The Law of Motion (Law Series) (77 page)

             
I let out a deep breath, feeling somewhat guilty that I let it slip, though in honesty I thought she already knew. 

             
“But he was barely older than me, which would mean…” She choked putting things together in her mind.

             
“This is something for you to talk to Paul about; he’ll explain it better than I since I met him only once.” I admitted.

             
She scoffed. “He was such a smug little prick, walking around all self-entitled, I can’t wait until I see him again.”

             
“He’s dead Rosalia.” I sighed remembering my own distaste for him. This shocked her. “He was killed in an…accident, two years ago.”

             
Sadness crossed her face, and I saw the difference between her and me. The sadness for a sibling she never knew, all anger fading, now replaced with a quiet mourning. “He should have
told
us.”

             
“That’s something that you have to talk to Paul about.” I suggested feeling uncomfortable with her emotions. Kristen was out of the room and in her office, but everyone else was right behind the bookcase.  “He’ll be back in a day or so.”

             
“Why do you do that?” Rosalia sniffled dabbing at her eyes.

             
I walked to the large glass window to disconnect myself from my thoughts, “What?” I finally asked when I no longer felt uncomfortable.

             
“Say daddy’s name like he isn’t your father too.” She continued curiously, “Almost like you hate him.”

             
I didn’t answer her right away. I was debating on if I were still obligated to play a part or let it go. “He’s not my favorite person in the world…” I admitted in half-truth.

             
“Then why…”

             
I didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what she was asking. “Paul and I have an arrangement. If I did him this favor he would exit my life and let me live it.” It wasn’t a full truth, but all that she needed to know.

             
“He loves you, you know?” She admitted her voice a bit forlorn. “Perhaps more than my sister and I, he’s never once offered this to us.”

             
I shook my head. “I doubt it. He’s more puzzled by the fact I don’t want his offer.”

             
She processed that for a moment, “There is a depth to us you know? We all want things outside of the Neil name.”

             
I offended her by my statement, though I didn’t intend to. The normal me would have reminded her that everything she had gotten in life so far was because of the name ‘Neil’, but for some reason that seemed cruel. Leaving me wanting to apologize, but before I could Kristen buzzed through the phone on my desk.

             
“Mr. Wendell is here to see you Miss Marshall.” Her voice held a hint of annoyance, but you could only tell if you knew her.

             
Rosalia stood up her taking that as her cue to leave. “Until next time,” She dismissed before I even got the chance to say it myself.

             
The minute she disappeared down the hall I spun back opening the bookcase to let out the boys.

             
Macon grinned at me, stepping down the stairs flexing his massive arms as I let him pass. “About time he showed up.”

             
“I’ve been waiting to bust this bitch all day.” Jeff agreed.

I picked up my phone and dialed Hunter, “Do you and Cam have men set up downstairs for an arrest yet?”

“Can’t even get a second to breath,” he joked in his Biloxi accent. “We barely raided the address Tink gave us.”

I rolled my eyes, “Hurry and get up here.”

“Okay, okay Babes.” He chuckled. “We’ve been down stairs waiting for your call a full ten minutes. If you’re going to keep me down here waiting you’re at least going to validate my parking. ”

My favorite set of strong arms wrapped around me from behind tickling me with kisses from his two day stubble on my neck. “When we get out of here, the first thing that I’m going to do is put that ring on your finger, Honeyface.”

“My agreeing to marry you doesn’t have an expiration date Adrian, I won’t change my mind.” I chided, kissing him after I closed the bookcase shutting Doc and Tink back in.

His blue and grey eyes always had a way of hypnotizing me. “I know, but I can’t wait nonetheless.”

I pushed the button paging Kristen, “Would you show Mr. Wendell in please?”

"Mr. Wendell, take a seat" I stated, trying not to smile when he jumped at the sight of not only Macon and Jackson leaning against the glass window of my office, but my
entire
security. I failed, but I didn't care, and even Liam snorted at his reaction.

The little weasel sat, already breaking into sweat. Whether it was my presence or the presence of the silent, but very stern-faced crew around us, I had no idea, but he was definitely nervous. Kristen opted to stay, leaning casually against the door with a smirk.

"Ah, Miss Marshall," he said, oozing butt-kissing skills like no tomorrow. "Always a pleasure to be invited to your office. What can I do for you?"

"It's what
 
I
 can do for 
you
, Mr. Wendell," I countered, slapping a very thick file down in front of him. "See, I cann
ot
 call the Bar and tell them all about your illegal activities. I cann
ot
call your wife and tell her you've been hauled off to jail, and that everything she owns, knows, and loves has been paid for by laundered money and she won't get to keep any of it. And I cann
ot
 kill you where you stand for betraying my father after he took you in almost fresh after the Bar exam."

He swallowed thickly, glancing down at the ominous file and back around the room to the eight faces that were watching him intently.

"I have enough information in that file—because you're the 
dumbest
 criminal I've ever met—to put you away for a 
very long time
," I stated, pointing to the file again and starting to pace slowly in front of him. "There's bribery, extortion, illegally drawn documents...not to mention the phone records from your own office. You might remember what it is I
do
, Mr. Wendell, and you’ll take me seriously, because I bluff with no one." I stopped in front of him, watching his mouth gape like a fish out of water. "To have been so worried about the
integrity
of Neil Industries, you sure have kept some interesting company. You are familiar with what company I’m referring to, yes?"

He nodded frantically, but didn't interrupt.

"Good, I'm glad we're on the same page," I said with a small smile. "I have emails and financial records that go back almost eight years, Mr. Wendell. Tell me, did my father not pay you enough? Or are you just a greedy little bastard that can't say no to a dollar shoved his way? Or 
maybe
 it’s that nasty little habit of yours..." I mused dramatically, rubbing my chin and hearing Kristen snort behind me.

"Now, tell me, Mr. Wendell," I snickered, tilting my head at him. "How much money did you owe Mr. Crenshaw?" I asked, having recently found out that Ivan Wendell loved his just-under-eighteen girls —a fact that came out when Tink started digging up facts left and right the weeks before. When he didn't answer, I answered for him. "Somewhere around a half of a million, right?" I laughed humorlessly. "They were
 
minors
," I growled, shaking my head at him. "Do you know what they do to people like you in prison, Mr. Wendell?"

"Yes," he whispered, looking down at the floor.

"It wasn't that you just liked 'em young, was it?" I continued, raising an eyebrow at him. "They had to be from other countries, bought on the black market so they couldn't be traced, so they weren't...
missing
. And then you'd just let them go in a foreign country, where they couldn't leave and could barely even survive."

"Yes," he breathed again, and now his skin had taken on the color just this shy of split pea soup. "What do you want, Miss Marshall?" he whispered, finally making eye contact with me.

I lifted my chin and studied him for a moment. "You're going to pull one more job for this company," I told him. "You're about to have one last call, and you're going to make sure that he gets life in prison." I walked around to stand in front of him. "You'll get a call in a few hours, and your new client will be down in county jail, having been arrested under a plethora of charges. You're not going to ask for bail, though I can't imagine he'll be granted any. You're to make sure he knows that 
every charge will stick
, that you can’t represent him due to the fact that you will be
testifying
against him, and he can’t hire anyone else because as of an hour ago, he lost...
everything.
"

"That's it?"

"No," I snorted, rolling my eyes. "That's not it. When it's over... When he's been charged and sentenced, you're going to disappear— never to be heard from again. I don't care if you take your wife and kids with you—that's not my problem – but you're going the get the fuck out D.C....hell, out of the country, for all I care. But know this," I growled, pointing a finger at him. "Lay 
one finger
 on another underage girl, and I'll know about it. And that file..." I jerked my chin towards the coffee table. "That file goes not only to the Bar, but the FBI. Are we clear?"

He nodded, but swallowed again as his hands wrung nervously together. "Who's the client, Miss Marshall?"

I smiled, looked around the room, finally landing my gaze back on him. "Royce Crenshaw, the man you owe money too."

"Shit," he hissed, closing his eyes and now wiping the sweat that was running down his face. "I'll
 
have
 to go into hiding. I'll have no choice..."

"You'll have no choice, because I'm telling you to go!" I snapped, losing my patience with the little slime ball. "If you think I'm bluffing, Mr. Wendell, then you can try me. I'll drag your whole family through the mud. I'll dig up shit from your family tree and spread it all over D.C. You'll be arrested as a child molester, for embezzlement, fraud, and for aiding and abetting criminal activities.
 
Do
 
not fucking turn this offer down? 
It will be the biggest mistake you've made yet."

What I didn't want to tell him was that I really needed him to pull this last thing off without a hitch. I was counting on him to screw up somewhere down the line, whether it be with girls or money, and Tink would see it, but for now, Cam needed his testimony. When or if he did fuck up, he'd go to jail like he deserved, but I was only buying him time.

"Are we clear, Mr. Wendell?" I asked again, folding my arms across my chest.

He deliberated longer than I thought he would, and for a brief second grew a backbone. “Wait, you can’t fire me. Only Paul Neil can do that, and I don’t take kindly to your threats Miss Marshall. You’re using these men to intimidate me into a suicide assignment based on no actual proof? If you had it, I wouldn’t be here right now. I know how the law works, and
if
you have what you say then you would need my testimony to put Royce King away and I won’t put myself at risk without anything in return.” He stood up from his chair slinging the file across the desk and back at me. The contents scattered at my feet.

Adrian and Dario took a few quick steps towards him but I shook my head halting their steps. “Kristen, why don’t you see what’s taking Mr. Grayson so long will you?”

Kristen opened the door and peeked her head outside; I could tell she was torn between leaving the room and missing something, or going to find Hunter and Cam. The choice was eventually made for her because I heard her step outside to softly call down the hall. “Ah, we were just looking for you two.”

“Well we hate to disappoint.” Cam joked walking in with Hunter, both in their normal suits. Cam walked straight up to Ivan Wendell—it being a FBI matter more than a DIA situation Hunter gave him the reins on this case. “Ivan Wendell I presume?”

He nodded looking at the ID badge Cam flashed in front of him. “I am Agent Cameron Riley with the FBI.”

“And you?” Wendell asked looking back at Hunter.

Hunter shrugged, “I’m not important Mr. Wendell, but I can tell you what is. At oh-six hundred this morning a small team raided through 3212 Auburn Drive, does that address ring a bell to you?”

I couldn’t help but smile when that backbone of his started to shrink. He didn’t answer but Cam went on. “That’s the condo you lease separate from your home correct?”

When he didn’t answer Cam looked at me with a raised eyebrow, “He’s not talking. Apparently you
need
him, not the other way around, refused my asylum and everything. ” I explained.