Page 4 of A Man of Wealth

I throw on some yoga pants and a t-shirt before settling in at my desk. I need to do some more research tonight. This time, I want to work on the missing girls. I was able to write one article about them recently that got praise from the editorial staff. I’m hoping they’ll let me write some more. Switching to the crime division and being able to do longer crime investigative stories would be a dream come true. I mean I love my local city investigative journalism gig, but crime investigations would be amazing. I’m all about the underdog and bringing down the big criminals and this city is full of criminals; it’s just these criminals have three little things that most do not—power, wealth, and prestige.

Chapter3

Conner

Aiden looks at me. “Your father?”

I nod as I grab another bottle of water from the fridge in my home gym.

“Is she certain? She was pretty medicated when I last saw her at the hospital. Maybe I should talk to her.” Aiden had all but evaporated after we confirmed that Alexis would be fine. I knew he was working on getting information for us, but I swear that man can downright disappear into a lab for days on end. Sebastian had said he was talking with his ex-girlfriend, Estella Garcia about the drugs found in the women in the park, which shocked me, considering how badly that ended.

“Aid, she identified him just off my voicemail message. She was absolutely certain.”

“Shit. Have you spoken to your father yet?”

I give him a knowing look.

“Well, what are you going to say if you get ahold of him?” he questions as he leans on my treadmill.

“No fucking clue. I can’t exactly come out and ask if he kidnapped anyone lately. Any word on the chemicals they found in Alexis?”

Aiden shakes his head. “I talked with her doctor and am waiting to hear. We should get the results today.”

He pauses, and I stop my running. “What?”

He runs a hand through his hair, giving it a tug. “I called Ella.”

I raise an eyebrow at the mention of his ex and particularly the use of her nickname. I’m also intrigued that he’s flat-out admitting this to me, which just confirms what Sebastian had claimed he was doing. He sighs and drops his head to the arm of the treadmill. “She’s analyzing the chemical compound samples I managed to acquire from the girls in the park.”

“How’d you do that, Nancy Drew?”

He chuckles. “Let’s just say I have friends at the morgue and hospital.”

“Do these friends keep their fucking mouths shut?”

Aiden flicks me off before pushing away from the treadmill and walking to the far wall of the room where I have a half basketball court. He picks up a ball and dribbles it before shooting a three-pointer. “Yes.”

“Good. We don’t need any more trouble.”

Aiden turns and stares at me. “Pound, we are beyond trouble. We’re fucked. Sebastian has us battling not just one demon, but all of hell.”

He’s not wrong. “You still with us or do you want out?” I ask.

He slowly walks up to me. I might be taller, but Aiden has spent a decade working out like he’s training for a triathlon, and he could most definitely hold his own against me.

“I will always have your backs; you know that.” He takes a deep breath. “Odds are not in our favor. We’re about to enter the belly of the beast, my friend, and I’m not sure if any of us will come out the other end alive.”

I reach out and place a hand on his shoulder. “There are no finer men that I’d rather go down with if that’s the case.” And I mean those words.

He nods his agreement.

My phone buzzes and I look down at my smartwatch. It’s Sebastian.

I press call on my watch, not bothering to read his text.

“Do you fucking read?” Sebastian answers with a growl.

Aiden snickers and I glare at the speaker on my watch. I don’t bother answering.

---