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“Why would he kill my parents for such a small amount of money though? Look at what I’ve got in contrast to what he has. He’s sitting on five times the wealth the will brought in.”
“I know.” Nolan nods. “It doesn’t add up just by the numbers.”
“Could be just a power move to keep tighter control of you.” Grant leans back in his chair, arms behind his head.
“But why? Why me? I don’t mean that in the way of a victim, just honestly. Why. Me.”
“I’m not sure and, at this point, it doesn’t matter ‘why you’. The only thing that matters is justice. For you. For the people he’s hurt,” Lake says.
“What about the divorce?” I look over at Sawyer. “How long do you think that will take?”
“You’re not going to need a divorce,” he says quietly as his cobalt eyes lock with mine. “Because we’re going to kill him.”
“After we torture him,” Nolan adds.
I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. I’m fundamentally against violence. I always have been. Growing up in countries that are literally torn apart by violence makes you want to avoid it at all costs, but for some reason, I can’t tell them no. I’m not sure they’d listen to begin with. I know that Nolan and Lake both kill, but when I think of Sawyer, his perfectly polished exterior and drive for justice, I don’t see him as a killer. I also can’t picture Grant with anything other than a charming smile and polite conversation, certainly not him killing anyone in cold blood.
“Can you all do that? Can you all take his life and walk away with no demons, no regrets?”
“Yes.”
“Absolutely.”
“Yeah.”
“Without a doubt.”
Their answers all come simultaneously and without hesitation.
“I have a lot of regrets when it comes to decisions I made regarding you, Liv,” Grant says. “But hurting and slowly killing the bastard that hurt you, that drove a wedge between all of us, is not one of them.”
I don’t want to live my life in fear, so after a minute of deliberation, I nod. “How are you going to find him? And what should we do with the money I don’t want?”
“We’re planning on hosting a charity gala when we get back. We’re going to honor donors of a non-profit in the city focused on helping women who are survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Since we know Tripp is in town, we’re going to have Grant reach out and invite him. After the gala, we’re going to abduct him and take him to the compound upstate. We’ll interrogate him for answers about his trafficking ring, so Lake can take a team in and disband it, or we’ll send our intelligence to his contacts at the FBI.”
“You know people at the FBI?” I look over my shoulder at Lake.
“I know people everywhere. Sometimes things need to be taken care of with more discretion than a governmental agency can provide. They call me for those jobs, and in return, they turn a blind eye to some of mine.”
“We just can’t figure out how to get Tripp there. He’s narcissistic enough to want to walk around in our presence knowing we know what he’s done, thinking he’s untouchable, but would he come out to a gala he’s not part of?”
“I’m guessing he would if he thought it would better his chances of getting in with some of the guests.” Grant leans forward this time, resting his elbows on the table. “I might just have to name drop some attendees.”
“No,” I say as I sit up straighter. “Make him a keynote speaker. Nothing, and I mean nothing, makes him harder than listening to himself talk. He’s his own drug. Then once he stands to give his speech interrupt with an announcement that he’s donated ten million to the charity.” I look over at Nolan with wide eyes. “And let’s donate the remaining twenty million of his net worth to various charities, including the one my parents spent their lives serving.”
“Livvy.” Nolan yanks me out of Lake’s lap with a swift tug. “That’s fucking brilliant. You deviant, gorgeous, intelligent creature.” His lips claim mine in a raw, primal kiss full of teeth and desire. When we pull apart, I look over at the rest of the guys who are looking at me with the same combination of awe, lust, and love that makes my toes curl.
23
LAKE
The four dayswe spent down home in Costa Rica were amazing. Watching Liv finally let go with us and relax was what we all needed. Even after coming up with our plan, we were able to keep the rest of the trip light and fun.
She and I had always talked about her coming down here with me to visit on a summer vacation, and it never worked for us. Either my family was staying in the states or her parents were coming in for a few months to stay with her. She didn’t want to leave this morning. I know she noticed some of the rundown schools on the way to the Arenal Volcano. I saw the wheels turning her head, she’s probably already researching how to help make a difference down here.
We’re back in the city now, Liv is staying with Nolan tonight, so I’m going to sit down with Grant and Sawyer and come up with some plans for security. I would feel better if we could convince Liv to go back to the compound upstate, but she won’t go. She told me, kindly, that she wasn’t hiding from that psychotic asshole anymore. Since we’re fairly sure he knows she’s with us, we decided she’s probably safest with the four of us here. I have my guys working private security for us on our level and in the lobby.
Grant and Sawyer walk through the door with a bag of take out and their laptops. We head into my office and spread out around the conference table. Grant passes out dinner while we all settle in.
