11. Cash

11

CASH

I paced the office, desperately trying to find a way to get the answers I needed. If Kavanaugh didn’t go through with the deal the senator made, I might never find out who was behind The Syndicate’s operations.

I needed to think like Rafe. If he was in my position, what would he do? Probably manipulate some more or threaten someone. What did I have on Kavanaugh? I grabbed his file out of my cabinet and went through everything I knew about him.

Military service—exceptional. I already knew about the senator. He was a smarmy fucker, but I wasn’t sure how I could use that against him. Kavanaugh didn’t give a fuck about the senator, so blackmail wouldn’t work. There was nothing in his history as far as mistakes he had made or accidents?—

I cocked my head in thought, remembering a night years ago when Kavanaugh got drunk off his ass and spilled the beans about something his father did, and how it affected his brother. I knew I did research on it afterward and shoved it…

I rushed over to my lockbox, digging the key out of my pocket. I kept files of shit I didn’t want revealed in here. It wasn’t the most secure location, but my previous spot had been blown up, and this little box was all that survived. I dug through the contents, finally seeing what I was looking for.

My heart hammered in excitement as I read through the file. This was exactly what I needed. I would get that information, and if Kavanaugh wasn’t willing to help me, I wasn’t above using this to sway him.

“You look like the cat that got the canary.”

Speak of the devil. I looked up, slapping the folder closed before stuffing it back in the lockbox and closing it. “Something I can help you with? I thought you’d be long gone by now.”

“I thought about the deal with the senator.”

Adapting Rafe’s casual approach, I nodded like it wasn’t a big deal. “And?”

“And I can’t do it.”

Disappointment surged through me. I really had hoped we could do this the easy way. The last thing I wanted was to burn bridges. After all, when shit went down, I needed a few good men on my side. And if Kavanaugh walked, chances were that Eli and Red would walk, too.

“Why am I not surprised?” I asked as I started shutting things down for the night.

“Cash, I know how badly you want this, but I can’t do it. Not just because of my personal relationship with the senator, but because there are others to consider.”

That was fucking hilarious. “Like Isla? You’ve been fucking her, what—a month, and she suddenly trumps the rest of us?”

His whole body went rigid at my words. I hit my mark. That was good.

“She’s not just some woman I’ve been fucking. And she’s already been through a bunch of shit that I wasn’t around for because of the first deal I made. And look at where that got us.”

“Yes, your father is a lying piece of shit,” I muttered. “But we already knew that.”

“Then you can understand why I can’t risk it again.”

I slammed a folder down on the desk and cut him a glare. “No, not particularly. If the senator is telling the truth, that means there’s someone even more evil out there just waiting to ruin someone else’s life. Dozens, maybe thousands of lives. Are you telling me you’re perfectly fine with whoever this is getting away with that shit? Aren’t those the people we’re supposed to defend?”

“But that’s not what we’re doing, is it? Let’s be real, Cash. This isn’t about protecting others. This is about revenge, plain and simple. You want to take down anyone involved in Rafe’s murder. You don’t give a shit about defending the weak.”

“And I’m supposed to feel bad for your girlfriend, I suppose? Hold her hand and watch her cry because her husband tried to kill her, is that right? Or maybe you need me to help you protect her. How many men have you put on watching her? How often have you had guys driving past the house to make sure no one suspicious is hanging around?”

His jaw tightened in anger. “I don’t know, Cash. How many of us risked our lives when you went after Eva? Now you want us to go ten steps farther with Rafe.”

“When Isla is murdered, you can complain to me about how I use my resources. Until then, stick to what you know.”

A huff of laughter left his lips as he shook his head. “You really are a bastard.”

“So they tell me.”

“You’re more and more like Rafe every fucking day.”

Thank God for that because the only way I was going to win this was to be more like him. The old Cash had left the building. All I could do now was think like him and do what was necessary. There was no room for feelings in any of this. Which brought me to my next point.

“Tell me, Kavanaugh, did you consider what would happen now that the senator is running for the presidency?”

“In what way?” he asked, not sure where I was going with this.

“I mean, now that his darkest secrets are going to be revealed. Maybe even some you’re not comfortable with the world knowing.”

“I don’t give a fuck what secrets get out about the senator.”

“Even the secrets about your brother?”

His face drained of color as he stared at me. “That’s fucking low.”

I shrugged, not really caring at this point. “Your brother nearly killed a classmate. If word got out that the senator covered it up, paid off local LEOs to cover it all up and sent that poor woman to prison…that would look very bad. And your brother?—”

“Is already dead,” he snarled, trying to turn this around.

“Yes, he’s dead, but the girl is very much alive and, from what I understand, is living a life very beneath the one she should have had before your brother fucked it all up. I wonder what she would think about all this?” I said, peering thoughtfully at the ceiling. “It’s interesting the things people will do in anger. A woman stripped of what should have been a very promising career, all because of the ambitions of one man. I imagine she would do almost anything to destroy the lives of anyone even remotely related to the senator.”

I made eye contact and let him see all the hatred and anger simmering underneath. I barely had control of it anymore. The top was going to blow soon if I didn’t find a way to end this.

“Maybe she would even go after the senator’s other son in retaliation. And anyone he loved.”

His fists clenched hard at his sides. I’d never seen Kavanaugh quite so worked up as I did right now. He was either going to side with me or force my hand. Either way, I would get what I needed.

“We’re done,” he said, his voice low and cutting. “From this day on, you don’t speak to me ever again.”

“I guess you’ll have to say goodbye to those protection services for your girlfriend. OPS won’t be continuing to work with her. Someone will be by within the hour to dismantle everything.”

“All because I won’t help you destroy lives? Who are you?”

I glanced back up at him. “I’m exactly who I was meant to be.”

“No, this isn’t you. This is some fucked up version of Rafe talking. But he’s dead and?—”

“I am well aware that he’s dead,” I snapped. “I don’t need the reminder.”

“If you do this, we’re over. That’s it. There’s no going back.”

No going back. There never was in life and death situations. You were either all in or all out. And the choices we made defined the rest of our lives. My life changed the day I pulled the trigger. It set off a cascade effect that would inevitably end with the destruction of lives. It couldn’t be helped, and frankly, I had no desire to stop it.

“The moment I pulled the trigger, there was no going back.”

It only took a moment for him to decide. Then he turned and walked out the door. I picked up my phone and dialed my father. “We need to meet. I have something I can use.”