Page 19 of Crushed
“You know of my circumstances, yes?” He lifted his head slightly. “You understand, then, how impatient I might be.”
I did understand. Issac had lost almost everything. In order to keep up his lifestyle, he had to sell many of his properties and was now down to one large house. Though I didn’t sympathize with that, I knew it was a big deal to spend that kind of money on SNC and to have results take longer than you’d want.
“I do understand, Mr. Berman,” I said slowly, “but there are certain things we have to confirm before we can finish the consultation.”
He rubbed his forehead, studying his words before he spoke. His fists clenched, and I mentally checked to make sure that my gun was loaded, ready to go, hidden underneath my jacket.
“I have a code to follow,” I explained. “Not everyone in the Silent Network Consulting has them, but I do, and I need proof that Cormac is inherently corrupt.”
“He blackmailed me,” Issac whispered in a harsh voice. “He took everything I had worked for. For years.Everything.”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean that Cormac isevil,” I said. “Lizzy said I could keep to my code, which means I need undeniable confirmation that the world will be better off without—”
“I’m your fucking proof,” Issac spat. He slammed his fists into the table. A drop of what was left in his cup spilled. A few people turned to us. I sat up in my seat. I wasn’t afraid of him. Since I was ten years old, I had always known that I could die tomorrow, or even today. Fine. Let it be today. But I would be ready.
“He took everything. Do you understand what that means?”
It meant that Issac was desperate and had very little to lose. A man like him would hire an assassin off of the dark web, and might even take the matter into his own hands if he needed to.
“Yes,” I said.
“So please, Scarlett. Why don’t you do your job like your boss said? Get this over with, so that I can have peace of mind? You move onto your next client, and I move on with my life, knowing that the piece of shit is rotting in the ground.”
I sucked in a breath. It wasn’t that simple.
“Lizzy isn’t my boss,” I said.
“She isn’t your mother, either, is she?” He tilted his head, an unnerving look of condescension crossing over his face. “I hear that your parents were Ada and Gavin Hayes. Is that correct?”
Chills ran down my spine. I hadn’t heard their names aloud in years. Not even out of Lizzy’s mouth.
“What about them?” I asked.
“I knew them.”
“You did?”
“I knew them right before they passed. Frustration aside, I’d be happy to tell you about what I know. They were good people. It’s no mistake that they had a daughter like you.”
“What do you know about them?” I stammered.
“I can’t tell you. Not until you give me what I need,” he said, a tightness in his eyes. “Think of it this way. It’s motivation. Remind yourself that I was one of the few people in the world, besides your beloved Lizzy, who actually knew your parents. I can fill in the blanks for you. Tell you what actually happened to them.”
My heart clenched. “You can?”
“Motivation, Scarlett,” he said, tapping his temple. “Quid pro quo. We’ll both be waiting now.”
I stared at him. He knew my parents. But would he feed me the same lines the coroners gave me? Or did he know the real reason they died?
“Are you lying?” I asked. I couldn’t read him right then; I was too flustered by the fact that he knew them.
“I knew your parents personally. And I’ll give it to you.” He smirked. “All you have to do,” he said in a low voice, “is kill Cormac Stone.”
