Lincoln stayed silent, but I caught him casting angry glances in my direction. Did he know how screwed he and his son were? Maybe, but maybe not. If his ego was as big as it seemed to be, he might still think there was a way out of this.
A few seconds later, the man JC had sent outside returned with Rick. He looked like a shell of his former self, his clothes wrinkled and matted, his hair messy. His usually clean-shaven face now had a few days’ worth of stubble on it. I’d only seen him that morning, but it looked as though it had been days.
When Rick spotted Lincoln, the horror on his face actually made me pity him.
“Dad, I’m sorry, I didn’t?—”
“Silence,” Lincoln hissed. “Sit.”
Rick’s head sagged forward, and he shuffled over to take his seat beside his father.
“Now that everyone is here,” JC said, “we can begin.” He glanced at the other side of the room. “Alec? The door?”
Alec stood and closed the double doors of the conference room. He slid the bolt, and the metallicthwackhad a strange air of finality to it.
JC glared at Lincoln. “You know why you’re here, don’t you?”
Lincoln leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, staring smugly back at JC. “I’m not sure. Though if I had to guess”—he threw another venomous glare at Nate and me—“someone has been spinning lies about my son again.”
“Lies?” JC echoed. “I’m sorry, Lincoln, but they aren’t lies.”
“Oh, really?” Lincoln shot back, regaining some of his visible contempt for JC. “What has thiswomantold you now? Her or that filthy fucking lone wolf that’s with her?”
JC declined to look in our direction. Instead, he kept his gaze on Lincoln.
“Lincoln Masters, do you or do you not admit to having run a drug operation in Detroit, Michigan prior to coming to Toronto?” JC asked placidly.
Lincoln blinked in surprise. “Excuseme?” he asked.
“You heard me,” JC said. “Alec? Ollie? Hand out the files.”
The two men made their way around the room, passing out manila folders. Nate and I already had copies. Each folder contained a printout of all the information Anita had compiled, as well as everything I’d dug up. Also included were pictures I hadn’t realized JC had. Photos taken from security camera footage of Rick enteringThe Chroniclebuilding, and of the men who attacked Nate and me at the market. Also included were the items my colleagues had put together for me. Alec must have grabbed it from the archive room without me knowing.
There were crime-scene photos of the women Lenny Nash had killed, as well as a paper trail connecting Lenny to Lincoln’s holdings. The photos were horrifying, and many of the alphas around the room gasped and cursed in displeasure.
Lincoln grew visibly tense as he read through the items. Rick didn’t even bother opening his file, just stared dazedly at it.
“Cameron?” JC said, causing me to flinch in my chair. “Would you please explain some of what’s in here, as well asgive your personal account of everything that you’ve seen and experienced over the last few weeks?”
Now was my time. Nodding, I stood and walked over to the table. I’d been terrified that I’d sound like a bumbling fool in front of all these powerful men, but to my surprise, the words came easily. Even to my own ears, I sounded professional and concise.
The only part that discomfited me was the looks from Rick and Lincoln. Lincoln stared daggers at me, like I was some disgusting thing that needed to be scraped off his shoe. Rick cast longing glances at me. It was pathetic and sad in a way I couldn’t even begin to describe.
When I was finished, I sighed and retook my seat with Nate, hoping I’d explained enough. Nothing in the file or my words, by itself, was incriminating to Lincoln. From my story, it was really just Rick. But everything together looked damning as hell for both Masters men if the other alphas could see the connections.
“We also have audio evidence,” JC said.
Upon arriving at the meeting, JC had asked me to email him the audio recordings I’d taken of Rick. He connected his phone to a Bluetooth speaker and hit play.
As the audio played out, I noticed several attendees’ reactions. Some shook their heads sadly while others shot angry glares toward the two Masters men. How many of these men had been close to aligning themselves with Lincoln? How many had believed his lies? Now, faced with the truth, they saw the man’s true colors.
“This is nothing,” Lincoln spat, waving a hand at the speaker when the recordings were done. “Bullshit. As shameful as it is to admit it, my son was high as hell on drugs at the time. He has issues, I know that. I’ll get him professional help, I promise that. That being said, none of this is admissible. All circumstantial.”
“Is it?” JC asked, lifting an eyebrow. “Funny you should mention drugs, Lincoln. Detective Oliver Vickers also has some interesting items he’s discovered.”
JC waved to Ollie, who stood and walked over to join the alpha. Ollie nodded at Lincoln and smiled, but I could see the sarcasm in his eyes.
“Mr. Masters, as JC said, my name is Oliver Vickers, detective for the Toronto Police Department.” He glanced around at the other alphas. “I’d like to talk about some interesting information I have.”
