“How many churches did Willie steal from?” Jena asked.
“Hundreds. Always the small ones that were struggling.” She pulled out the list of the churches she’d kept for all these years. “Congregations with less than fifty members, usually elderly, but with clear title to their property. He would come in and offer to become their pastor for pennies. Matt, do you remember how charismatic he could be?”
“I sure do.”
“Once he won their trust he would convince the deacons to take out a loan, saying it would help revitalize the church and bring in new members. Once the money was deposited, Willie would pull it out of the bank and then he and I would move to the next town and next church.”
“Bastard hasn’t changed one bit,” Sean said, his face dark with anger. “Quite the scam.”
“I’ve been searching for Willie for years, Carrie,” Matt said. “This new information will help to bring that asshole to justice.”
“Honey,” Jena said, grabbing Matt’s arm. “The stuff I uncovered to find Carrie might also help. Black supported my every step in searching for your sister. I’m sure he’ll be more than glad to give us a hand on this, too.”
Matt nodded.
Sean said, “I think the first thing we need to do is get this money to TBK so it’s more secure.”
“Agreed,” Matt said. “And tomorrow morning we’ll take Carrie to Black and the rest of the team to tell her story. All hands on deck for this one.”
Josh pulled her in tight, making her feel safe and protected. “Everything is going to work out fine, sweetheart.”
Jacob squeezed her leg. “You’ve got the best on your side. Shannon’s Elite is the best the CIA has to offer.”
“And I also have you and Josh to thank for helping me get this off my chest. I’ve been carrying this around for thirteen years. None of you can imagine what a burden has been lifted off of me. I’m not alone anymore.”
“Sis, you will never be alone again,” Matt said. “I promise.”
Sean took a sip of his drink. “That’s a fact, Carrie. You can count on us.”
“I found you,” Jena said. “You can always come to us for anything. We love you.”
Sean put down his glass and started putting the stacks of money back into the satchel. “First things first. Let’s get this money out of here.”
“The most secure place in the building isn’t Shannon’s Elite area,” Matt said. “It’s Eric and Scott’s offices.”
Sean stood and slung the satchel’s strap around his shoulder. “Carrie, it’s lovingly referred to as the Presidential Fortress of Solace by the employees. All the churches’ money will be safe there.”
“We need to call Dylan to let him know we’re coming,” Matt said. “He’s TBK’s head of security, Carrie. And he’s also part of Shannon’s Elite.”
“Thank you so much. I just want to make sure that this money gets back to those churches. They are good people. They didn’t deserve what Willie did to them.”
“Sean and I won’t be gone long,” Matt said.
“I’m going, too,” Jena said, taking the list of churches from her. “I want to put in this information so that we’ll have it when the team meets with Carrie.”
Matt kissed her. “Good idea, baby.”
“Do you mind keeping an eye on Kimmie for us?” Jena asked.
“That little angel. Of course not.”
Matt came over and gave her a hug. “I promise you that everything is going to be okay from now on.”
“I believe you.”
After the trio left with the two million dollars, she leaned back between Josh and Jacob. “That’s the first time in thirteen years that money has been away from me.”
“How does it feel?” Jacob asked.