Page 126
Story: The Maverick
“Was Ashton part of the Trogyn when we were in high school?”
Milton nodded. “His entire family was.”
That explained why he believed he was untouchable and could do whatever he wanted without getting into trouble. If Idestroyed the Lindor family, that would be a tremendous blow to the crime organization.
“Do you know any members of The Trogyn besides Ashton?”
“No.”
Milton was a small fish in The Trogyn. He was replaceable. I wasn’t surprised he knew little details. The Trogyn only offered important information to elite members.
“Do you know who’s running HADES?”
“Dr. Nico Messina. He’s creepy. Kind of out there, you know?”
“The doctor who works at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and teaches at Harvard Medical?”
“I think so.”
Dr. Nico Messina was in residency when I was in the hospital. Had Nico killed Dr. Noah Marks, who’d cared for me?
My phone buzzed. I picked it up and glanced at the screen before placing it face down again. My men had confirmed that the three men waiting for Milton had been apprehended and were locked in a room waiting for me.
Milton glanced around nervously, probably wondering where his men were.
“You can stop looking for them. No one’s coming up here.”
His eyes widened. “What do you want from me?”
Initially, I’d wanted him dead. But a new idea percolated in my mind. I could delay his death a little longer.
“If you want to live, you need to help me.” I steepled my fingers. “Why did you change your name and pretend to be French?”
“Have you heard of the Claude family?”
“No clue. Who are they?”
“An extremely wealthy family in France with ties everywhere. They come from old money. They’re connected to other wealthy families all over the world.”
Perhaps Orion would know them. The Reimann family was also a powerful banking family with old money.
“Ashton got me a gig to work for The Trogyn. But for them to trust me, I had to show my allegiance by becoming part of their ‘family.’ They gave me a new name and told me to act like I was Jean-Claude Dumas. They’re very proud of their heritage.”
“And you sold yourself for money,” I said. “Why aren’t you just Jean-Claude?”
“Because there are too many of them.”
“What else do you know that can save your life today?”
He linked his trembling hands on the table and looked at me. Then he poured out everything he knew, hoping I would have mercy on him.
Shock, confusion, and rage collided inside me. But I had to confirm everything before acting on it. For all I knew, Milton was playing both sides.
My men brought him to a soundproof room down the hall. I turned off the recording on my phone and remained seated for a few minutes. The events of that fateful day played in my head like an awful movie. I saw the faces of my father, mother, and sister. What I was about to do was for them and for me. It wouldn’t bring them back, but it would give them a sliver of justice.
I rose from my seat and headed toward the room. Milton sat in a metal chair at a table with a tray covered by a cloth.
I approached him. “Which hand recorded the beating?”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126 (Reading here)
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177