And he had always told me that if he should come up missing or dead that I could find whatever I needed to take his enemies down inside this partition.
The hole in the wall is dark but I can make out what looks like a safe nestled safely inside the black space. I retrieve it and spin around to toss it on to the desk. Zach follows me as I step over to examine it to see that there's an electronic lock on it and it requires a four digit pin, which I don’t know.
"Shit," I grunt out under my breath and shake my head, wrinkle my lips into a tightly pursed frown.
"What is this?" Zack questions. “Can you get in it?"
"I don't know!” I scream out, growing more and more frustrated as the seconds tick by. The longer this takes, the less chance I have at succeeding. My only opportunity to do this is tonight, while they’re all gathered in the same place. "I don't know what code he would use."
Zach reaches past me and enters a four-digit code into the keypad. It’s the simplest of codes; 1-2-3-4. It obviously doesn't unlock the safe because nobody is that stupid to use those four digits as their code.
I make an educated guess, knowing how much my father loved me and adored me on occasion. I mean, after all, he had forgiven me for shooting him three times in the chest. If that's not love, that I don't know what love is. And I oftentimes struggle to believe that my father ever loved anyone but himself or money, but if he ever did love something in this world, there’s a good chance it was me.
Using that information, I decide to key in the code 1-2-0-1. It’s my birthday—I was born on the first of December.
To my amazement, the safe unlocks. The mechanical door swings open and inside, as I suspected, is file after file after file. They are stacked all the way to the top and each one has a name of one of his closest associates.
Relieved, I smile and turn around to face Zach. I’m met with the same look of confusion on his face so I decide it's time to explain to him the new game plan.
"This right here is enough information to take down the entire operation and all of my father’s associates. These are detailed documents outlining the crimes of each and every person that's on that roof."
"If you knew about this, then why didn't we just do this from the start?" He takes a measured step back, shaking his head in disbelief. And there's this look in his eyes that just about breaks me in half. It's almost like he's ashamed of me, disgusted even. “Did you want to kill them? Even knowing there was other options. Did you choose to kill them instead of letting the authorities handle this?" He swallows nervously and looks at me again with confusion and anger glistening in his deep emerald eyes. "You know, I was starting to believe that you changed—”
"Don't do that," I beg of him. "Don't look at me like I'm some kind of monster. It's complicated…”
“If it's so complicated, then uncomplicate it because I'm telling you right now that I don't understand you."
"I don't know!" I yell at him, taking all of my pent-up anger and rage out on him even though he's the last person I should be doing that to. Even though he is the one person in this life who ever trusted me even when I didn't deserve his trust. “I think I just got so caught up in revenge that I couldn't think straight. I couldn't see any other option. I look back at the person I could have become and I blame my father and all of his associates. They almost turned me into someone who is just as evil as they are and that's not something I could live with and I just wanted them to pay.” I drop my head and stare at the ground because it's easier than staring at him right now. "I guess I got so blinded by all of those emotions that maybe I forgot there was another way. Maybe I forgot that these files even existed. I've never seen them before." I look up to him, my eyes pleading with him for him to listen to what I'm saying. “Looking back, I’m not even sure if I ever believed they even existed.”
He swallows a gulp in his throat and then sighs, scrunches up his lips as he works in overdrive to understand what I’m telling him. When he finally steps forward, steps towards me, I sigh with relief knowing that I haven’t lost him.
“I’ll always choose to see the good in you,” he says as he approaches and brushes a thumb against my warm, clammy cheek. “Even when you don’t give me reason to believe otherwise, I’ll always find a way to believe you.”
I shift my head against his touch, wanting to revel in the way he makes me feel when he looks at me. I want to make this moment last forever because I’ll be damned if those aren’t the sweetest words anyone has ever said to me. But I don’t have the time right now to get lost in anything but the task at hand.
Just as I’m about to break away from him, he lifts me by the chin and kisses me shortly. It’s enough to give me motivation to do what has to be done. I take a step back and dig my phone out of my pocket. I scroll through a long list of contacts until I come across the name Samantha Waters.
I put the phone to my ear and wait impatiently for her to pick up. She works for the FBI and though she doesn’t work with my father, I’ve been in contact with her before. The ringing stops and there’s a quick clicking sound before she answers.
“Samantha Waters.”
“Hey, Sam. It’s Lola Grimm and I—”
“Who is this really?” she questions, cutting me off. “Lola Grimm died in an explosion nine months ago so I’m going to save both my time and your time.”
“Samantha,” I implore her before she has the opportunity to hang up the phone, “I know there’s no way you can verify my identity over the phone, but trust me when I say I have some information that could skyrocket you onto the top of any promotion lists.”
“You have my ear,” she says, but I still don’t think she believes it’s me. “But don’t waste my time.”
“First things first, I need to know that no matter what happens in this conversation that I remain a dead woman.”
“You’re being serious,” she questions lowly. “How did you—?”
“The hows and the whys aren’t important right now, but just promise me that you’re not going to come after me. I know you can’t give immunity to a dead girl, but I need to hear those words from your lips.”
“I promise,” she says shortly, and it’s enough to allow me to pass the information over to her.
“Send a unit to the old Grimm Industries complex.” I wet my lips and swallow, fully knowing that there’s no returning from this. “There’s an invite-only party of sorts on the rooftop and every single man up there is responsible for domestic acts of terror.”
“This sounds insane,” she scoffs. “If this is some kind of joke, I’ll find you, whoever you are, wherever you are.”
“Just listen to me!” I yell, my voice cracking in half. “The people responsible for the Lillabee Supermarket bombing are here right now.” I catch Zach staring at me blankly, shaking his head in almost disgust. I can’t bear to look at him right now though so I pivot on my feet to stare out the large windows. “Every single one of my father’s closest associates are all gathered on the rooftop of the Grimm building, but they’re not going to be here for long and I don’t know if they’ll ever all be in the same place again.”
“Can you prove any of this?”
“Yes.” I glance back at the stack of files on the desk. “I’ve got documented proof of every single one of them. But you need to hurry.”
“I’m sending a unit, but like I said, I swear to God if this is some kind of joke or prank—”
“It’s not!”
“I’m going to need you to stick around to hand over the papers. I won’t be there for at least thirty minutes but I’ll have the local authorities there within five minutes and then investigative units within fifteen.”
I nod, as if she can see me through the phone or something, before hanging up and pushing my phone back into the pocket of my pants. And when I twist back to face Zach, I don’t know if he’s afraid of me or something else, but there’s this look on his face that I can’t quite pinpoint the nature of.
“Your peopl
e were responsible for that supermarket explosion?” He shakes his head and sighs, almost collapses to the floor like he’s giving up or something. He takes a careful step backwards and drops down into the chair to steady himself. “Thirty-seven people died that day. Some of them were children.” He hooks a gaze up to me like I planted the bomb myself.
“I didn’t know about it until it was too late.” In an instant, tears begin to stream down my face because of the guilt I feel. “That’s right before I came to you the first time. I thought back then that I could change my father, but I was still holding onto a fantasy.”
“You’re not like your father,” he says softly and wets his lips before looking up so that his eyes meet mine. “You’re nothing like him.”
“Then why are you looking at me like that?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs, he sighs, he looks anywhere other than straight at me. “It’s not you. It’s these people.” His teeth sink deep into his lip, deep enough to draw blood before he rises to his feet and steps to me, caresses each of my arms with his hands. “I get it now. I get why you wanted them all to die.”
“We should go,” I say as I continue to wipe away the tears from my eyes. “Grab the evidence and get out of this building before the authorities get here. And then…” I look up to him and force a smile. “And then I need you to leave and I’ll handle this. I’ll exchange the files with Samantha and then I’ll meet you at the factory afterwards.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
I purse my lips flatly. “I’m not giving you a choice.”
“That’s the Lola I know.” Though the tension is wire-tight in the air, he still manages to smile as he cradles a palm against the back of my head and pulls me into a kiss. His lips are cracked and dry but I’ve never felt more loved than I do right now. He’s seen every single one of my demons and he still wants me.
More than ever, I believe that my father never loved me. If he did, he never would have exposed me to this world. And now more than ever, I know, too, that I don’t love him. May he rest in peace, but I will never utter his name again.
I retreat from the kiss not because I wish to—if I had it my way, I’d stay here kissing Zach forever—but because we need to get out of this building before the shit hits the fan. And it will hit the fan. Once these men realize that their time is just about up, they’re going to fight like hell to escape their fates.
I don’t want to be in the crossfire.
Zach grabs the safe off of the desk, but forgets to close it first so a handful of files fall out onto the floor. He groans before sitting the safe back down onto the desk and then bending at his knees to collect the files.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
ZACH
As I’m collecting the files into my hands to put them back into the safe, one of them in particular catches my eye. I cock my head sideways, not being able to believe what I’m seeing. I collect the particular file in my hand, but it’s mostly empty with only a few discreet pages hidden within the yellow folder.
But it’s the name on the folder that’s caught my attention: Dominic Ford.
“What the hell is this?” I question her, shaking the file furiously in my hands, holding it so tight that it creases under the pressure of my hands.
She shakes her head wildly, wets her lips and then softly, “I told you he's not the man he claims to be.”
“No!” I scream and tear the folder in half and then begin to dismantle it into tiny little pieces. I point a finger square at her, my blood pumping through my veins. “I'm not letting him go down for this.”
“It's too late,” she whispers under her breath. “Everything’s been set into motion and they’re going to be here any second. Everyone on that rooftop is going down. Even without the evidence, someone up there will squeal on your friend…”
I don’t have time to think about why she’s never told me this. And though my curiosity was piqued at least a little bit, I have no interest in knowing what’s in the file I’ve now torn to shreds.
I grit my teeth and grind out, “Get out of here,” before turning away from her and marching towards the front door.
“Where are you going?” She hooks a hand around my arm, forcing me to twist back to face her.
“I'm going to get my brother.” I shake her grip loose from my arm before spinning back around once more with the intention of going straight up to that rooftop and not caring who the hell sees me.
“He's not your brother,” she shouts from behind me, and it forces me to grit my teeth.
Though I know I’m running out of time, I feel like I need to stop and say something to her. I know at the end of the day, this isn’t her fault, but I’m not about to leave someone I love behind to be fed to the wolves.
“Remember what I said about choosing your own family?” I twist back to her one last time and close the short distance between the two of us. I place a palm on either of her cheeks and force her to look me in the eyes. “Well, I chose my family and Dom is a part of that. He’s a brother to me just like Zane and I need you to understand that. And I need you to understand why I’m doing what I’m doing, why I’m about to go up to that rooftop.”
“I get it.” She’s so soft spoken and it’s not like her at all. “I’m just scared.”
“What are you so afraid of?”
“I’m afraid that if you go up there that you won’t come back down.” She sniffles and then wipes her nose with her upper arm. “I’m afraid of losing you when I’m just about to find myself.”
I lower my head against hers and close my eyes. “You’re not going to lose me,” I say with the conviction of a promise, but I’m not sure of anything anymore. “I’ll be right down.”
She pushes herself backwards and wipes away her tears once more before patting her hands dry on her brown pants. It’s amazing how she can make anything look sexy, including a dirty and ugly brown delivery uniform, but now is so not the time to think about these things.
“Give me a kiss goodbye?” I take a step towards her but she places a hand between us so that I’m unable to reach her without swatting her hand away.
“No.” She shakes her head defiantly and reaches down to collect the safe in her arms before stepping past me. She stops and hooks a gaze directly into my eyes. “You can kiss me when you’re done saving your brother.”
She forces a gentle smile before she rushes past me and I stand completely still for a second, realizing that I’m about to risk my life to save Dom, all the while the girl I think I’m falling in love with is walking away.
She disappears out of the office and then quickly, I do the same. I take one final glance at her as she approaches the elevator and pushes the down button before I head the opposite direction to hit the stairwell that leads to the rooftop.
# # #
Once I reach the top of the stairs, I push open the rooftop door and peek outside. There’s a man standing on stage talking, but it’s not Richard. Must be somebody warming up the crowd for him, I suppose. The man who speaks is older, probably around seventy years old with thin white hair on top of his head. He’s frail and fragile but well spoken.
“We lost a damn good man earlier this year,” he says into the microphone, his voice blaring from the speakers. “Seth Grimm was a man of immeasurable fortitude and he taught me so much in the thirty years I knew him. He is gravely missed…”
Yeah, I decide to tune his old ass out. I don’t need to hear how great of a man Seth was because it’s all bullshit. And that man up at the podium knows that. He simply doesn’t care. Lola was right; these people are all the same. They will watch after each other and cover up crimes for one another and they will do it with smiles on their faces.
People like this don’t deserve to smile, but they’re going to deserve what’s coming for them. When the coast is clear, I slip out the door and onto the rooftop. Thankfully the crowd seems to be too preoccupied with the keynote speaker at the forefront of the space and they don’t notice me, d
ressed in a delivery uniform—completely out of place in the sea of well-ironed suits. I’ll stick out like a sore thumb if any of them turn around and that will not end well.
I search for Richard with my eyes as I approach the crowd from behind but I don’t see him anywhere, but I’m not too concerned with Richard right now. I’m more interested in finding Dom and getting him out of here before the authorities arrive, which by my estimate could be any second know.
I finally pinpoint someone that shares the same physique as Dom, tall and muscular with broad shoulders and short-cut hair. He’s standing in the back of the crowd so I approach him from behind and then step to stand beside him. When I glance out of the corner of my eye, I realize that it’s him.
He cocks his head sideways and takes notice of me, furrows one brow before dragging his palm over his mouth. He nods with his head, nods towards the elevator and I spin around and head towards it, but I don’t get very far before he’s grabbing onto my arm and forcing me to face him.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he questions from above me—I may be tall, but he’s even taller. He stands above most people like an absolute giant with the capability of scaring random people on the streets with just one sour look. “And why are you dressed like that? Why do you look so stupid?”
My eyes widen at the audacity he has to be questioning me right now. “No, we’re not going down that road.”
“What road?”
“Why are you here with these people?”
He smacks his lips together, takes a quick look over his shoulder and then narrows his eyes on me. “What the hell do you mean? It’s a business meeting.”
I step close to him, real damn close so that I’m right up against him. “Do you have any idea the things these people are capable of?”
He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over each other as if he doesn’t have a clue what I’m talking about. “They’re capable of making money. That’s what they’re capable of.”
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