A Dom is Forever (Masters and Mercenaries #3)(119)

“I did. Nelson contacted me. He saw my potential. He also saw a chance to take over a very lucrative arms dealing market. There was no uranium. That was all a ruse to get Leonov to bite. Nelson came across Leonov and found out about the bonds. Ten million easily transportable dollars, but he couldn’t get close. Somehow Taggart heard the stories and started the op before Nelson could get everything in place.”

“So Nelson sent along a very handy distraction.” Ian’s wife had been a means to an end.

Rory shrugged. “I wasn’t involved in that part of the business. I just know Nelson took over at the right time, and we got the bonds. Nelson then killed Leonov and together we took over his business. Leonov had a nice contact list going, but we decided we could do better.”

His brother, the entrepreneur. “And you became Thomas Molina.”

A satisfied smile lit Rory’s face. “The trouble is transporting the bloody weapons. So many checks these days, but everyone wants to help poor, starving children. We just needed a well-respected charity to be willing to help stow away our weapons.”

Where the hell was Avery? Despite the sedatives still in his veins, he could feel his heart rate speeding up. What the bloody hell had Rory done with Avery? What pain had she already been put through? Just let her be alive. He’d help her heal. He’d be with her. He’d hold her and love her and put her back together. She just had to be alive.

And he was losing it. Calm. Cool. Unemotional. He had to stay professional or they would both be dead. And Rory seemed to want to talk. Liam’s shoulder was killing him, but he forced his fingers to work without moving his arms. The knot was right there. There was a game they played at Sanctum. Tie up the Dom and see who was best at getting out. Ian was the Rope King, but Liam had come in a close second.

Weapons. He’d been talking about the weapons and the charity. He stared at his brother. Only the eyes were still the same. “How much surgery did it take?”

Lips that weren’t his own tugged up on Rory’s altered face. “Quite a bit. I was out of pocket for almost a year. I had multiple surgeries and made a careful study of Thomas Molina. Nelson had identified Molina as the perfect target. He formed a sort of friendship with Brian Molina.”

Brian Molina had been an addict. Liam could guess just what kind of friendship Nelson had formed. “He became Brian’s dealer?”

“Nelson knows many people, and Brian was easy to control as long as he got his fix. Brian kept an eye on his brother while I was preparing for my role and then he coached me on his brother’s history and mannerisms. I couldn’t simply appear one day. I had to make connections. I had to take my time. The fact that he was perfectly terrified of leaving his house, and he hated talking to people on anything but his computer made it easy. Even after Brian and I took over the fund, I had to keep him around for a bit and bide my time.”

“You killed them both?” It was a dumb question, but it kept him talking.

“Absolutely.” Rory was nearly purring. “I obviously needed Molina dead in order to take his place, and Brian had outlived his usefulness once I was set up as his brother. I couldn’t have him hanging around. After all, he wanted some of my money.”

“I bet Nelson wants more.”

The first crack appeared, a frown that covered Rory’s face. “I’m in control of this business. I have all the power. Eli Nelson is simply the man who gave me my start.”

“Yes, brother, he’s such a philanthropist. He just looks for little criminals with hope in their eyes and plucks them from obscurity and sets them up because he’s got such a big heart.” Pain flared in his arm, but he’d slid his pinky finger under the knot. Patience. Gain purchase and work the rope.

Ian had taught him this. Ian, the *. Ian, who had been more of a brother to him than the man in front of him. Ian had taught him, and Jake had practiced with him. Adam had sat in the background drinking beer and making sarcastic comments while Sean had timed them. His real brothers were still here with him. The skills they had taught him would come through in the end.

“I can handle Nelson,” Rory said, his fingers tapping impatiently along the desk.

“I doubt it. If he put you in a position, it was so he could use you and perhaps get rid of you when he decides to take over. Nelson lost his big payday. My boss took it away from him a couple of months back. He can’t go back to the Agency. He needs cash, and he likely needs it bad. Did you spend all the bond money on the surgeries?"

Rory shrugged, a negligent move Liam remembered from their childhood. “Ten million doesn’t go as far as you think it would. The surgeries cost money, setting up the infrastructure of the business costs money. The bonds went fast. That’s why we had to use Molina. I could easily take over his income and his trust fund, though some of it is tied up legally. I’ve been slowly shifting money to other accounts. When I leave here tonight, I’ll have millions at my fingertips.”

“How are you going to explain Avery’s death?”

“That is a problem, actually. Maybe I won’t kill her. Maybe I’ll take her with me to Dubai and marry her. We’ll spend plenty of time in Africa and the Middle East. Lots of bad things happen there.” He chuckled a little. “Actually, I could make some cash off the little cow. I’ll put a good insurance policy in place and then get her killed. Yeah, I like it. Thanks, brother.”