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“Yeah, and it’s not good. Maximillian Fontana called me today. On my private cell.”
“Shit. How did he get your number?” Bash asked.
“Not relevant at this point. He’s determined to meet with you. All he wants to do is make his case. If you still don’t want to be involved with his project, he promised to back off.”
“Then why the hell is he sending his goons after me? I don’t believe shit out of his mouth,” Bash yelled.
“I asked the same thing. Since I figured he already knew what went down at the lake, I used that to prove his lack of credibility. Bash, he was truly shocked. I mean, I could tell he didn’t know anything about it. He was really pissed. Thinks one of his top guys decided to interfere. Took it upon himself to make a move. If Fontana is lying, he’s a damn good actor. It didn’t dissuade him. He still wants to meet with you. When and where are up to you. Swears he’ll come alone.”
“You really don’t believe him, do you?”
“My gut tells me he’s being upfront. I talked to Alex about it. We think it’s our best option. So does Sam Barrett. You can control when, where, and how. Fontana doesn’t care if it’s Sitka, Alaska. He was that serious. We’ll have plenty of security around you. If you don’t meet with him, it could escalate.”
Bash ran his finger through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. “This isn’t our only problem.”
“What do you mean?”
Sebastian spent the next half hour filling him in on everything they found at the cabin and how he and Morgan had made their second hasty retreat. Bash waited in silence while Gray processed the new information.
“This is way fucked up. Just a minute…”
“Gray?... Gray?... Where the hell did you go? If you don’t answer…” he bellowed.
“I’m pulling up Google Maps. From what you said about Morgan’s grandfather’s mountain cabin, I figured that you were somewhere in the Appalachians. Tell me where, and I’ll have a helicopter to you in the morning. We’ll get you to the nearest airport, and I’ll have a plane waiting to bring you home.”
“No! No helicopter. No plane.”
“What do you mean ‘no?’” Gray shrieked. “You do understand you are now being sought by two different criminal organizations? I know this might be exciting and feels like you’ve stepped in one of your novels, but you are in real danger. We need to get you the hell out of there!”
“I’m not leaving Morgan.”
“You know her problems have nothing to do with you, right? I don’t want to sound like a prick, but you can get her somewhere safe and walk away.”
“Considering she saved my ass in Guntersville when she could have split, leaving her to deal with this alone is not an option for me,” Bash said with steel in his voice.
“Is this your dick talking?” Gray asked sarcastically.
“Grayson Lewis, if you were standing in front of me, I would be tempted to pound you into the ground. Her grandfather may have taught her survival skills and how to think on her feet, but she’s an innocent kindergarten teacher, for Christ’s sake. Unpretentious. Open-hearted. How could I possibly take advantage of her? You’d have to meet her to understand. Call Barrett and get a recommendation on her best options. Leaving her alone with no one in the world to help her isn’t one of them. Got it?”
“Got it. This isn’t like you, Bash, so there must be something special about this young woman. Do you know what she wants to do with the ledger? It’s a ticking time bomb. Has she thought about turning it over to the FBI?”
“We haven’t talked specifics. Her grandfather wanted her to keep it for insurance, but I don’t see her wanting to spend the rest of her life in hiding. We need to find a way to turn it over to the authorities and stay safe. Get those guys arrested,” Bash said with conviction. “Can you have Alex find her an attorney? She lives in the Atlanta area, so maybe that would be a place to start. A good one, Gray. Someone Alex trusts.”
Gray sighed deeply, his tell for impatience. “You going to pay her fees too?”
“Now you’re assuming she’s taking advantage of me. Not true. Pay the retainer for convenience’s sake, but she has her own money. Seems Eli Skyler did pretty well for himself.”
“What about Fontana? Will you meet with him?” Gray asked.
“If Fontana wants to meet and Barrett’s security company can guarantee my safety, it might be the only solution to this mess, but I want to talk to Fontana first. Get a read on him. Give me his private number. I’ll ditch my phone after I speak to him. Use one of the other burner numbers if you need to call.”
“All right. I’ll set up a Zoom meeting with Alex and Sam Barrett to discuss the new developments. How long are you going to be in your current location?”
“We’re moving to a larger city tomorrow morning. I’ll call you when we get to our next destination.”
“Skyler’s bagger sounds like a nice ride,” Gray joked.
Bash smiled to himself. “You have no idea.”
