AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I didn’t like the terseness in his voice. “After looking at the financials, the income listed for those hotels is minimal, other accounts much higher and that just doesn’t make any sense to me. Yet the bank accounts have had plenty of money running through them. There are no audits for the past two years, the controller stating Galen hadn’t believed it was necessary since the man was hired.”
He nodded several times, absorbing the information but saying nothing.
“I hate to say this, but was Galen into something… dangerous?”
“As I told you before, I’m not ready to talk about this.”
God, the man was infuriating.
At least Savage shifted his heated gaze in my direction then moved closer, staring at the screen. “When is the team meeting?” he asked.
I checked my watch. “Fifteen minutes.”
“You’re going to handle it today. I have a few things to do.” He sat down, never blinking as he stared at the screen.
“Wait a minute. You need to know what’s on the schedule.”
When I didn’t budge, he gave me a stern look. “Do as I say, Harlow. This is important.” His tone was harsh, enough so I could tell he was anxious. Something was very wrong, the tension thick.
“Okay. I’ll let you know what goes on tomorrow.” It was already late enough I knew he wouldn’t come back to the office. When he said nothing, I headed for the door.
“Harlow. Why don’t you come by the house after work? Lily’s been asking for you and maybe we can go get some ice cream. She begged me last night to go to her favorite place.”
I had the distinct feeling he no longer wanted to talk in the office.
“I’d like that. She probably just needs some attention.”
“Yeah, I get it.” When he lifted his head, his eyes darting back and forth, there was a look in them that bothered the hell out of me.
It was as if I was looking into the eyes of a soulless man.
* * *
Savage
I’d learned to respect and pay attention to my instinct on the first day I’d entered boot camp. That had remained with me up until the horrific incident of friendly fire. That had been the single time I’d listened to advice rather than following my gut. That single mistake had cost lives, including a portion of mine.
While I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, a bad trait of mine, what Harlow had found and hadn’t found in the files added to the instinct that I’d fallen into a swamp full of alligators. What I needed were facts that dispelled some of the anxiety that had been building for over a day.
I’d spent time researching several of the companies Galen had entered into business with, including the two resorts. It wasn’t tough to slide down a trail that led me to answers I hadn’t wanted to find. My brother had gotten into bed with a criminal organization. There was no doubt in my mind. There were some additional troubling aspects of the syndicate in question that were festering in my mind. Why would my brother do that? Why? The reason could be nothing but a traditional business transaction, but given what Harlow had just told me, I had my doubts.
However, I’d meant what I told her. Until I found more facts and details corroborating my fears, I wasn’t going have any real reaction.
My research had allowed me to understand how the power play worked in Vegas. It was considered an open territory, which allowed any mafia organization to own and run a casino. If I had to guess, I’d say at least five different organizations had obtained their pieces of the pie.
There was a hell of a lot of money flowing in and out of the city, a prime location for money laundering, extortion, blackmail, and several other more violent crimes.
Including eliminating those who didn’t play by the rules.
I’d found Matt Jones’s office easily, the top floor location a clear indication of just how well the firm was doing. Galen’s attorney had taken my call, squeezing me in for a few minutes. He’d learn that he would answer my questions for as long as it fucking took and I was satisfied.
I’d gone through the goddamn papers he’d left from the will, including all the attachments listing items Galen and his wife Marissa had owned when she was alive versus what Galen had amassed in two years. The change was significant. Even with the company doing extremely well, I’d cobbled together enough numbers to realize there hadn’t been any way my brother would have been able to make up the difference.
Unless there’d been some magic stock he’d sold that hadn’t been listed as an item in the portfolio. The financial advisor Galen had worked with hadn’t returned my phone calls. That pissed the hell out of me. However, I would venture a guess that Matt knew a hell of a lot more than he was willing to tell me.
The receptionist wasted no time leading me down the corridor to his office. Because she had a chance to knock, I barged in, plastering a grin on my face. His eyes opened wide as he stood, immediately holding out his hand.
I slammed my palms on his desk, rattling the pictures of the man’s fine-looking family, almost toppling them over.
