Page 82 of Fighting for Scarlett

So, he was grateful that he had all of Prey, his team, and Rocco’s team all at his back.

Together they would sort this mess out and keep his girl safe.

“Sold his house and paid the gang to let his brother go,” Gumby replied. “He just put in his resignation to Prey, said he wanted to move away, and make sure there was no fallout for either of them. Not like gangs are known for sticking to their word and being honorable.”

“Why would he sell his house to pay off the debt if he knew he had a huge payout coming from selling a drug to a weapons dealer?” Bubba asked.

“He wouldn’t,” Tate answered. “If Dean Webster sold his house and paid off his brother’s debts, and they’re moving, then he’s out as a suspect. I mean, we can keep an eye on him, but there’s no reason to sell the house unless it was the only way he could get the money.”

“Unless he just sold it in the last couple of days, after Scarlett was rescued,” Ace suggested.

“House has been listed for the last three months,” Gumby told them. “So, he had this plan in motion for a while now.”

“Definitely out,” Rocco agreed.

“That still leaves us Amy Jenkins as a suspect,” Tate said, trying not to sound as desperate as he felt.

Which was next to impossible.

It had been over twenty-four hours since he’d allowed Scarlett to be arrested, and he was aching to take her in his arms and soothe the pain he himself had inflicted.

Soothe every pain she’d ever suffered.

Punish every person who had ever hurt her.

Unfortunately, her grandparents and brother were all deceased, but he had half a mind to track down her parents and give them a piece of his mind. They had started the ball rolling when they decided that their twins weren't ever going to be a priority in their lives. Giving them up and having them put in foster care rather than giving up their careers had them right near the top of the worst parents ever list as far as he was concerned.

“Uh, I think we might be able to clear Amy as a suspect, too,” Phantom announced.

“What? Why?” he asked. Of their two remaining suspects, his money had been on the IT specialist. She had the skills to track down a weapons dealer on the dark web, she had the skills to plant the emails, and she was desperately in need of the money.

If they had cleared both their suspects, and they believed Warren when he said he hadn't been involved, then where did they look next?

“Her GoFundMe hit its goal and then some, which means she’s going to have all the money she needs to pay off her husband’s medical bills, and those for her son, and still have plenty left over so that she won't need to work while she takes time to care for her dying child. Money was the only motive we had for her. We were going on the assumption that she wouldn’t hit her fundraising goals and therefore would get nothing, but she did,” Phantom said.

“But she couldn’t have known that she would. She still could have done it,” Tate argued.

“Maybe, but to be honest, I'm not sure how she’d have the time,” Ace said. “I've got kids, they keep you on your toes, there’s barely time to blink. Not only is Amy grieving, but she’s a single mom to two kids, one of whom is in and out of the hospital. She’s also got to work, get her daughter to and from school, and her son to and from appointments. I just don’t think she had the time or energy to set something like this up. Desperate people do desperate things sure. But this woman seems completely focused on taking care of her kids. Plus, she has a great support system. I don’t think it was her.”

“Then who was it?” Tate demanded, shoving away from the table and dragging his fingers through his hair, enjoying the sting as it tugged on his scalp.

Good.

He should hurt.

Should hurt as badly as Scarlett had when she realized he was going to allow her to be arrested.

It was killing him that he couldn’t go to her, plead with her to understand why he’d made that choice, and beg her to forgive him.

When Rocco’s phone buzzed with a message all attention focused on the man. From his expression as he read it, whatever the news was it wasn’t good.

“What happened?” Tate asked. Good news or bad he was desperate for something. The more intel they had, the more they learned, and the more they learned the closer they got to ending this once and for all.

For a moment, when Rocco’s brown eyes lifted to meet his, Tate was sure that the other man wasn’t going to answer.

To hell with that.

He’d fight for the intel if he had to. Scarlett was his, and he was going to get her name cleared, and the weapons dealer off her back so she could finally be free to live out her dreams.

---