He tilted his head a little, leaning forward once again in an attempt to touch more of my thigh.
“It was amusing, the way she confronted me. All tough, but she was this petite woman, no bigger than a teenaged boy. I would have brushed it off, but Rahul Rush, my boss at the time, took offense. He said we couldn’t allow bitches to talk to us that way. He said something had to be done.” He shrugged. “A week went by and I hadn’t given it another thought, but Rahul was obsessed. He came up with this plan, told me what he wanted me to do, told me where to take her…” He was quiet for a second. “You think I’m bad…you never want to be alone with Rahul.”
He went on to explain how Rahul tortured and raped Lisa over and over again in the beachfront cabin where they’d taken her. I felt sick as I listened, my skin crawling, my every instinct wanting to beat this man into pulp. But I sat as still as a statue and listened.
I had to do this for Tommy.
“When Rahul tired of her, he told me to kill her and get rid of the body.”
“How did you kill her?”
“I took her to this reef I knew, shot her in the head, the chest, and the crotch. Then I kicked her into the water.”
“Were you aware her body was found?”
“I heard it washed ashore and was buried in the sand for all those years.”
I nodded. The water had done its work on the body, but there were marks in the bone that indicated where she’d been shot. Even water couldn’t hide that.
“You admit that you murdered Lisa Boyles?”
Sam tilted his head, smiling at me with this look of naked lust in his rheumy eyes. “I do. I’ll even admit to five other murders, though I didn’t commit the fifteen that law enforcement has credited to me. Some of those belong in Rahul’s column.”
He listed the names, giving brief descriptions of those murders, as well.
I was about to turn off the digital recorder when he touched my hand, drawing it toward his chest.
“I’ll give you more. I’ll tell you where you can find Rahul.”
Now it was my turn to be shocked. “You will?”
He smiled. “I’ll tell you anything you want to hear, Kari.” He licked his lips, his eyes moving slowly over my face, down to the cleavage revealed by my blouse. “I can’t tell you what a joy it is to see you today or the masturbation material you’re offering me here today. It’ll last me the rest of my life!”
I jerked my hands away, unable to suppress that particular reaction. I thought he’d end the interview right there and then, which was fine since I already had what I needed. But he didn’t.
He smiled again.
“Rahul has a place in Chicago he goes to when he thinks things are too hot everywhere else. It’s owned under a false identity—Ralph Rollins—but it’s his. He’ll be there.”
“What about other Mahoney loyalists? Are there others here in Santa Monica? In California?”
“Sure. A dozen or so. Maybe more.”
He gave me those names, too, his hands moving back to my legs. I sat as still as I could, aware how important this information was to Joss. If we could take out these people…I needed to make things right for Tommy. This added information could only be a bonus.
“Is there anything else you have that would be helpful to us, Sam?”
“Come over here, and I’ll tell you.”
I hesitated, thinking we already had enough. But, again, he’d been full of surprises up to this point. What he might say next could blow the bureau out of the water.
I got up and moved around the table. He gestured for me to sit on the table top itself, drawing my foot into his hands the moment I was settled. He removed my shoe and began rubbing my foot between both of his hands.
“Thank you, Kari,” he said softly as he pressed my foot to the side of his face.
“Your information?”
He looked up at me, his eyes glossed over from desire. “There’s someone in the governor’s office who's playing your bosses. They’re leaking information to Ash Grayson that appears to be helpful, but it’s really just a means to an end.”
“What do you mean, a means to an end?”
He drew my big toe into his mouth, sucked it for a long moment before lowering my foot and carefully replacing my shoe. He sat back and regarded me a long moment before he let out a long sigh.
“Jack Mahoney was as successful for as long as he was because he had countless politicians in his pockets. Not all those politicians were identified and arrested when Mahoney was finally taken down. Some are still in their positions of power, some still loyal to Mahoney. And those people share Mahoney’s desire to take out the people who have hurt his family, including Joss Matthews and Ashford Grayson.”
A sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach.
“You’re telling me this person is giving Ash information in order to take him down? How is that even possible?”
“They drew him in by giving him information that was credible. Like the Red Door. Where do you think they got the information on that place? And to just happen to stumble on an FBI operation that nearly allowed an assassin to take out Joss Matthews’ husband?” He smiled, but this smile was different, more cynical than before. “They want him to trust them so that they can feed him information that will lead to his downfall.”
I shook my head. “Ash is too smart for that.”
“Is he? Hasn’t it occurred to anyone that Jack Mahoney wanted Joss Matthews to know he was the one after her family? Don’t you think he wanted her to suffer as she’s done since the assassination attempts began? Don’t you think taking her husband out that clean and easy would have gone against everything he’d ever done? He likes to see his victims suffer, just like Rahul. Mahoney’s just more into the psychological form of torture than the physical.”
Sam reached over and turned off the digital recorder. “Thank you for coming to visit, Kari. If you could call the guard, I’d really like to go back to my cell.”
Catching even myself by surprise, I asked, “But didn’t you want a reward for what you just did?”
“You gave me everything I could have wanted.” He studied my face for a second before gesturing down the length of his body. “Look at me. I’m dying. The doctors here tell me I have maybe six months to live with this bum liver of mine. Too much alcohol over the years.” He shook his head. “Dying slowly like that was never the plan. But you…just by you coming here, just the knowledge that we met alone like this, will be enough. They’ll put me out of my misery before the week’s up.” He smiled again, a wistful smile. “I always knew I’d go by the blade.”
There didn’t seem to be anything else to say. I picked up the recorder and slid it into my pocket, standing to leave the room. But on a whim, I turned and leaned down, planting a kiss on his forehead.
“Thank you, Sam.”
He was so shocked it didn’t even occur to him to grab my breast or ass before I moved away.
Chapter 26
Joss
Mike handed me his phone as we pulled up to the prison. A text message told us that Kari Reyes had just arrived at the FBI headquarters in Los Angeles—Los Angeles, not Santa Monica—with a recording from Sam Wilson that proved Thomas Roberts assertion that Wilson had killed his sister.
“What will happen now?”
Mike shook his head. “That’s up to the bosses. But I doubt they’ll want the publicity of a prosecution of one of their own for the attempted murder of a known murderer, especially when this confession and Roberts’ relationship to the victim go public, which I’m sure your operative will be sure to make happen. They’ll probably drop the charges and settle the whole thing in-house.”
I handed him his phone back. “Good.”
“He could still get fired.”
“If he does, Gray Wolf will be prepared to offer him a contract.”
Mike snorted. “Sometimes I wonder whose side you’re really on.”
“I’m on the side of the good guy
.”
We were escorted into the prison through a VIP door that required less in the way of searches and questions. They ran a metal detector over my body, my thoughts moving to the irrational fear of what the teeny bit of radiation might do to my unborn child. And then they escorted us to the warden’s office.
“I don’t know how they do things in California,” said the warden. “But here in Wyoming, we don’t take criminals like Mr. Mahoney lightly. If it were up to me, we would not allow him visitors at all.”
“I understand.”
She looked me over for a long second, something like hatred burning in the dark depths of her eyes. “I don’t think you do,” she sighed. “But his lawyer got involved and insisted that we allow this visit.”
She gestured toward the door. “You will be escorted to a conference room where Mahoney has been receiving his lawyer. You will remain seated throughout the visit and you will not touch the prisoner. A guard will remain in the room the entire time. And you will only have five minutes.”
“I want to go with her,” Mike said.
“No.” The warden glanced at him. “That comes from his lawyer, not me. No one in the room but the prisoner, Ms. Matthews, and the guard.”
“That’s not acceptable—”
I touched Mike’s arm. “It’s fine. Let’s just get this over with.”
There was concern written all over his face, but he didn’t argue.
I was escorted down the hall, my stomach in painful knots in the center of my chest. I wasn’t sure which I wanted more, to vomit or curl up into a ball and hide. When we reached the conference room, something in my chest popped. It felt like a physical pain, like I was going to die from some sort of tension created rupture. But I was still alive a few minutes later when they escorted Jack Mahoney into the room.
I’d never seen him in person before. I was a little surprised by how handsome he was, how short but fit he was. He was like the reincarnation of Napoléon, but prettier.
“Ms. Matthews,” he said quite amiably. “Or should I call you Mrs. Hernandez?”
“You can call me anything you want.”
He settled in the chair across the table from me, his wrists and ankles locked to c-bolts in the floor. He looked me over, his blue eyes unreadable.
“Joselyn Grant Hernandez Matthews. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.” He tilted his head slightly. “How did you end up married to a wetback from Illinois?”
I stiffened, angered by such a characterization. I sat back and crossed my arms over my chest.
“I didn’t come here to talk about my name or my relationships.”
“Oh, but didn’t you? Don’t you want to know why I’m harassing you and your family?”
“I know why. Your nephew.”
“Yes, my nephew.” He shook his head contemplatively. “He was an alcoholic fool like his father, but he was still family. And you took him from us, from me and my sister and his sister.”
“He took himself away from you.”
“He made mistakes, but it was the actions of you and your friends that put him in jail, put him in that chair, and led him down the road that led to his death.”
“He took my son from me!”
Mahoney smiled, enjoying my anger. “And your husband. Let’s not forget poor Esteban.”
I straightened a little in my chair, glancing at the guard who was blank faced as he watched us. “Your nephew made his own mistakes. My family does not deserve to pay for that.”
“Maybe. But now you owe me two.”
I tilted my head slightly. “What do you mean?”
“Elizabeth.” He shook his head. “Janet Elizabeth took her life rather than be beaten and destroyed in prison like her brother. That death is on you, too.”
“That was her choice, just like everything Carl did.”
Mahoney looked almost sad. “The Bible says a life for a life.” His eyes came up to mine slowly, almost sinisterly. “You took two from me. I’ll take two from you.”
“Carl already did.”
“No.” He leaned forward a little, dropping his voice a few octaves. “I never had children. I was too busy building an empire for that. But I had a niece and two nephews. They were my children and they’re all gone now. One wasn’t your fault and the woman behind that is going to pay her dues, but you owe me for two. And you will pay.” He sat back, glancing at the clock on the wall behind me. “Go home and hug your children, Joss. Enjoy every minute with them because life is so precious. So short.”
Fear like nothing I had ever felt before shot through my body. I shook my head emphatically, moving it so quickly that my hair fell from the clip that had held it back.
“You will never touch my children, Mahoney!”
He just smiled. “Of course not. I’m in prison, probably for the rest of my life.”
“Call your people off!”
“Or what?” The guard came over and began unhooking Mahoney from the floor. “I know the evidence there is against me. I know I’m here for the rest of my life. I accept that. But it sure is boring between these four walls.”
He started to laugh as he was escorted from the room.
I rushed out the door, a panic taking hold of me. I couldn’t breathe. My chest felt as though there was a thousand-ton weight resting on it. I stopped in the center of the hall and fell to my knees, drawing in what little air I could. A guard came over and tried to pull me to my feet, but I wasn’t going without more effort. And then Mike was there.
“What’d he say? What happened?”
I shook my head. “McKelty,” I managed to crook.
Understanding burst in Mike’s eyes. He pulled me up, half carried me down the hall. “We need to get on the road. Call the airport,” he barked to the agent who was sitting behind the wheel of our waiting SUV.
The flight couldn’t have been slower. I got up and paced when I could, debating whether or not I should call the compound. I didn’t want to frighten anyone, but I didn’t want them to sit vulnerable to some sort of attack.
How could they get to McKelty in the compound? There were cameras everywhere and alarms that were set to go off at the slightest provocation. David had made damn sure no one could get onto the compound without everyone knowing it. His system had kept out the Russian mob years ago when Mina was in danger, it could surely keep out Mahoney and his people, right? No one was going to get to McKelty without everyone on that compound being aware of it.
But that didn’t soothe the fear burning in the pit of my stomach.
I paced the length of the plane over and over again, even though the flight attendant kept politely suggesting I’d be more comfortable sitting. It wasn’t until we were told to prepare for landing that I finally sat. Mike moved into the seat beside me and took my hand.
“He can’t touch her. I called my task force. They’ve sent cars out there. They’re watching the compound closely. If anything happens, they’ll let us know.”
I nodded, but that knowledge did nothing to ease my mind.
Once we landed, Mike took the keys to the waiting car from the driver, escorting me into the passenger seat before taking off at a high rate of speed. We sped through the city, arriving outside the gates of the compound in record time.
“What the hell is going on?” Carrington demanded as soon as I stepped out of the car. He rushed toward me, panic in his eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Where’s McKelty?”
“In her room. Upstairs.”
I brushed past him and ran into the house, ran up the stairs to the living quarters Ash had reserved for himself and his family on the second floor of the main house. I checked every room, shocking Mina when I thrust open the door of her study. When I found McKelty, texting on her phone as she always seemed to be doing, I couldn’t stop the flood of tears that poured from my eyes at the familiar sight of her.
“Geez, Mom. Get a grip!”
She resisted when I first threw my arms around her, but relented when i
t was clear I wasn’t going to let go any time soon. And then she melted into me, hugging me back.
We held each other for a long time, the smell of her so familiar and so connected with pleasure that I couldn’t even begin to express it. I loved this child more than I could ever express and my relief at finding her safe and sound was more than overwhelming. It was life-altering.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” she said softly. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a bitch lately.”
I shook my head, a little sob slipping from between my lips. “Don’t apologize, baby. It’s okay. I understand.”
She nodded, staring at me through tears. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”
“I’m fine. I’m just so happy to see you.”
She sobbed a little, tightening her grip on me.
Carrington cleared his throat from where he stood in the doorway. “Joss? You want to come talk to me for a minute?”
I nodded, squeezing McKelty one last time before I got up and followed him into the hall. He closed McKelty’s door and turned to me, concern written all over his face.
“What happened? What did he say?”
I shook my head. “It’s not important now. We’re all together. That’s all that matters.”
He nodded. “Are we still headed to Illinois?”
“Yeah.” I wiped at my cheeks. “I just need to swing by the hotel and get my things.” And then a new sense of dread swooped down over me. “Where’s Aidan?”
“She’s in the playroom with Ford.”
I shook my head, my frantic search for McKelty coming back to me. I opened every door, looked in every room. I remembered seeing Ford, but not Aidan.
“Aidan?” I called as I went along the hall, repeating my search in a less frantic state. I just didn’t remember seeing her, that was all. She was here. She was safe. Mahoney didn’t want her, he wasn’t gathering information on her. “Aidan?”
“She’s not here,” Ford said when I stuck my head into the playroom.
“Where is she?”
He shook his head. “She said her friend, Shauna, was outside waiting for her. She went to see her.”
“Shauna?”
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