The Love Of Money - S02 E184

Story 1 month ago

The Love Of Money - S02 E184

Read Story: SEASON 2 EPISODE 184

My blood ran cold. I was acutely aware that I needed to focus on the here and now, but I couldn’t help myself. So far, the only reason I believed that my grandpa had been murdered was Chloe’s suspicion. No one else had been able to confirm anything. As far as anyone knew, the police certainly didn’t have any evidence that Colin Gerrard had been murdered.

Where had Reynolds gotten that information from? My grandfather’s killer?

An even scarier question—was the detective working for the NYPD, or was he working for someone else?

Was I witnessing Hiro Tanaka’s attempt to lay the blame for Rajesh’s murder on me?

I tried my best to keep all my feelings off my face, but I don’t think I was all that successful.

Something in the way Reynolds looked at me told me I hadn’t been that convincing. “Well, that’s about all the questions I have for now.”

The sudden rapidness with which he left shocked me, but before I could ask any questions, Helen stepped in.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t be of more help,” Helen said, texting someone as we both stood along with him.

He held out his hand to shake Helen’s hand. “Me too, but if something else comes to mind, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”

He shook Helen’s hand, and then mine. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again.”

“You know where to find us,” Helen said.

On the heels of Helen’s words, Erin opened the door and escorted Reynolds out of my study. He left in the same way he came in… carefree and at ease. He hesitated near one of the bookshelves to glance at what was on them—then looked back at me. “Good luck with your troubles.”

As soon as the door closed, I leaned over my desk and put my head in my hands.

“Erin checked on him. He’s NYPD, but he may be working for Tanaka,” Helen said.

“Yeah,” I said.

“And even if he isn’t working for Tanaka, he thinks you did it,” Helen said, her voice low.

“Yeah.”

“If he’s legitimate, do you know what kind of proof he has?”

“How should I know!?” My hand slammed onto my desk.

“Marcus, I’m just—”

“We know what this is,” I growled.

“Marcus, we need to know for sure. Can you try calling—”

I laughed bitterly. “Don’t you think that’s what I’ve been trying to do?” I picked up my phone and showed Helen the unanswered texts.

Then I turned around and hurled my phone against the study window, watching it bounce off the bulletproof glass and clatter to the floor. Half the screen flickered and then went dark.

“Fuck!”

I slammed my fist on the desk, knuckles exploding in pain. Was Hiro committed to seeing me torn down? Was I past the point of no return? Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go.

I needed to talk to them… to tell them to call the whole thing off. I didn’t want this… I never wanted this—any of it.

And I needed him to know that. I needed him to see that he didn’t have to keep doing this. No one else needed to get hurt. I was willing to work with him.

Fuck the Marcus of a week ago who mouthed off to that old Asian asshole, thinking he was so smart.

But I had been smart. I had his son. I had the leverage. Hiro Tanaka didn’t think much of his heir, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see Ryo die. I thought I’d had him…

“He doesn’t think you have the fortitude to fight back,” Helen said softly.

So… what? He was just going to watch me bleed out while he kept kicking me? I didn’t have the will to fight, so he was just going to ruin me and take everything. All because I wouldn’t fight back and risk causing any more damage.

Tanaka was a petty guy. What would happen when I was in jail… or dead? Would he leave everyone else alone?

There was a good chance he wouldn’t… not after taking his wife and son.

Helen was right. Tanaka was a predator, and predators only understood one thing.

“Fuck it,” I snarled. “I’m not going down for a murder he committed.”

I stalked past Helen toward the door.

“Marcus? Where are you going?”

“Stay here,” I barked.

“Marc—”

The door slammed shut before she could say anything else. I stalked past Erin, returning after depositing Detective Reynolds.

“Marcus?”

I didn’t say anything.

I passed Natashya and Emily on the couch in the living room.

“Marcus?” Emily said as I waited by the elevator. “Natashya said that there was a detective here.”

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped in. As the doors began to close, a hand slapped on them, and Chloe stepped into the elevator. “I can’t let you leave the building.”

“I’m not leaving the building.”

“Where are we going?”

“Three floors down.”

The doors slid shut, cutting off another question from Emily.

Chloe rode the three floors down with me—stoic as always.

Within a few minutes, we arrived at the door to Ryo Tanaka’s room, and I beat on it repeatedly, intent on keeping it up until someone answered.

“Hey! Let me in!”

A few moments later, the door opened, and some guy I didn’t know blinked at me. He must have recognized me, because he immediately opened the door and stepped aside.

I stalked through the kitchen and into the living room, ignoring the men assigned to watch the younger Tanaka.

Ryo wasn’t at the table where I usually saw him.

I stormed into his bedroom and found him playing on his phone. He squawked as I snatched the phone out of his hands and tossed it over my shoulder. Judging by the sound, it must have fallen behind the dresser or something.

“Hey! What the—”

I drove my fist into the side of his face with a left hook, sending him sprawling face down across his bed. Blood spotted his comforter.

“Chloe,” I barked. “Get out your knife.”

My bodyguard didn’t hesitate to pull her pocket knife out; the accompanying click as she unfolded it sounded much louder than usual.

“What are we doing, Marcus?” She asked.

I spotted a couple of Psalter’s goons peering into the room.

“You two! Get in here and hold him down.”

They did so without question, one grabbing the young Tanaka and planting a knee in his back while the other straddled his thighs.

Ryo began screaming and gurgling incoherently.

“He won’t answer my calls?” I grabbed Ryo’s wrist and twisted it until he started screaming louder, tucking his arm under mine so he couldn’t move it. His fingers wriggled maddingly. I glanced at Chloe. “Pick one. Let’s see what his dad does when we send him a message he can’t ignore.”

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To Be Continued...