Page 56 of Coming Up Aces

“I’ve traced the accounts in Hanson’s name back to their origins. We know Spencer was funneling money to The Ministry, and the funds in the accounts listing Hanson as the owner came from the same source. The thing is, they weren’t originally in his name. They were in Grant Grissom’s name up until about ten months ago.”

“So, Hanson either convinced Spencer to transfer the money to him, or he had someone else do it?” Lucy asked.

“Neither. I located a different hacker who made the change and convinced him to tell the truth, or he’d never see the light of day again. Grissom had the male set up a shell corporation hidden within several others and move a small portion of the money to accounts in Hanson’s name.”

Rayna sat on the chair arm, reaching down for Ace’s hand, lacing their fingers. “Then why kill Hanson if he was sharing the wealth?”

“I don’t think he was sharing it. I think he was setting Hanson up. Spencer most likely realized what was happening and warned Hanson during their private talks. Your partner did say the two men met behind closed doors, and Hanson could have provided a computer for Spencer.”

Rayna slid off the chair arm and began pacing again. “Okay, so maybe Hanson organized Spencer’s supposed transfer, and he trusted Seth to do so?”

“But that was months ago,” Ace said.

“That’s not all,” Lachlan said. “The amount of money in these shell corporations is in the millions. More than a deputy director would make in a lifetime. He must be into some highly illegal shit.”

“Hang on,” Lucy interrupted. “Tamian asked Grissom where Seth is, and he admitted he locked him up at Ray Brook.”

Rayna stopped pacing, her hands clenched. “Then why did Grissom interrogate Vanessa as to Seth’s whereabouts?”

“He was covering his tracks,” Ace said. “And possibly looking for you since he had an agent sitting outside the salon.”

Rayna blew out a breath. “Lucy, please have Tamian ask Grissom if Agent Sartain knew this.”

Lucy gazed into the middle distance. When she refocused on Rayna, she nodded. “He did.”

“That lying sack of shit. I’m going to gut him.”

“She’s feisty. I like her,” Lachlan said.

Ace wanted to go to his mate, so he did. He groaned as he rose, grabbing Rayna’s attention. When she opened her mouth to protest, he held out his hand. “I’m fine.” Fine was relative, but he wouldn’t sit there doing nothing while she was upset. “We’ll get Seth out of there, and then we’ll find out his role in all this.”

Lucy stood and stretched, rubbing her belly. “Yes, we will. I’ve tasked Tamian with asking Grissom certain questions, like who was involved, what their end game was, and why heimprisoned Seth. We have Spencer’s message, but we don’t have the male. Just because he said he was playing a double agent doesn’t mean he’s innocent and gets to walk away from his sins.”

“What message?” Lachlan asked.

While Lucy recounted Spencer’s words, Ace pulled Rayna into his good side and hugged her gently while inhaling her hair. He’d been so scared of losing her, and injured or not, there was no way he was letting her go back to Ray Brook alone. The easiest way to get Seth out of there would be to call Agent Sartain and voice him, and he told Rayna as such. “We can have him escort Seth to us.”

“We’ll need somewhere isolated because I wasn’t kidding about ripping Sartain a new one.”

“I have just the place,” Lucy said. “And it won’t be the first time the Hounds have taken care of business there.”

“Yeah? Where’s that?” Rayna asked.

Lucy tapped the floor with her bare toes. “Downstairs. My adopted father had a lab down there, which I had gutted once I found out the types of experiments he was conducting when he was alive. It’s where Glory’s father was ‘handled’ as well as the male who tried kidnapping Rhiannon after she escaped Haven. It’s soundproofed, and there’s a drain in the floor, which is handy for cleaning up messes.”

“If the GIA wasn’t going to the director with his proof, I’d bring Grissom here and gut him as well,” Rayna seethed.

“That’s an option,” Lucy said. “Let Spencer’s boss go to the director. It’ll just look like Grissom took his money in the shell corporation and disappeared. Excuse me for a moment. I’ve gotta pee.”

Rayna turned her face up to Ace. “What would you do? I know we’ve talked about certain people who don’t deserve to live, but does whatever Grissom is guilty of warrant a death sentence?”

“We don’t know the extent of his crimes.” Ace brushed a stray strand of hair off his mate’s face. “I think we should bring him here and interrogate him. Reserve judgment for after you have your answers.” Rayna rested her forehead against Ace’s chest, and he pressed his cheek to her hair.

Lucy returned to the living room. “I’m back, Lachlan.”

“If Spencer really is turning over proof of Grissom’s wrongdoings to the director, you can guarantee he’s covered his own tracks. That or he had permission from someone higher up in the GIA to do what he did. You don’t stay undercover that long if it isn’t sanctioned. The government isn’t going to allow an agent to disappear for eleven years without knowing where they are.”

“He did say he was turning in his resignation.” Lucy plopped down on the sofa and stretched her legs out. “And we know he has the means to disappear.”

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