Taking It Slow - Reese Knightley Page 0,48
sucked in several gulps of hot air. His head and ribs throbbed from the pain. Calming his breathing, he counted when the SUV pulled back onto the road. They never took the freeway again, so they must be close.
No matter how much he hoped to God this was Liam, he knew in his gut it wasn’t.
Now, he needed to figure out what the fuck was going on because he needed to get home.
He was jerked from the vehicle when it pulled to a stop and was led into a building before the hood was removed. Taken into a room with a mirror on one wall, a table and two chairs sat in the middle. His hands were released.
“Take a seat,” a guard said and left him alone in the room.
He took a seat and with his temple and ribs throbbing, he leaned his head down against his arms and closed his eyes.
The click of the door opening drew his head up and he met a pair of startling blue eyes. The man was extremely good-looking with tousled blond hair, a chiseled face, and strong jaw. He was young, maybe late twenties, but the authority poured off the man as if he’d grown up fast in life and had excelled at whatever life had thrown at him. As was testimony, the impeccable suit and the badge hanging from his breast pocket said FBI Director Forest Taylor.
Spencer held the man’s gaze.
“What does the FBI want with me?” he said hoarsely.
Dimples flashed in Director Taylor’s cheeks, making him seem more approachable than he’d first come across. The man’s next words killed that.
“You’ve been up to some very shady dealings, Captain Turner.”
“What?” Stunned at the accusation, he couldn’t swallow at first.
Director Taylor slapped a thick file on the table and took a seat across from him.
“Let’s see,” Taylor said, opening the file as if reading. “Assault and battery of a CPS agent.”
“He attacked me!” He glared at Taylor. “You’re one to talk. Is this the way the FBI does things?” He pointed to his head and ribs.
“I’m sorry about that,” Forest said, and then glanced down at the file before looking up.
“You’re also accused of bribing a CPS agent.” One of Taylor’s perfectly blond eyebrows rose.
Spencer swallowed and his gut soured. “There’s a reason for that.”
“I know.”
The softly spoken response turned him speechless.
“We’ve had our eye on the county’s CPS agency for quite some time.”
“You have?”
“Yes.”
“And?” he probed when Forest went quiet as if assessing him.
“I’ve studied your situation, Spencer. And I think that you’re being forced to give them money to keep your brother out of foster care.”
“Yes,” was all he got out through a tight throat.
Forest nodded. “I thought so. I was looking at your jacket.” Forest flicked a finger at the file. “It’s impressive. And I thought to myself, a man with this much integrity must be being blackmailed.”
“Yes,” he said hoarsely again.
“I need your help to nail this bastard and the whole ring.”
Relief swept through him and he finally let out the breath he was holding. “I’m an Army captain. I have to report to the chain of command. I can’t take this on without them knowing.”
Forest rubbed at the barely there goatee on his chin and nodded. “Let’s say I get or I’ve gotten approval. Are you interested?”
“Hell yes. What would you need me to do?”
“First, let me tell you that this goes higher than Mayer.”
“It does?”
“Oh yes, much higher. We’re going to set up a sting and take the whole damned lot of them out.”
“Thank fuck.”
Forest turned over the papers in the file and withdrew one to slide across to him.
He glanced down at the arrest report. “What am I looking at?”
“That’s a breakdown of Wheeler and Mayer’s dealings. You’re not the only family affected. They’ve put children in hostile homes before, extorted money from the parents to keep them from being sent there again, and gave the shitty foster care parents a cut of the money.”
“Jesus. The whole thing is a scam?”
“Yes, everything from the shitty home, to saving the day, to extorting money, it’s all a set up.” Forest paused and looked away.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Wheeler was at your house just before the call came into emergency services.”
Realization dawned and he slammed back in his chair, rising to his feet.
The door flew open and several men started to enter.
“Get out,” Forest snapped. Nobody hesitated, they fell over themselves to exit and shut the door.
Once again, they were alone. Forest held his gaze.
“He shot my mother.”
“Yes.