Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Harrison rolled his eyes, not in the mood for the asshole who’d minimized her fear.
“But the owner of the vehicle either lent it to the culprit or his wife did because neither of them were driving.” Zach held up a hand to stop Harrison’s next question. “I need to work my way to the answer. Trust me, you both need every detail.” He drew a deep breath. “Witnesses saw the driver exit the vehicle. A probable female with a scarf around her head and dark sunglasses covering her eyes. She slipped away in the commotion after, but thanks to the security cams, I managed to capture her face and profile both in the car and as she left the vehicle.”
“Good.” Harrison blew out a breath and waited for his brother to continue. To fucking tell him who was responsible.
“I sent the feed to my friends, Adam Miles and Jacob Dean, in Dallas. They used to work for McKay-Taggart and recently opened their own company after developing high-tech software to find missing people. Miles, Dean, Weston, and Murdoch.”
Asher drummed his fingers on the table. “I’ve heard of them. MD. Mass Destruction.”
“It’s MDWM,” Zach said. “And the cops just like to make a joke of the name but not of the software. That shit is brilliant.”
Harrison shook his head. Zach always had the right contacts in every situation.
“Didn’t those guys go undercover on a movie set with Jared Johns, the actor? The feds thought he was a serial killer or something?” Asher asked.
Harrison wrinkled his forehead. “How the hell would you know that?”
“I read the news, dumbass. Besides, didn’t you lose the role in that movie to Johns?” Asher asked.
“I hate when you revert to brotherly behavior,” Harrison muttered. “Yes, I did. And the guy’s best friend turned out to be a serial killer. Now can we get back on track?”
“Right. Well, MDWM’s software has taken down a fuck ton of criminals. And they found us one more, the person driving who targeted Winter.” Zach watched him and Asher warily.
Harrison stilled. “Go on. I’m assuming they identified the driver that hit Winter.” His stomach twisted in knots as Zach nodded.
“They did. Now brace yourselves.”
Both Harrison and Asher leaned forward.
“Collette Bettencourt was driving.”
Harrison blinked, certain he’d heard wrong.
“No.” Asher rose to his feet. “No fucking way. You’re saying I have to tell Nikki that her mother tried to run over her pregnant sister?” He caught his voice rising and slung himself back into the seat. “Fuck.”
“Fuck is right,” Harrison muttered. “All this time we’re thinking it’s a crazed fan, and it’s her father’s wife? The same woman who paid off Winter’s mother to have an abortion?”
Zach groaned. “I wish it was a sick fuck fan nobody knew.”
“What did you do with the information?” Asher asked before Harrison could.
His mind was still on Winter. Asher would be formulating ways to both protect and tell Nikki.
Zach rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sitting on it until you two tell me what the fuck you want me to do. On the one hand, Nikki and Derek are impacted. On the other, there’s the former senator. And then there’s Winter, the victim.”
“I don’t think it’s fair to give them a choice,” Asher said. “Asking Nikki and Derek if it’s okay to turn the information over to the cops is asking their permission to lock up their mother. The senator says he’s cut ties with his wife but none of us want him to instigate some kind of cover-up.”
Harrison nodded. “Agreed. And Winter won’t want to hurt her new siblings by telling you to give the cops the footage.” He rose and began to pace, then came to a decision and spun back to his brothers. “Turn it over to the cops,” Harrison said.
“I agree,” Asher said. “It’s not a decision anyone should make except those who found the evidence and that answers the question. It’s evidence. Do the legal thing.”
Zach blew out an obviously relieved breath. He stood and Asher followed. “Since I assumed that would be the outcome of this discussion, Remy’s standing by with the video evidence. He’s a detective, and he always had every intention of following the law. I just wanted to make sure you two ran through all scenarios in case I had to talk you into it. Glad I didn’t have to.”
Pulling his phone out of his leather jacket, Zach hit a few buttons and put the phone to his ear. “Remy? Turn it in.” He listened, then said, “Yeah. Everyone’s okay here. Thanks, man.” Zach disconnected the call.
“You both good?” he asked.
Asher shook his head. “Fuck, no. I have to talk to Nikki and Derek before this goes public.”
“And I have to tell Winter and prepare the senator.” Harrison wondered if this day would ever end. “Fuck my life,” he muttered as they all strode out of the room.