RAIN
Chapter forty-nine
Adjusting my black coat, I step out of the elevator.
“Mr Weston!” Faith, the front secretary calls as I pass her desk and continue past the glass wall of offices to my right. “Mr Weston! He’s in a meeting!”
“I appreciate the directions, Miss Jose.”
Her heels click on the light floorboards as she chases after me, the scene causing a few to stop and stare. I continue round the dark wooden pillar that extends from the ground floor all the way to the twentieth.
My father catches me approaching as he sits at the head of the table. His team of four lawyers follow his gaze when I swing open the conference room door and step to the opposite end of the large glass table. “Do you wish for them to witness this?”
He stares at my enraged body, dismissing them. They file out of the room, the glass door threatening to shatter with their abrupt exit.
“I commend you on your moves.” I smile.
“Of which you’ll need to refresh my memory, son. I make many.”
“Placing me in Rome’s proximity that night, purely with the intent to secure his estate.”
He doesn’t falter against my newfound knowledge. “Business is business.”
“All you care for is money and power.”
“I have taught you that you cannot live in society’s confines of good and evil. You use the rules to play your own game. You kill your opposition and fight for what you want, because if you don’t, what’s the fucking point? This game with Rome is one we can both win.”
“This isn’t about fucking winning,” I snap, promptly calming myself before I shatter this table with his face.
“You were trying to use a gentle and kind person to increase your fortune. It’s the only thing you’ve sought since Mum died.
Money can buy a lot, but it can’t fill that fucking hole in your chest.”
His jaw tightens as he moves toward the wall of windows. “Look down there and tell me what you see, Rain.”
I stay rooted in place. “Invisible cages. Mind control and manipulation through media and technology, money and influence. The promise of an impossible dream.” I shake my head with a dry laugh. “Find somewhere else to build your fucking apartments.”
“It’s a prime location, Rain. Close to the city, but not a far commute. Most of the residents surrounding Rome’s grandfather’s estate have already agreed to the offered price. His just happens to be right in the fucking middle.”
Chaos beyond the glass wall pulls his attention from the view.
I lift my chin. “You might want to pull their offers off the table.”
Despite his calm demeanour, the protruding vein in his neck discloses his internal rage. “What the fuck have you done?”
“Shut down your entire system. Payments can’t be made or received, your emails can’t be sent, your lawyers can’t access their confidential information.”
“You do not want to make an enemy of me, son.”
“Truthfully, Dad, I don’t think you’ve seen me as a son since the day I hacked this branch. You see me as a weapon, and you see Blade as a killing machine.”
He lifts his chin. “Then you should know Blade will go after whomever I order. Tell me, Rain, was it smart to leave Rome home alone?”
I raise my voice louder. “I don’t know—was it?”
The door clicks open behind me. “Doubt it,” Blade says, “but is he home right now?”
Dad’s body tightens. “I gave you a deal, Blade.”
“As tempting as it was, I had no guarantee you would follow through, and I don’t go against Rain.”
That’s the nicest thing Blade has ever said about me.
I take out the rolled-up pages and pen from inside my jacket and step toward my father. “Blade and I will become shareholders; therefore, you will pay us a dividend.” I calmly place the pages on the table.
He looks at the contract disgusted. “You are aware you need to invest to become a shareholder.”
“We’ve paid our dues.”
“You’ve been fairly compensated,” Dad spits.
“You sign this, you let Rome be, and…”
“You do not interfere when I go back to LA,” Blade finishes.
“Or,” I smile, “I will drain your precious bank accounts and keep your system down.”
“My own sons are stealing from me and trying to blackmail me?”
“Business is business. You were going to send people after Rome, and I do not take kindly to that.”
“And what about Ezra Smith? Hmm? How do you plan to find him without my resources?”
“Three moves ahead, right?”
“Why do you think I took over your men on watching Ryan White?” Blade laughs. “I needed some balls in my court. That day we met we had an agreement, Aaron. Don’t make a deal you aren’t sure won’t backfire.”
“This is fucking unbelievable,” Dad scoffs.
I tap the pen on the page. “You still keep the company and make money. We’re just…evolving old methods.”
“Sign,” Blade commands.
My father loses the high head and composure he holds so tightly as he snatches the pen, signing on the lines I’ve already marked.
Plastered against the wall, my gaze locks to the widening crack.
The creak of the front door echoes through the silent house, the moonlight threatening to eat away at the shadow concealing me.
Forcing my breaths to quiet against my mask, I watch him step in and throw the door shut.
Lurching forward, I snatch the gun from his holster and raise mine to the side of his head.
Blade’s gloved hand is wrapped over his mouth, his elbow crooked around his neck.
“So nice to see you, Officer Davis,” I taunt.
His heavy breaths strain against Blade’s gloves, the moonlight spilling in through the living room window revealing his pissed off expression.
“If you’re a good boy, I won’t duct-tape your mouth shut. If you scream, I may just use said duct-tape to give you a new haircut, if you catch my drift.” He has fuck all hair left anyway. He’s only fifty but looks on the verge of a casket.
“Nod for option one, scream for option two,” Blade explains.
He nods slowly. The clicking of his own cuffs jolt through the tense silence as his hands are restrained behind his back and Blade forces him to sit on the sofa.
He’s on a cop’s salary, and I’m wondering how many bribes he’s taken to afford his house. The land—while not as big as what Blade and I live on—is still a few acres.
“My wife will be home soon,” he spits.
I laugh and take a seat on the coffee table before him. “Your wife is in Wales visiting your daughter.”
He snarls, relaxing back.
I open my mouth to speak, but the crinkling of a packet and the following crunching stops me. I glare over my shoulder at Blade relaxed in a chair, mask string around his wrist while he shovels potato chips into his mouth.
“Really?” I deadpan. “Where did you even get those?”
“Vending machine.”
Turning back to Graham and drowning out Blade, I slide the laptop out from beneath the sofa and hold it up.
“What I find interesting, Graham, is that you have an encrypted laptop even I can’t get into.
” He bares his teeth, looking more like a poodle rather than the lion he’s attempting to portray.
“Ezra Smith gave you this for communication, which is why you were the one to attend when Blade was in the hospital. It’s also why you showed up as ‘added backup’ when you got word Blade and I were present at Rome Aston’s home. ”
I’d tried for over an hour to get into this laptop, and while I pride myself on my skills with electronic devices, my knowledge fell short on this one.
I know, it hurts me too.
“What I want to know is what he has over you?” I toss the laptop beside him. “Threatening your wife? Your daughter? Which is it?” Graham lets out a rough laugh, looking at the laptop, but doesn’t speak. “Perhaps the help of a promotion,” I supply for him.
His jaw tightens.
I suspected as such. He’s currently Chief Constable and applied for the position of Commander two months ago, only to be turned down.
The job was awarded to someone else, and he’s negotiated a deal with Smith to help him move up the ranks.
I suspect Smith is sabotaging Graham’s higher-ranking officer by deleting logged files, which would leave an evidentiary hole come prosecution of those awaiting trial.
Graham’s boss would be portrayed as unfit and removed from their position, leaving it wide open for him.
His ego blinds the obvious: he was turned down due to incompetence.
“Here’s what’s going to happen.” I lean forward, and he snarls in return. “You’re going to give me the password to that laptop. I will set up a meeting with our dear friend Ezra Smith—”
“We’ve never met in person,” he fires back. “You don’t think that will strike as a little suspicious?”
“There’s a first time for everything,” Blade replies, moving to sit beside Graham and chewing in his ear.
Graham pulls back, disgusted, but Blade grips his neck, holding him in place.
Blade’s usual tactic to gain information is torture, and since those gruesome events can’t unfold in this situation, he’s bored. So, he’s being his usual dickish self and pissing everyone off.
“Password,” I demand.
Graham side eyes Blade, who tips the small bag back, shaking the remaining contents into his mouth.
Growing forever irritated, I tap my gun against Graham’s temple. “I find your company incredibly dull and would rather not spend more time with you than needed. Unless you want him gutting you for entertainment, I suggest you start complying.”
We can’t kill him. Unfortunately, he’s a pawn I need on the board, but he won’t be privy to such information.
“Primrose3,” he begrudgingly concedes.
Taking the laptop, I enter the password and navigate through to find their recent communications. Most of it is Graham asking for updates on his promotion and supplying little information about me and Blade in return.
I type a new message and hit send.
Me: We have a problem.
Unknown: Can you do anything right?
Me: I don’t trust that this is secure.
Unknown: It is. Tell me the problem, or I’ll find someone else.
Me: I overheard Rain is some type of cyber genius or something, which makes me doubt this security.
Unknown: Rain is nothing but a weak version of his father and not as intellectual as many portray him to be. Now what is the problem?
Seems prison has made Ezra a little sour.
Me: The Astons are still under intense security. I haven’t been able to infiltrate their residence.
Unknown: This is novice work I’ve tasked you with, yet you’re incapable of flashing a badge and kidnapping a teenage girl.
I’d gifted Lucy, Indie, and Kilah a bouquet of flowers each.
Lucy’s vase contained a small camera, so I’d have eyes inside their home.
Ten minutes ago, I watched through the neighbour’s camera as Dad’s men got in their cars and left the house unprotected, so I’ve paid Xander to monitor the property in the meantime.
Graham didn’t even attempt to conceal himself; he was driving near the Aston household in his goddamn patrol car.
I type my reply while Blade whistles a haunting tune.
Me: I’ll keep what information I have and use it for myself. The Westons are criminals, and it’s only a matter of time before I prove their illegal activities and gain the promotion on my own.
Unknown: Do that, and your daughter dies.
Good to know.
Me: Don’t fucking touch her.
Unknown: She’s a pretty little thing. If you want her to see her twentieth birthday, then stop fucking around.
I internally sigh and type the next message while Blade continues describing Alexa’s eyes to Graham.
Me: The Westons are a family we both want stripped of everything. Name a place and time and I’ll give you the information. Once the exchange is done, I want a guarantee my daughter will not be harmed and that our agreed terms will be met.
Unknown: I’ll send you an address tomorrow night.
Changing the password to the laptop, I toss it to the sofa again.
“Turns out we’re going to have that field trip after all,” I say, taking out my phone and showing him the image of his wife and daughter.
“We’ll be here tomorrow night. If you make any move to tip off Ezra, your family dies. Understand?”
He grinds his teeth but nods in agreement. The slap of leather on flesh brings a smile to my face as I tap his cheek. “I could have gotten you that promotion by now. You chose the wrong side, Graham.”
Blade stands with me, both of us moving toward the door.
“My fucking hands, you prick,” Graham screeches.
Blade tosses the key to Graham’s feet. “Have fun.”
Graham’s curses follow us out the door.