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Chapter36
Pascal
“So he’s using the dog walking business to launder money?” Liv sat on the couch while Parker walked her through the evidence on the whiteboard she had made me roll into the living room. We were brainstorming and revisiting everything we’d learned in the last few days.
Liv, while loud and pushy, was a helpful addition. Her imagination was wild, and no theory escaped her analysis. Plus, Parker lit up around her.
I’d been instructed to meet my brothers at the Moose tonight so they could have a girls’ night. Apparently, that involved wine and Korean face masks. I wanted nothing more than to spend every waking moment with Parker, but it was obvious by the way she’d been clinging to Liv that she’d been lonely up here. She’d laughed and smiled more in the last few hours than she had in weeks. Damn, I’d happily build a guest house on the property so Liv could visit whenever she wanted.
Jesus. I was in deep. It was the Gagnon curse. Once we fell, we fell hard.
“Yes,” Parker replied. “There’s no evidence that dogs are actually being walked, but they file taxes every year and have a website. They’ve gone to great lengths to make it look legit.”
I sat down and admired how hot Parker looked sketching things out. Could we make this work long term? For the first time in years, I was willing to try. If it meant going back to Portland, I’d do it. At this point, I’d follow her anywhere.
Granted, I hadn’t told her that yet. But I would. And I’d tell my brothers tonight. Give them the full truth and take all the teasing. Hopefully, I’d also walk away with tips for how to make her stick around.
“And Stinger?” Liv asked. “He’s the drug kingpin?”
“No. We believe he works for the trafficking organization. Maybe Canadians, and likely involving the Heberts. His real name is Norman Bernard and he worked for the Gagnons for a while.”
“Do you think he did it?” Liv asked softly, looking between Parker and me.
“Not sure,” I replied. “But we have a strong suspicion. Especially since we know now that he’s been up at our camp a few times over the last few years. Henri and I spend most of our time at our headquarters in town, and Richard runs operations up there. We don’t have a lot of insight into how and when he was around, but we’re not ruling anything out.”
I kept my concerns about Richard to myself for now. Was he involved? And how the fuck was his nephew working for us under the table without my knowledge? Was that what he and my dad had been fighting about?
All of it made me sick. Because someone somewhere had wanted to harm my family. And what if they tried again?
I looked at Parker. She was my family now. And I’d do anything to protect her.
* * *
I had worked out some of my pent-up anxiety over the case and showered before dressing to head out to meet Remy and Henri. I came downstairs to find Liv typing at the kitchen island with a glass of wine.
“Parker ran out to get more wine and snacks,” she said without looking up. “I had a great chapter idea, so I stayed here to write.”
I nodded, pulling a glass from the cabinet. “She’s pretty amazing,” I said, because I could no longer keep all my feelings from spilling out of my mouth. God, I was as bad as Henri. But there was no use hiding it from her best friend.
“I’m glad we have a minute, actually,” Liv said, slowly closing her laptop and scrutinizing me from across the room. “’Cause you and me? We need to talk.”
My stomach sank. Shit. I brought my water glass to my lips, mostly so I could hide my panic behind it.
She steepled her fingers and narrowed her eyes. Liv’s whole vibe was very Stevie Nicks with a sordid past. And despite her small stature, she didn’t seem like someone I’d want to mess with.
“Parker is an absolute badass, but deep down, she’s scared and hurt and has a hard time trusting.”
All I could do was nod in response. She wasn’t wrong, but what was with the warning? Was she teeing me up for a brutal takedown?
“She likes you. And while I’m not convinced any non-fictional man is good enough for her, I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.”
“Um…” I hedged, sticking my hands in my pockets. “Thank you?”
“Listen, I may not have a law enforcement background or be able to shoot a gun to save my life, and I definitely don’t have her ninja skills. But I’m even more dangerous. Because the thoughts in my head are so depraved and violent and terrifying, I get paid to write stories about them.”
“Okay.” Maybe I wouldn’t build a guest house so she could visit any time she wanted.
“I’ve committed more murders in my head than even the most prolific serial killers. So step out of line, and I’ll take it from fantasy to reality in a heartbeat. Because no one hurts my best friend.”
