broken to Love

“I…” Nathaniel shoved against Hudson’s elbow. “I heard Sam talking to Ralphie a few weeks ago about what a stupid loser Tessa’s father was and realized he’d be the perfect guy to pin an accident on. Those Passage International guys discovered I was looking into him and paid me a visit at my office in D.C. After they questioned me with their fists, they offered me a deal. They wanted to get rid of Frank and make it look like they had nothing to do with it. I wanted to get rid of…”

Nathaniel swallowed. Hudson felt the twitch under his fingers. Every muscle in his hand screamed to drain the life out of the evil he hadn’t seen coming. “Say it, you coward.”

“I…”

Hudson pressed on a pulse point. A glance around assured nobody watched them. “Fucking talk.”

“I wanted to get rid of Sam. They agreed to engineer the accident. All I had to do was let them know about his whereabouts on a certain day and make sure the crash did its job.”

Hudson growled, each animalistic sound louder with each event that led to Pop’s death.

The call from Nathaniel.

Him by the car when Hudson arrived.

His suggestion to the police that Pop was drunk or had a heart attack.

It all lined up to a sickening outcome. “And if the crash didn’t do its job?”

“They gave me something undetectable to inject him with that would make sure he died. I took care of it before you arrived.”

Hudson tightened his fingers around the throat of the bastard who’d ended Pop’s life.

“P-please.” Nathaniel’s reddened face disintegrated into bluish gray. He tried to push away Hudson’s hand, but lack of oxygen sapped his strength. “S…stop.”

Hudson wrapped his other hand around Nathaniel’s neck. With a controlled calm that raced chills down his spine, he pressed forward until their foreheads almost touched. “Why should I let you live? You’re a murderer.”

Tessa’s voice penetrated the blinding rage roaring in his ears.

Frank isn’t a murderer

His hand shook around Nathaniel’s throat as he heard Tessa again, louder this time.

Frank isn’t a murderer

Hudson jerked back, like the murdering bastard he’d been damn near close to strangling the life out of had burst into flames. Nathaniel’s hands flew to his throat as he doubled over and wheezed.

“Fuck.” Hudson pinched the bridge of his nose. The only shred of respect Tessa had for her father was his lack of violence. Even though Hudson knew every kill-spot on a person’s body, he couldn’t stomach the thought of seeing that respect disappear when she looked at him. “Do you have any idea what kind of shit Passage International is into?”

“What does it matter? I just care about keeping my family alive.”

“But not about keeping my family alive?”

Nathaniel spat into the potted plant. “Sam didn’t care about mine. Why should I care about his?”

Confusion tempered Hudson’s barely controlled rage. “Explain.”

Nathaniel’s upper lip curled in a sneer. “Sam and my father grew up gambling together. Sam always had luck. My father didn’t. When he got himself into trouble with a loan shark, he asked Sam for help. Sam thought he was too good to get even his money a little dirty.”

“Because he had morals, you shitbag. Keep talking.”

“My father killed himself a week later.” He pointed a finger at Hudson’s chest. “Sam had plenty of money to spare thanks to his stupid luck, but he wouldn’t help a friend.”

Hudson slapped Nathaniel’s hand away. “Luck? You think Pop’s fortune came from luck?” He shoved his fist in his pocket. The sinker, hot and unforgiving against his fingers, fueled his rage. So did Pop’s voice in his head calling Nathaniel a pompous prick, just like his father. “Success comes from hard work, you lazy shit. And definitely not marrying someone to get an inheritance. Does Vivian know that’s why you married her?”

“She’s figuring it out. Why else would I tie myself to that bitch?”

Hudson bent forward, the urge to close his hand around the marks he’d already made on Nathaniel’s throat held back by the oath he’d sworn and the woman he loved. “Only family gets to call Vivian a bitch. If you say one more nasty word about her, or anyone else I love, I’ll murder you right here and make it look like I was saving you from choking. Understand?”