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Chapter 8
The moment I saw the dark SUV in the driveway, I knew Knix and Bellamy were here. Despite my conversation with Marv, and the thoughts on choosing between the guys pulling my mood down, I couldn't contain my excitement. I raced up the steps and into the house, leaping on the first person I saw, which just so happened to beBellamy.
“Bellamy!" I squeezed my arms around his neck as his wide palms hooked under my thighs and lifted me against hischest.
Chuckling, he nuzzled into the side of my neck. "I missed you too,Sweetheart."
"What about me?" Knix asked, coming around the corner from the hallway. The moment Bellamy released me and let me slide down his front, I attacked Knix aswell.
"I missed you too!" Knix laughed and lifted me up in much the same fashion as Bellamy. Knix, however, was much taller and I scrunched my head down, trying not to hit the ceiling. "I tried calling you guys, but it went straight to voicemail." There was a question in my tone despite the statement and, when Knix finally put me down, Bellamy shot me an apologetic look. Marv stood to the side, a frown on hisface.
"We left our phones in Charleston," Knix said, “and got new ones for thetrip.”
"Why?" Iasked.
Bellamy and Knix shot each other an enigmatic look. "Does it have something to do with Iris?" a new voice asked. All eyes turned towards the doorway at our back, where Texas and Grayson stood side by side. Marv didn't say anything, but if his rigid features were anything to go by, then he was obviously displeased by Grayson'squestion.
Knix frowned. "Not exactly, but we've been doing some research on our own. There's been some questionable activity with the rehabilitation facility that your brother was checkedinto."
Grayson stepped forward, expression clouded with frustration and maybe even a little anger. Texas followed, almost as if he was standing by to watch what he would do, ready to step in if necessary. "What kind of questionable activity?" Graysondemanded.
"Maybe we should all take a seat?" Bellamysuggested.
Grayson scowled but didn't say anything more as we all moved into the living room and took our seats. Knix stayed standing while Bellamy sidled up next to me, and Texas plopped down on the floor between my legs. I smiled back at him and slid my hands into his hair, finger-combing the strands when he tilted his face up to grin at me. Knix stood at the front of the room and crossed his arms. Whenever he got into his team lead role, he seemed to appear larger—more imposing, if that waspossible.
"The Greenwood Rehabilitation Center is owned by a corporation that, for all intents and purposes, specializes in the healthcare industry," hestarted.
"For all intents and purposes?" Grayson asked. Marv shot him a look that was obviously meant to shut him up, but Grayson didn't see it and I released Texas' hair, reaching over and touching Marv's arm to stop him from sayinganything.
Knix sighed, ignoring the subtleties going on in front of him and focusing his gaze on Grayson. "The corporation appears to only have a select few actual physical locations—Greenwood Rehab being one of them—while according to their social media, website, marketing, etcetera, they have a far reach. They don't. They used to have a much farther reach before another corporation bought them out. The current head of Greenwood Rehab, Bernard Holding, was introduced just after the buy-out."
"So, he's the new corporation's go-to man?" Marv leaned forward as Knix nodded. Grayson eyed Marv with barely suppressedirritation.
"It appearsso."
I shook my head. "I don't understand—what does Josh's rehab facility being owned by a new corporation have to do withanything?"
It was Bellamy who answered. "Because the new corporation is H. B. Holdings, and H. B. Holdings is a dummy corporation for drugrunning."
"What?" My face wasn't the only one that paled. Grayson stood abruptly and looked at the rest of us, shock and dawning horror crossing over hisface.
"I put my drug addict of a brother in the hands of drugrunners?"
I stood, sliding around Texas and moved towards Grayson, but he backed away, halting my movement with raised palms. His hands trembled as they dropped back down to his sides and he shook his head, but the horror and guilt on his face neverleft.
"Grayson, it's not your fault. How could you have known?" I assured him. Inside, my mind was chaos. My best friend was missing. Josh was missing. And now dummy corporations and drug dealers were in the mix? God, I didn't know how this could get anyworse.
"Grayson, calm down," Knix urged with a soft tone. "We still don't know if the fact that the facility is run by H. B. Holdings and Josh and Erika's disappearance have anyconnection."
"No connection? How could it not? They're probably in there, selling drugs to addicts! I toured this fucking facility. I paid for it out of pocket. They probably automatically assumed that Josh was just another rich guy with a problem. He's the perfect target." Grayson's voice became louder and louder the more panicked he got. "Fuck!" He turned and slammed his fist into the wall. "How can you say it's not my fucking fault? I'm the one that put him inthere."
Even Marv seemed to reserve some sympathy for Grayson as heunleashed.
"Let's just calm down," Bellamy said. "There'smore."
Grayson's shoulders trembled with emotion. He rarely seemed to ever let anything get to him. It was hard seeing him so upset. But with Bellamy's words, his arm dropped away from the wall and he rubbed his hand roughly down his face and retook his seat, avoiding looking at the rest of us. Texas reached up for my hand and tugged me back. Even as I sat back down, however, I kept my gaze on Grayson. Knix waited until everyone was resettled before dropping theball.
"We left our phones back in Charleston because Bellamy and I are going undercover in the Greenwood facility," hesaid.
