Chapter 5 #3
“I went to the club night after night,” Colt continued.
“I observed. Blended in. Danced, flirted, and ordered drinks I only pretended to consume. Eventually I gained Woods’ trust. Even got a part-time gig serving drinks for him on the weekends.
After a couple months, Aaron decided I was a safe bet. ”
“Wait, so you got him to admit to drugging Zoe?”
“Actually it was even bigger than that. Turns out, the guy was the city’s largest and most successful drug dealer. He ran an entire operation from manufacturing to distribution using the club as a legitimate front.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah,” Colt scoffed angrily. “Asshole ran a sophisticated underground network that netted over two million in cash that year, alone. He was young, but smart. As in child prodigy smart. But instead of using those brains of his to find a cure for cancer or become the world’s next tech billionaire, he chose to build a highly successful drug empire at the ripe old age of twenty-six. ”
Alex took a moment to process the incredible story. “What did you do?”
“Bided my time and gathered as much intel as I could. I knew if I wanted the authorities to take me seriously, I had to have rock-solid proof.”
“I’m assuming you got it?”
“With a little help from Kevin, my friend in IT,” he confirmed.
“Woods had to leave early one night, so he put me in charge. Gave me the keys so I could lock up after closing. After everyone was gone, I went into Aaron’s private office, and between the two of us, Kev and I were able to hack into the club’s main server.
When we did, we discovered an encrypted file containing a hidden account in a bank overseas.
In addition to that, there was also another file.
One with a list of client names, dates, dollar amounts, and quantity of sales dating back five years. ”
“Insurance,” Alex presumed. “In case one of his clients decided to double-cross him, maybe?”
“That was my thought, too. Anyway, between that, the other intel I managed to collect during my time spent with him and his crew, and a recording I got of the bastard discussing Zoe and how he must’ve ‘given the stupid bitch too much’ the night she died.
There was more than enough to put his ass behind bars. ”
“Wow.” She couldn’t help but be impressed by Colt’s dogged pursuit of justice for his friend. “I bet the cops were grateful.”
His shoulders shook with a laugh. “You’d think. But the chief ended up taking all the credit.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. But that was okay. I didn’t do what I did for recognition. I set out to get justice for Zoe, and I did.”
She took a sip of her water before bringing the conversation back around. “Okay, but I thought the whole point of this story was to tell me how you got involved in the CIA.”
Another smile appeared on Colt’s handsome face as he finished the rest of the story.
“The day Aaron and his crew were arrested, and the chief of police held a press conference touting the ‘hard work’ he and his department had put into bringing down the state’s largest ever drug ring.
The mayor was there and everything.” His chuckle was deep.
“The next day, as I was walking to my car after class, I was approached by a man in a suit. He said he was CIA, and he knew all about me and that I was actually the one behind the collapse of an entire drug empire.”
“But how?”
“Turns out, they’d been watching Aaron for months but for a different matter, altogether.
Apparently he’d been in contact with known players in other countries.
Bad dudes who were into a whole lot more than passing pills to a bunch of eager college kids and slipping roofies into unsuspecting girls’ drinks. ”
“So . . . what? This CIA agent wanted you to help them, too?”
“Not just help,” Colt clarified. “He offered me a job. Something that would make an actual difference in the world.”
“As opposed to marketing?”
“A fine career for some, but for me . . . I wanted more. Funny thing is, I didn’t even realize it until that day.
But after what happened with Zoe, I knew the CIA was where I belonged.
And like I told you before, I kept my involvement with the agency a secret from Garrett and my dad, because I never wanted that part of my life to touch theirs. ”
“You were protecting them,” Alex whispered.
That’s what he’d told her in the hotel room the night before. Colt had kept his real job a secret to keep those closest to him safe.
“This whole time . . .” Her voice trailed with a whisper. “I had no idea.”
“Yeah, that was kind of the point.” He smirked.
A breathy laugh flew past her lips. “This is all just so—”
“Crazy?”
Alex gave him a hint of a smile. “I was going to say incredible, but crazy works, too.”
Whatever word they used to describe the reality of all she’d learned, there was one thing that stood out among the rest. Coulter Morgan was so much more than the man he let her and the others see.
He was a patriot. A hero who literally risked his life in the name of justice. A protector who went above and beyond to avenge Zoe’s death.
Years later, he was still risking himself for the safety of others. All this time, she’d been so very wrong. And now that Alex knew the truth about the kind of man Colt truly was—
I want him even more.