Page 87 of Broken Daddy

That made some sense.

“Marcus was onto him and that’s why he killed him,” Stein added.

“God, he’s a messed up asshole,” Donovan said.

Yeah. Hayes was thinking something stronger than that.

“Lucan Mars is something else. He doesn’t suffer idiots or fools and sometimes I think his son is both. He’s just been riding the coattails of Rohan and Marcus. Rohan is gonna kill him if he gets out. And me. So I’m not telling anyone any of this. If I do, I’m a dead man! My career and reputation will be over!” Stein complained.

“They already are,” Hayes said. “What do you think is going to happen? That we’ll just let you go? You’re going to the cops to tell them everything you did.”

“Unfortunately, that won’t be happening.”

Both Hayes and Donovan stood, drawing their guns. But it was too late, they were surrounded by four guys with guns already drawn.

A tall, well-built, older man stepped forward.

What the hell?

“How the fuck did you sneak up on us?” Hayes asked.

“Lower your guns,” the man ordered. “I’m not here to kill you. I understand that you have something of mine.”

Stein let out a terrified noise. “That’s Lucan Mars.”

Shit.

Hayes put his gun away and nodded to Donovan to do the same. There was no point in keeping them out. They were dead men if they tried to take a shot.

He watched Lucan Mars warily.

“How did you get in here?” Hayes asked. The doctor they’d met at the back door had told them that there were only two entrances, the back and front. They should have heard them come in. “How did we not hear you arrive?”

“Oh, there’s another entrance. Did Scalp not tell you about that one?” Lucan asked. “Well, that’s good to know. My regular payments to him are paying off.”

Shit. The doctor, whose name was Scalp, was in Mars’ pocket?

Zander was going to be pissed.

“The doctor contacted you?” Hayes asked.

“As soon as he realized that he was operating on Freddy.” Mars glanced over at the closed door. Beyond it was a sterile room where Scalp was working on Freddy. Well, he’d said it was sterile and that was why they couldn’t go in.

Hayes shouldn’t have trusted the doctor. He’d been acting shady, unable to meet their eyes.

“Why don’t you both sit, we’re going nowhere until Scalp comes out.” Mars walked over to stand beside Stein who was sitting on the floor. “You had some very interesting things to say, Mr. Stein. I admit I should have been more suspicious of the fact that you lost Rohan’s case when you have such a good track record. But he was found at the murder scene. With the weapon. To learn he was set up by my own flesh and blood and that you helped him . . .” Mars leaned over him and Hayes tensed.

What would he do if he attacked Stein?

“Relax,” Lucan told him. “I’m not going to hurt Mr. Stein. I need him. Which means he’s safe. For the time being. But he is going to go to the cops and confess that he took payments to throw Rohan’s case. And that will get a mistrial.”

“But your son will go to jail,” Stein protested. “Surely you want to protect him!”

“Protect someone who was going to overthrow me? Hmm. And I never said you were going to mention Freddy. You’re going to keep everything that happened tonight a secret. Just tell the cops that the guilt got to you. That everything was done anonymously. The cops in this town are useless, they’ll never figure it out.”

Fuck.

Hayes wanted to say something, but he was aware of the guns aimed his way. And for once he actually cared about whether he survived.