Page 83 of Scarred Redemption

“Wait a minute. You’re not considering purchasing the business.”

“I am. A warehouse at this location could be of benefit for the same reasons Mr. Gallows and the Butcher found favorable.”

“And here I thought you were going to eliminate all of them.”

“Nonsense, Sergei, but apparently you underestimate me. I can be generous to people who deserve it.”

He followed me outside. “Well, it is a nice area and close to the beach.”

“Close enough. I’m headed back to Charleston. Have Diana run some comparison checks to Stonewall Development. Talk to the payroll person so we can begin moving forward. I’ll need a set of financials emailed to me.”

He was suddenly no longer directly behind me. “Stonewall. You’re shitting me. The company trying to buy the land from under the project?”

“I would bet on it. Making the direct correlation will take her some time and I will need to have solid evidence before I begin a full-scale act of destruction, but I just might head to Vegas when this is all over with.”

His laugh meant I’d surprised him for a change. “I’ll contact her immediately. Incidentally, I had a call from Dr. Kelly Platt. The trust has called a meeting at the end of the week. They’re voting you off and there is some talk about shelving the project.”

“Who initiated it?”

“Your buddy, Wenn Patterson.”

I snorted at first although I’d known Wenn was a snake, grabbing any opportunity to increase his wealth.

“They can’t do that.”

“Then I suggest you have everything wrapped up and ready to proceed.”

I shook my head. “Is that supposed to be incentive?” He was right and I had every intention of being at that meeting.

“That’s the type of incentive you prefer.” He was grinning.

“Maybe I should try and discover what my buddy Wenn has been involved with lately.”

“Not a bad idea. Now, what about your father?”

“He and I will need to have a full conversation.”

“Would you like me there with you?”

“I think I can handle my father on my own, Sergei. Besides, I need to determine who I can continue trusting.” It was past time to put the pieces together, including who’d betrayed me.

“What are you talking about?”

Before I headed to the vehicle, I returned to him, standing within only a few inches. I yanked out my sunglasses, cutting my glance toward the building. “Do you remember one of the first things you said to me after being told to take me under your wing?”

“I think I told you a lot of things. I was little more than a kid myself.”

“True, which made us close like best friends. Or brothers. I remember. You said the most valuable lesson you learned was that the pain from those you believed to be your friends cut the deepest. I believe I’ve finally begun to understand exactly what you meant and why the lesson is a vital one for everyone to learn. Someone betrayed me, Sergei, someone I thought I could place my full trust in. And as you might imagine, I’m eager to discover that person’s identity even more than I am in confirming who this Butcher really is. And when I do, I assure you the cut will indeed be the deepest.”

I left him with that, unwilling to tell him anything else.

Just as Mario stepped out to open my door, my phone rang. Given the news I was waiting on, I bristled seeing the number. “Isabel.”

CHAPTER 17

Isabel

Thirty minutes earlier…