Chapter 83 Ty #2
Isaiah looked up from his notes, meeting my gaze. “With this new information, I might be able to find Liam. I still can’t make any promises, but I’m much more confident now. I’ll be in touch soon.” He grabbed his jacket and strode out of the office without another word.
I was learning Isaiah wasn’t the most talkative person, but I had to hand it to the bastard, he didn’t drag his ass. When he had an assignment, he dived in feet first.
Liza had been quiet up until that point, but suddenly she burst into hysterical laughter.
I stared at her with wide eyes before looking across the room at my father. We exchanged a bewildered glance before turning our attention back to her.
Liza’s laughter quickly dissolved into a rant. “Of course, my father was a cheater. I mean, why the fuck not? He was already a mob boss, doing who the fuck knows what. What’s the harm in adding a cheater to the damn mix?”
Her words hung heavily in the room. Her emotions were on a teetering point. I had to help her calm down. I knelt in front of her, my hands resting gently on her knees.
Tears streamed down her face. “I promise I’m not sad or mad. I’m just so damn frustrated. Did my parents ever stop to think about any of their actions and how they would affect their children?”
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
I couldn’t answer her, literally having nothing to contribute. Unfortunately, I never got to meet Liza’s parents, but after hearing what Dad had told us, and now Isabel’s account of Liza’s father cheating, I found myself questioning their morals.
When Liza stood, I followed suit, studying her closely.
Her tear-streaked face showed no signs of weakness, only determination.
I didn’t want to annoy her, but my instincts picked up the same scent I noticed when she had an angry flare in front of the loiterers at her office and when she was pissed at Bryce.
The therapist wanted me to watch for signs and try to assist Liza in calming down, so that was exactly what I intended to do.
Liza turned on her heels and held up a hand. “Calm down, Ty. I’m not going to completely lose my shit, even though I honestly feel like it’s warranted. If anything was going to make me blow up, this would have been it, right? You can take a step back. I promise, I’m okay.”
I could see the truth in her eyes. She wasn’t okay. She was as far fucking from it as you could get.
Clenching her hands into fists, Liza turned to face the door Isaiah had just walked out of. The fire in her eyes was unmistakable. “Isaiah needs to find my brother,” she said, her voice unwavering. “I don’t care what it takes.”
With that, Liza stormed off down the hall.
I watched as she stomped into our bedroom and slammed the door.
The anger radiating from her exit was obvious.
Dad rubbed his arms as he stared after her with wide eyes, and I could only nod in agreement.
We’d both felt it, that wave of an alpha’s essence growing stronger within her.
It was fucking scary.
With her safely in her room and away from others, I grabbed my keys from the desk.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Dad stared at me in confusion.
“I’m going to the building Liam is trying to buy.” It was on the other side of town, so the thought of bringing Liza along tugged at me. Maybe a change of scenery would help get her head into a more positive space. She obviously needed her space, though, and I didn’t want to bother her.
I turned to Bryce, who had been quietly observing everything from a corner. He narrowed his eyes at me. “What are you looking at?”
“Come on. You’re with me.”
As we drove toward the warehouse, Bryce shot me a curious glance. “What exactly are you hoping to find out here?”
“I’m not sure,” I said, the steering wheel squeaking under my grip. “I just want to understand why Liam is so interested in it. He could have purchased any building, anywhere, so why a factory that makes fidget toys? A factory that belongs to Keller Industries?”
The twenty-minute drive gave me some time to consider the connections between Liam, the Russell LLC, and my seemingly insignificant business. There had to be something more to it. Some hidden thing that connected Liam back to Liza.
We pulled into the empty parking lot and parked in front of the main entrance. The building was closed for the workday, but I had a master key.
“Let’s see what we can find.” Unlocking the door, we stepped inside.
The factory floor was quiet and still, with rows of machinery standing dormant like silent sentinels.
There was nothing particularly special about the place; just another production line churning out the latest trend.
The metal framework stretched high above, supporting the ceiling and various ventilation systems. A few workstations were scattered throughout, each with their own set of tools and equipment.
“Doesn’t look like anything special.” Bryce echoed my thoughts.
“Let’s check the office,” I suggested, leading the way toward a small room at the far end of the factory floor. It was cramped, cluttered with paperwork and files. I sifted through them, searching for anything that might reveal why Liam was so interested in this place.
“Tim went through the financial statements, but maybe he missed something.” My fingers danced over spreadsheets and invoices, looking for any hint of a financial anomaly, but there was no significant wealth to be gained by buying out this company.
It was just another mediocre business in a sea of similar ventures.
“Nothing here,” I muttered, frustration gnawing at me. Why did Liam want this place? What was he hiding?
Before Bryce could reply, a sudden noise from the factory floor tore through the silence, making us both jump. We exchanged a glance before racing out to investigate.
As we neared the source of the sound, the pungent smell of smoke hit us like a wall. One of the machines had caught a spark, and the small flame was greedily licking at its metal frame.
“What the fuck?” I scanned the factory floor, trying to come up with a plan of action. Panic surged through me as I grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher, Bryce doing the same.
Together, we aimed at the growing blaze and pulled the triggers. The cold spray shot out violently, smothering the flames and choking out their oxygen supply. Within moments, the fire was out, leaving only wisps of smoke in its wake.
Breathing heavily, I stood there with my hands on my hips. Gods, what would have happened if we hadn’t been there? The entire factory could have burned to the ground.
“I don’t understand what the hell just happened.” I turned to Bryce. “How could the equipment spontaneously burst into flames when everything was turned off?”
Bryce rubbed his chin and looked around. “Wait. I’ve got an idea.” He disappeared into one of the back rooms, returning a few minutes later with a triumphant look on his face. “The noise we heard earlier was a circuit breaking.”
“Shit. How is that possible?” I frowned. I was meticulous about maintenance for all my companies. Our machinery was top tier. Nothing broke on a whim, and it sure as shit didn’t catch fire out of damn thin air.
“Accidents happen,” Bryce said. “Maybe maintenance missed that and one of the circuits was faulty.”
“Maybe,” I said reluctantly. “Sure, accidents happen, but something about this doesn’t sit right with me.
With everything going on with Liam, I wonder if it was done on purpose.
What are the chances a fire would break out at the exact time we were here?
” I locked eyes with Bryce, whose expression turned serious.
“I’m putting Isaiah on this. We need answers.”