Page 28 of Broken Empire
Killian
A cage buzzerrumbled in the hall to my left. I glanced over at the doorway to see Ari Vandenberg heading down the bleak gray corridor, flanked by two stoic-looking prison guards.
He pursed his lips when he saw me sitting on the other side of the glass. I schooled my face into a neutral expression and looked back at him, trying to overlook the fact that he was partially responsible for Shay’s imprisonment with Cooper.
He sat on the stool opposite me and lifted the black phone receiver. “Killian Knight,” he said, raising his thick white brows. “I heard you’ve been begging my lawyer to let you see me.”
“I wouldn’t call it begging, but yes, I’ve been requesting visitation every day for the last four days,” I replied. “Thanks for finally coming.”
“I wasn’t going to, because I couldn’t imagine what someone from your family would want with someone like me, but my curiosity eventually got the better of me.” Ari leaned forward slightly and cocked his head to one side. “My lawyer has it on good authority that you’re dating my grand-niece. Is that true?”
I nodded. “She’s actually the reason I’m here.”
“I see,” he said. “So what exactly do you want from me?”
“I need you to tell me everything you know about the Schöneberg Group.”
Ari’s expression didn’t change. “I’m not sure I’ve heard of that before. Is it some sort of band?”
I let out an irate sigh. “You know what it is, Ari.”
“It’s Mr. Vandenberg to you.”
“Fine. Mr. Vandenberg,” I said in an acid tone. “While Shay was confined at the Riordan mansion, she overheard a conversation about them working for the Schöneberg Group in the past. She also told me that one of your enterprises involved some sort of contract work for the Schöneberg Group.”
“Hmm. I don’t recall that at all. Perhaps she misheard the Riordans?”
“No. You told her that last piece of information yourself, when you met with her in an apartment you own in the Kingsford Tower,” I said, eyes narrowing. “Or should I sayowned? Seeing as most of your assets have been seized by the feds.”
Ari bristled. “Is that why you came here? To insult me and kick me while I’m down?”
“Not at all. Like I said, I’m here because of Shay. The Schöneberg Group has taken her.”
“Taken her?” Ari’s eyes widened, and his brows shot up. He recovered quickly, though, reverting to a blank expression within a few seconds. “I really do wish I knew what you were talking about.”
“Mr. Vandenberg, you know who my family is, and you know we have all sorts of connections. If you agree to tell me everything you know, I’m sure I can get you moved out of this place and into one of those cushy, low-security white-collar prisons in California where you can play tennis in the sun all day,” I said. “Would you like that? Or would you prefer to spend your last few years withering away in this shithole?”
Ari didn’t reply. Instead he looked over my shoulder and blinked slowly, like he was weighing something up.
“How about this?” I went on. “I know the Riordan family also worked for the Schöneberg Group. So if you don’t agree to my deal, I’ll take it to them instead.”
Ari remained silent.
“Do you really want to see Glenn Riordan living out his final years in comfort while you rot away in here?” I asked, leaning forward. “I’d much rather offer the deal to you, because you made an effort to be kind to Shay. She told me how you were the only one who called her by her real name. How you tried to give her an opportunity to have monthly meetings with her friends against Cooper’s wishes.”
Ari finally met my eyes again. “I want my sons and nephews to be moved to a low-security facility as well. Not just me.”
“I’ll do my best to make that happen.”
“I suppose we have a deal, then.” Ari hesitated and scratched at his cheek. “Before I say anything about the Schöneberg Group, you should tell me whatyouknow about them. That way I won’t waste your time telling you things you already know.”
“I don’t know anything apart from the fact that they exist,” I said. That wasn’t true, but I had to pretend to be relatively clueless in order to figure out if Ari intended on telling me the truth or making up a pile of bullshit.
He raised his brows again. “Strange. I thought your family was knee-deep in that organization.”
“My relatives are,” I said. “I haven’t been invited to join yet. I must be too young.”
“Ah, I see.” He hesitated again and cleared his throat. “All right, here it is. The Schöneberg Group makes most of their money through the production of snuff films. Do you know what that means?”
