Page 83 of Mr. Match

“Of course there’s more.”

“Then let’s find one.”

“Pax—”

“Just listen to me, OK? If everything is for sale—and clearly it is, since you’re selling some deeply disturbing shit on this site—”

“It’s not my site. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“—then we can buy a reporter, don’t you think?”

“Why would we want to buy a reporter?”

“To give us proof. What if we buy a reporter, we stage a murder scene, and then we get that reporter to put it on the news? I could show Liam the proof and he will hand over the answers.”

“I don’t like it. And I don’t think we can buy a reporter, Pax.”

“Sure we can. The media is corrupt as fuck these days. We can dangle money in front of them, send them pictures, they put it on the air, and we do our business. As soon as we get what we need, they retract. I think this is how it’s done, Oliver. I don’t even think they will blink. They don’t have to know we’re lying. We just send them the info, they air it as an anonymous social media photo, and bam. We’re golden.”

I think about it. Look for the pitfalls. But really, he has a point. There are all kinds of things that go viral these days that get picked up by the media.

“And then what?” I ask.

Pax smiles because he knows I’m in. “I don’t know yet. I guess it depends on what the girls have planned.”

A faint banging comes from the other side of the door. I can just barely make out West yelling upstairs. “He knows we’re down here.”

Pax looks at his watch. “We gotta get this shit started anyway. I’d like to have Weston dead by the end of the night, if we can swing it.”

I just look at him. “Do not say that outside this room, you understand? And I’m not on board yet. Not until West agrees. So go upstairs and get him and bring him down here so we can talk.”

I turn away before I can see his reaction, but I am all too familiar with Paxton Vance’s bulldozer attitude once he makes a plan. I have no doubt Weston Conrad will be dead by tonight.

A few seconds later footsteps thump down the stairs and then West, appears, followed by Mac, Nolan, and then Pax.

“Did you lock it up?” I ask him.

Pax shoots me a look closely related to the one I missed a few minutes ago. What do you take me for? this one asks.

“What’s this all about?” Mac asks, leaning up against the wall, arms crossed.

“Mr. Mysterious has a plan to discuss.”

“What kind of plan?” Nolan asks, narrowing his eyes. He’s always been a suspicious fuck. Not that I blame him.

“Remember when I told you Liam called me and asked me to finish the job?”

“The job?” Mac asks. “You mean the one where he was paying you to set up West and then kill him?”

“Hey,” Pax says. “That last plan worked like a charm. I saved your ass.” Pax and West glare at each other. “You should be thanking me, Corporate. Because I’ve just had a stroke of brilliance.”

West doesn’t look convinced. “Is that so?”

“Well, what is it?” Mac asks.

Nolan laughs. “He’s gonna kill him probably.”

“Ding, ding, ding,” Pax says, his smile so big he looks like a crazed psychopath. Did I really consent to my sister dating this guy? What the fuck was I thinking? “Yes! Hahahaha.” He laughs. Then his face goes dead serious. “Not really, you assholes. West,” he says, looking at him. “You know I might not like you much, but I’ve always had your back. And I’m sorry about this, buddy, but they want you dead. If I kill you, Liam will talk. We need answers, brother. So take one for the team, OK?”