Page 149 of Risky Desires

“Yeah, right. And how do you think you can help Owen?” The question wasn’t accusatory but probing.

“I’ll do everything in my power to make sure his sentence is kept to a minimum. I’m just grateful that he’s not eighteen yet and can be tried as a juvenile. If I can keep him out of prison, I will.”

She raised her hands. “Hold your horses, Kingsley. He attacked a police officer.”

“He didn’t know I was a cop. I was undercover when he knew me. I was hired as his family’s driver, and I became Owen and Wesley’s friend. He was blinded by rage, so he wasn’t thinking straight.”

She studied me, then nodded once, crisp and professional. “I’ll do what I can. No promises.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that. Call me whenever you need my help.”

I strode away from her with relief flooding my veins, yet I knew my plea was a longshot. As I headed for Captain Watts’ office, everyone glanced in my direction, and I had no idea why. I felt like a criminal running the gauntlet. The captain’s blinds were closed, which didn’t happen very often, and I was a beat off walking away when I changed my mind and knocked.

The door opened, and Ryder nodded at me. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

“Ryder. I wasn’t expecting—” I cut my comment short as I stepped into the room. Aria, Cobra, and Lacey were also in the captain’s office. “I wasn’t expecting a full house.”

“You’re just in time. You get some sleep?” the captain asked.

“Yes. Some. Thanks.”

“Good. We have a load of crap to get through. Grab a seat.”

Cobra, Lacey, and Aria were in chairs across the desk from the captain. Ryder remained standing and leaned against the wall with his arms folded. I took the remaining seat between Lacey and Cobra.

Lacey handed me a full plastic bag. “Whisper and I gathered some clothes for Indiana. Tell her to call me if she needs anything.”

“Thanks. I will.”

“Don’t let her refuse,” Ryder said. “She can be stubborn like that.”

I huffed. “Don’t I know it.”

“Seems like you two are getting on just fine.” The overhead lights twinkled in Aria’s black eyes. “Now, down to business. We believe the hard drive you found belonged to Chui’s accountant.”

“Oh wow.” My jaw dropped. “I can’t believe you’ve cracked it already.”

Aria nodded at Cobra. “Told you he was brilliant.”

Cobra shrugged. “It’s a Pandora’s box full of encrypted accounts located all over the world.”

“More like a global web of dirty fucking money,” Watts added.

I whistled. “That’s brilliant news. Have you accessed those accounts?”

Cobra shook his head, yet his eyes lit up. “I’m working on it. There’s some serious encryption on them, like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Whoever set the device up knew what they were doing.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to trace it back to who still has access to the money?” I asked.

“Not sure yet,” Cobra said. “It’s going to take some time to follow the tracks.”

“Any chance this accountant is that dead pilot on the bottom of the ocean?” Ryder asked me. Thinking it through, I shook my head. “If he is, then you have to wonder why the person who shot him didn’t take the hard drive.”

“Maybe they tried to but had to jump out of the plane before it ditched,” Ryder said.

“But if they parachuted out, why didn’t they take the case with them?” Aria asked.

“Unless the crash happened too fast,” Lacey said.

---