Page 143 of So I'll Know
John chuckles darkly, the dad-like demeanor I’m so used to completely gone. For a moment, I see Lincoln.
“Youhithim?” I chortle. “Seb, you’re like, the least violent person I know.”
His eyes flash. “You should have heard what he said to Michaels and Fi,” he growls. “I would have killed him if I could.”
I can’t tell if he’s joking or not. “Our father is such a piece of shit, but Ryan took it to a whole new level.” I grit my teeth. “No matter how dumb he plays, Dad knew what Ryan was capable of doing to you and Charlie. To me. To Jeremy. And he still chose to protect his business.”
“Typical Martin,” Seb scoffs. “All he’s ever cared about is money and power.”
I nod. “I wish I’d seen it sooner. I was so fucking blind seeking his approval for most of my life, and now, looking back, it was so obvious that he never cared about any of us. Not even Mom or Ellen. He’s just a narcissistic asshole.”
“You were just a kid who loved his dad,” Seb says. “I wanted him to be different too.”
John clears his throat, his hand flexing on his thigh. “As long as Martin backs off and signs over the pub and Ryan is arrested . . .” He stares out the window. “I thought Martin was bad, but Ryan is the worst kind of person. He creates guys like Dennis so he doesn’t have to get his hands dirty.”
I give John a pointed look. “Speaking of him getting arrested . . .”
“The authorities are already in place so that they can grab Ryan in case he runs.” He taps his chest. “He threatened Jason and Athena on the audio files we recovered, but didn’t explicitly state his intentions, so I’m wired up. I’m hoping we can goad him into admitting everything.”
Seb’s eyes widen. “You’re wired?” He glances at me. “Did you know?”
I nod. “And I mentioned it to Sabrina.”
“What if they search us?” Seb asks.
John shakes his head. “I mean, it’s a risk, sure, but like I said, I’ve made this type of deal with them before, so I don’t think they’ll suspect.” He gives me a small smile that I can only describe as evil. “Plus, some new information came to light a couple of nights ago.”
Before I can ask what he’s talking about, we pull up to the curb in front of Skynet. We head inside, taking the elevator to the top floor. I’m not surprised to find Regina waiting for us when the doors open, her mouth pinched in frustration.
She steps forward, her heels clicking loudly on the shiny floors. “What the fuck is going on, Marcus?” Her eyes narrow as she takes in John and my brother standing behind me. “What’s all this? I thought you were meeting with us alone.”
I shrug. “I brought my lawyer.”
“And your brother?”
“This involves him too,” I say.
“I warned you?—”
My patience dissolves and I lean close to her, cutting off hertirade. “Your little threats mean nothing to me,” I growl. “Now take us to the meeting room.”
Her eyes widen with surprise and then cloud with anger, but she turns and leads the way. I look around, taking in the sterile feel of this place—cold, sleek furniture and gray and black accents. I hope it’s the last time that I have to set foot in this building.
Sabrina is already seated, a smug look on her face. Her father sits beside her, looking bewildered and a little pissed. She winks at me. Her father retired last week, and Sabrina accepted the role of CEO. After this meeting, we’ll be calling off our engagement so she and Laura can live happily ever after on their terms. I’m so happy for them.
My father and Ryan are talking quietly at the head of the table, but they both do a double-take when they notice John.
“What the fuck areyoudoing here?” Ryan growls.
“I’m here on behalf of Marcus and Sebastian,” John starts coolly. My father looks confused, and Ryan’s eyes narrow. “It’s time to make a deal.”
The first thingJohn did was lay out his terms to take over as BB&B’s primary investor. He showed my father and Ryan hundreds of pages documenting Ryan’s unsavory activities, including Skynet’s tenuous connections to several money-laundering operations. When Ryan scoffed that there wasn’t enough proof to get him arrested, John pulled out his phone and played the audio from that night with Jeremy’s parents.
It’s the second time I’ve heard the recording now, but listening to Ryan’s exchange with Jeremy’s parents still makes me nauseous. And so angry. I’ve been thinking a lot about little Jeremy and everything he went through because of Ryan, andthis moment feels important, like we’re finally about to win for once.
I glance at my dad, who’s been strangely quiet through most of the exchange, but after hearing the audio, I see the exact moment that he panics.
“What the fuck is this, Ryan? You fuckingoffedthem?” Martin’s wild eyes bounce between me and John. “I swear I had no idea. I wasn’t part of this. Skynet shouldn’t suffer?—”
