Page 60 of Royal Pain

“Why did she leave her kid with her mother? Her parents live in the neighborhood. Right?” Braxton poured scotch for all of us, which would suit me just fine.

“Well, come to find out, her babysitter pulled out at the last minute. Which I think equates with the girl being threatened. I’ve yet to get the name but I will. She is someone we need to have a chat with.”

Braxton added a single ice cube each and brought the glasses closer. “If she isn’t too frightened.”

“Yeah, I thought about that. I think hearing from her is vital to taking these fuckers down.”

Valerio took a glass and lifted his eyebrows. “Do you really think that’s possible?”

“I won’t stop until I do.” I snatched a glass from Braxton’s hand, taking a gulp. And I noticed the look they shared. “What?”

“You really do like this girl. She’s staying in your house. You’re going to spend money to get her kid back. You’re going to put all of us in danger to take down some secret society. Yeah, I’d say you like her.”

Valerio had enjoyed teasing me over the years that I’d become old and still be alone. “At least I am indulging in doing so before I turned into an old man like the two of you.”

“Oh.” Braxton pointed. “Good one.”

“Well, I think what you’re doing is a good thing,” Valerio added, “but don’t think what we’re up against is going to be easy.”

“Isn’t it your sweet mother who used to say that anything worth having is worth trials and tribulations?” I asked. I’d yet to change and right now, needed to take the damn jacket off. I placed the drink on my desk, literally tearing off the jacket. As I tossed it onto the back of the chair, taking the time to unbutton and roll up my sleeves, I realized by being with Evangeline, I’d learned that I wanted more out of life. Not just board meetings and corporate financials. Maybe my brothers had been onto something in finding and enjoying the women they loved.

“Just tell me this. Did you take her to the dungeon?” Braxton laughed because he knew if I’d broken the rules, I was a goner.

“At the club? I did. Even after what she went through, including the bastard of a husband and the elders in the community chasing her in the forest to keep her under control, she was like a budding flower.”

“What did you say?” Valerio asked. “They hunted her like an animal?”

“Now, maybe you see why I want these bastards taken down so badly.”

“Whew,” Braxton huffed. “What do we have?”

Valerio didn’t need a file or an iPad. The guy had a photographic memory and one for details. “Okay. I’ve dispatched not only one of the best private investigators in the state of Connecticut to find out what he can about this secret society, but I’ve also hired some mercenaries to do everything in their power to track down Damien. Do we have a recent picture just in case?”

I pulled the picture of the little boy from my jacket pocket, staring down at his angelic face for a few seconds before handing it over. “Adorable kid.”

“Explain the custody situation and why it changed?” Braxton added in.

“Well, the boy’s father became more unhinged, trying to get the kid from preschool when there was a restraining order since Joseph had been stalking her.”

Valerio whistled. “Nice piece of work.”

“Yeah, and I think the main method of intimidation is through the use of threats and likely extortion. What else have you found?”

“Well, without names of people who live there, I could only find out some about this board, which is comprised of long-term residents.”

I held up the drive. “I think I can help. Our little fawn isn’t the pushover you might think. She gathered some extremely damning information over what seems to be a few months, even having the smarts to sew the jump drive the information was copied to into the lining of her purse.”

“Good girl!” Valerio was impressed.

“Now, there are some financial types of information I didn’t have any time to dissect. I’ll leave that to you.”

Valerio laughed. “Our boy who hates the accounting end. What are you going to do?”

“For one thing, find the girl who was likely threatened. First, I need to ensure Evangeline is comfortable. Make no mistake, gentlemen. I want these fuckers brought down and I want her son brought back to her. I don’t care how much money I need to spend or how much effort it takes. Men like this think they are above the law and any reproach. Fucking bullshit. I want to expose them to everyone, including the FBI. They can’t do this to people.”

They looked at each other and I laughed.

“Yeah, she’s worth it. More than you know.”

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