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“So, I did some digging into this Miles Newman fucker after we spoke last time and got some really interesting info late last night. I was going to call you later this morning. Beth was right. He’s not the hero he makes himself out to be. I found evidence he’s been on the take with some of his cases.”
Wyatt’s eyebrows rose so high he was surprised they didn’t leap off his face. “He’s been taking bribes?”
“Sure looks that way. I found an offshore bank account with a balance containing lots of zeroes. Looks like he’s thrown a case or two that he’d been working on, which led to the opposition winning. Probably gave them inside information and files that allowed them to win. I also suspect he’s been in bed with some, shall we say, less than stellar citizens who’ve been paying him for information on rival gangs.”
“You talking about mafia?”
“Motorcycle clubs. There’s a couple at war in Arizona and one of them has been gaining the upper hand over the last year, with information they couldn’t possibly have just stumbled upon. But it appears he’s also been leaking info to the other club under the radar.”
Wyatt didn’t know much about MCs and didn’t want to. “I bet the partners at his law firm would be most unhappy to learn of that little fact.”
“Yeah, they’d be really pissed to wake up to screenshots of his little side hustle in their inboxes. As would the president of the MC he’s been working with.”
The corners of Wyatt’s mouth curled up. “You’ve emailed them?”
“I can. I can make it so when Newman arrives back in Phoenix, his bosses are made aware of his extracurricular activities.” Ben paused for a few moments. “Or I can make sure he never bothers you or your woman ever again. Your call.”
Wyatt could read between the lines. He knew exactly what Ben was offering. “Can you make it look like an accident?”
“Of course, asshole. Who do you think you’re speaking to?”
In spite of everything, Wyatt managed a small smile. A part of him wanted to take option number two, because then he’d know Newman could never bother either of them again, but he knew deep down that Beth wouldn’t want her ex dead, despite everything the man had put her through. She’d find it hard to live with the guilt, and so would he.
“As much as I want to say the latter option, I’ll take the former.”
“You got it. By the time he gets back to Phoenix, he’s going to have a lot of very pissed-off men waiting for him and an empty bank account. I can arrange for the money in the offshore account to be anonymously donated to the charities of Beth’s choosing, unless she wants the money herself.”
He knew she wouldn’t. “I’m sure she’ll like the donation idea. I’ll let you know.”
“So, let’s work on a plan to get your woman back. Do you know where she is?”
“Yep.” He filled his friend in on where they were and how he’d driven around until he’d found Beth’s car in the motel parking lot. He explained to Ben he’d wait until he’d confirmed Newman was no longer a threat, then he’d reassure Beth and take her home with him.
He also brought up the fact that Newman had managed to track Beth down, and Ben made a few suggestions, but he seemed to think it likely Newman had put a tracker on Beth’s car. Wyatt was unsure about that, because he’d asked Julian quietly to examine the undercarriage of the blue Honda while it had been at the garage, and the mechanic had reported he’d found nothing there that shouldn’t have been.
But maybe it was somewhere they hadn’t thought to look. When Wyatt managed to get his hands on the car again, he’d do a more thorough examination. But that was not something he needed to worry about right now.
Ben made several suggestions about how to coax Beth to return to Silverbell Shore, but all of them seemed to involve Wyatt putting pressure on Beth to return, and he didn’t want to do that. She had to want to come back to Silverbell Shore of her own accord.
She needed to come back to him because she wanted to, not because she was being forced to. He knew she loved him and hoped she loved him enough to stop running from her past if she knew the threat was eliminated.
He thanked Ben for all his help and ended the connection, thoughts swirling in his head. After a little while, he located a diner open twenty-four hours and grabbed an early breakfast and a large coffee, and something for Freya. He drove back to the motel and parked on the other side of the lot, so he could see Beth’s car and room in his rearview mirror.
They ate in the truck, then Freya settled back down to sleep on her blanket and Wyatt spent an undeterminable amount of time watching Beth’s door. Even though she didn’t know he was out there, he felt better knowing he was right near her. He hoped by the time she stepped outside the door later that morning, he’d have news to share which would make her feel at ease about coming home.
Fatigue started to wear on him as he sat watch, but he was used to going without sleep for long periods of time. The sun started to rise just before 6:00 a.m., and when his phone rang he answered it straight away.
“Hey, Ben.”
“Get any shut-eye?”
“Nope. Freya’s been snoring her head off, though. I’ve had some coffee and food.”
“You still in the parking lot of the shitty motel your woman’s in?”
“Yep.”
“Good. Go knock on the door and tell her it’s safe for her to go home with you. The partners of the law firm Newman works for and the president and vice president of the MC all received emails with details of his side hustle, and the balance of his secret offshore bank account, and they’ve been read. He’ll be dealt with, and how will depend on who gets to him first.”
