Page 158
Story: Brutal Collateral
I stare at him, looking for other injuries. “You got my attention. How did my wife dothisto you?”
Fuck, I hope this is a good story. Like witnessing an accident on the side of the road. I want smoke, bent metal, and blood!
“Hours later she steered our training raft right into an outcrop of sharp rocks. I fell overboard and hit my head.” Miller slaps his legs. “I’m fucking paralyzed.”
Ice shudders down my spine, remembering those rocks off the beach where they did raft drills. “I don’t believe she would have done that on purpose. She was a Navy lieutenant.”
The conversation weeks ago plays out in my head. I knew she was hiding something more about Miller.
“The vice admiral kept my prognosis classified. You know, because of my father.”
“How is your accident her fault?” I ask.
“She crashed our raft on purpose!”
Damn, I totally see Ava doing this on purpose. Was this what she was trying to tell me the day she saw him?
I want to start picking apart his story, but I won’t be sullied by his side which I’m sure is full of lies. “Even if she did, why did you wait until now to say something?”
“I didn’t know where she was. That cunt admiral,Cherry, got her into the CIA.”
“Your father must be so proud.” I shake my head. “Why wasn’t she arrested that day if she did this on purpose? Why didn’t you call her out?”
“I was unconscious and then put into a medically induced coma. I eventually made a complaint, but it went nowhere. No one else from that class would come forward to back me up about what she did.” He slaps his phone against his thigh that looks numb.
Poor bastard...
“Maybe no one came forward because it was an accident.” I want to get in his face, push him. But the guy’s in a fucking wheelchair. And his father has to vote to fund our project.
“That was then,” Miller says, smiling. “And now...I found my witnesses.”
“Let me guess. You bought a bunch of people willing to testify at a military tribunal?”
“Exactly.”
“There’s only one problem.” I get in his face. “Hadleigh Castille doesn’t exist.”
“I’ve got those records, too.”
“How?” I hide the terror racing through me. I know what Shane can do, others have those skills.
“Don’t worry about that.” Miller mockingly waves me off.
“You’re the one who should be worrying, mate.” I breathe on him. “You have no idea who you’re fucking with.”
“I sure do. You’re mafia. Corrupt. And vulnerable since you need this deal.”
“Okay, how much do you want?” I pat my chest for effect. “I don’t keep my checkbook on me.”
“I have all the money I need. And money means nothing to you, does it?” He takes out his phone. “You mafia slimeballs with your dirty billions.”
“Call the cops. Call the Feds,” I cackle but don’t flinch. “Idareyou. You’ll be brought to our tunnel of death by nightfall.”
“Threats, I love it. Hadleigh Castille, the missing Navy lieutenant will be charged with attempted murder once I give her whereabouts to the JAG magistrate. Did you know we give DNA samples? She’ll be positively identified.”
Fucking Alexander Zervas, I curse the dead guy in my head.
“Whatdo you want? I don’t have all day.”
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