Page 49 of Sin

“I have an idea,” Brim said and pulled out his cell phone, placing a call and putting it on speakerphone. “Lincoln, have you taken Adira’s name off the embezzled funds?”

“Yeah, it’s all done. Just waiting to see what you want me to do with it.”

Brim glanced at him and Hunter. “I’d like to put it all in Vincent’s name. You don’t have to be subtle.”

“Um. Okay.”

“I need it done as quickly as possible.”

“I’ll text you as soon as it’s done.”

“Good.”

He hung up. Ares raised an eyebrow.

“What’re you thinking, Boss?”

“Greed is one of the seven deadly sins,” Brim said in a cold voice. “Such a pious man. A minister of God, who is nothing more than a thief who’d frame his own daughter. And people wonder why I don’t believe in religion.”

“Praise the Lord!” Thorn yelled, his words echoing in the vacuous garage.

Brim flashed a smile. “I would think that a man like the good minister here might start to feel guilty about throwing his daughter under the bus.”

“Guilt can make you do all sorts of things,” Ares said.

“Even things you might not normally do,” Hunter added.

“What do you think a man like him would do, to make up for his sins?” Brim asked.

“I have this feeling you’re not talking about a miracle,” Thorn quipped.

Brim shook his head. “Did you know that modern-day Christians no longer look at suicide as an unforgivable sin?”

Vincent thrashed around, screaming behind his gag.

“I’m thinking he doesn’t like that idea,” Thorn said.

“I think you’re right,” Brim said. He turned to Ares and Hunter. “What do you both think?”

Ares took a step closer to Vincent. He wanted to pound the guy until he was breathing out of a tube, but that wouldn’t fit the narrative Brim was suggesting.

“Suicide is too fast, in my opinion,” Hunter said. “But it fits his crime.”

He and Ares studied each other. Over the years, they had developed an almost telepathic bond, and he knew exactly what Hunter was thinking.

“All right,” Ares said, giving a nod of agreement. “We’ll go with suicide.”

“Hanging,” Hunter added.

They both turned toward Brim, who gave them both a vicious smile. “What about the cunt?”

They looked at Lori, who was so scared urine ran down her leg.

“I think she needs to leave the club and get the fuck out of Missouri,” Ares said.

Hunter grabbed her throat, careful not to step in the puddle at her feet. “Hear that, bitch? You’re getting a second chance, so you better move far, far away. Understand?”

She nodded frantically.

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