Page 73 of Betrayal (Corrupt Empire 1)

Galaxy was a bar in central London owned by the company. The employees were very loyal. I hated the place. Full of suits and gold diggers.

“And?”

“He won’t talk. I thought you could persuade him.”

I peered at the man. For my own fucking sake, I needed to know. I pulled him up slightly by his shirt.

“What the fuck do you know about Avery Daniels?”

“N…N…Nothing,” he whimpered.

“Don’t bullshit me. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will.”

“My cousin said he saw her in a motorway service station this morning. That’s all I know. I swear.”

“Which one?”

“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me.”

This guy was an idiot, but it still concerned me enough that I couldn’t just let him go yet.

“You give us your cousin’s details and we’ll let you walk.”

“Yes, yes, it’s in my phone. In my pocket.”

I made him tell me the pin code and found out exactly who his cousin was.

“Ring him and get him to tell you.”

“Yes, yes.”

I put the phone to his ear. He spoke to his cousin for several long minutes before saying goodbye.

“He said the Reading services on the M4.”

I almost fucking thanked the man. We hadn’t driven that way. I could breathe again. I shoved him back down in the boot and slammed it shut.

“I’ll look into it for you,” I said to Chuck.

“Well, that was easier than expected. Anyway, you said you had the info from the police investigations? Let’s go look through it.”

Oh, fuck no.Chuck couldn’t come upstairs with me. And I hadn’t been through the stuff Anthony had given me yet.

“I’ve got stuff to do and you need to drop that guy off somewhere because he’s not coming upstairs. Best not kill him.”

“I insist.”

The look in his eyes said he wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Fucking Chuck.

“Drop him off first, then we’ll go through it.”

He shrugged.

“Fair enough.”

He got back in the car. My fucking heart slammed against my ribcage at a hundred miles an hour. I’d bought myself enough time to hide Avery and fucking pray she’d stay where I told her to.

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