Chapter 15 #2
“Damion McKnight, the sole heir to the McKnight fortune after Blair’s death,” Kira began her brief.
“Seven years her senior. Never married. No children.” She stopped and stared at her screen.
“Driver’s license lists his permanent residence in Fairfax, Virgina.
He also still owns family property in Colorado, Vermont, and Montana.
McKnight holdings have properties all over the US and abroad.
I’d need a few hours to compile a full list.”
Theo pointed to a stack of files. “She’s been investigating her brother for the last year. And before you ask, her investigation started a month after…” he tipped his head toward Cara. “Her parents’…” he let that hang and I was grateful for it.
Cara was still sleeping, however I didn’t want her—even asleep—to be in the room while we were discussing her parents’ deaths. I had no idea what she knew other than her parents were in heaven, or what she’d seen or what Lore had told her.
I knew Jonas had the same line of thought when he asked, “Farmed it out or did the deed?”
“Money trail,” Theo returned. “She found it and connected the dots. Damion used an old family account to transfer half a million into a numbered account in Switzerland.”
A numbered account replaces the holder’s name with a series of numbers and letters making the account untraceable to a person.
“He didn’t try to hide it,” Zane muttered. “He either believed his sister was dead so he didn’t cover his tracks, or he knew she wasn’t and wanted to draw her out.”
Jonas drew my attention by tapping the folder in front of him. “Her new documents. Passports, driver’s license, birth certificates for both Lore and Cara. Congratulations, you’re the daddy.”
Was he speaking to me?
“Come again?”
“Cara’s birth certificate lists you as her father. Unless there’s another Cash Phillips running around that Lore knows.”
What in the actually fucking shit was that?
“What the…frick?”
Jonas shrugged. “There’s also a very official looking court order in here for custody and child support.
You have joint custody and no support obligation.
Smart play on her part. If something were to happen to her, Cara’s custody would transfer to you without you having to forge new documents.
Which by the way, these had to cost a fortune.
Also, in the event of her death, you’re a very rich man.
Unless she’s emptied any of the accounts in the last six months, which by the way, was when the file was created even though the court records go back seven years as do the medical statements confirming Stella’s pregnancy—you stand to inherit roughly two hundred million dollars. ”
Cara Phillips.
What in the actual fuck was Lore thinking, leaving me with her child if she were to die. The woman knew damn good and well I didn’t want children. I was practically allergic to them.
I glanced at Nebraska and locked eyes with the woman who should’ve been Stella’s first choice and found her already smiling.
Christ, she was off her rocker as well if she thought I was going to keep possession of this child.
“Before Cash gives himself a stroke, let’s get to who has her and why.” Zane redirected the conversation.
Easton looked back at the piles of paper in front of him and shook his head. “Lore kept this pretty organized but there’s damn near twenty years of notes here. Handwritten notes. It’s gonna take more than an hour to go through this and come up with a list of people who would want to do her harm.”
“Garrett’s checking through her security feeds and running them through Patheon to see if he can get anything,” Kira put in, not looking up from her computer. “Theo, slide closer. I want to go over what you have on the brother.”
Theo slid the stacks of file folders and loose papers two chairs over before he pushed back from the table to move closer to Kira.
I felt a hand on my cheek and looked down into a pair of sad blue eyes. Not quite as dark as Stella’s, not as light as mine—somewhere in the middle—and they were glossy with unshed tears.
“Where’s Lolo?” Cara quietly asked.
Her question felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to my chest.
“We’re trying to figure that out,” I told her honestly. “Do you want to meet my friends now?”
Since I’d picked her up in the saferoom she’d barely lifted her head off my shoulder. There hadn’t been time for introductions.
She glanced over her shoulder, then back over to me and nodded.
After I made the introductions to Kira, Theo, Easton, Smith, and Jonas, Cara gave a small smile and a half-hearted wave but didn’t pick her head up off my chest.
I dipped my head down and took a calculated risk.
I wasn’t sure if bringing up Lore and the stories she’d told Cara was the best thing to do but the child needed something to make her feel more comfortable.
“See that guy right there?” I pointed to Zane.
When Cara nodded, I continued, “That’s Zane.
Your Lolo calls him the snake.” Cara tipped her head back and looked at me with wide eyes.
I swiveled so Nebraska was in Cara’s line of sight. “And that’s Nebraska, the dove.”
“And you’re the king?” she whispered.
“Yeah, sweetheart, I’m the king. But what I’m trying to tell you is that we’re your Lolo’s friends. More than that, Lolo trusts Nebraska and Zane. Remember, she put them in your phone.”
I watched in horrified fascination as her face crumbled, but her small body recoiling into itself was a kick in the gut.
“Please don’t leave me.”
Fuck.
Fucking goddamn shit.
I tightened my arms around her as tightly as I dared.
“Sweetheart, I’m not leaving.” I promised on a monumental lie.
As soon as we had actionable intel, I would leave her.
Then when we brought Lore home, she’d whisk Cara away and disappear again—leaving me.