The downside to being related to a police officer, having a roommate who is a computer hacker that works at a detective agency, and having a boss who has a penchant for violence, you end up in the back of a surveillance van following your ex-boss's brother around while your siblings plan out how to beat him up without being caught.
Bex's surveillance van was filled with computer equipment, bolted-down desk chairs, and screens along the walls instead of windows or doors, and was now filled with all of the Autumns siblings, Allie and Bex. Prism and Lavender had left in their own car, making me promise to keep them updated.
"If you are going to do this," Sam, my police officer brother was saying. "You do this in a location without any cameras."
"You? Aren't you going to help beat him up?" Dash asked, smooshed into the very back of the van.
Right... I forgot he was here too.
Will rolled his eyes. "He doesn't beat people up unless someone is in actual danger in that moment."
Ryan snorted, crossing his arms. "Yep. The best fighter we have and he has those stupid morals. But he won't stop us from righting a wrong." He glanced at Dash. "Can you fight?"
"Um... I can use a sword... I took state combat in high school."
Bex barked out a laugh from where she sat in the driver's seat. "Nice. That'll save no one."
"We don't need to follow him," I argued. "Finn, you have a long list of things you want to see while you are here. Let's do one of those."
Finn looked up from his phone, where an unblemished version of his list was on the screen. He held it up. "I left room in it for potential revenge plots."
I sighed. "Of course you did."
We followed Carter for several blocks, where Derik was waiting for him in a car. Carter got in and they drove back into the center of Los Angeles, the traffic slowing our follow to a near snails pace.
I was about to tell my brothers to forget about their revenge plot, and instead focus on having fun while they were visiting, when I recognized Carter's destination.
They stoped in front of a familiar building, where a familiar man was standing outside, waiting.
"What on earth...?" I whispered quietly, trying to keep the recognition off my face.
"LIAM!?!" Dash shouted, shocked.
It was like a magic trick all over again. One second all of my brothers were focused on plans to corner Carter and Derik in a dark alley, and the next, they had narrowed in on Liam, eyes screaming murder for the second time.
"NO!" I shouted, trying to cover up Dash's mistake for the second time that day. "Different person. A look alike."
This time, Dash tried to help.
"Oh... Yeah! A look alike. He just errr... works in the same building as Lily's ex. They get the resemblance comment aaaaall the time?" He finished it like it was a question, unsure if his attempt at corroborate my story would help.
I sighed. Apparently Dash is a terrible liar.
"Liam?!? As in the man who dumped you?!?" Henry shouted.
"No...?" Dash replied, his lie completely unbelievable.
"Once again... STOP TALKING DASH!" I shouted before turning to my brothers. "Don't do anything."
But it was too late. Sam was shouting orders, while the others all moved in unison to comply.
"Will, see if we can set something up to keep tabs on their conversation. Bex, be ready to follow if they go to a second location. The rest of you, be ready to move out of the van if they try to flee on foot.
Allie wasn't helping the situation, and was instead, offering suggestions on how to distract them, and even going so far as to call her detective sister for pointers. Dash looked at me from across the chaos and offered an apologetic smile.
"Oops?"
I should have been irritated at Dash, at the situation with my brothers. But I was mostly confused by the sight of Carter and Derik with Liam.
Why are they together? Why are they talking? And why is Liam acting like he knows who the other two are?
...
Carter and Derik had set off again, this time with Liam in tow. We tailed them to a small rustic café twenty minutes away, where they settled down at a table.
Bex began to organize actual surveillance equipment that could pick up conversations from a distance. "Will, you need to head in with this box." Bex said the next words slowly, like she was talking to a child. "It's a microphone. Get it close to their table and it willâ"
"I know what a microphone does. I'm not an idiot," Will replied dryly, yanking the box out of Bex's hand and shoving it into his bag. "Don't worry about it. I work in surveillance too, remember? I hacked into your website two weeks ago."
Bex gave him a flat stare. "Yes. Wonderful prank. By the way, check your biggest client's website. Left you a present by breaking through their fire wall and offering to take care of all of their security needs since their current guy is incompetent. If you don't believe me, my card is imbedded in the website code."
Will blinked. "Okay... I'm going to have to fix that." He casually added his laptop to the pile of items he had stuffed into his bag and hopped out of the van. "I'll just... fix that while you guys listen to the audio feed."
He walked into the café and sat down at the table behind Liam, Carter and Derik, and pulled out his laptop, the small microphone box that had been disguised to look like a wireless headphone case with the listening device inside, and some headphones that he wore over his ears, eyes glued to his laptop, brow furrowed as he tried to undo the damage Bex's retaliation prank had caused.
The audio feed crackled to life in the van, coming through speakers that Bex had impeded into the ceiling.
"Look, I already told you everything I know after you harassed me a few weeks ago," a voice said.
Liam.
"Well?" It sounded like Carter's voice.
"She said she isn't seeing him," Liam insisted.
Someone snorted. Most likely Derik.
"A lie. My sources tell me she has let herself into his home on several occasions, and he recently spent the night in her hotel room," Carter replied.
I felt all of my brother's eyes on me, ones I ignored completely. But I caught Dash's expression, his grin growing unbearably wide. A look that Bex matched but tried to hide behind a cough, as she adjusted a nob on a sound mixing board that didn't need to be touched.
"It's obviously a new development. She wouldn't have cheated on me and she was promoted after we broke up," Liam argued.
"She obviously wanted to prove that she could make something of herself by any means necessary," Derik supplied.
My face burned, embarrassed by the topic. By the audience around me. This wasn't how I wanted my brother's visit to go.
"She is the only one that he has shown a reoccurring interest in. She matters."
"What about the blond?" Derik supplied. "She's shown up at his house and office several times as well. A red herring?"
"Perhaps," Carter said thoughtfully. "We don't know enough about her either. And she's proven to be far harder to pin down. Whatever her relationship is with him, it's far better hidden."
The woman from Laurence's office. Cater doesn't know who she is either. The thought left my mind whirling. What does that mean? Who is she?
"Look I don't know what else you want from me. You show up at my job, demand to see me. Pay for information on my ex-girlfriend because it will help you get back at your brother. I understand the grudge thing. I would have one too, but Lily isn't someone malicious. She isn't a threat. She's harmless. A no one."
I could practically feel my brother's vibrating with rage. Liam's words didn't hurt me, but hearing them spoken loudly through the van in a surround sound fashion, with the people I loved most in the entire world as the audience was uncomfortable.
"He's mine to kill," Sam said, voice low and dark. "Screw my rules."
"âShe's just a girl who wanted to climb the ladder and picked your brother to make it happen. I wouldn't worry about her," Liam continued.
"Yeah, a gold digger with a mean right hook," Derik muttered.
Sam glanced at me, his brow going up with pride when I nodded back at him. "Atta girl," he murmured, having been the one to refine my punch stance. "Did he bleed?"
I grinned. "A little."
Sam broke into a smile. "Great."
"She scares easy," Liam added, pulling us back to the conversation.
"My experience with her proves otherwise," Carter replied, growing irritated. "I need information on what will break her."
"She lacks confidence," Liam said. "Don't let a little smack become something big. Leave her out of whatever plan you have."
Carter chuckled. "Relax. We'll leave her intact. You can have her when we're done."
"She won't want me back," Liam said, the first sign that he actually sounded frustrated and hurt.
"She will. It's easy to make people regret their decisions when you touch the right pressure points," Carter supplied, his tone cold.
There was a long pause. "Don't hurt her," Liam finally said. "I mean it."
Carter's laugh was dark and twisted, a threat unto itself. "I promise. I won't touch her."
"Good," Liam said with a sigh.
"But I can't promise the same for you if you don't answer a few questions for me, Liam. Your boss knows how I work. And I wouldn't want to leave word with him that his most promising lawyer isn't worth the promotion you are about to receive."
The line went quiet, Carter taking his time with his words, letting them sink in.
"Imagine. Your ex-girlfriend is COO and you still can't crack partner? What will people think? They will think she is better without you. That you are only worth people's time when she is with you, propping you up. Useless alone."
I could imagine Liam's irritation. The image of him being unworthy of something he had desperately wanted for years, still out of his grasp. He was quick to do almost anything if it meant climbing the ladder, which is why his next words didn't shock me.
What was a little dirt on your ex girlfriend if you were rewarded with a promotion?
Liam's tone was iron, determined. "What do you want to know?"
---
Thank you for reading chapter twenty eight! I hope you are enjoying the story! Or are at least curious to see where it goes! Add this story to your reading list to know when the next chapter drops!
UPDATE DAYS - A NEW CHAPTER EVERY FRIDAY!
What will Liam say?
Will Lily's brothers intervene?
Where is Laurence while this is happening?!?
What will happen next?
CHAPTER QUESTION - Which of Lily's brothers do you relate to?
Samâ the take charge guy
Finnâ the organizer
Willâ the smart clown
Henryâ the loud, positive one
Jackâ the quiet but strong one
Ryanâ the one that loves learning about people and asks super personal questions