Chapter 54 #2
“And a bit of revenge. I know it was probably unreasonable of me, but you became even more of a target for my anger. I loathed you. That the money would go to you . . . it made me furious. I had to figure out a way to make money without your father knowing. That’s when I decided to use him.
My sons helped me, they recruited other cops and brought them onboard.
They targeted officers that we thought we could corrupt and use.
Not that any of them knew about me. Malcolm, Robert, and Vince made it sound like every order came from your father. ”
Dear Lord.
Maya felt ill.
“I had some contacts with the cartels from my first marriage, but I knew it would take a while to build up their trust in me. So we started off smaller. Robert and Malcolm used the others to exploit people and businesses. Quietly at first, so nobody got wind of it. But in the last couple of years, those contacts with the cartel have come through and we’ve extended business.
But then your father started to get suspicious.
Not of me, but of some of his officers. I’ve been using his name for years, there are so many people in the city who thought they were doing business with him, buying his protection.
But really all the money came to me and my boys. ”
She was a terrible, awful person and Maya couldn’t believe she’d gotten away with this for as long as she had.
“My dad got suspicious?” she asked.
“He found out about some of the bribery and extortion happening among his cops. He was outraged, and started making all sorts of noises about looking into it. So I had to redirect him.”
“With threats,” Matthieu said.
Kathryn sighed. “I didn’t have time to think of anything else.
I admit I panicked and could have done better.
But I made the first two threats and he didn’t take them seriously.
So I decided to threaten his precious children.
And then I had Malcolm attempt to run him off the road.
” She shrugged. “It gave me what I wanted. But, unfortunately, mentioning you was my big mistake, Maya. He decided to hire a security company, who, for some reason, went and stuck their noses in my business. And some friend of yours, that no one will tell me the name of, went looking for Vince and scared him into becoming a blabbermouth.”
“But Vince hasn’t told anyone that it’s you,” Matthieu said.
“It’s only a matter of time,” Kathryn replied. “Like I said, he’s in love with me.”
“So why are you here telling us this?” Maya asked. “Why aren’t you running?” It seemed dumb to confess this to them.
“Just a bit of unfinished business.” Kathryn drew out a gun and pointed it at Maya.
Oh my God.
What the hell was she doing? She was going to shoot her?
Maya felt a laugh bubble in her chest, even though this wasn’t funny. It just seemed apt that this was what their relationship had come to.
“Uh-uh, don’t try to be the hero and jump in front of her,” Kathryn said to Matthieu. “I will shoot you both without hesitation.”
“This is a dumb move, Kathryn,” Matthieu told her quietly. “We have friends and they will come after you. You could have just left quietly without doing any of this.”
“Yes, that’s what I should have done. I should have left days ago. But until Vince was found it wasn’t necessary. I really thought Malcolm would find him first and take care of him.”
Holy heck. She’d sent Malcolm after Vince? To kill him?
“Then when he was caught I failed to leave quickly enough and was dragged into interviews. I was given a police officer for my protection. From what? Oh, and I had revenge burning in my stomach. It just didn’t feel right to leave without a little present for your father.
If I could have gotten to him, I would have.
He’s just so pathetic. Frankly, I deserve someone younger and more . . . virile.”
Oh God. This was it. She was going to die. Who would look after her babies? And Matthieu was going down with her.
This was terrible and she couldn’t think how to stop it.
What could she do?
She closed her eyes, bracing herself.
And nothing happened.
There was a soft thump and she opened her eyes, glancing down to find Kathryn lying on the floor, unconscious.
Matthieu had pulled his gun and was suddenly standing in front of her. “Who’s there? Where are you?”
“Just a friend,” a voice said.
What the heck?
“What h-happened?” she asked.
“Someone just shot Kathryn and I can’t see them,” Matthieu told her.
“Because I don’t want to be seen,” the voice said.
“And she’s not dead. Just tranquilized. I really wanted to kill her but Pup made me promise that I wouldn’t.
He’ll need to make that up to me. But I’m sure he will.
She’s knocked out and now you can call the cops and have her arrested.
The good cops, not the crooked ones. Not that I’m a fan of the police. Or the law.”
Maya couldn’t keep up. What was happening? Why had this man tranquilized Kathryn? And who was Pup?
“I gather we’re talking to the Fox,” Matthieu said tensely.
The Fox?
Oh my God.
The guy who had found Vince?
“Good guess and you can put the gun down. I’m not going to harm you. I care nothing for you. You don’t interest me, but Maya does. My Pup likes her. He admires what she does for her animals. And he wouldn’t be happy if something happened to her. So that’s why I’m here. To protect her.”
Matthieu slowly lowered his gun.
“Good call. I could have shot you dead at any time so your gun wasn’t really protecting you. Now, I’ve handed you everyone in a nice package. First, Vince. Now, Kathryn. I accept muffins as a thank you gift. Or cookies. You can leave them with my Pup.”
“Wait,” she said suddenly. If this was the Fox was the Pup Brody? It had to be, right? And the Fox had helped Maya again because of Brody? Thank God Brody liked her. “How are you here?”
The question didn’t come out quite right but she was having trouble gathering her thoughts together.
“Cameras,” the Fox said. “Brody has still been monitoring the cameras here. And the ones at your father’s house.”
“There are cameras at my father’s?” she asked.
“Hmm. I put them there. I knew it was her. I did some questioning while I had Vince. You don’t think it took me that long to find him, do you?
No, he was easy prey. But it wasn’t a simple job to question him without marking him.
I didn’t want any evidence. That takes skill and a bit more time.
I don’t have a lot of time now that I’m a family man. ”
A family man? Holy heck. She couldn’t even see him and she was terrified by him.
“Vince thought he was keeping the truth from me, but I didn’t need him to blurt it out.
I’m not stupid. I worked out that it was her pulling the ropes.
So I decided to watch her. She drugged the officer guarding her before she snuck out to come here tonight.
I don’t know how she knew you were here, but my guess would be that she probably bribed one of your neighbors to tell her if you returned.
I also put a tracker on her car, but I’d already guessed she was coming here.
So I decided I better follow. I have always had impeccable timing.
Now, I’ve got to go home and play a celebratory game of hide the sausage. If you know what I mean.”
Did she? Maybe?
Lord, she was so confused.
“Um, okay, bye,” she called out.
There was no answer and Matthieu turned to her, pulling her close to him. He started speaking in rapid French and the only words that she could understand were the swear words.
So she just hugged him back, tight.
She understood the sentiment. She was glad that he was all right, too.
Finally, he lifted her and kissed her. Hard.
“Je t’aime, Bébé,” he said.
Yeah. She knew that one.
“I love you, too.”