Darkness at the Edge of Town (Iris Ballard #2)(95)
“Of course not. Paul, Megan—go find him, please,” Mathias ordered.
“Yes, the adults have to talk now. Run along, minions,” I said as they started walking.
“Bitch,” Megan muttered.
“And damn proud of it, sweetheart. And on the topic of bitches…” I said as I turned to Betsy and smirked. “I knew you weren’t as innocent as you pretended to be. Part of the family business with Grandpa and Grandpa here, huh? Adds to my theory sociopathy runs in the blood. You’re not even pregnant, are you? Or if you are, you absolutely did it on purpose, you conniving cunt.”
“Don’t you fucking talk to her like that,” Ken said.
I ignored him. “Baby or no, Billy will eventually see through you, and it won’t be hard for us to show the courts who’s really the fit parent between the two of you. And that’s not even if you end up in prison, which is exactly where you’re headed,” I continued. “You’ll never see that child again.”
“You bitch!” Betsy hissed.
“I got nothing on you, sweetheart,” I said with a shit-eating grin. “And that is saying something.” I looked at Mathias. “My brother’s leaving with me today. That is not a request. You can threaten me like you did yesterday, but he is leaving with me.”
“I cannot tell if you are stubborn or purely insane,” Mathias said. “I do not make threats I don’t back up, Agent Ballard. I’m calling the IRS and FBI about you and your grandparents the moment you leave.”
“Go ahead. You want their numbers?” Luke asked, voice hard. “Of course, you do realize it’s almost impossible to blackmail someone when you’re a career felon about to be arrested for fraud and drug trafficking.”
“Yeah, blackmailing me—no, wait, extorting me based on hearsay, not that worrisome,” I added. “Besides, I think you have enough on the old to-do list to prepare for the DEA’s oncoming onslaught. You and I both know if they find one joint, one member faced with parole violations, with your history, you’re rotting in a prison cell. The Scythes have already cut off their manufacturing and smuggling ties with you. They’re savvy enough to recognize you’re tainted goods now. How much were you making from them a month? Ten grand? Twenty?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Mathias said.
“Please,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You worried about Luke? He’s not here as an FBI agent. He’s here as my friend, nothing more. He can’t arrest you. He can’t do shit. The DEA’s running the show. We’re actually probably going to be charged with obstruction when they find out we came here.”
“As if you haven’t been working with them since the beginning,” Mathias said.
“Actually, no. I haven’t. I just found out about the whole DEA investigation after we met yesterday. I will say, though, you have quite the rap sheet, Samuel. And I do have to give you props. You did learn from your past mistakes. Just not enough. I do have to wonder which came first, the cult or the deal with The Scythes. Was this place always a means to an end or did you really want to give the guru gig a go this time? Did you approach The Scythes with the idea of New Morningism and they gave you the seed money? A cult is a halfway decent front. But you really should have just stuck to one or the other. You could have spent your remaining days with your partner, your great-granddaughter, and dozens of brainwashed followers tending to your every need. But you got greedy, didn’t you? Wanted trips to the Turks and Caicos and a nice retirement fund when people inevitably started to figure out how full of shit you were and began chasing you with pitchforks and torches.”
“Are you profiling me, Dr. Ballard? I’m honored. Although if you truly thought you could get Helen or any of my people to turn on me, you must not be much of a profiler.”
“I had your number before I ever met you, buddy,” I said. “Just like I know you have a plan. What I just can’t figure out is why you haven’t run yet. I would have the moment Helen called. Hell, the moment I started poking around. What, not enough money in the old retirement fund?” Ken’s nose twitched with that one. I looked at him. “That’s it, huh? Didn’t expect to get shut down so quickly?”
“I would never, ever leave my family,” Mathias said loudly. I turned around and saw my brother, Megan, and Paul all within a few feet of us. “We have done nothing wrong, so we have nothing to fear. Right, son?” he asked Billy. My brother and the others joined their friends. Their own united front. Mathias threw his arm over Billy’s shoulder.
“Absolutely,” Billy said.
“Billy,” I said, fake relieved. “Billy. Thank God you’re okay. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. There’s so much I have to tell you. You have to—”
“What? Listen to you?” he cut in, harshly. Thank God he knew to play along. “I don’t want to listen to a word you have to say. We said it all yesterday. And since then all you’ve done is try to destroy my family. My happiness. You brought the DEA down on us. You made up lies.”
“I didn’t—”
“You’re a fucking monster, Iris,” Billy spewed. He was a far better actor than I thought he’d be. Guess you had to be when there was so much on the line. “I don’t want to hear your lies. I don’t want to see your face. I know these people. I know they would never do anything you’ve gotten your friends to claim they did. They are my family. I’m with them. In this life and beyond. And there is nothing, nothing you can say to change my mind. Not about my family.” He turned to Mathias. “I want her gone. If I have to look at her a second longer, I may strangle her for all she’s done to us. Get them out of here. Please.”