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Aaron had made far more money than Corey could have ever dreamed of, but Aaron hadn’t planned to share any of it. He’d taken advantage of Corey and his love for Liam, which really pissed Corey off.
So Corey had taken all of Aaron’s money and shared it with Bobby and Ed—which Aaron would learn as soon as he tried to access the cash to pay his bail bond. Sucks to be Aaron.
Aaron might have started in the drug business for a good reason, but he had quickly become greedy, which was classic Aaron. He always wanted more than he had and had always found a way to get it. He was a slimeball, but a charming one. Everyone had liked him. Their mother had been so proud of him. Corey, why can’t you be like Aaron? Corey, ask Aaron for help with your homework. He gets straight As and you’ve got Ds. Why can’t you go to college like Aaron and make something of yourself? Ask Aaron to give you a job in his firm.
Everyone thought that Aaron had it together, that he was this fancy, intelligent guy. But now Aaron was in jail, and this time, Aaron wasn’t going to get what he wanted.
This time it was Corey’s turn to be successful. Once he’d eliminated Bella Butler, he’d be able to write his ticket for any dirty job he wanted. The operation would be so smooth, no one would suspect that Doyle had even thought of killing his accuser.
He, Bobby, and Ed just had a few loose ends to tie off first.
4
The Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 11:00 A.M.
PULLING OFF HIS headphones, Elijah frowned. “What’s taking them so long?” he grumbled.
Val glanced up from her laptop. “Burke and your dad are talking money.”
Elijah’s frown morphed from irritated to worried. “How much are you going to cost?”
Val sighed. She’d been researching New Orleans’s current drug trafficking networks to see if any of the old Sixth Day members’ names appeared, and she hadn’t considered her words. She needed to remember that—no matter how old a soul this kid was—he was still just a ten-year-old kid. A kid who clearly worried about the family finances along with all the other shit that troubled him.
“I don’t know exactly. Sometimes Burke gives a break to people in law enforcement. He figures they can send business his way later. But I do know that he won’t ever cheat your father. I’m betting they’ve figured out the money and are talking about how best to keep you safe.”
Elijah bit his lip, but he nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”
“No worries, Elijah. If it’s okay, I want to research the people who tried to snatch you.”
“So you’re investigating and being my bodyguard?”
“Well, Burke makes the call on who does the investigating. I’ll probably be behind the scenes, feeding Burke any information that I find.” Or that I already know. “The more I know about their organization, the better equipped I am to protect you. I need to know their faces, their motivations, their approaches.”
“Their MO,” Elijah said gravely.
Val had to fight back a smile. The kid really was too freaking cute. “Exactly.”
“Then I’ll be quiet and let you read,” he promised.
“Thank you.” She refocused on her laptop screen, kicking herself for not staying more on top of Dewey Talley’s activities, but blocking out anything Sixth Day–related had become necessary to save her sanity. For that, she’d cut herself a little slack.
A movement in her peripheral vision had her glancing to the bookshelves that lined one wall of her office. Elijah was studying her trophies, his hands gripped behind his back.
“You can touch them,” Val offered. “They won’t break.”
Elijah looked over at her. “What are they for?”
“Roller derby,” she said, then chuckled when his mouth dropped open.
“For real?”
“For real,” she confirmed. “The photo next to the trophies is my team.”
Elijah picked up the frame carefully. “The New Orleans QuarterMasters?”
“Yep.”
