Page 98 of Desolation

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Landon

I tap my foot on the ground as I sit in Jackson’s office.

Dax called Mari an hour ago and asked her to come here. He didn’t tell her much but she said she would be here within an hour.

I don’t know what I am going to say to her. Or what Jackson is going to say.

He is livid with both David and me. I told him I didn’t know but he was skeptical. David has apologized to him numerous times saying he never would have brought danger to his home if he realized how deep her case went. He thought it was simply money laundering not a complicated case involving high profile businessmen, congressmen, and a terrorist organization.

I think Jackson is mostly angry about the fact we both invited a woman who has ties to a terrorist organization to his home. He doesn’t believe that she knows nothing. He has more evidence against her, things neither David nor I even knew about. He thinks she is behind everything.

I don’t want to believe it.

I can’t believe it.

I am falling for this woman. She has finally helped break the walls I worked so hard to build. I find it hard to believe she was playing me the whole time.

Yes, she lied to me about pretty much everything. But my heart is telling me she is innocent.

The door to Jackson’s office opens and I hold my breath but Charlie walks in.

“Is she not here yet?”

Jackson shakes his head.

“You think she ran?”

I clench my fists wanting to say something but it’s David who speaks up. “She didn’t run. Mariela is innocent. She wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble had she been guilty this whole time. I’ve known the woman for over seventeen years. She’s trustworthy.”

Charlie rolls her eyes. “How long do you think she has been part of a terrorist organization?”

“She is not a terrorist.” He demands.

Charlie walks over to Jackson’s desk and pulls a file off his desk. “I gave him this early this morning. I’m guessing he hasn’t shown it to you yet.” She flips open the file and pulls out a list of bank statements. “I’ve been looking into this off and on for years. The CIA knew there was a tie to someone with connections to the government but every lead came to a dead end. Until last week when you found a company called Duthmoor.”

My ears perk up. That was the connection we made between the case here and what David was working on for Mari.

“Duthmoor is a shell company. It has eighteen companies underneath it that all feed into it, making it look like a legit investment firm. But every single one of those companies is fake. Two to three people who work in an office to sign off on papers. Money being fed into investments from all over the globe. We traced a few accounts. They are linked to high profile clients, businessmen from all over, to individuals seeking an investment firm without a large cut.”

“What the hell does this have to do with Mari?” David shouts.

Jackson takes a deep breath and pulls out a paper from the bottom of the file. “Charlie and her contacts worked up the chain of companies. There is one name on the paperwork for Duthmoor. Reyna Bardales.”

“Who the fuck is that?” I ask. I glance at David and he goes pale.

Charlie answers. “Reyna Mariela Belen Bardales-Garcia. Mariela’s full name.”

I go to speak but no words come out.

“She’s never used her full name,” David answers. “After her father was convicted for dealing drugs and murder, she dropped her last name. She didn’t want the gang ties. And she always hated the name Reyna. She had her name legally changed to Mariela Belen Bardales. I helped her change it.”

Charlie looks at me then David. “Reyna Mariela Belen Bardales-Garcia is the sole proprietor of Duthmoor Holdings.”

David curses then slams his fist into the wall of Jackson’s office. “This… this can’t… she never would—”

“She didn’t want to be like her father,” I cut in.

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