Page 90 of Brazen Obsession

Wyatt

We catch Roger up on what’s been happening. Including our rescue of Sara and finding Tom and Natasha. He sits back with his glass of scotch dangling between his fingers and takes in everything.

Roger has been Tom and Sara’s stepfather for a long time now. He was the one we’d call as teens when we got in too deep. He would drop everything to help us out of whatever jam we found ourselves in. We respect him and he knows us.

“You should have called me earlier.” The words aren’t an accusation. They’re the blunt, honest truth. Roger has access and means we don’t. He might have been able to find Tom quicker. He would have protected Sara with an army if he needed to.

“We didn’t know you were out of town at first.” Dante rubs the back of his neck. “Your security system is fairly impenetrable. We didn’t leave Sara’s side after someone got through it. They didn’t do it while she was there. We had it covered.”

Roger glances at where Peabody sleeps. Tanya brought him back after dinner. He’s going to have to be happy with the backyard for a while.

“So what are we doing now?” Roger leans forward and sets his mostly full glass down on the table. His gaze hits all of us and settles on me.

“We’re finding a loophole.” I take a drink before continuing, “We need something that will strengthen Alexander’s power without him marrying Natasha.”

“Seems like he thinks marrying Natasha is the only solution.” Roger rubs his jaw. “You said he took your waitress as a hostage for an exchange?”

Drew runs a hand through his hair. “She’s had experience inside that world before. She left with him voluntarily.”

Roger’s gaze turns shrewd. “You think she may be complicit?”

“Possibly.” Drew puts his hands on the table. “Those guys spend a lot of money on the women at my club. She’s been to Peter’s country house for parties before. I have nothing to do with that though. The women can do what they want when they aren’t working in the club.”

Roger nods. “When are we meeting Alexander and what do we have so far?”

“I found some passwords that might be for foreign bank accounts.” Dante opens his laptop. “Tom found something that looked like Peter might be skimming off the top before giving a percentage to his men. With that, Alexander should be able to keep Peter out.”

“By blackmailing him.” Roger picks up his glass and takes a sip. “Not a bad start. But what will make him stop coming after Tom? With Tom out of the way, Natasha could be convinced to marry Alexander for protection.”

That’s something we’ve considered, but we aren’t in organized crime or whatever these guys are into. We know accounting.

Roger’s gaze settles on Finn. “What about your father?”

Finn bristles. “My dad?”

“He’s a resource, isn’t he?” Roger sets his glass down and leans his elbows on the table. “Real talk time, boys. This isn’t someone who will be swayed by numbers. This guy tried to murder Tom to take care of the obstacles. If you don’t sufficiently neuter him, he will always be an issue, because he’ll always need something more.”

Drew glances at his phone. “We don’t have a lot of time left.”

“See what you can dig up on the financial side.” Roger stands. “I’ll reach out to my contacts and see what I can find out about Alexander. Maybe there’s something you haven’t thought of that will make this go away.”

When Roger leaves the room, I meet Drew, Dante and Finn’s eyes. “We need a smoking gun.”

“I don’t think we’re going to find that.” Finn rubs his hand down his face. “Maybe Roger is right. No matter what we find, it won’t be enough. It might be time to call in my dad.”

“No,” Dante and I say at the same time.

Dante leans forward. “No. You can’t owe him anything.”

“He claims he doesn’t expect more from me,” Finn says. “But who knows with fathers.”

I know how that goes. I have a message from my father waiting unread on my phone. Not my biological father, but the man who raised me. I’d say he raised me as his own, but he didn’t. I was never good enough for him. Always tainted by my genetics.

“If our relationship comes out, my sperm donor might make a reappearance.” I shake the ice in my glass and watch the bourbon play over the cubes. “He might see dollar signs.”

“He hasn’t contacted you in years.” Dante draws my attention. “For all we know, he’s dead or moved on to something better.”

I give him a wry smile. “The only thing keeping him away is he’s wanted by the FBI.”