Page 94 of Octane

“So they told me in exchange for monthly payments, I would need to use my company as a front for money laundering.”

My eyes go wide from the bomb that Zach just dropped. This is a whole other level of fucked up. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around it.

“This just keeps getting better and better,” I sigh deeply, then take a seat in front of his desk.

“Jackson, you’re a businessman, so I know you understand the hard decisions that we’re forced to make from time-to-time.”

“The hardest decision I’ve ever had to make regarding my business wasn't anywhere close to laundering money for the mob,” I tell him.

“I understand that, but you don’t have children. I did what I thought was the best and safest option for them. I knew there was a possibility that they might kill me, and I’m not dumb enough to believe that they wouldn’t have gone after the girls if anything went sour.”

I think about what he’s saying. He’s right. I don’t have kids. It’s not fair for me to judge him based on something that I have no knowledge of. However, I do know that there are plenty of parents out there who fight for their kids every single day, and it never leads to something as dangerous as this.

“You’re right, I don’t have kids. But I firmly believe that if I did and my business was about to go belly up, I would do everything in my power to salvage it legally. And if that didn’t work, I would sell it. Because at the end of the day, even if I lost all of my money, I would still have my family. And family is the most important thing in the world.”

I haven’t taken my eyes off of him since I started talking. I hold his gaze hostage, as he fights to look anywhere but at me. He understands the impact of my words. He knows that he made the wrong choice in the name of his family.

“Is that everything?” I ask him. “No more secrets? Because if I’m going to help get you out of the mess you’ve created, I need to knoweverything.”

“I—I don’t understand.” His brows hug in the middle as he looks at me with confusion.

“I will pay your remaining debt for you, so you can pay them off in full. You’re off the hook. Daniel will have no more leverage over Sawyer, and we can all get on with our lives.”

“That’s awfully generous of you, but even if I could accept what you’re offering, they still have me in their grasp. I don’t believe for one second that they’re going to take their dirty money and just go.”

“Then sell your company. Think about your family, and do what you should have done years ago.”

“I still don’t think they’ll just leave me alone after that.”

“Sure they will. They’ll find someone else who needs money just as easily as they found you. They probably already have countless other companies doing the same thing as you are right now.”

I see the wheels in his head turning, and I silently plead for him to do the right fucking thing.

“IfI accept your offer,” he begins.

Keep going.

“It stays between us. No one ever finds out, especially not my girls.”

“Deal,” I agree. “Take the offer, Zach. You know it's the right thing to do.”

He considers the deal for another minute before speaking. I stand up when he does, and he walks around his desk, stopping in front of me.

“It’s a deal.” He offers me his hand, and when I take it in mine, he squeezes it gently.

“Thank you, Jackson.”

The look in his eye tells me he’s not thanking me for savinghim.

He’s thanking me for saving Sawyer.

* * *

When I leftZach’s office, I wasn’t surprised to run into Carissa in the lobby. She wanted to play twenty questions, but I told her I couldn’t divulge the details of a business deal.

She went off on me. I’ve seen her focus her rage on others before, but when it’s directed at you, it’s a little scary. I told her the only thing she needs to know is that the wheels are in motion, and Sawyer should be free and safe in a few days.

After leaving their offices, I went to my bank so I could start the transfer of funds to Zach. The bank manager told me that it could take anywhere from twenty-four to seventy-two hours for the transfer to complete. It’s going to be the longest wait of my life.

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