Chapter 30
Killian
Pierce leans his head back against the wall and looks away from us.
“A few months ago, before Shawn McCoy was shot, I made a bad decision,” he says slowly. “I met this woman in a bar downtown after a business meeting one evening and we..I-“
“You fucked her,” I spit impatiently.
Pierce winces and has the nerve to look offended.
“I’m just saying what you did,” I growl. “Don’t act like a boy scout now, Crowell. Get to the damn point.”
“I know, I know,” he responds. “So a week after I..slept with this woman, I got an envelope sent to my job. I had screwed up and mentioned I worked there when we were talking at the bar. In the envelope, there were pictures of the woman and me in the hotel room I took her too. There was a letter from her threatening to send copies straight to Celani next time if I didn’t pay her. ”
Malakai scoffs. “So you got hustled.”
Pierce flexes his jaw and ignores Malakai’s jab.
“I paid her,” he says, running a hand through his hair and leaving it disheveled. “But then a few weeks later, she sent me a text message. I have no clue how she even got my personal number, and this time..”
He trails off looking sick as he remembers it all.
“It was a video of her and I together in the hotel. She recorded everything like a freaking.. porno. And she wanted more money! I ignored the message at first, but she kept harassing me. Texting me day after day. But then the messages stopped. I was hoping she gave up and moved on to her next victim. But then one night after work I was going to my car, and this man in a ski mask showed up in the parking garage.”
The hairs on my arms rise even though I already know where this story is going.
“He cornered me and said the woman I slept with worked for him. He said if I didn’t pay him that he would send the pictures and video straight to Celani’s phone,” Pierce continues, shaking his head in disgust. “He knew where I worked, and where we lived. They figured out my position at Boslin, so he told me that I could afford a lot more than what they originally got from me. I was so pissed. The kind of cash he was demanding was more than I could get on short notice.”
I give him a doubtful look and he frowns. “Look, I got a good signing bonus for this job, and I make good money. But I’ve-I guess I..”
“Still lived beyond your means?” I finish for him, gesturing to the ridiculously large property around us.
“Right,” he admits, reluctantly. “I thought this guy was just some pimp running a scam who got lucky finding me. So finally I just said, ‘to hell with them’. I told him I wasn’t going to pay him another cent.
If they wanted to send the evidence to Celani then I’d just deal with the consequences. But he didn’t like that answer.”
I nod for him to continue and his gaze falls past us out the back windows.
“He told me that wasn’t good enough. He told me that his boss wouldn’t be happy if he didn’t collect on what he ‘knew’ I had to offer,” he explains solemnly.
“Turns out this guy works for someone much bigger than him, and this scam artist that slept with me. He said his boss would make Celani watch the video in person if I didn’t pay. Then they would..they would..”
He shakes his head, unable to finish his words.
“Motherfucker,” I rumble, hatred filling my veins at the thought of anyone threatening my woman.
Pierce looks back at us and nods. “I had no other choice then. It’s not like I could go to the police. I started to put money together, and I called a friend of a friend to get the best security I could find. But that is also draining me financially,” he says, rubbing his temples.
“So Shawn McCoy’s death ended up being a perfect cover for why you needed us here,” Malakai says.
Pierce blows out a heavy breath. “I just needed more time to give these people the money they want, and I didn’t feel safe.
You didn’t know it, but a few weeks ago you actually took me to meet with the man who cornered me in the parking garage.
He made me come alone to bring part of the money to him, then he was livid that I hadn’t brought more. ”
I narrow my eyes at him. “And you met with him again the other Sunday. We tracked your car there,” I add.
“I did yes. I gave him more from my savings and hoped I could reason with him but he still wasn’t listening,” he responds grimly.
“My time is running out, Killian. But I’ll ask my parents for help now.
I’ll get these people what they need,” he says, and I’m not sure if he’s trying to reassure me, or himself.
He steps closer cautiously to Malakai and me.
“You have to understand the absolute hell that I’ve been going through. I can barely function at work. I know what you think about me, but I love Celani, and I would never let anything happen to her. This was my mistake to deal with on my own.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Right. You love her so much you belittle her about not being able to have your kid,” I snap. “You love her so much that you stuck your dick in another woman.”
He scowls at me looking unremorseful and his feelings become clear to me.
It’s not the cheating or the way he has treated Celani that he regrets.
It’s the way this situation has drained him financially, and caused him stress that he regrets.
I contemplate choking the shit out of him and just answering to Celani after I bury him.
Malakai places a hand on my shoulder, encouraging me to stay calm while he takes over getting information.
“How much longer have these people given you to get them the rest of the money?” Malakai asks.
Pierce shifts on his feet. “Five more days.”
Tension shoots its way back into my shoulders. “Five days?” I growl. “And you thought they’d really just be done with you after you magically produce this money again?”
Pierce lifts his chin, looking confused. “Why wouldn’t they be? They will have what they want.”
Malakai and I exchange a look that says what an absolute imbecile we both think he is.
The doorbell rings and I send a ‘thank you’ to the powers above that this part of our plan is over. I move until I’m standing in front of Pierce and his panicked eyes look around me towards the front hallway.
“Wh-who is that?” he asks, stepping backwards.
“Stay right here,” I demand, ignoring his question. “Don’t try to do anything stupid, or this time Malakai will be the one with his hand on your throat, and he won’t be nearly as sweet about it as I was.”
He shrinks back from me seeing that my threat isn’t even close to being empty. I glance at Malakai before heading to open the front door. I let Orion inside, and he follows behind me silently to where Pierce is pacing the floor like a madman.
Pierce turns his head when Orion and I approach him and his eyes grow wide.
“Who is he?” He asks, panic rising in his voice. “What’s going on, Killian?”
I walk over to him and motion to the hallway. “You have five minutes to go upstairs and pack your shit so we can get out of here. And give him your phone.”
Pierce lets out a humorless laugh, looking between the three of us.
“Pack?! To go where?” He exclaims. “I’ve told you guys everything, so why won’t you answer anything I’m asking?”
My patience for him withers up and dies, and I give him a look that makes him recoil and step backwards.
“You may be completely blind to what you’ve gotten yourself into, and who we really are.
But trust me, you’ve gotten into something deeper than you can get yourself out of without us,” I say.
“The people in charge of this ‘little’ scam you got into are not amateurs, or small-time pimps. They run one of the biggest theft and fraud rings in this state, and eat little white collar, pencil pushing, dicks like you for dinner, and leave no crumbs behind. Not even enough to bury a bone.”
Pierce’s face turns ashen and he slowly shakes his head. “No,” he says in disbelief. “You found out who they are?”
“Yes. Now like I just said, go upstairs and pack whatever you can fit in a bag. I’m doing you a favor because Celani doesn’t want to see you dead,” I explain, grabbing him by the shoulder of his suit and dragging him to the hallway.
“Otherwise you would be here on your own after what you’ve done to her. ”
I stop at the bottom of the stairs and shove him towards them while Malakai and Orion come up behind me.
“I called in a favor to Orion. He’s an ex-Navy Seal, and an old family friend. He will take you to a place where you can be safe until we sort everything out,” I explain.
“Sort..everything out?” Pierce asks, looking dumbfounded, and on the verge of a panic attack. “What are you going to do? What about my job? A-and Celani?”
“Your job isn't my concern. And Celani, is not yours,” I respond coolly.
He blinks at me, “Not mine?” He asks, realization dawning on his face. “You..no. NO! You can’t have her! I've been trying to fix all of this for her!” He screams, as I head to the front door with Malakai.
I look down at my watch and look back over to him as Orion pushes him to go up the stairs.
“Now you have three minutes.”