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When Angela’s father started to deny his sins once more, Roman lost it. He pistol-whipped the bastard, watching as blood welled from the nasty gash left behind from the hard metal. “You’re going to want to stop denying what you’ve done. Or it’s going to become a hill to die on.”
Harold swore, his head rocking forward. Jill cried and whimpered. Everyone else in the room simply stood in silence, waiting for the pieces of shit to make a decision. Roman was disappointed when Harold started to talk.
“I have no idea what his real name is. I knew him as a moniker. A rather trite one,” Harold added, looking unimpressed. “He called himself the Foreman.”
“And?” Morrigan prompted when nothing more was forthcoming.
“And what?” Harold snapped angrily. “That’s it. I don’t know who he is. I never did. I haven’t seen him or heard from him since Angela took off.”
Roman dug deep for patience. “How did you find him in the first place?”
“I didn’t. We were approached by one of his employees,” Harold mumbled, shaking his head. Blood was dripping down the side of his face, and Roman wanted to see more. “The man said he had a valuable contact. One that could solve all our financial problems.”
“We didn’t go looking for him. It wasn’t our idea,” Jill chipped in. “The offer for aid was given. We just... accepted.”
“You just accepted,” Roman repeated contemptuously. “You know, I can’t count the number of people I’ve killed, including my own father. But you two have me beat when it comes to being trash.”
“We are not trash,” Harold refuted. “Generations of money and influence were about to go down the drain. Do you know how much it costs to run a campaign? It practically bankrupted me. Only, I couldn’t file, could I? Otherwise, the world would have known, and I would have kissed my career goodbye.”
Midas stepped closer, speaking directly to their captives for the first time. “So you peddled your daughter to cover your debts. Charming.”
“Tell me the name of the person who approached you,” Roman commanded. He wanted to get the hell out of there and go home to his angelo.
Harold’s mouth thinned into a mulish line, only opening when his wife shrieked at him to talk. He shot her a dirty look, but finally answered, “Wayne Hutchins.”
Roman frowned. He knew that name from somewhere.
“He’s a tax accountant. A real high-priced one,” Beast supplied, stepping forward.
“You know him?” Roman asked the gruff biker.
“Unfortunately. He’s a regular at The Morgue. I’m one of the managers there. Wayne comes in almost every week with a different woman on his arm. Hires out the private rooms a lot,” Beast said. “He offered to do the books for the club in exchange for free membership.” His smile held no humor when he admitted, “I considered it. I’m not good with numbers. But the guy rubbed me the wrong way. I ended up turning him down.”
“So, this guy is in Monash. That’s convenient,” Morrigan noted, a hopeful expression on her face.
Roman grunted. He wasn’t feeling optimistic. All the contacts they had chased down in Monash had been dead ends. But it was progress. “How did Wayne even know you needed bailing out?”
“He used to be my accountant.”
Roman had to lean in close to hear the admission. “I see. So, he wasn’t just an employee of the Foreman, he was also your employee.”
Harold huffed. “Look, I haven’t spoken to Wayne in years. Not after we finalized the compensation for Angela’s work. And I certainly haven’t heard from the Foreman. That’s the truth. I give you my word.”
“Your word means nothing to me,” Roman informed the piece of shit. Then he reached out, pressing his thumb forcefully onto Harold’s windpipe. He watched the gagging, gasping man until his eyes began to roll back, then released him. “I’m coming back for you. But until then, do yourself a favor and keep your mouth shut about this little visit. Otherwise, your bosses will be receiving a whole lot of evidence on you.”
It may have seemed like a thin threat to some, but Roman knew it held weight with the Hawthornes. They wouldn’t do anything that risked smearing the family name, their social standing, or their reputations. “Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he said to Morrigan.
Morrigan nodded but stayed where she was, staring at Angela’s parents. Roman left her to it for a moment, knowing what it cost her to leave them alive. He felt the same.
Midas jerked his head to the door. “You guys head off, gather the rest of your men. We’ll stick around until we know you’re out of Paget Sound and then untie these animals.”
Roman looked longingly at the exit. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, man. No problem,” Midas said, clapping him on the back.
Roman was almost forced forward a step. Midas was taller and more solid than he was. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
