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26. Tiberius

26

TIBERIUS

The office door slams against the wall, jolting me awake from where I’d fallen asleep with my head on the desk. Within seconds, I have a gun pointing at Ryan.

“Fuck! What time is it?” I lower my arm and put the safety back on. I leave my gun on top of the desk. “Sorry.” I wince.

“Just gone seven.” He pauses before moving closer. “Nothing in Martha Green’s background or financials raised a red flag.”

I narrow my eyes. “Go on.”

“Marie, on the other hand?—”

“Salem,” I shout, shooting to my feet. “Bring Marie to me now!” I turn back to Ryan and ask, “What did you find?”

“Marie is sleeping with Darin Lennox.” Ryan waits, and it takes a moment for me to realize who the fuck that is.

Salem rushes back into the room. “She’s gone. I have Nine and Jock on their way to her home address.”

I growl in frustration and swipe everything off my desk. “It was that bitch who betrayed Kinsley.” I curse and swear until I have no words left. “I want blood.”

I stand in the middle of chaos.

“Wait. Fuck.” I’m more tired than I thought. “Darin Lennox is one of Rossi’s men!” I stare at Salem. “What the fuck is going on?” I tug at my hair, needing to think. Lennox works for Rossi, not Edge. I had this all wrong. Fuck!

I rub my fingers along my mouth, praying an idea comes to me.

I shoot a quick message to Prez and then stride out of the room.

“Beck, where you off to?”

“Edge’s place.” I continue moving until I reach the driveway.

Forgoing the helmet, I swing a leg over my bike and speed away from the Lake House. I catch a glimpse of Salem coming up on my right. I rev the engine and take off, needing the speed to calm my racing mind and think clearly. I still don’t know any more than I did after speaking with Maia—except for who has Kinsley and who the snitch is.

The open road before me tempts me to keep going so I can confront that asshole Rossi.

“Fuck!” I left my gun behind in the chaos on the floor of the office.

I make the turn to Edge’s house, not having a plan. Salem pulls in beside me and nods toward the door.

Maia moves swiftly toward us, tears on her cheeks. “You know?”

“About Rossi, yes. Why the fuck didn’t you tell me if he has Cannon as well?”

“Because I promised Cannon I wouldn’t,” Maia says, her voice breaking. “Rossi threatened to kill Kinsley in the most gruesome way if anyone told you about him. I promised my son I wouldn’t.” She sobs into her hands. “This is such a mess.”

Salem moves from his bike and wraps an arm around her shoulders. His eyes meet mine as Xavier rushes toward us.

He pushes Salem away and takes over consoling his mother. “What’s going on? Is it Cannon?”

“Did you know?” I growl, stepping from my bike.

“No!” Maia snaps out of it. “Cannon only told me about Rossi before he left to see Kinsley.”

“Mom?” Xavier frowns in confusion.

“Oh my God! Pierce didn’t get Anna pregnant because he never slept with her. Kinsley is my granddaughter,” she confesses.

“What the?—”

“Fuck!” Xavier finishes for me, a look of horror on his face. “She’s Cannon’s daughter? How did that happen?”

I give him a pointed look.

He blushes. “I mean, well, fuck! I didn’t see that coming.”

“Oh, it was such a mess. Cannon was in love with Anna, and then your father found out,” Maia says, her gaze fixed on Xavier. “He interfered and ruined both their lives—Kinsley’s too.” Her tearful eyes turn to me. “They never gave each other up.” She clears her throat. “Come inside. I have something to show you.”

Salem whispers, “Did you ever think?—”

“No.” I feel like such an idiot. My best friend was fucking his tutor, and I was clueless.

I drag a hand over my face and wonder where Kinsley is. Is she hurt? Does she know about Cannon? Is she waiting for me to come for her?

Maia leads us to the office and opens the safe. She retrieves a cardboard box and sits down in Cannon’s chair. Lifting the lid, she passes the box to me.

Staring up at me is a photograph of Anna and Cannon in each other’s arms, both grinning at the camera. I drop into the chair behind me and sift through the photos. They are all of Anna and Cannon. Some show Kinsley as a baby in Cannon’s arms, while others capture Anna pregnant, with Cannon tenderly kissing her swollen belly. These are intimate family moments, a beautiful story of love.

“He was present when she was born?” I look up at Maia.

“Yes.”

“I don’t fucking believe it,” Xavier mutters.

“Xavier! Language!” Maia reprimands her son.

“Sorry, Mom,” he says.

“Where does Jude fit into all this?” I ask.

“Your brother,” Maia says bitterly, “refused to allow Anna to walk away. She wanted to be with Cannon. I tried to help them as best I could.”

She straightens her spine and stares directly at me.

I nod for her to continue.

“Jude wasn’t the man you thought he was, Beckett. He projected an image of being one of the good guys, but he hid his true self from you. In reality, he was a big-time drug dealer who worked with Rossi. They were partners for a long time.”

My heart sinks at the revelation. First, learning about the arms deal and discovering the drugs in the shipping container changed my perception of my brother. And now, finding out he’d been involved with Rossi—fucking Rossi of all people—just tops it all off.

“He had evidence that would have sent Cannon to prison for the rest of his life, and he used it to keep Anna in line. He agreed to let them see each other once a week, providing Anna played the part of a loving wife. He would physically hurt her if she didn’t oblige.”

“Fuck,” I exclaim, earning a sharp glare from Maia. “Apologies.” I wince and rub a hand over my face.

“Rossi somehow found out about the mess of Jude and Anna’s life,” Maia continues. “And about Cannon’s part in it. He knew about Kinsley. He is using Kinsley to get the drugs and money your brother stashed somewhere.” She turns to Xavier, “Cannon has been trying to find them to get Rossi to leave Kinsley alone.”

Shit! I gave them to Prez, who will have already sold them by now.

I take the most recent photograph of Anna and Cannon and slip it into my back pocket.

“Keep them safe.” I pass the box back to Maia and watch as she locks it up.

“Rossi is a dead man,” I state, still reeling from everything Maia revealed.

“I’m coming with you,” Xavier insists as I get to my feet.

“No!” Maia cries.

I shake my head. “Not a good idea. Look after your mother.”

He pauses and grins. “Wait until I tell Cleo about Kinsley.” He laughs and rushes from the room.

“He really is a child sometimes.” Maia pauses. “Bring them home, Beckett. Please.”

I nod and make my way out of the house.

When we reach the driveway, Salem whispers, “At least we now know why Cannon kept his thoughts about Kinsley to himself.”

I take my phone out of my pocket and find multiple messages. The one I reply to is from Prez. I have the manpower. Now I need a location.

I dial.

Aldo Rossi answers.

“What have you done with Kinsley, you bastard!” I snarl.

Salem winces and gestures for me to temper my anger.

“Is that any way to speak to the man who has both the woman you love and her father?”

“What do you want, Rossi?” I hold back what I really want to say.

“Your brother stole from me. I want my drugs. My money. My ledger. I will give Kinsley to you in exchange.”

A growl rumbles up from my chest. “I don’t know where the fuck that shit is.” Drugs, I found. Money and ledger, I don’t know where the fuck to start looking.

“Then you better find it, or your pretty girl won’t look so pretty after Elf has fucked her. He likes it rough. Really rough.”

“I’m going to fucking kill him and you.”

Rossi chuckles. “Oh, you will need to get in line. Kinsley already promised me that after I killed her father.”

The phone goes dead.

Stunned, I repeat the conversation to Salem. “Who did he mean, Jude or Cannon?”

“We know he killed Jude. Kinsley probably knows that too at this point.” He pauses. “Where would Jude hide all that shit?”

“I don’t have a fucking clue, but we need to find it.” I run a hand through my hair. “We need to find out who else he worked with.”

Xavier comes charging out of the house as we climb astride our bikes. “Cleo’s gone. She left a message saying she’s sorry and that she’s gone to get Cannon.”

“Motherfucker!”

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