Page 88 of Axe Backwards
“Yeah, and his dad. They’re rich and well-connected. They know how to cover their tracks, but they’re definitely tied up in all kinds of shit. We haven’t connected all the dots yet. Parker is an incredible investigator. She’s worked her ass off, but the feds aren’t all that motivated to figure shit out.”
I snorted. “Of course, they’re not. That guy was the governor.”
“Lieutenant governor,” Jude corrected. He snapped, and Ripley immediately kept pace beside him. “But yes.”
“I gotta talk to Vic. The Huxleys have been stringing her along, promising donations, then being evasive. They’ve also asked for all kinds of information about the food pantry.”
Jude pulled up short. Ripley did the same, mirroring his motions. It was eerie.
“She needs to talk to Parker.” His tone was serious, his blue eyes dark. “We may not have all the pieces yet, but all signs point to some shady shit.”
Nausea swept through me. Vic, who wanted to feed the entire world, whose heart was so big it could barely fit in her chest, could be mixed up with potential criminals?
“They’re not dangerous,” Jude said, sensing my concern the way only a twin can. “At least as far as we know. Parker has been digging for months, but we all still have a lot of questions.”
I nodded. I may only have a basic understanding of the drug trafficking Dad was involved with, but it was clear this went waybeyond his crimes. He was in prison now, but there were others out there carrying on in his absence.
Another wave of guilt hit me. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry. I’ve been—”
Jude clapped my shoulder. “You had your own stuff going on. And it’s okay. We’ve lived in Dad’s shadow for so long. We’ve all had to find our way out of it, and we each took a different path.”
I nodded, but I still felt like shit. My family had been going through hell, and I was living for myself and no one else.
“You’re here now,” he said. “And you brought the best gift with you.” He looked down at a sleeping Tess, who now had her arm wrapped around that stupid Olaf toy. “We’re gonna be okay.”
I nodded.
“But keep Vic away from the Huxleys.”
Chapter 28
Victoria
“Idon’t want to get anyone in trouble. I swear I was just trying to get donations.” I scanned the official-looking conference room, feeling like I’d been brought into the principal’s office.
Parker Gagnon stood at the head of the table. She was a study of contradictions. She was athletic, with her brown hair pulled into a perky ponytail, yet the energy that radiated from her was all business. There was no hiding her background in law enforcement. It was her posture, her stance, and the pen behind her ear. She was not someone to be fucked with.
I smoothed my own hair over my ears.
“You’re not in trouble.” Expression softening, she surveyed the people in the room.
Noah sat next to me. His brother Gus was here too, along with his girlfriend Chloe, who now owned the timber company. I didn’t know them well, but they’d been nice enough.
“We’ve been digging for the better part of a year. We’ve collected all kinds of pieces—random strings and theories and tidbits of information,” she explained. “The connections aretenuous, but most of them lead back to Charles Huxley and his corporate holdings.”
She focused on me again, brows raised in anticipation.
So I dove in. I told them everything I knew, hoping I could help them push the investigation to the finish line so the Hebert family could finally rest. And after months of back and forth, I had plenty to share.
“I approached them the same way I approach any potential corporate partner. Opportunities to donate, to set up recurring giving, that sort of thing. Most people are interested in the tax breaks alone.” I uncapped the bottle of water Gus had set in front of me and took a small sip. “They made it seem like they were on board, which would be a game changer for the food pantry.”
My stomach twisted at the memory of how eager and excited I’d been. How naïve.
“I usually provide a prospectus with a financial overview, but they wanted more. They requested information and records that should have no effect on their ability to donate or use those donations as write-offs. Then Denis wanted to inspect the premises. I allowed it, since he’s in the construction business.” I shrugged. He’d taken photos and asked a million questions. “We made some significant structural upgrades last year. Owen helped us out.”
“Did they propose anything to you?” Parker asked. “Give you anything?”
“Yes.” That meeting had been disastrous. “Denis gave me a proposal. It mostly involved work on the building. Endless construction projects with massive price tags.” I shuddered at the thought of shutting the whole operation down so the building and the garage could be rewired.
