Cassie (The Mitchell/Healy Family #7)(16)
After the first night, we’d gone out to different clubs, some like the first. As time slipped away it began to get easier, being away from my family, the drinking, and being independent. Not a second went by where I didn’t think about someone from my family, and wonder if they’d all given up on hope that I’d return.
Brant had been supportive, but I think he sensed how homesick I’d become. Probably assuming I’d just get over it, the topic was never addressed. Instead he consumed me with ideas on how we could accomplish great things.
It took me two weeks to finally find out how Tammy and Rocky made their money. To say I was shocked would have been an understatement. Apparently their little heists were nothing compared to the high scale of grand theft they were performing under everyone’s noses. The shit had hit the fan, and I was caught in the middle.
During the days, while I was stuck alone in the house, Brant would leave with Rocky and Tammy, only to return half-hammered and tight lipped. He claimed they were working, but I wasn’t really sure it was true. For the time being I had a roof over my head and food to eat. It was better than living on the streets of Vegas, begging for my next meal. Still, I was miserable, succumbing to the fact that I’d given up everything to live a life of crime and grief.
One thing I was certain of was that my boyfriend knew about the people we were living with the whole time, and it made my blood boil. How dare he get me involved with such people? Why would he want this for us? Why couldn’t he get a normal job like other people?
I was aware he’d kept it from me because he knew I’d never be okay with traveling across the country if I knew we were staying with such dangerous people. Whatever he was doing couldn’t have been good, and I was at my wit’s end to figure it out.
Brant probably wouldn’t have told me on his own, but I continued drilling him, and prying when no one thought I was listening. Each night I’d take what I learned and push him to tell me the truth.
Finally, after threatening to leave, he came clean. “If I tell you, you have to swear you won’t say anything.”
“Who am I going to tell?”
“Rocky has an underground digital theft ring.”
He made it sound important. “What? You’re making no sense.”
“Hear me out. He’s got this programmer who makes devices small enough to hide from the naked eye. Each time we go into a casino or gas station, his tiny devices are put on or near the ATM machines. From there it takes a photo each time someone approaches and sends a transmission to his internal server enabling them to record the card numbers and use them fraudulently. Each transaction is small and hard to detect. Until the card is cancelled for being compromised, the funds continue to be deducted without the person’s knowledge. It seems like he wouldn’t do well, but imagine thousands of cards per day. Once they’re in the system they continue to withdrawal until they are no longer active. He’s banking millions of dollars, Cass. That’s why he has such nice things.”
“What?” I was in shock. “He’s involved in bank fraud?” I knew it was a lot bigger than I’d feared. They weren’t petty criminals at all. “Why did they have me stealing from people at the casinos? How could you bring me here to be around these people?”
“They’re building you up. They have to be able to trust you before they let you in on the program. Since you’ve never committed a crime they have nothing to base the trust on, and let’s face it, with my record your lucky I was able to bring you with me at all.”
“How many people involved are we talking about? How long has this been going on?” I inquired. “This is beyond screwed up.”
Brant turned up the volume on some music playing and brought his lips up to my ear. “You have to stay calm, Cass.”
I shoved him away from me. “No! You’re crazy if you think I’m staying here for another minute. Those types of crimes are traceable. I’m not going to prison for sharing a house with someone.”
“Trust me, he’s covered his tracks. The funds are filtered through international accounts and then transferred back into the states under a dummy account. The dummy system pays it’s employees. It pays taxes and runs without suspicion. It’s legit.”
I ran my hands through my hair and paced around our room. “We can’t stay here. What have you gotten me involved in, Brant?”
“Nothing! You’re not involved, and that’s why I didn’t tell you about it sooner. The less you know the more protected you are.”
“I want to leave,” I reiterated.
“We can’t yet, Cass. I was hired for a job, and I’m obligated to stay until it gets done.”
“Then I’ll go and stay somewhere else without you. I can’t be here. I know you think I can handle myself, but this is bullshit. I miss my family, and they’d never approve of this. Please, if you love me you’ll let me go home, even if it’s for a visit.”
He reached over and ran his hand over my cheek. “If you leave you won’t come back. I’m not a fool. They’ll never let you come back to me.”
I could see the fear in his eyes, the pain of me leaving and never coming back again. Sure, Brant had lied to me, but his love never failed. The idea of him being around these big-time crooks made me nervous. “How did you even get involved with these people, Brant? They’re dangerous.”