Sins, Lies & Spies (Black Brothers #2)(51)

I slanted my body so I could see Lang’s entire face. “Do you want to start?”

Lang pursed his lips and his eyes were stark. “You obviously summoned me for a reason. Why don’t you start?”

“Okay.” I drummed my fingers on my thigh. “We’ll make this short and sweet. I think you’ll do exactly as we tell you when you’ve heard everything.”

Lang flicked his free hand, smiling dismissively. “Yes, so you said on the phone yesterday.”

I nodded. “Approximately six months ago, you lobbied heavily against a bill expanding trade with Russia, citing concerns about systemic corruption and Russia’s tendency to subsidize key industries to the detriment of U.S. exporters. At the last minute, you voted for the bill.”

“I remember.” He shrugged, the handcuffs clanking against the metal bar. “I talked to some of my colleagues and changed my mind. I’m not the first Representative to change my mind on a controversial issue. I won’t be the last.”

“Are you acquainted with Dima Antonov?” I asked. Antonov was a Russian businessman suspected of being involved in large-scale, cross-border tax fraud violations and market manipulations. He was on my short list of people who may have hired Miles to carry out the blackmail scheme.

“I’ve heard of him, but I’ve never met him.”

I turned to Jack. “Can you pull up that photo we discussed?”

“Sure.” Jack leaned forward and called up a photo of Miles and Lang on the monitor in front of me.

“Do you recall this meeting?”

Unbelievably, the bastard had the gall to smirk. “I’m pretty busy. I don’t recall every conversation or meeting I have.”

I flipped off the monitor and folded my arms across my chest. “Fair enough. I’ll cut the bullshit. When you were a high school gym teacher, you coerced more than one underage boy into a sexual relationship.”

Lang’s face turned beet red and his eyebrow twitched. “That’s not true.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “I have copies of the non-disclosure agreements you made the victims sign in exchange for a shit ton of money, and the corresponding wire transfers.”

Lang leaned back and tipped his head to the ceiling. “You’re bluffing.”

I smirked. “Actually, I’m not. I lifted them off your computer at your fundraiser. Do you want me to pull up a copy?”

“So what?” His jaw flexed. “There is no admission in that agreement. They blackmailed me and in the interest of expediency, I settled.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice if that was the only evidence? Jack, go ahead and pull up those pictures.”

Lang’s eyes flared. “What pictures?”

Leaning forward, Jack’s hands flew over a keyboard. “You should’ve seen my face when I stumbled onto these pictures. I didn’t realize people could be this stupid. What kind of person keeps a photo record of their crimes?” Jack waved his hand. “That was a rhetorical question.”

I scoffed. “No one ever claimed intelligence was a requirement for being elected to the House of Representatives.”

Jack flipped through shadowy images of Representative Lang in various compromising positions with clearly underage boys. My stomach rolled, and I turned my attention to Lang instead of the monitor. After six clicks of the mouse, Jack minimized the images. “There’s more, but I think we all understand what’s happening in those pictures.”

Lang closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face. “What do you want? Money? Favorable business deals? Insider information? I can send more government contracts your way.”

I clenched my hands to stop myself from strangling him. He had ruined people’s lives. He endangered our national security, and I didn’t see a lick of remorse on his face. He belonged behind bars, but it wouldn’t happen. Like too many before him, he was too big to fail.

“We want you to resign effective immediately.”

His eyes popped open. “What?” He moved his head from side to side. “No. Absolutely not. I’ve worked hard to get where I am.”

“You have forty-eight hours to announce your resignation due to health concerns or these pictures will be delivered to the appropriate law enforcement officers in your district, the media, and the FBI. You’ll lose everything. Your freedom. Your reputation. Your fortune.”

His gaze swiveled to meet mine. “What do you expect me to do for the rest of my life?”

My gut churned. I hated this. He should spend the rest of his life rotting in jail. Instead, he’d get away with a slap on the wrist if he agreed to my terms. “You’re going to move back to your hometown and live a quiet life. If you even dip your pinkie toe into anything political, this offer will be retracted immediately, and I will expose you for the fraud you are.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed. “That’s it? That’s all you want?”

“Yes.”

“If I do this, will you destroy those pictures and any other incriminating evidence?”

“No, but I can give you my word that no one will see them unless you break the agreement.” He didn’t answer for a second, and I thought he’d refuse. “I suggest you take this deal. A man like you won’t fare very well in prison.”

“Fine.” He sighed as he rubbed a trembling hand down his face. “You have a deal.”