Nothing To Lose: A Grey Justice Novel (20 page)

He withdrew his phone from the pocket of his jeans. “Just wait till you hear the name I’ve been given. Fits me even better.”
 

“Oh, really, what is it?”

“Grimm.” Frowning at the identity of the caller, he punched answer and said, “Yeah?”

“Kennedy there with you?” Justice’s harsh voice gave a portent of bad news.

Nick glanced over at Kennedy, who was still grinning in delight at his new undercover name. “Yes, she’s here.”

“Put me on speaker.”

Nick pressed the speaker button and mouthed, “Justice” to Kennedy.

“Okay, we can both hear you.”

“How did things go today?”

Since he’d spent a good part of the day with Justice, Nick’s eyes went to Kennedy, waiting for her to answer.

“Very good. Eli and I had a business meeting this morning. He also introduced me to Helen and indicated she was once Mathias’s secretary.”

“She’s a spy. Stay clear of her.”

“Will do.”

“And the rest of the day?”

“Was spent turning myself into someone who will hopefully attract Adam Slater. I’ll be accompanying Eli to an event Friday night. Both Adam and Mathias will be there.”

“There’s something you both need to know.”

Nick met Kennedy’s eyes and said, “What’s that?”

“A body was found in a shallow grave in the woods near Tyler, Texas. Authorities found it several days ago but just now identified the remains. The hands and head were missing, took them awhile to do DNA testing on the remains.”

Dread clawed at his insides. “Who was it?”

“Teri Burke, Adam Slater’s last executive assistant.”

Chapter Seventeen

State penitentiary

Brownsville, Texas

Eli sat in the glass-enclosed room, waiting for his younger brother, Jonah, to appear. Grey had wanted to be here, to give him the news personally. Since his association with Jonah needed to remain unknown, that hadn’t been possible. Didn’t matter. Even if secrecy hadn’t been necessary, Eli would have declined. This was his responsibility.

Grey believed he had failed Jonah because he hadn’t been able to protect him from Mathias. Truth was, Eli was the one who’d failed him first. From the time Jonah was born, Eli had felt a certain kinship with him. As children of a powerful and cruel man, they’d often had only each other. Adam, as the oldest, had received all the attention. Their sister, Lacey, had been an entity unto herself. So it had been Eli and Jonah who’d stuck together.

After graduating high school, Eli had gone off to England and created a new life for himself. Out from under the overpowering influence of the Slater name, he’d felt free for the first time since birth. Problem was, he’d left his younger brother behind.

Oh, he had invited him to come for visits. Had made a few phone calls and had even gone back for a birthday or two. That hadn’t been enough. Mathias had seen Jonah as a weakness in the Slater lineage and had taken every opportunity to show his disapproval.

Eli’s own problems with his father were numerous, but he had been able to avoid many of them by moving away when he was so young. Getting married right after he’d graduated university and giving Mathias grandchildren had helped some, too. To the outside world, Mathias Slater was all about family. The bastard loved telling people about his grandchildren. To the uninformed eye, the man looked and acted like the doting father and grandfather. Only behind closed doors did Mathias show his true self.

Instead of coming back to the States and checking on his younger brother, Eli had allowed himself to become separated from the entire family. Between his responsibilities as the COO of Slater House, being a dad and seeing to Shelley’s treatment, he’d had little energy for anything else.

That was no excuse. Because of his neglect, his brother was serving a prison sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. And now Eli was here to tell him news that would make his incarceration a thousand times more painful.

The door opened, and a thin, gaunt man who only vaguely resembled Jonah shuffled into the room. He was dressed in an orange jumpsuit two sizes too large and his hands and feet were shackled like some sort of mass murderer. It was all for psychological effect—Mathias had ordered the harsh treatment. Jonah was no danger to anyone. But this was part of Mathias’s punishment for going against the family. And when Mathias Slater wanted something, he got it.

This harsh treatment was supposed to be a lesson for them all—betray the family, suffer the consequences. Eli knew Jonah would have preferred death—which might have been the biggest reason his father hadn’t ordered him killed.

“What a great way to cap off another exciting, fulfilling day in the big house—a late-night visit from my big brother. And what do I owe the pleasure of your unexpected company?”
 

The bitterness in his brother’s eyes hid a hurt so deep Eli feared Jonah would never again be the cheerful, goodhearted man he’d once known. No matter what he had to do, he would get his brother freed from this shit hole.

“How are you?”

“Asking about my health? Now that’s lame, even for you, Eli. Have you finally run out of platitudes and promises?”

“Mother sends her love.”

A hint of emotion gleamed in his dull gaze. Despite her weak, malleable nature, Eleanor Slater loved her children and did what she could to protect them. Unfortunately, up against a man like Mathias, it hadn’t been much.

“She still in France?”

“Not yet.” Some things in the Slater household never changed. His parents had been spending a month in the south of France for years. That was where Mathias and Eleanor had honeymooned, and everyone outside the family thought it was so romantic that they returned there each year.
 

“That’s not for a couple more weeks.”

“Damn, my social calendar must be out of date.”

“Has Lacey been by to see you?”

“Yes.” His chin cocked up in a defensive tilt. “I refused to see her.”

“Why? I know she’s worried about you.”

“What’s the point?”

Their sister fluttered in and out of their lives like a beautiful butterfly. She rarely stayed in one place longer than a week or two. And somehow, in spite of her dysfunctional family and extreme wealth, she was a good kid.
 

Lacey’s good heart and cheerful nature were all due to their mother’s influence. Mathias had a tendency to divide women into two categories—a few were to be cosseted and protected as if they were slightly dimwitted, and the rest were trash. Mathias had had almost nothing to do with his daughter’s upbringing, which was one of the biggest reasons she’d turned out to be a decent human being.

“She’s your sister and she loves you…that’s the point.”

“And is that why you’re here, Eli? You love me?”

“Of course I love you. There’s another reason I’m here, though.” Eli had never been one to put things off, no matter how distasteful. Drawing in a breath, he opened his mouth to deliver the tragic news when Jonah beat him to it.

“She’s dead…isn’t she?”

Eli released his breath and said, “Yes.”

“Where did they put her?”

Jonah wasn’t asking where she was buried. He wanted to know where Teri’s killer had left her body.

“In a shallow grave right outside Tyler.”

“How was it done?”

“Jonah, there’s no need—”

“There’s every need.” The hard, strained voice barely sounded human.

“Cause of death hasn’t been determined.”

“What else, Eli? I know you. You’re holding something back. Do you think telling me is going to make it worse than it already is? The woman I loved…was going to marry is dead. What else? Tell me, damn you.”

Acid roiled in his gut. Jonah wouldn’t let up until he knew. And if Eli didn’t tell him, he’d find out the truth from someone else. He spit out the distasteful words. “They found her body over a week ago but couldn’t identify her.” He swallowed hard, continued, “Her head and hands are still missing. That’s why it took so long to identify her.”

What little light left in his brother’s eyes died, leaving a dark nothingness. “Who ordered the hit…Mathias or Adam?”

“I don’t know. They both claim to know nothing about it.”

“It was Mathias. That’s his kind of dirty work.” Then, very softly, he added, “I’m going to kill him.”

Before Eli could respond, Jonah rolled back in his chair and glared up at the camera stationed in the corner. “Did you hear that, old man?” he shouted. “I’m going to fucking kill you!”

“Jonah…dammit. Stop it!”

“Why?” Eyes wild with grief, he glared at Eli. “We both know he’s there. He hears and sees everything.” His gaze returned to the camera. “Isn’t that right, you sick fuck?”
 

Two prison guards burst through the door and grabbed Jonah. Instead of fighting them, he stood and walked willingly toward the door. He didn’t glance back at Eli…he didn’t need to. There was nothing more to be said.

Eli had once again failed his little brother. And if Mathias was watching this, he was doing one of two things—laughing his ass off or hiring someone inside to teach Jonah another lesson.

Dammit, he had to find a way to get his brother out and soon.

Chapter Eighteen

Kennedy sat at her desk and stared blankly at the calendar in front of her. She was supposed to be reviewing Eli’s schedule for the day, but her mind kept going back to last night with Nick. After Justice called with the news about Adam Slater’s assistant, the atmosphere had been as solemn as a funeral. Once again, a Slater had destroyed someone’s life.

As they ate dinner, Nick had described his meeting with Grey earlier that day. From the way it sounded, the man had been helping people gain justice for quite some time. Even though the Slaters were apparently tougher to pin down than other criminals had been, Grey Justice believed it could be done.
 

She and Nick had discussed their roles. They had agreed that while she was within the confines of the Slater House offices, she would be safe. Actually, Nick hadn’t necessarily felt this way, but since he couldn’t very well enter the building to keep an eye on her, he had conceded that Eli Slater could ensure her safety. When she went outside, Nick would either be with her or close-by.

The independent part of her rebelled at the thought of a 24/7 bodyguard. Other than her few short years with Thomas, Kennedy had relied on herself. And while she knew she could protect herself with her gun and had taken some self-defense courses, defending herself against a hired killer was beyond her expertise. So, dislike it as she might, she would go along with the extra protection.

While she was at work, Nick had said he would delve deeper into the Slaters’ financials, hoping to find a link between the family and anything that looked remotely questionable. Grey had mentioned last night that new computer equipment would be delivered to her house today. So while she worked within the Slater ranks, Nick would work from the outside.

“I don’t give a damn what you think!” a harsh male voice shouted.

Kennedy’s head popped up. When she’d arrived this morning, Helen had told her that Eli was in a private meeting and under no circumstances was he to be disturbed. She’d been at her desk for two hours, so whoever his visitor was, they’d had a lot to discuss. From the shouting, the conversation wasn’t pleasant.

The door to Eli’s office was flung open, and a tall, blond-haired man stormed out. Breath seized in her lungs as her heart went into an immediate gallop. She’d seen enough photos to recognize Adam Slater, Eli’s brother.
 

Her mind had replayed this scenario a thousand times. Knowing that at some point she would come face-to-face with her enemy, she had thought about all the things she could say to him, all the ways she would act. Not once did she doubt that she could handle herself. Until now.

The instant he noticed her, she dropped her gaze to her desk. Footsteps sounded as he came closer. Her heart raced, and a light, floaty feeling fuzzed her brain. She knew he was standing at her desk, looking down on her. She could hear his breathing. What if he recognized her? What if she screamed that he was a murderer? What if—

“And you are?”
 

 
She released the breath she had been holding, raised her head and stared up at the face of the man responsible for Thomas’s death. Why didn’t he look like a monster? How could he look so human and ordinary?

“Do you have a speech problem?”

“No…I—”
Get it together, Kennedy!
“My…uh…my name is Rachel Walker. I’m, um, I’m Mr. Slater’s assistant.”

“Since when?”

“I hired her a few days ago.” Eli stood at the door to his office. The mild look on his face belied the anger gleaming in his eyes. He was furious and trying not to show it. She’d learned a few of his tells over the last couple of days. As if to confirm her thoughts, he added in a hard, cold voice, “Leave her alone.”