Page 11 of Ace

"Really?" William asks, his attention on me. "Wouldn't getting paid be a lot better than her just giving it away for free like she's been doing for years?"

I glare at him and the callous way he's speaking about Sadie.

"William," both Senator Dyer and I snap at the same time.

There are conversations you can have in private that can't be had in mixed company, but, honestly, if they know about the video which happened to be a recording of her having an orgy with a handful of college guys, then they know just how free with herself she's been.

"I think you have a case here. I won't disclose a lot of information because we have more than one case happening in the area, but I can tell you that a link to that house is dangerous," Mr. Anderson says as he leans forward in his chair, placing his elbows on the table. "Now you have to decide if you want us to work for you or not."

They've already found more information than I've been able to find on my own, so I'm all for having them help, but there are also certain provisions we have to make sure are in place. Knowing Sadie, there's no way to determine what sort of situation she might be found in.

"We need utmost discretion," I begin.

"You've got to be joking," William snaps. "What is this going to cost us?"

"The total fee depends on how extensive the case ends up being, but our fee to even get started is a hundred," Mr. Anderson says.

"Only a hundred bucks?" I ask.

The men across the table both smile.

"A hundred thousand. If you don't have it, then I'll front the money," Senator Dyer says.

"No," William growls.

"Your father was a dear friend of mine—"

"I'll pay it," I interrupt.

William can get as mad as he wants, and it won't matter. I need Sadie home, and if it takes all of my savings, then I'll spend it. And when she's back, I'll hog-tie her and carry her to treatment my damned self. It's about time someone forced her to do the right thing. She doesn't have to be happy about it, but there's a part of me that imagines she'll be grateful for the help in the long run.

"I'll want frequent check-ins. I want to know what progress you're making on finding her," I demand.

"We'll keep you as informed as we possibly can, but we operate on a need-to-know basis. There may be sensitive details that you'll never be privileged to," Mr. Anderson says, topping it off with a kind smile, as if it will take the sting out of it.

My lip twitches in irritation, but the longer I stare at him, the less I feel like he's saying this just because I'm a woman.

"We'll need DNA from you two," Mr. Yarrow adds as we stand up.

"The hell you do," William quickly says.

"If we find her in less than savory conditions, we'll need to have it for familial comparison," he continues. "We only need a sample from one of you."

I dip my head in agreement, knowing I'll do anything to bring my sister home.

Chapter 5

Ace

"He's had to shoulder a lot of things being the head of the family," Senator Dyer says in explanation after Cora and William leave.

"It's my understanding that Cora is the oldest," I argue.

"Yes," Senator Dyer says to me before turning back to Kincaid. "It was great seeing you again."

Not many people know it, because it was kept out of the news, but Cerberus worked a quick rescue case for Senator Dyer's niece, who had gotten herself into some trouble down in Tijuana several decades ago, and that's the man's connection to the club.

We both shake the man's hand, staying quiet until he leaves.

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