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“I might,” Six says under her breath.
Bennet points at her. “No. Behave.”
Lukas tries to hold back his laughter, and I am giggling uncontrollably at this point. I can tell Luis wants to laugh, but he’s trying to pretend he’s an adult. Buzz kill.
“That actually does seem like it would be super uncomfortable. I’m surprised you’re not chafing by now.” Micah actually keeps a straight face, sounding concerned.
“Oh, I am actually quite chafed from yesterday. That’s why I’ve been avoiding you all day,” he tells Six, still trying to avoid looking at her.
Grimacing, I do feel some sympathy towards a chafed dick. “One time when I was backpacking in Florida, I had to wade through waist deep swamp for a while and it was super hot and muggy. The waterproof bag I kept my change of clothes in apparently had a hole, so I didn’t have any dry underwear or pants to change into, so I had to hike for four hours with wet drawers. My junk was so chafed I could barely walk, and I had to take three days off. I still hate Florida.”
“Gross,” Micah says, returning his attention to Bennet. “I’m sure we can find some cream for it or something.”
“Great. For now though, can we just stop referring to it at all? We’re here.”
The limo pulls around to a side entrance, where a valet opens the door and ushers us inside. “Mr. Adley, we’re so glad to have you with us again. We’ve got you all set up in the private room, and your guest has already arrived.”
Buttoning his jacket button in that way that powerful men do, Bennet waits for us to join him before nodding to the valet to open the door. He strides in confidently, walking towards where a stocky man in a blue suit stands, holding his hand out.
My phone rings. I scramble to turn off the ringer, returning it to my pocket with an apologetic grin. Bennet turns his attention back to the dark-haired man.
“Agent Tova, it’s nice to meet you. Thank you for coming.”
“I’m glad we could finally meet in person. I’ve been trying to make this happen for a while.”
“Circumstances didn’t allow for it at the time. Things have changed.”
“Yes, of course. My condolences.” He bows his head slightly.
“Unnecessary,” Bennet dismisses the sentiment. He gestures to us. “This is my family. Six, Lukas, Micah, Jackson, and Luis.”
If Agent Tova is confused by the introduction or our family dynamic, he doesn’t show it. He simply nods to each of us and shakes our hands. “So nice to make your acquaintance. Shall we sit? I think we have much to discuss.”
Nodding, Bennet pulls out a chair for Six, but then moves a few chairs over to sit closest to Agent Tova. I work hard to suppress my grin as I sit next to her, directly across from Bennet, resting my arm over the back of her chair.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. Since when am I so popular?
We sit in relative silence as a few servers arrive with place settings, water, and trays of tiny appetizers. Bennet has already placed everyone’s orders, which explains the lack of menus. Because of course he has.
Once we are alone, Bennet doesn’t waste any time reaching for the files that Lukas is carrying with him.
“When we started working together a few years ago, and until recently, we thought that my father’s misdeeds were limited to primarily financial crimes and illegal business practices. Obviously, given what we found in Raleigh, we were very wrong. In these files, you’ll find an extensive list and concrete proof of the white-collar crimes that we were already sure about, and so much more. BioCere Inc. was not just a shell company, it was much deeper and more disturbing than anyone could have ever suspected. Crimes against humanity, murder, government espionage—you name it.”
Agent Tova whistles, flipping through the pages. He grimaces as he reads through some of the sick details of what these labs are capable of. And he doesn’t even know the worst of it.
Bennet hands the agent another file. “And here is proof of what is happening in the second BioCere Inc. lab in Atlanta, Georgia. This lab actually tries to present itself as a legitimate operation, but the tests and experiments they are conducting there are just as shockingly disturbing and illegal.”
After waiting for the wait staff to set our entrees in front of us and clear out again, Bennet gets right to the point. “Agent Tova, how do we shut this operation down and how quickly can we manage it?”
“This is all quite troubling indeed, and you’re right, much worse than we ever suspected. But it will likely still take years to pin anything on them and hope it sticks.”
Lukas is outraged. “What do you mean, hope it sticks? There’s proof of all of their crimes right there. We have video footage of Jackson Adley’s partner, Dr. Ronald Johnson, the director of BioCere Inc., either committing or signing off on all manner of horrific and highly illegal activity. How is this not enough to shut them down and put them away for good?”
“Lukas, is it? Tell me, how did you come into possession of these records?”
Lukas doesn’t answer.
“Is it safe to say that you didn’t obtain them by strictly legal means?”
