On Her Master's Secret Service (Masters and Mercenaries #4)(103)

“He can be a stupid f*ck. She wasn’t his first, but we managed to pay off the rest or scare the f*ck out of them.”

“But Carmen was pregnant.”

Warren’s face screwed up into a mask of distaste. “And the dumb bitch wouldn’t get an abortion. I tried buying her off, but she actually had some family money behind her. The only thing that stopped her from talking right off was the fact that she didn’t want to disappoint Daddy. Eddie had to convince her that he was going to divorce his wife and marry her. We had to buy some time.”

But that would have ruined the senator’s political chances. “Did you send her to that clinic?”

A horrible suspicion crept across her mind.

“It was out of the way.”

Just how much was he guilty of? “It was exactly the kind of clinic Evans loved to hit. Tell me something, Warren, did you know he was going to hit there? Or did you suggest it?”

A flush stole across his face, and his hands tightened on her arm. “He’s my brother. I couldn’t let some stupid piece of ass come between him and the presidency. He’s going to run next year. He’ll run and he’ll win.”

Eve stopped, forcing him to as well. She hoped that someone, anyone, would walk by, but the place seemed deserted. “I deserve to know. I get the feeling I was used as payment.”

Warren turned to her, exasperation plain on his face. “Fine. You want to know the whole truth? I sought him out. I made a f*cking appointment with the man. I took a couple of my men. He brought a couple of his, and we made a deal. I would get Alex off his ass for a while in exchange for doing this little job for me. It had to be big. I couldn’t just have her killed.”

Because the media scrutiny on the death of an intern would likely have turned up the relationship with Edward Petty. The victim would have been the story. But by masking her death with others, she’d faded to the background, just another of Michael Evans’s victims. “And he agreed to this?”

“Alex was close to figuring out his hiding place and the fact that he had some very important connections in the drug trade. I made sure Alex wasn’t on top of his game. I wanted to get him thrown off the case, but Evans had another plan.”

She knew exactly what that plan had been. “Evans wanted me.”

“Evie, you have to know I hated it.”

“Why? It was convenient. Tommy and Leon were the men you took with you, weren’t they?” And they had known far too much. Warren had seen an easy way to get rid of them and to give Evans what he wanted.

So much betrayal.

“I didn’t want to kill them,” Petty said.

“So you found a way to let Evans do your killing again. Was he mad when Alex kept coming after him?” Alex hadn’t done what Evans and Petty had expected of him. He hadn’t retreated to take care of his wife. He’d rededicated himself to bringing in Evans.

“You have no idea. I’ve been dangling on his f*cking strings for years now. When Alex called and started asking about him again, I knew I had to work fast. Alex is f*cking everything up again. I had to get rid of a valuable asset, damn it.”

She let logic lead her where it could. Alex really had upset Warren’s carefully laid plans. Why else hire someone like Jesse for this job? He’d wanted to be free of Evans and he couldn’t risk bringing him in. “Jesse was supposed to assassinate Evans for you.”

“Of course not.” He could deny it all day, but Eve didn’t believe him.

He very likely had men like Jesse in all of the clubs, just waiting to take out Evans so Petty’s secret would finally be safe.

He’d sacrificed so many people so his brother could rise through the ranks. Of course, he’d risen, too. By making his deal with Evans, he’d practically ensured that Alex would leave the Bureau, and that opened the way for Petty to slide into his spot.

“He raped me.” Anger started to thrum through her system. “You ate at my house the night before you facilitated my rape.”

He flushed again. “I had to protect my brother.”

“Did you know what he would do? Did you sit there at my dinner table in my home and think about how he was going to assault me? I was friends with your wife. I was there when your youngest was born and you threw me to the wolves. Alex was your partner.”

He snarled a little. “And Eddie is my brother. You can’t talk your way out of this, Eve. You think that going over my crimes is going to make me see the light? I understand what a complete shit I am. I know it every day of my life. Sacrifices have to be made for great men. My brother is a great man. I’m so sorry, Eve, but I’m going to sacrifice you again.”

He didn’t hesitate this time. A look of terrible conviction furrowed his brow, and he hauled her along. She stumbled, hitting the ground, her knees scraping and pain exploding along her skin.

“Get the f*ck up.”

She bit back a cry against the agony in her legs. He jerked her up.

Eve opened her mouth to scream. Maybe someone would hear her. “Help!”

“It won’t matter. The farm is closed. Do you think the livestock is going to help you?” Warren asked, his face nearly purple with the strain.

“No,” a new voice said, the sound snaking through her. “She’s doing it for me. Eve remembers how much I love to hear her scream. Hello, lover.”