Coming Up Aces (The Hounds of Zeus MC #9)

Chapter Eighteen

Ace

Ace was hanging out in an overstuffed armchair in Lucy’s living room while she and Rayna sat side-by-side on the sofa, looking at the information on the thumb drive.

“I emailed copies of everything to Lachlan so he can research the accounts. All except for one. One of the accounts is in little Daisy’s name listing Rhi as the executor until Daisy is twenty-one.”

“Which means Spencer is behind the money. No surprise there,” Rayna said.

“What about the other accounts?” Ace asked.

“They’re in Frederick Hanson’s name. But why kill him if he was also on the take?”

“Maybe he wasn’t. What if he figured out Grissom was in bed with The Ministry? It could be why Hanson was acting cagey and stopped allowing me to interrogate Spencer.”

“Look at this.” Lucy pointed to the screen. Rayna studied whatever Lucy had pointed out. “Do you recognize him?”

“Yes. That’s Chris Perkins. Where is this?”

“The Hotel Marquis. Hang on. Let me rewind it.” After a few seconds, Rayna pointed at the screen. “That’s Hanson, so he obviously didn’t go out of town.” To Ace she described what they were looking at. “This video shows Hanson entering the hotel and less than five minutes later, Perkins walks in. I’d lay odds Perkins killed him.”

Lucy hummed. “But did he take the photos?”

“Maybe someone paid him to kill Hanson and the photos were proof.”

“Then how did Seth end up with them?” Lucy returned her focus to the laptop. “Uh, Rayna? This is a message addressed to you.” She tapped the keyboard, then a male’s voice sounded from the small speaker.

“Agent Bellamy, I hope your time at Haven wasn’t too terrible, but I needed to get you away from the office so you wouldn’t get caught in the crossfire. From what I could tell by our time together, you’re a good agent, unlike Grissom.”

Rayna reached over and stopped the message. “Holy shit. That’s Spencer.” She then restarted the message.

“I’m entrusting you with the evidence I’ve collected over the past couple of years in case something happens to me before the GIA can meet with your director. I’ve also sent copies of everything to my boss at the GIA along with my resignation. Being undercover, playing spy for so long, let’s just say I’m tired, Agent Bellamy. Tired of living all the lies. Tired of having my daughter think the worst of me. Tired of pretending to be someone I’m not. I don’t expect you to believe me, not after everything that’s happened, but it’s the truth.

“Ten years is a long time to be undercover. In doing so, I lost myself. The man I was when my wife, Daisy, was alive. When Rhi was my little girl and ran to me with open arms and a smile. I realize now I didn’t handle things with her and the biker as I should have, but she was my last link to her mother, and I didn’t want to lose her. I lost her anyway.

“Hopefully, by the time you find this package, my boss will have spoken with the director, and Grissom will be behind bars where he belongs. If not, this is my way of ensuring someone trustworthy will see to it that Grissom gets what he deserves. I know I don’t have the right, but I have a favor to ask of you. Please tell Rhiannon I’m sorry for everything, and she is now free of me. Take care, Agent Bellamy. You’re a rare breed in this crazy world.”

Rayna stood and began pacing. “This still doesn’t explain where Seth is. He’s the one who hid the evidence in my yard, which means he and Spencer had to have met up at some point.”

“If Agent Sartain wasn’t lying, then Seth had access to Spencer when he was supposed to have transferred him,” Lucy offered.

Rayna stopped beside Ace’s chair and ran her fingers through his hair. “True, but he wouldn’t disappear without a word to Vanessa.”

“Did you ask Grissom where Seth is?” Ace asked.

Rayna smacked her forehead. “No.”

“I’ll tell Tamian to ask him,” Lucy said while typing on her keyboard. Her phone rang, and she put it on speaker. “Go ahead, Lachlan.”

“I’ve traced the accounts in Hanson’s name back to their origins. We know Spencer was funneling money to The Ministry, and the funds in the accounts listing Hanson as the owner came from the same source. The thing is, they weren’t originally in his name. They were in Grant Grissom’s name up until about ten months ago.”

“So, Hanson either convinced Spencer to transfer the money to him, or he had someone else do it?” Lucy asked.

“Neither. I located a different hacker who made the change and convinced him to tell the truth, or he’d never see the light of day again. Grissom had the male set up a shell corporation hidden within several others and move a small portion of the money to accounts in Hanson’s name.”

Rayna sat on the chair arm, reaching down for Ace’s hand, lacing their fingers. “Then why kill Hanson if he was sharing the wealth?”

“I don’t think he was sharing it. I think he was setting Hanson up. Spencer most likely realized what was happening and warned Hanson during their private talks. Your partner did say the two men met behind closed doors, and Hanson could have provided a computer for Spencer.”

Rayna slid off the chair arm and began pacing again. “Okay, so maybe Hanson organized Spencer’s supposed transfer, and he trusted Seth to do so?”

“But that was months ago,” Ace said.

“That’s not all,” Lachlan said. “The amount of money in these shell corporations is in the millions. More than a deputy director would make in a lifetime. He must be into some highly illegal shit.”

“Hang on,” Lucy interrupted. “Tamian asked Grissom where Seth is, and he admitted he locked him up at Ray Brook.”

Rayna stopped pacing, her hands clenched. “Then why did Grissom interrogate Vanessa as to Seth’s whereabouts?”

“He was covering his tracks,” Ace said. “And possibly looking for you since he had an agent sitting outside the salon.”

Rayna blew out a breath. “Lucy, please have Tamian ask Grissom if Agent Sartain knew this.”

Lucy gazed into the middle distance. When she refocused on Rayna, she nodded. “He did.”

“That lying sack of shit. I’m going to gut him.”

“She’s feisty. I like her,” Lachlan said.

Ace wanted to go to his mate, so he did. He groaned as he rose, grabbing Rayna’s attention. When she opened her mouth to protest, he held out his hand. “I’m fine.” Fine was relative, but he wouldn’t sit there doing nothing while she was upset. “We’ll get Seth out of there, and then we’ll find out his role in all this.”

Lucy stood and stretched, rubbing her belly. “Yes, we will. I’ve tasked Tamian with asking Grissom certain questions, like who was involved, what their end game was, and why he imprisoned Seth. We have Spencer’s message, but we don’t have the male. Just because he said he was playing a double agent doesn’t mean he’s innocent and gets to walk away from his sins.”

“What message?” Lachlan asked.

While Lucy recounted Spencer’s words, Ace pulled Rayna into his good side and hugged her gently while inhaling her hair. He’d been so scared of losing her, and injured or not, there was no way he was letting her go back to Ray Brook alone. The easiest way to get Seth out of there would be to call Agent Sartain and voice him, and he told Rayna as such. “We can have him escort Seth to us.”

“We’ll need somewhere isolated because I wasn’t kidding about ripping Sartain a new one.”

“I have just the place,” Lucy said. “And it won’t be the first time the Hounds have taken care of business there.”

“Yeah? Where’s that?” Rayna asked.

Lucy tapped the floor with her bare toes. “Downstairs. My adopted father had a lab down there, which I had gutted once I found out the types of experiments he was conducting when he was alive. It’s where Glory’s father was ‘handled’ as well as the male who tried kidnapping Rhiannon after she escaped Haven. It’s soundproofed, and there’s a drain in the floor, which is handy for cleaning up messes.”

“If the GIA wasn’t going to the director with his proof, I’d bring Grissom here and gut him as well,” Rayna seethed.

“That’s an option,” Lucy said. “Let Spencer’s boss go to the director. It’ll just look like Grissom took his money in the shell corporation and disappeared. Excuse me for a moment. I’ve gotta pee.”

Rayna turned her face up to Ace. “What would you do? I know we’ve talked about certain people who don’t deserve to live, but does whatever Grissom is guilty of warrant a death sentence?”

“We don’t know the extent of his crimes.” Ace brushed a stray strand of hair off his mate’s face. “I think we should bring him here and interrogate him. Reserve judgment for after you have your answers.” Rayna rested her forehead against Ace’s chest, and he pressed his cheek to her hair.

Lucy returned to the living room. “I’m back, Lachlan.”

“If Spencer really is turning over proof of Grissom’s wrongdoings to the director, you can guarantee he’s covered his own tracks. That or he had permission from someone higher up in the GIA to do what he did. You don’t stay undercover that long if it isn’t sanctioned. The government isn’t going to allow an agent to disappear for eleven years without knowing where they are.”

“He did say he was turning in his resignation.” Lucy plopped down on the sofa and stretched her legs out. “And we know he has the means to disappear.”

Rayna turned so her back was plastered against Ace’s chest. “I hope he was telling the truth when he said he wouldn’t bother Rhiannon.”

Ace wrapped an arm around her waist. “He set up an account in Daisy’s name, which means he’s been watching Rhi all this time. I’m not a trained agent, but he sounded resigned in his message to you.”

Rayna trailed her fingertips across Ace’s arm. “Not only has he lost Rhiannon, but he killed his mother. It was an accident, but that’s not something you get over quickly.”

Rayna’s words jogged Ace’s memory. “Something he said doesn’t make sense. When Spencer was confronting Abraham, he told his mother he’d lost both Rhi and his job. If that’s the case, why would he say he’s resigning?”

“To make himself look better? To keep me from going after him?”

Lucy adjusted the pillow at her back, then resettled, looking at Rayna. “What’s the plan? Are we bringing the agents here for interrogation time?”

“I think that’s the easiest way to get the truth out of everyone, Seth included. And I said I wanted to gut Grissom, but I’m not a killer. I think we should voice them to tell the truth and record their confessions. We’ll add that to the evidence Spencer already has.”

Lucy smiled softly. “I’m glad that’s your decision. Unless he admits to killing animals and babies, then I’ll slice him open myself. I’ll tell Tam to bring Grissom and Perkins tonight if Rev is finished patching them up. Since it’s late, we should probably have Sartain take Seth to a neutral location early tomorrow and ask one of the Hounds to bring them here in an SUV. Sound good?” When Ace and Rayna agreed, Lucy continued, “Thanks for the assistance, Lachlan. I’ll give you a call after we question the agents.”

“You’re welcome. Talk soon.”

Lucy sat up and rubbed her belly. “The princess needs sustenance. Are either of you hungry?”

Rayna’s stomach rumbled, and Ace chuckled. “I think that’s a yes. It’ll be good to eat something solid. I know Rev means well, but I’m a Gryphon, and soup doesn’t cut it.”

Rayna led Ace back to the armchair. “You still need to rest, though. You hang out here, and I’ll help Lucy.” When Ace arched a skeptical brow, Rayna playfully slapped his arm. “I can wash and cut veggies.” She turned to Lucy. “I can’t cook, and he knows that.”

Lucy looped her arm through Rayna’s. “Excellent. I’ll throw some burgers on the grill, and you can put some French fries in the air fryer.”

Ace was thankful to be sitting. Yes, he was a Gryphon, but nicked ribs were no joke, even for a shifter. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He thanked Zeus for keeping Rayna safe, and he asked for guidance in moving forward with their relationship. Just because Rayna was his mate, that didn’t mean things would be smooth sailing. Yes, he’d felt flickers of arousal, but she was a beautiful female and could have anyone. Someone without hangups. She told him she would be patient, but that wasn’t fair to her.

You aren’t being fair to her . She already cares about you. We have a long life ahead of us, and waiting a few weeks or months isn’t going to matter.

Ace sighed. There was no arguing with his beast. Not that he wanted to. He hated conflict, especially with the other part of himself. Laughter rang out from the kitchen, and Ace smiled. Rayna had a best friend in Vanessa, but it was good to have more than one friend. Lucy would make an excellent one, as would Glory once she and Ripley settled things with Glory’s family. Thinking of Rip, Ace pulled out his phone and texted his best friend.

Me: Just checking in. How’s it going with everything?

It took a few minutes, but Rip messaged back.

Ripley: Not bad. Marjorie went back to Haven yesterday, and Glory and I brought her sisters and Scott to her grandmother’s today.

Me: That’s great. Call me when you get back.

Ripley: Will do.

There was no doubt his friend would rip Ace a new one for not telling him about being shot, but Ace knew the male wouldn’t stay mad long. That was part of being someone’s ride or die. Ace wondered if Vanessa was that for Rayna, or if the following day, finding out Seth’s truth would cause an irreparable rift between them because Ace had a feeling Seth wasn’t as innocent as Rayna believed.

When the food was ready, Ace joined the females in the kitchen where they ate at the smaller table instead of in the dining room. Ace had enjoyed many meals with Lucy and her family. He couldn’t wait until he and Rayna gathered with the other Hounds for not only meals but rides as well. He and Ripley could take their mates out on couples rides too.

Instead of heading to Ace’s house for the night, Lucy convinced them to stay with her and Tamian. The Gargoyle had delivered Grissom and Perkins, both of whom were tucked safely in the basement. And by tucked, he meant they were strapped to chairs. Rev had patched up both agents, and neither had any idea of the shitstorm coming for them the next morning. But that was a problem for tomorrow.

When it was time for bed, Lucy told them to choose any of the rooms upstairs in the west wing. Rayna followed Ace, and when he stopped at one of the doors, she gestured to the room. “Do you mind if I sleep in here with you? If this isn’t okay, I’ll choose one of the other rooms,” she offered.

“This is perfect,” he lied. It had been years since Ace shared a bed with someone, and the last time had ended in heartbreak for him. As with every partner who lasted more than a few dates, he explained to Ellory that he was demi. She said she understood. They were together less than two months when she asked to spend the night. Against his better judgment, he agreed. When Ellory came to bed in a see-through negligee, he knew how the night would turn out. He gave her an orgasm with his hand and mouth, but Ellory still tried seducing Ace. When his dick didn’t get hard after almost an hour of her coaxing, she climbed off the bed and said, “This isn’t going to work for me. I have needs, Asher.” He didn’t bother arguing. He simply turned over, putting his back to the door, and waited for her to leave.

Since Ace hadn’t planned on spending the night away from the clinic, he wasn’t prepared, but Lucy supplied a new toothbrush and a pair of Tamian’s sweatpants. He used Rayna’s toothpaste, but he didn’t bother showering since he didn’t want to get his bandages wet. When it was her time in the bathroom, Rayna made sure Ace was comfortable, kissed his cheek, and said, “If you need me during the night, just shake me.” He thought that odd until Rayna exited the en suite in her fur. She climbed on the bed and settled at his feet.

Huh.

Ace was both grateful and disappointed. Grateful there would be no tense moments when he didn’t touch her intimately. Disappointed for the same reason. They had held hands. Given chaste kisses. Spoken about the future. No, this was for the best, especially since they weren’t alone. Ace closed his eyes, and purring from Rayna’s Cheetah lulled him to sleep.