Page 75 of Paparazzi Perfect
“Of course! And they’re one-size-fits-all, so let me know if you want to borrow them.” He burst into a belly laugh, making me laugh too.
As we drove back to Bronte, we chatted about Gus’s daughter and his plans for when he retired one day, then he filled me in on the latest football game he’d been watching.
He pulled into the driveway as sunlight glinted off a familiar black motorbike parked a few doors up. I swung open the door. “I’m off for a quick walk, Gus. Gotta work off that burger! I won’t be long,” I called out from the sidewalk.
“You know the deal. Don’t go far or for long,” he said wearily, the glow from his swim giving way to worry lines.
Images of what could happen if my father found out Gus was giving me these privileges flashed through my mind. My stomach twisted into a knot.
The park came into view. Kelvin sat rigidly on a park bench beneath the shade of a eucalyptus tree.
Apprehension creased his brow. “Hey, Karson. You’d better sit down for this.” He scanned the park nervously as I sat down next to him, my mouth suddenly dry.
“I’ll cut straight to the chase. No point sugarcoating it.” He raked an anxious hand through his hair. “Karlos acquired millions of dollars’ worth of illegalassetsin your name.” He slowly rose to his feet, pacing back and forth as he bit down on his lip.
“Kelvin?” The hair lifted on the back of my neck. “What assets?”
He stopped pacing and looked at me as I waited, searching his face for answers.
“Illegal arms. Masses of weaponry.” A vein in his neck pulsed erratically. “Once he buys them—or technically, once you do—he marks up the price and resells them to clandestine terrorist organizations.”
I stared at him, unable to take it all in.
“He’s making a killing… in more ways than one.” A siren wailed up the street. “If they pin this on you, it could mean a life sentence.”
My heart lurched. I couldn’t catch my breath. It felt like I was underwater, struggling to break through to the surface. My lungs emptied as I gasped for air.
“Breathe, mate. There’s more than one way to fight a battle. I won’t let this fucker take you down,” Kelvin spat.
I slowed my breathing, forcing myself to calm down. “Holy shit,” I croaked, “that’s a lot to take in.”
“That’s thebadnews out of the way,” he said with a hint of a smile.
“There’s goodnews?” God knew I needed some. “What is it?” I asked cynically. “Did my father fall off a cliff?”
“Um, not in the physical sense. By the way, this wasn’t easy to find.” He sat down, glancing around to make sure we were still alone. “The encryption was damn near impossible to break, but it was driving me crazy. I went at it nonstop and eventually cracked it.” He gave a double thumbs-up. “Pretty genius, really. I ended up having to—”
“Kelvin!” I pleaded. “Just tell me what you found.”It’d better be good—or I’m going to prison.
“Right. Where was I?” He scratched his head absentmindedly. “Oh, yeah. I’ve got evidence that it was Karlos who placed the order for those shell companies to be established in your name. So, you shouldn’t have to spend the rest of your days rotting behind bars.” He gave me a smug look. “You’re welcome.”
My jaw hung slack.
“My brain almost had an aneurysm, but I also decrypted the data showing instructions from your father to purchase the weapons. If nothing goes wrong, we’ve got him by the balls,” he said, swiping away the beads of sweat on his brow.
I stared blankly into the distance as I drew in a shaky breath. “Are you absolutely certain that’s what he’s been doing? There’s no room for doubt?” I asked, appalled… even though I already knew the answer.
Disbelief turned to anger.How could my own father do this to me?
Kelvin came closer, resting a hand on my shoulder. “Look, I know it’s not what you wanted to hear—”
“You’re right. It’s fucking insane.”
“I get why you’re angry,” he said calmly.
Angry didn’t even begin to cover it. But beneath the horror, relief cracked through. “You did good, Kelvin. You’re a freaking genius.” I laughed, pulling him in for a hug before lifting himjubilantly off the ground. “You’ve given me my life back. How can I ever repay you?” I asked, setting him back down.
“You can start by never doing that again!” With a grin, he smoothed his hair down and straightened his collar. “I hope you still feel that way when you see the invoice. But seriously, Karson, watch your back. This isn’t over. He’s a slippery one.”
