Sitting in John’s office, he waited for the excuses that would come.
“I will have your money back soon. I promise,” John said. “You know how weak the markets are. Investment is not stable. It never has been.”
“John, this bank is on its last legs. How do you think your customers would feel if news got out how every single Friday night you like to go to one of my whores and get fucked in the ass while someone else sucks your dick?” He pulled out his cell phone and allowed the previous visit John had made to play into the room.
“Logan, please. This is blackmail. I have done wonders for you in the past. I made a few bad choices—”
“And if I was to make a few bad choices, how do you think I’d fare with you? A click of a button and this makes headline news.”
“Logan, please.”
“You can keep begging. I don’t care what it is you do. Tomorrow night, I want my money back or your board and all of your clients and customers will get this.”
“Wait,” John said.
“Is this where you attempt to beg me to stop releasing the tape?” Logan asked. “You know how I get bored with the same old shit.”
“No. it’s not that.” John licked his lips.
“Then what is it?”
“Luke came by here yesterday.”
“Luke, I didn’t realize he banked with you?”
“He doesn’t. His parents did.”
“Is that how they lost their money? They trusted in you, and as payback, they lost their fortune?”
Logan recalled the day Luke lost everything. His parents had died, taking their own lives after losing their family fortune. By then, Logan had already become one of the wealthiest men in the city, and his friends, well, they didn’t stand a chance against him.
He’d helped Luke, seeing as one of his best friends had helped him.
“It’s not how it happened. Luke … he’s…” John looked around the room.
“Is someone watching us?” Logan asked.
“No, no one is watching us. Luke’s parents, they had to spend a great deal to keep him out of trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?” Logan asked.
“The kind that would put him in jail. Something went down when the kid was still in high school. In order to keep him from being hurt or something, they had to transfer a load of money into an offshore account.”
Logan sat down in the chair. “What is it Luke wanted?”
“He wanted to know what we did with the records of what happened.”
“With his parents deceased and broke, after so long, those accounts are removed as they’re no longer required, correct?”
“Yes, but with his parents, days before they died, they closed the account. They wanted all traces removed.”
Logan sat back. “Do you have the offshore account’s name?” he asked.
“Yes.”
John handed him over a slip of paper. “Luke doesn’t want you to find that account.”
He stared at John.
“Why didn’t you call me?” Logan asked. “The moment you had this.”
“I knew you were coming here today.”
“Did Luke know?”
“I don’t think so. You always said if something felt suspicious to me, I was to contact you. I know our business of a late hasn’t been pleasant, but … I know how hard you worked to get to the top, Logan.”
“We’re not going to have a touching reunion. You bet on me just like everyone else. The only difference between you and them, you were far more useful to me. Get me my money. You’ve been granted an extra week.” He got up from the chair and left the building.
Hunter stood outside of the limo, smoking a cigarette. The windows were blacked out and he couldn’t see Ava, but he felt her gaze on him.
She could see him.
“You’re not covered in blood, so that’s a plus. I also didn’t get an alert you exposed the video. I figured you were on one of your trigger-happy missions. You have days where you like to ruin people’s lives.”
“Get this to our tech guy. I want to know who owns the account and why Luke wanted it to be lost so badly.”
“Luke was in there?”
“Yesterday.”
Hunter glanced toward the car. “You think she’s telling the truth?”
“I think Luke is up to something. He always has been. He has his own agenda, but I want to know what is so important he’s willing to risk me finding out.”
Hunter took the piece of paper. “I’ll get on this as soon as we finish for the day.”
When he climbed into the back of the limo, Ava continued to ignore him, staring out across the people.
Some of them were living their lives. Going to work every single day, paying bills, trying to make a life. Some had family. Others were looking for love. He’d watched the city for so many hours. He’d been king of it for a long time.
He’d stopped looking as no one impressed him.
The darkness within the city swirled like a disease, spreading out. People thought they were living a good life, but if you looked closely enough, you started to see the cracks filtering through.