Page 94 of Brazen Criminals

Jansen, RJ, and I exchange a look. I swallow, taking on this question. “Honestly, it would be a dent, but they don’t trust Trips enough to be a face for the family, so it wouldn’t be a huge deal. They’re all masters of spinning a good story. They could even use this arrest to make Trips’ brother look like a savior or something. Maybe a redemption arc? I don’t know, that kind of spin isn’t really my specialty,” I say, trying and failing to explain the convoluted web Trips has to crawl through with every call home.

“So if I were to call his dad right now and tell him Trips needs help, there’d be a price to pay? Trips would owe something big to make this all go away?” Clara is chewing her lip, thinking.

Jansen shifts in his seat, having trouble staying still for long. “It would be big. At least his whole summer, maybe even the year after he graduates dedicated to the family law firm.”

“He’d hate that.” Clara stares down at the rug, swallowing before she looks up, meeting each of our eyes in turn. “We have to negotiate the trade for him, but I don’t want to trade away a year of his life. We need to create reasonable doubt, make it easy for Trips’ dad’s lawyers to get him out. Then hopefully, the price won’t be as high.” She throws her shoulders back, steel in her gaze. “I want us to pin the old assault on Bryce.”

The silence in the room crackles with energy. This is more than blackmail. This is framing an innocent guy.

Not innocent,I remind myself. He sold fucking sex tapes of Clara. He watches kiddie porn. He’s an unhinged stalker. We just need the cops to look at him—they’ll find all his dirt on their own if we point them in his direction.

This is a level-up request. The three of us know exactly how big a frame job is.

Will we do this?

Fuck yeah. For Clara, we’re all in.

Chapter 45

Clara

IscoopupWalker’ssketchpad from the coffee table. He flinches when I go to open it. “Can I use the cover for a list?” I ask.

He lets out a breath and hands me a chunk of charcoal.

I sketch out the plan I’ve been putting together since I watched Bryce’s apartment, for once the hunter rather than the prey.

RJ

Find police sketch from first assault and give to Walker

Make money trail for medical bills look like they’re from Bryce

Upload Walker’s new sketch to police systems

Walker

Get copy of police sketch from first assault

Turn it into something that could look like Bryce

Jansen

Break into the police station to switch sketches so the original matches our new sketch

Me

Call Trips’ dad

The guys crowd around behind me, watching as my plan scratches across on paper.

I’m not sure I’m doing this right, but all I want is a way to get us out of this mess without anyone going to jail. I care for each of these guys, and I’m not going to let a single one of them get hurt.

They’re mine, my guys, even if I haven’t told any of them yet. At least in my mind, I claim them all.

Right now, we’re down one, and my heart is not taking it well. It’s achy and anxious, even as I feel my plan clicking into place around me.

This had better work. It needs to work. I can break down when everyone is home and safe.

---