CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

"What the fuck was she thinking?" he yelled across the room. "Didn't you make it clear she was never to do something like this?"

"You know that I did. She obviously listened to her brother and not me. I can't find her anywhere. None of the celebrity rehab centers are admitting that she's a patient and even the university is being hush-hush about it. I've got nothing."

"Fuck her. If she calls, tell her that her chances are zero now. Zero!"

"No problem. How is Raelynn?"

"Fine. Not fine. We practically have to force-feed her, and now she's demanding that I give her the part in the spy thriller. She doesn't have the energy to shoot one scene, let alone an entire movie."

"I don't want to point out the obvious, but we did this to her. She only needed to lose ten or twenty pounds, not sixty. She can't be on camera until we get her off this shit," said Roper.

"I'm well aware. Thank you," he frowned. Roper just shrugged his shoulders, not saying anything.

"Karesh was picked up by the feds this morning," said Roper quietly. The other man sat back in the big leather desk chair, staring at him. "So far, he hasn't said a word, but they're pressing him pretty hard. He's gonna lose his license, his practice, everything. They found all the bottles on his property but nothing that indicated where he got them. If he knows what's good for him, he'll keep his mouth shut."

"He doesn't know anything except the drugs work and made him rich. Make sure he keeps his mouth shut. One way or another. What about the Marines? Where are they?"

"I told you. I cannot find them. None of them. It's like they were sent away and completely disappeared off the face of the earth."

"They were the first ones out there, and I was standing right in front of them. I know they recognized me."

"Maybe not," he shrugged. "I mean, it was dark. There was a lot happening. If they recognized you, they would have already come for you or made an announcement. I think we need to let this go."

"I'm not letting shit go! I need them dead."

"I'll keep looking," he nodded. "Is the new site up and running?"

"Yep," he smiled. "I was out there today. Got twice as many boys working, and they want money and the drugs. Not the weight loss shit, just the opioids. Who would've thought an unknown formula could make us so rich?"

"I damn sure have more money than I ever thought I would. Enough that I could disappear if needed."

"Don't disappear yet. We've got some work to do. Once I can talk about all this, I'll have all the celebs knocking on my door. They'll want me and no one else. I'll be back in the spotlight and the hero of my own movie." Roper stared at him and turned, leaving him to his own thoughts.

"Or the villain of your own end."