34. Federal Audit
Federal Audit
Drew
Waking up with Sara’s naked body draped over me is a pleasure few men will ever experience. I can’t help but feel lucky that I’m one of them.
Wyatt taps my shoulder. “We need to go.”
He heads into the bathroom and turns on the shower. I played football in high school and college so walking around naked in front of other men doesn’t intimidate me. I also have a thing for watching and being watched while fucking, so that’s not an issue in a group setting like this.
It’s just odd how easy it was to accept that this is what I want. Sharing this woman with these men. My parents probably won’t think anything of it, to be honest. I’ve always been a little bit out there.
I played the proper prince for their kingdom and dated the princess they wanted me to. Even resigned myself to a loveless marriage to combine our name with someone from old money. But then there was that fateful dinner with Seth Hart, Cooper Graham, Noah Burns, and Blake Wagner.
Coop invited the two women I was fucking. Both truly wanted him. One, the woman I was supposed to marry, Leighton. The other woman wanted revenge for something from college. And since Leighton and I agreed we weren’t monogamous, I was all for revenge sex.
Noah brought Sara Morris. She was glorious.
Eager to be part of the drama and so fucking beautiful.
I’d caught sight of her at other events.
The gorgeous redhead who was always flawlessly perfect.
But it wasn’t until that moment that I honestly saw her.
Those sparkling green eyes. Her easy laughter.
Fuck, I might have gotten a little hard for her that night.
I run my hand down Sara’s back and she sighs against my chest. Her fingers digging slightly into my sides.
I could be getting a little hard for her now.
She’s everything I never thought I could have.
Soft, warm, adventurous. I’d resigned myself to finding a wife who could help our family’s name.
But the other women in society I dated were coldhearted vipers.
Not Sara. Fuck. Never in a million years did I think I would deserve someone like her. So when she asked me out, I fucking jumped on my chance and I’ve been holding on ever since.
With her soft skin pressed against mine, I could sink into her one last time before we leave. Claim her as mine. Watch her shatter for me. But even last night, she flinched a little as we fucked her. She was sore but didn’t say anything because she wanted us.
I kiss the top of her head and help roll her over onto Dante. She curls up against him and he wraps himself around her. Moving to the edge of the bed, I sit up and look back at them.
I’ve never really had friends like this before. Owen’s probably the closest, but we don’t hang out that much. If this relationship goes the distance, these men will be bonded with me through Sara for the rest of our lives. We’ll grow old and have children together.
I rub my face and walk into the bathroom. The shower is still running even though Wyatt’s out, standing in his towel at the sink. I step in to the shower and wash myself quickly. By the time I’m done, Wyatt is already in the other room getting dressed.
It makes sense for the two of us to go, and if we aren’t back by tomorrow night, they’re to assume something went wrong. I finish getting ready and pause at the doorway to look back at Sara cuddled up between Finn and Dante.
What would have happened if Coop hadn’t wanted me to blow it all up? Would I still be in those twisted relationships? Feeding off each woman’s anger at the other? Fuck, I hope not. But part of me had been resigned to that life.
We head down to the kitchen and Tom sits at the island with a pot of coffee already made.
“Figured you’d want some before heading out.” Tom rubs the back of his neck.
Wyatt makes a noncommittal noise and gets two cups down. He fills one and passes it to me before filling his own.
“Any words of wisdom?” I lean against the counter and take a sip, watching Tom over the rim of my cup.
Wyatt chuckles. “From him? Nah.”
“Fuck off, Wyatt.” But Tom smiles.
And I see Sara in his smile. As someone who did everything wrong and got a second chance at happiness, I hope Tom finds his way back to his family, because that’s what these guys and Sara are. His family.
And they’re my family too now.
“If they need more, here.” Tom holds out a flash drive. “It’s not much, but with everything else we gave them, it might help.”
I take it from him. “As one of the guys nailing your sister—”
“Fuck.” Tom runs his hand through his hair and his green eyes give me an are you fucking kidding me look.
I smirk. “I’m pretty sure she’ll forgive you eventually. Sara’s got too much love in her heart to carry a grudge. Thanks for the coffee.”
Tom shakes his head. “Yeah, you can fuck off too.”
I grin, because he does it begrudgingly. “Nice.”
Wyatt gestures to the door. “Come on. We’ve got a drive and a day of downloading crap from the internet to get to.”
“Be careful.” Tom rises and his eyes meet Wyatt’s. “We may not be right yet, but you’re still my best friend. Come back unharmed.”
Wyatt chuckles under his breath. “You better hope I come back in one piece. Sara will beat you up if I don’t.”
Tom gives Wyatt a wry grin. We head out to the garage and get in the car.
“I think he likes me,” I say as Wyatt backs the car out.
“Don’t let it go to your head.”
* * *
We make it to a town a couple hours away and check into a hotel.
Same room. Two beds. Then we find a little café to set up in.
I’m on download duty while Wyatt goes outside to make the call on one of the burner phones (as Sara called them) that we bought.
That one will be left here in town, maybe given to that guy asking for money on the corner.
We’re in the middle of fucking nowhere, and it’s going to take the Feds time to drive to our location. I sip my latte while downloading movies to entertain Sara. Even if the Feds tell us what we want to hear, it might be a few days before we can reemerge safely.
I’m also checking my emails and downloading the guys’. Now that’s fucking trust. They gave me their passwords.
We’re doing it all on the new laptop that Wyatt and I picked up at a Best Buy on the way here. Paid cash because that fucker is brilliant. Wyatt and his gang used to hang out at the house when they wanted to escape everything.
That meant not leaving a paper trail. So they stashed cash at their hideout whenever they could.
We also went to a used car dealership and offered the guy there a few thousand to use a car overnight.
There’s an abandoned farm where we left the car we’ll take back to the house after we return this one.
Finn gave us all the cloak-and-dagger moves last night before he went to get Sara.
Wyatt comes in and sits across from me with the new tablet he bought. “They can be here in a few hours.”
I look out the window. It’s early. If they’re here in the next few hours… “We could head back today.”
“No. We don’t want to risk someone following us. We need to make sure the Feds are gone gone before we leave.” Wyatt sets his tablet down and picks up his iced coffee.
He’s not wrong and that gives us more time to touch base and check in on our investments. I pull up my email for the Veiled Vixen. There’s the usual crap, but also some decisions that have to be made. We’re hiring another bartender. I spend the next few hours working.
Wyatt nudges my foot under the table and I look up to see Agents Ethan Martinez and Jacob Price walk into the shop. When they see us, they head to our table.
I close my laptop and slide it into my bag. Ethan wears his aviators inside like a cocky fucker. Jacob takes the seat across from us. The sleeves of his white dress shirt are rolled up.
“We need to know if it’s safe.” Wyatt doesn’t waste any time. He pushes the thumb drive across the table. “Have you got enough to make an arrest yet?”
Ethan sits down and meets our eyes. “You know it’s not that easy.”
“We can take Tom and Natasha into protective custody, while we get our case together.” Jacob sighs. “Even if we charge him with what we have, he’ll be back out within an hour. Money talks.”
Yeah, that’s the problem. Peter has money.
“We can protect our own,” I say. All of us have money too. And while Peter can play nice with society, these guys were born in it and I was raised in it. We have our own standing. I know some guys in security that I’ve worked with for the Veiled Vixen.
If I’d known what might happen to Sara, I would have called them in from the beginning.
That little burn that Tom didn’t tell all of us the danger she was in rubs at me the wrong way again.
I don’t know my clientele well, but I know some of them prefer to do business at my bar because they think they have privacy there.
To an extent they do, but I record all that shit. Maybe not audio, but video.
“What would keep him in?” I lean forward and meet Jacob’s eyes.
He rubs his jaw. “If you could prove he murdered someone, he’d be a flight risk and they probably wouldn’t release him on bail.
But no one can actually pin anything on him.
These white-collar crimes will put him under investigation.
But the crimes won’t keep him in. And once it goes to trial if he’s found guilty, they might sentence him to some actual time. ”
Maybe Natasha knows something, but I doubt she wants her father to go to prison for the rest of his life on murder charges. Maybe she does. I don’t know their dynamic.
“Even with all the information Tom and Natasha have provided and whatever you dug up on your own, what’s the likelihood we’ll ever be safe to come out of hiding?” I ask.
Wyatt sits back with his arms crossed and a thoughtful look on his face.
Ethan leans forward with his arms on his knees and his hands clasped. “There are ways to have protection. You could all come with us for witness protection. Or you could turn to a bigger boss.”
Ethan’s gaze settles on Wyatt’s. Finn’s father is untouchable by the FBI. We talked about that too. If we really wanted to put Peter in his place, Finn’s father may be the only one who could help us do it and make it unwise to fuck with us. But that puts Finn in a position he doesn’t want to be in.
In debt to his father.
Jacob taps on the table and picks up the thumb drive, pocketing it. “The guy we’re after is slippery and has eyes everywhere.”
Like saying his name will conjure him. I could give them tapes from my club, but it’s just video and it probably wouldn’t prove anything, except Peter’s known associates.
My clients pay a premium and I’m not willing to be known for voluntarily turning shit over to the Feds. If they come at me with a warrant, I’ll comply, but it’s not good business to give things away for free.
“If you change your mind about protective custody, you have our number.” Jacob stands and looks around at the café. “This place is in the middle of nowhere. It may be easier to hide in the city.”
Wyatt makes an acknowledging sound, but we both know that people will find us in the city. The Feds did and Peter did. We’re safer to sit where we are for a few more days.