His voice lowered. “I killed him.” He shifted in the chair, uncomfortable. “I walked into the study, removed the gun from my waistband, and shot him in the chest.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t know Fredrick was there. When I realized what I had done, it was too late. He gained his leverage then.”
I nodded.
“I don’t know what I expected, but Fredrick’s voice was emotionless when he said, ‘I think you and I should discuss some business arrangements, son.’ He couldn’t care less about the fact I had just killed my father. Apparently, my father and Fredrick had been doing business together for quite some time.”
I stood up, walking over to the bar. I fixed two drinks and handed him a glass before sitting back down.
“I’m assuming when you killed your father, you destroyed their business arrangement.” I took a sip of my drink. “He agreed to keep your secret if you picked up where your father left off. You were both powerful judges. You were simply a new opportunity for him.”
He nodded. “Exactly. But every bribe isn’t simple. I had to cover my tracks, but Fredrick didn’t care. The moment I told him I couldn’t do something, he would blow up, threating me.”
Alek stared down at the floor, his drink idle. “We all have limits of what we can take, and after doing business with your father, having him dispose of my father’s body and covering it up, I found myself going back to him to handle a very difficult situation. I wanted a hit on one of the most feared men in our circle.” He shrugged. “I thought your father would refuse, but when I shared my request, it was like he had been waiting for the chance all along.”
I never considered the job we took that night. The person we were there to kill. My father had even gone as far as bringing extra men. The words we shared before he entrusted me to lead the assignment, arranging everything, had always sounded odd to me.
“We have no room for mistakes, Wesley. Treat this like your life depends on it because, if Fredrick makes it out alive, we will all have hell to pay.”
My father had always been a man who remained on top, never concerned or worried about his actions. But I could sense his fear that night.
“Did you request to have Fredrick’s wife killed, or was it my father?”
Nothing in his story led to him demanding we kill Fredrick’s wife. Especially after he revealed the story behind his mother and what seeing her in pain caused him to do. Alek seemed different back then. It appeared we all had our own reasons for turning to corruption. Alek was hesitant, but his response confirmed my suspicions.
“Your father hinted at the idea, stating since Fredrick wasn’t home, killing his wife would at least make him disappear, and the logic behind it made perfect sense. So I agreed. It was one of the most difficult decisions I ever had to make, and it seemed worth it. Until I realized I had taken Mia’s mother from her, justifying it by admitting I had been protecting mine, eventually having to protect myself.”
I finished off my drink and leaned back in my chair, trying to piece together what I was missing. Alek didn’t demand anyone kill Fredrick’s wife. My father planted the idea in his head. What did he gain from his command?
I could imagine their conversation. My father explaining the reason Fredrick’s wife needed to die, convincing him there was no other solution. But why?
Alek cleared his throat, standing from his chair. “I told you my reasons, so why don’t you share yours.” He stepped closer as I looked at him cautiously. I didn’t bother to stand. “Why were you so hesitant about going through with it? A man with your reputation normally acts quickly, handling the job like it’s part of your everyday routine. I never suspected you would be the one to hold back, Wesley.”
I stood, meeting his gaze, almost sharing the truth. After all, the man had just told me he killed his own father. It appeared he was in the mood for a bargain. But I wasn’t. I had enough issues. Enough people turning against me. I also had to live with the fact I handed Mia over to Fredrick, knowing he didn’t completely have her best interests in mind.
There appeared to be only one person who would go through dangerous lengths to harm her in order to destroy the man with the means to overpower him. My father. It appeared I had faulted the wrong person for years. There was a war coming our way, and I had a strong feeling the underlying reason was far more than anything I could put together. I disregarded Alek’s question.
“If what we both suspect is true, you need to get ready.” I moved from behind my desk. “Get your affairs in order, cover your tracks, because if he has Mia in his possession, there is nothing holding him back. In fact, he has an advantage.”
I didn’t meet his eyes when I mentioned Mia or flinch at the hesitation in my voice, but when I finally looked up, I couldn’t miss the change in the way he looked at me. In that moment, Alek knew. Somehow, he had figured out my reluctance after all.
***
As I walked downstairs to the club, my conversation with Alek ran through my mind. It left me worried, but not enough to distract me from my growing list of enemies.
Jarrett leaned against the bar talking with Robyn, and I caught a flicker of disapproval in her eyes when she saw me walking toward them. She starting fixing my drink as I took my place next to Jarrett against the bar.
“How did it go?” he asked, taking a sip of his beer. “I see it lasted a while.”
“The usual,” I replied, resting my elbows on the bar. “I receive a complaint, then have to remind them everything boils down to their corporation.”
“So it’s settled?” Jarrett asked, turning toward me. “This issue between you two is over?”
I laughed, accepting my drink from Robyn. “No. It just became a lot more interesting.”
I sipped my drink, taking in the silence. It was early, and the doors didn’t open for a few more hours. The staff started setting up, and a few of the dancers practiced on stage. When Robyn moved to the opposite side of the bar, out of earshot, I turned to Jarrett.
“Did you find him?”
He took another swig of his beer, straightening to his full height. “Yes.”
He turned and leaned his back against the bar, facing the club, and I did the same. When he spoke, we both stared straight ahead.
“We picked him up from his home, but out of respect for his wife, we didn’t do it in front of her or the kid.”
I nodded, feeling a slight amount of regret. I had known Michael for years. I never imagined our friendship would be tested, but it had been. He chose to betray me.
I took a deep breath. “Did he try to defend himself?”
“No. When we showed up, he knew exactly why we were there. I’m afraid his greed won.” Jarrett’s voice lowered. “We handled everything at the warehouse.”
“Good. I’ll make sure to check on his wife and kid. I don’t think they should suffer because of his mistakes.”
He looked over at me, brows furrowed. “Are you okay? I know you and Michael grew up together. I can only imagine having to make the choice you did. Anyone would—”
“Michael made his choice, Jarrett. His betrayal proved no one is truly loyal.” I turned back to face the bar, coming face-to-face with Robyn.
“We need to talk in private, Wesley.” Her expression was serious.
I frowned and slowly nodded, then looked at Jarrett. “Get everyone together. I have some rats in my own personal circle, and I think it’s time they were exterminated.”
***
Robyn was fuming by the time we made it up to my apartment above the club. She could barely contain herself on the short elevator ride. The moment we stepped out and the elevator doors closed, she turned to me.
“Mia Johnson?” she whispered, shaking her head in disapproval. “You’re the one behind all of this?” She took a deep breath. “Her face is plastered all over the news, and you have me walk in there blind—”
“You weren’t supposed to go inside, Robyn. I specifically asked you to drop the clothes off. That’
s it.”
“I’m sorry,” she said sarcastically, storming into the living room. “I didn’t know you had a hostage. So forgive me if I thought innocently walking inside wasn’t an issue.”
I walked into the living room, taking a seat on the couch. “She wasn’t my hostage. Mia and I—”
She laughed. “Really, Wesley? You go from lady’s man to screwing married women? If you’re going to go that route, you could have made it just a one-time thing. I never pegged you as the sharing type.”
I tensed. Her words sliced through me. She was right. I didn’t like to share.
“It’s complicated, Robyn. Mia and I share something that’s hard to explain. It goes beyond anything you’re assuming in that pretty head of yours.”
She stared at me a moment before taking the seat beside me. Her gaze was full of concern.
“You know, when I first met her, I didn’t know. I thought she was just another one of your flings. In a way, I wanted to see her for myself. I wanted to know the woman who wasn’t me. The woman granted everything I could never be for you. The one to finally break through all that resistance.”
I looked over at Robyn, confused as to where she was going with all this.
“Then I saw her. I knew she was different. The way she cared herself. The way she tried to conceal her astonishment of me being in the condo. Instead, she greeted me like it was nothing.”
Her gaze caught mine. “I can see the feelings you have for her, Wesley. The way you’re already defending my evaluation of your relationship, but I’m not jealous. I wish you the best because after meeting Calvin, I realized you were everything that was wrong for me and he was everything that was right. However, my temporary feeling of jealousy granted me one thing.” She swallowed, her eyes sad. “The chance to look at you and tell you that woman is everything that is wrong for you. Even before I realized who she was, I could tell her presence was dangerous.”
I leaned forward, rubbing my hands over my face and letting Robyn’s words settle in.
“Everything that is wrong for you.”
That couldn’t be more accurate, but the saddest part was that the knowledge didn’t make me regret an ounce of what I had done. It only made me want to find Mia so we could finally have that talk. The one when both of us were bare and honest.
Chapter Seventeen
Mia
IT WAS STRANGELY FAMILIAR to be in the same house as my father. However, the ten years we lost created a barrier I couldn’t seem to break through. He was different. I was different. That, in itself, created enough doubt for me to question my decisions.
The promise of revenge hung in the air, but instead of breathing it in, I turned away, trying to fight it as long as I could. What did he have planned? I knew my part. Drain Alek of every penny and leave. It was what my father and I discussed. It was what was best for everyone.
“I can’t lose you, too, angel. Losing your mother was hard, but you, my own flesh and blood… I won’t take the chance.”
I had refused, voiced my opinion on why this was a bad idea, but my father wasn’t having it. If he thought I intended to go against him, he would’ve locked me up somewhere without a second thought, which was why I chose to give in to his suggestion. I had no choice.
“When things get bad around here, Alyssa, I want you gone. I don’t want you anywhere around it. You will pack your things and forget about your marriage to Alek Johnson, along with whatever the hell you have going on with Wesley.”
I didn’t protest. The expression on my father’s face showed no signs of accepting any argument.
“Where will I go?” I questioned. “I’ve built a life here, but now I’m forced to leave it and pretend none of it existed? That sounds familiar.” I laughed in disbelief. “Will the new life include a new name? A completely different identity?”
“You know the answer to that, Alyssa.” He looked torn. “There is no possible way for you to keep any ties to the life you have now. It will defeat the purpose of all this. It would be too dangerous. One of us has to come out of this unscathed, angel, and you know as well as I do that it most likely won’t be me.”
I leaned into my father, my head resting on his shoulder and his arm cradling me to him.
“Why is this happening to us?” I whispered. “No one deserves to go through this. No one deserves to be stripped of what they know and forced to live a lie.” I swallowed, forcing back my tears. “I can’t talk to anyone. I can’t share a single secret without the risk of somebody piecing it together and realizing who I am. It’s mentally exhausting.”
I thought of Avery. Her comforting words. Her devotion to our friendship. The closest thing I had to something real…before it all blew up in my face. Before Wesley. Before my father. Before finding out the truth about Alek. Had it ever really been a friendship? It was based on a lie right from the beginning. Now I had to remove her, too.
My father’s words had turned into a confession. One I didn’t understand.
“It’s happening because of me, Alyssa. My mistakes. I will fix this. If it’s the last thing I ever do, I will make this right.”
***
“Alyssa?”
The name had been repeated dozens of times over the past few days, and I felt the attachment as it clicked into place. It was rejuvenating. Fitting. A means to an end.
“I was told to check on you.” Logan walked onto the balcony. “I know this must be overwhelming for you. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.”
I looked over my shoulder at him as I leaned against the railing. My eyes were puffy, my makeup ruined. He leaned against the railing, as well, keeping an appropriate distance.
“Overwhelming is an understatement.” I sighed. “My life just blew up at the same time my father walked back into my life after being gone for over ten years.” I shook my head. “I think only one of those two things could be called overwhelming.”
He laughed, looking down at the ground below. Dozens of SUV’s lined the driveway, guards walking around them.
“He had his reasons for staying away from you, Alyssa. If there’s one thing I absolutely know about your father, it’s that he is thorough and careful. If he created a barrier between the two of you, it was necessary.”
I stared down at the guards. They were armed, serious, clearly planning something big. I didn’t realize I had spoken out loud until I heard the hurt in my own voice.
“I thought I had lost both parents that night,” I confessed, taking in a view I had seen many times in my past. The view of living in a world of corruption. “I had solid proof I had lost my mother, and my father’s absence conveyed he had been taken from me, too.” My voice cracked. “Would she want this, Logan? Would she want her legacy to be avenged like this?” I motioned to the army of men swarming below.
“I can’t answer that.” He looked over at me. “Deep down, I know you’re aware you can’t, either.”
He was right. What did I know about my mother? What would she want? In many ways, I thought I was similar to her, but as time passed, I realized I wasn’t. She was a lady. Poised. Perfect. When I looked in the mirror, I saw that similarity, but when I looked in my heart, I was anything but. I never wanted to be categorized as beautiful, flawless. Everything I had done had one purpose—justice.
Now I had a taste of it. Everything was set for the grand finale, but the only thing I could think about was stopping it and running back into Wesley’s arms. It was then I knew my mother and I were different. It was then I knew I’d drifted off the tracks I had familiarized myself with. It was then I knew the illicit affair I had embarked upon had an impact on me, even though the base of it was built off a lie.
Logan stared at me, his eyes curious, but when I looked at him, he quickly focused his attention on the activity below.
“It’s not safe for you to be out here, Alyssa. Even with all this protection, you would be safer inside.”
I glared at him, my mind drifting back to all the e
ncounters we had. I’d always gotten the feeling something was off about him, especially the day Alek was attacked. The way he looked at me like he knew things about me my husband didn’t.
“You know, Logan, from a distance, you seemed just like an ordinary guard, but the way you studied me, I could tell you were hiding something.”
He had started to walk back inside, stopping when I finished. My evaluation stuck a cord.
“I kept your little secret until you got messy.” He swallowed, moving closer. “Even when your friend attempted to seduce me and you tried to sneak away, I still kept it.” His eyes held mine, and I began to regret calling him out. “I thought you were meeting with Mr. Black, but it seemed you had your own personal agenda.”
At the look of shock on my face, he backed away, crossing his arms over his chest. “I was across the street when they took you. The moment you walked into that coffee shop to meet with the detective, you knew you were starting to slip up. At least own up to it. Unfortunately, your past caught up with you before you could fix the mistakes you had already made.” He started to walk back inside again.
“What does my past have to do with Wesley taking me? None of what you’re saying makes any sense.”
He paused, not turning to look at me. “It’s all revolving, Alyssa. This web of lies is even bigger than you think.”
***
I walked up to my father’s office, hesitating before softly knocking. He looked up from the papers he was shuffling through, clearing his throat.
“Don’t be a stranger, Alyssa. You can come in.”
I walked to stand in front of him. The word “stranger” was more fitting than it should’ve been.
The Illicit Revealed (The Illicit Series Book 2) Page 14