Chapter 36

Keelan

B rian kept his word and met me on the north side of Ironwood Cemetery at eleven p.m. Thanks to his connections, we were able to disable the security cameras along the fence. We had two hours to get to the grave and dig up the files.

If we were right and they’re actually in there.

As he approached, I saw the distinct limp in his left leg, and sinister delight trickled down my spine. The fucker deserved so much worse, but I promised Sadie I wouldn’t kill him. Instead, I made him walk from the entrance to this side of the cemetery.

“You’re three minutes late,” I said, making no effort to hide the snark in my voice. I smelled his cologne when he got closer, and my neck started to itch.

Everything about this man makes me want to kill him.

As if he could see the irritation in my eyes, Brian’s mouth twisted into a grimace. “I would have gotten here faster if someone didn’t shoot my fucking toe off my foot. Not to mention the fifteen stitches in my left shoulder. That was the most pleasant part of the experience.”

“You deserve worse, asshole,” I snarled. “Did you bring the tools?”

“Two shovels and a crowbar if we need to open the casket.” Brian held up a burlap bag. “Where’s the headstone?”

Taking out a small flashlight, I waved for him to follow me, and we headed toward the mausoleum. I was tempted to bash Brian over the head and dump him in an available open pit, but again, Sadie wouldn’t be happy. So, I decided to behave for her sake. After a few minutes of scanning headstones, I found Randall.

Since the headstone had been installed over a decade earlier, a fair amount of dirt and grime had built up on the white marble, slightly obscuring the name. But I recognized the engraving and dates instantly. I shone my flashlight on the ground, where they laid Randall to rest.

I gestured to the overgrown and dried out grass around the headstone. “This is it.”

Brian slung the bag from his uninjured shoulder and dropped it. He kneeled to unzip the bag, and when he reached for the first shovel, I grabbed his forearm.

“No funny business, Brian,” I said, speaking his name like it was bitter acid on my tongue. “We have a deal to keep us both out of prison. Once we dig up the files, you’ll take any evidence linked to you, and that’s it. The rest will go to the agents who aren’t in Finn’s pocket. After that, we’re done. You are done with Sadie. Understand me? The only reason you breathe is because of that woman’s kindness. ”

Brian looked at me with sadness and understanding in his eyes. Not that I gave a fuck about his feelings. “Agreed,” he replied.

I took the shovel from him, walked over to the grave, holding the blade over the grass, and drove it deep into the earth. “Dig.”

Over an hour later, we had dug at least four feet into the ground when Brian’s shovel hit something hollow. We glanced at each other and started digging faster. Soon, a three-foot-long box appeared. Brian set the shovel down and carefully climbed into the hole while I trained my light on the spot. He brushed aside the clumps of mud and pulled the box free. It was a short gray storage bin often used to store documents and other valuables from the elements.

“Thank God,” Brian sighed. “I didn’t want to have to crack open a coffin and get the files from a dead guy.”

Despite my burning hatred of Brian, I chuckled. I didn’t need Randall’s ghost following me around after all this shit. So, he got to stay undisturbed.

I reached down and grabbed the box, hoisted it over the hole’s edge, and set it down next to the headstone. Brian scrambled out and limped to my side. I looked at him and grinned, showing all my teeth. “Alright,” I gestured at the dirt-caked bin, “open it and get your files out. We’re running out of time.”

Brian snapped the locks free from the lid and pulled the bin open. My jaw dropped at the sight of three thick stacks of folders inside. Patrick had collected everything about our families. Brian started flipping through the labels until his name came up. It was a blue folder with an “employee” tag on the cover. Brian opened the folder and started sorting through the documents and photos, his face growing pale under my flashlight.

“So, tell me, what does Finn have on you that makes you his loyal pet?” I asked. “You must have done something awful to earn a folder here.”

“Yeah, I did.” Brian’s jaw ticked as he met my eyes. “Do you remember the news about the CEO of EnviTel dying in that car fire five years ago?”

I nodded hesitantly. “Yeah, they ruled it an accident.…” My voice trailed off.

“Well, it wasn’t.”

Oh shit.

“The company sold to Finn after the accident,” I replied. “He acquired a fuckton of clients because of that merger.”

“Yeah, he sure did. I killed a lot of Finn’s competitors in the eight years since I joined the Bureau and his employ. Finn said he would commission your dad to hide my crimes in a painting. But he lied. Instead, he kept all the documents and photos as a way to blackmail me into compliance before Patrick stole them. Once I retrieved his daughter, he would destroy them.”

Everyone in the Blake family speculated Patrick was gathering evidence to use against his father, so he wouldn’t be forced to do business with him any longer. But that was only scratching the surface. Patrick was fucking fed up. I had no idea it went this deep. I honestly expected maybe a packet of files on a few big players, but not this .

“Good thing we got to these, then,” I said. I pulled out an orange lighter from my jeans and tossed it to Brian. “Burn your files, and let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Brian nodded, flicking the lighter until a small gold-yellow flame danced to life. He held the folder over the fire until the paper started to smoke. He dropped the smoldering folder on the ground, turning it into a ball of bright light as the embers consumed all of Brian’s sins. Within minutes, the folder was a pile of ashes. Brian kicked them into the hole and picked up his shovel.

“Let’s bury this poor bastard, and I’ll call my colleague at the Bureau to meet me at the gate to pick up the files.”

“You’re sure that they can be trusted?” I eyed him, gripping the shovel.

“Yeah, his name is Shawn Daniels. He’s a rookie, so Finn hasn’t gotten his claws into him. One of the perks of being dirty is knowing who the other rats are. This kid is clean.”

“For Sadie’s sake, I hope so. She’s been through enough bullshit because of that demon father of hers. And because of you.”

Brian looked up, one eyebrow raised, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. We finished burying Randall’s grave—to which I mentally apologized for the intrusion—and headed back toward the entrance. Brian called to have the rookie meet him, and I took the bag of tools with me before he arrived.

I hid behind the concrete barriers near the main building, my hidden pistol now in my hand. If Brian betrayed us, I’d kill both of them and take the files myself.

“You sure about this, Danon?” the rookie asked, his brown eyes narrowing. The man was young, at least in his early twenties, with rich brown skin and a slim, athletic build. His entire demeanor was honest to a fault. He was kneeling by the box, sorting through the papers.

“As I mentioned,” he told Daniels, “I got a tip about Finnegan Ryan’s illegal doings, and files detailing those crimes were hidden in a crypt. They’re legitimate. Look.” Brian pointed to a page Daniels had opened. “This is a contract to have Jerimiah Larson blackmailed for sexual exploitation to secure funding for that IT company. We’ve been trying to nail that fucker for months.”

“Holy shit,” Daniels said, putting the folder back and closing the box. He picked it up and stared at Brian. “Finn Ryan is the mayor of Los Angeles. This will be a huge break in many cold cases in town.”

Brian tucked his hands into his pockets. “Yup, he’s as dirty as they come. You need to get this back to HQ tonight . The sooner we take them down, the better.”

Daniels already had his phone pressed against his ear. “By the way,” he said. “Why the fuck are you limping so badly? What happened?”

Brian shrugged. “It’s so fucking dark in that cemetery. I stepped into a divot and twisted my ankle. I’m going to have to get it splinted tomorrow. It hurts like a bitch. ”

Daniels nodded. “Alright, I’m connected to Cavalli back at base. I’ll debrief him on what we found and bring these files into the office.”

My heart was pounding against my ribs. The files were in FBI custody now, and whether Brian followed through with ensuring the families’ secrets were revealed had remained to be seen.

Brian and Daniels exchanged more words, demanding that no one make a move until tomorrow night. Daniels promised to call him as soon as he had orders. They shook hands, and Daniels drove off, taking the death of my family name with him.

Good. I’m ready to burn the world if it protects my wife.