Fighting With Light (The Coldwell Brothers #2)

57. Liam

57

Liam

Two Days Later

Aelia and I have been laying in bed for two days, healing and trying to plan a wedding…in Bali. That’s where she said she wanted it, so that’s where it will be.

While she picks things out, I’ve been working almost nonstop to create a press packet to provide to all news outlets. If the Feds want to throw away what Aelia, me, and our family have almost died to get, then I will make sure the whole world knows about it.

I was able to hack into the majority of large news networks’ email systems and email everyone and the janitor. It will not be ignored.

Since Marco Costa is no longer an issue, it was pretty straightforward. We included the guns being shipped to the harbor that border patrol has a station at and my father happens to be part of that committee. We sent photos and evidence linking the Colombian drug market to my father and those who work at the Colombian US embassy. This will expose my father for who he really is, and the bodies stuffed in his closet. I don’t see how he could weasel out of this one.

Then lastly, I included pictures of the woman my father killed. Aelia begged me not to provide the coordinates to her body for fear that a decent detective could trace it back to Costa and his killer, me. But that woman deserves to be remembered.

So I found her name from a picture, Irene Johansson. Her wallet was open, and things from her purse were strewn about it. What makes it worse is I recognized where she was—the home I grew up in.

I found the people she left behind—a kid and her grandma. Then I looked for her grandma’s bank account and moved three million into it. It’s not enough to pay for the life of her granddaughter, but it’s enough to get Irene’s kid through school, take care of his grandma, and hopefully meet all of their needs for now. My father has hurt so many and I don’t know their names, but at least I could do this.

After going through the Washington, D.C. police cold case database, I pulled up her missing person report and pinged it. When this packet goes out to the news sources, they will know her name.

I’m sitting in my office finishing the last of the packet, double-checking my back-end encryption so that in case anyone tries to find the source of this email, it will bounce them around the world. It’s buttoned up tight and can’t come back to us. But my father will know, and that makes me smile. He sent an army of mobster goons after us, assuming they completed the job. This is a satisfying way to tell him and Cameron, we are very much alive.

***

The family, minus Kai and Cordi, is gathered to decide if we should send the press packet. We make decisions as a family. I want us to do this, but I need everyone to be on the same page.

“I say do it,” Kai says through the video call.

Mom nods, and Emerson rubs his scruff. “And you are positive it can’t come back to us?” he asks.

“Yes, I could explain it, but I don’t think you’re smart enough to understand it.”

Emerson scoffs and flips me off as Kai chuckles on the phone.

“Then send it. He can’t become governor. It won’t only be bad for us, but for many others. There’s enough blood on the streets there,” Kai says.

I move the mouse and hit send.

“This is anticlimactic, isn’t it?” Aelia says .

I grin at her and shut my laptop. “Yeah, it is. Are you packed to go to the beach house?”

“Yes, that sounds amazing.”

“Alright, I’m going to go. Cordi is putting Theo down. He’s teething and none of us are getting sleep. Hopefully, our phones blow up with the news. Love you all,” he says, and the phone goes dark.

“I’m thinking it’s probably going to take at least forty-eight hours, maybe more, to confirm all of what we sent them.”

“Here’s to hoping,” Mom mutters.

“Mom, are you okay?” I ask her. She’s been in a foul mood ever since the house was attacked.

“I’m fine, just tired, darling. I’m tired of my family constantly fighting to survive. I want this to be over.”

Emerson and I make eye contact. “Well, this should do the trick. It should keep him from becoming governor and put him in jail.”

“Maybe we can ask one of Aelia’s brothers to have someone kill him in there,” Mom says.

Aelia barks in laughter, swiftly covering her mouth.

My eyes widen on my mother and Emerson frowns.

“Uh, we can discuss it maybe later?” Aelia says.

I spin around and glare.

She just shrugs as if she wasn’t talking about contract killing in jail.

“Let’s maybe handle this first before we go planning contract hits, okay?” I suggest.

Mom sighs and kisses Aelia and me on the cheek. “Have fun in Malibu. Let me know if you need help with planning the wedding,” she says and glides out of the room.

“I’m going to stay with her for a few more days. Maybe I’ll bring her to my fight…” Emerson trails off.

I nod, a little surprised he would do that. “Let us know if we need to come back and good luck. ”

He grunts and goes into the kitchen, likely to eat more chicken. He has a fight coming up and has to make weight.

“I thought I would stick out like a sore thumb in your family, but you guys aren’t that different from mine.”

I chuckle and run my hand through my hair. “Yeah, maybe, except for the drug and gun distribution.”

Aelia shrugs. “We can’t have it all, can we?”