Recognition flashed in the man’s eyes. Liam sported a different look now, but he’d met this man. He didn’t think Malcom forgot a face.
Now they were together again. Face-to-face.
Accident? Deliberate? Nothing happened by coincidence.
All the pieces floating around in his mind started moving together. Making sense.
Malcom Fox, aka Devon Winters, had wanted to expand into trafficking via resorts and hotels. He’d long ago connected with the Astor brothers, who had resorts in the region. But five years ago in Denver, connections began to unravel when crazy-stalker Simon took Zoey. Zoey escaped, and Simon was murdered. Fox continued to work with Enzo, or perhaps blackmailed him, which was Fox’s modus operandi for effective persuasion.
He’d been connected to this region long before Rae and Liam had exposed some of his operations last year. Only the feds hadn’t linked him to his Devon Winters identity.
Fox didn’t seem surprised to see Liam. Or maybe he was good at playing this game too.
“Brad spoke highly of you, and I told him, sure, why not. Let’s see what this former DEA agent can do for us when it comes to security. But I think we’ve met before. You and I.” He grinned. “Let’s talk. Brad, do me a favor and grab us some coffees.”
Brad hesitated, then said, “Sure. I’ll be right back.”
He exited the vehicle, slamming the door behind him.
Fox’s grin grew. “I like the idea of you working for me.”
“As head of security, I’ll be sure that no one gets away with crimes like trafficking operations of any kind.”
Revenge. Fox wanted revenge. But it appeared he would take his time to get it.
Liam’s heart pounded. He should put a fist in the man’s face right now. Liam had worked so long and hard to put Fox behind bars. How did Liam play this so Fox went back to prison and stayed there? This was an awkward position at best—the guy knew full well that Liam had been instrumental in taking him down. And yet he sat there, liking the idea that Liam would work for him?
Liam would never work for him.
Unless . . . Unless Fox had somehow found a way to extort Liam, like he’d done others.
Rae.
He wished he had a weapon on him. It suddenly seemed ridiculous that he had started a job as head of security and had no weapon. He forced his breathing to slow. He couldn’t let this man know the fear he felt rising inside.
Fox placed his cell phone on the console separating the seats. A video played across the screen. The inside of Liam’s home—Evelyn was fluffing pillows.
Acid burned in his gut. The person who’d come to the ranch and claimed to have booked a cabin. Pete must have stumbled on them, and that was their cover story. They must be responsible. “You lay a finger on her—”
Fox lifted his hand. He swept it across the screen to another image.
Rae at Jackson Hole Airport yesterday.
“You’re going to work for me until I feel you’ve paid me back for what you cost me.”
How long had Fox been planning this? The entire time he’d been in prison?
“Are you out of your mind?” That was never going to happen. Liam would get the police involved. Didn’t Fox know this? Liam studied him, unsure what to say to someone this far gone. No one was invincible. Still, Liam had to think this through before he responded.
Fox held up his finger and swiped the screen again. Who else? Who else could he possibly target?
A beautiful redhead in a swimsuit laughed, sitting next to her husband. Heath.
Palm trees swayed in the breeze.
The image stunned Liam. Fox held all the cards.
The man leaned in. “You thought you could infiltrate my organization and bring me down. You thought wrong. And now you think you can save them. Have me arrested. You can try, but someone is going to die. My people are in place watching. If something happens to me, then someone dies. You can’t save them all. And I’ll simply disappear again. Worst case for me, I go back to prison—for a short time. But I conduct my operations from there as well. As you can see, I’ve been doing that all along. Someone you love is going to die this time, Mercer, excuse me, McKade. Can you risk that?”
Terror threatened to gut him, but he kept a stone face. “What do you want from me?”
“Nothing will change for you here. This is my new home of operation. My expansion. Work as