Reject You to Break You (To Reach You Book 2)

Chapter Forty Six: Miranda's Apprentices

Ridge-

"COME IN!"

This woman really need review security methods again.

I open the unlocked door, glancing at North, then looking at Aspen, who's a completely different version from the Aspen I saw before.

This Lupus seems almost human, not so put together. No make up, her hair in a messy bun, large purple glasses and a baggy sweater.

With a giant tank of ice cream as she and her son watching Keeping Mum.

"Isn't he a little young for that?" I say, creasing my brow. Aspen grins, motioning us over. "Nah, he sleeps during half of them,"

To prove her point, Dustin's large eyes are beginning to fall shut as he snuggles into his mom's side, thumb going into his mouth.

"Hey, baby, how about you go to play with your toys? I'll be there in a bit,"

"Okay, momma. I love you, momma,"

"I love you more, sweetheart, go on,"

North and I watch the kid shuffle sleepily, waving at us before he leaves. "Erm, I'm not trying to be a dickhead, but where's his..erm...his dad?"

Aspen grins, shaking her head. "A one night stand that knows nothing of him and will know nothing of him, not sharing my baby with anybody,"

"Okay," I say hesitantly. "So...talk,"

Aspen grimaces. "That video you showed me, where'd you find it?"

"A friend of mine, we found him dead, and Ridge searched his room and found it, it was hidden on purpose," North speaks up.

"Yeah well..." she trails off, opening her laptop and getting the footage. She points to the girl next to the old man, with her tousled short strawberry blond...

"Is that you?" I blurt out, she snorts.

"Took you long enough, Nancy Drew, of course it's me,"

"You knew Eaton?" North says softly. Aspen shakes her head, a sad smile on her face.

"Not personally, no, he worked with Ridge and I though in LRA, and the old man he was with....well that's a really long story,"

"We have time," I say, straightening. Aspen nods. "We called them Priestleys,"

North snorts. "As in Miranda Priestly? Like the Devil Wears Prada?"

Aspen smirks. "Pretty much, they worked under the table, they throw others under the purpose if it's for their advantage, kind of like her,"

"Okay...so these Priestleys, what about them?"

"Priestleys are usually the most influential people in the country, governors, congress, businessmen, the big people basically. What they do is since they have the authorization to...they sell buildings that are supposed to be for public use...really cheap than the original cost, and then the buyers pay extra money to the sellers for giving the things to them cheap,"

"So they get bribed into selling buildings that are supposed to be for public use?"

Aspen nods. "The bribes are what they're aiming for from the start, they get the building cheap but they have to pay the sellers dirty money for selling the illegal buildings,"

"And this all happens...and there is no one to stop them?" Incredulity drips from North's voice.

"Nope, they have authority over everyone else and they deceive people into thinking what they do is for the good of the nation instead of stating the truth: that they're ripping the country off for personal gain.

"We worked with that Ridge. Priestleys are hidden everywhere, in plain sight, and our job was to find them and present prove that they were fucking up the financial government system, find them and then gather evidence. These people...they're really powerful Ridge, they destroy lives without a second blink. And they know what kind of a threat we are, we could damage their reputation and money and business, and sometimes they could end up in jail. We do that, and they know this. So they...target us."

"The accident," I breathe, all of it starting to come together now. "They tried to kill me so I would stop the case,"

"We're their worst threats, we're the ones tracking their case,"

"And Eaton--they killed him because of that too?" North says, voice shaking. I pull her close, surrounding my arms around her small form.

"No, if this is what I think it is they killed Eaton because he was resisting, they wanted this," she motions to the footage. "And he must have refused to give it to them,"

"Who are they? And who's that old man,"

"The old man is a money-washer,"

"What?" both North and I echo.

"Simon Davies, one of the most talented money-washers in America, it's illegal of course, but think of this...if a building was sold the same time 2 million dollars, AKA the bribe, was delivered to a governor's bank account, things get suspicious after a while, right?

Well this dude's job was to put the money through various accounts and then ship sections of that bribe to that governor's bank account in Sweden, Germany, Somalia, etc,"

"So this way he still gets his money and no one gets suspicious," I finish, nodding now. It all made sense. "But then...he's one of them, why was he with you and Eaton?"

"He wanted to stop, he didn't like where he was anymore and he wanted to change, so he met up with Eaton and I to confess and rat out the priestleys he works--worked with,"

"Who are these people?"

Aspen raises her hands in frustration, "I don't know! But I need to because from what you're saying..they're getting worse and who knows when they'll stop and when they do I don't either of you to be dead either, so I need to start working on this again,"

"I'm in," I say suddenly. Aspen whips her head to me. "Don't be stupid Monroe, you're out of training and you don't remember shit,"

"So?" I challenge. "You said that I still had the skills I just didn't remember them, but my body does, and this guy...I want to hurt him, he can't fucking kill people and get away with it,"

"Not a good idea, but I'd bet my tits you're just as stubborn now as you were before so all I have to tell you is...don't get yourself killed,"

"Gee, thanks,"

"I'm in too--"

"Like hell," both Aspen and I say at the same time as North scowls. "I wasn't asking, this fucker killed Eaton for god's sake!"

"Over my dead body,"

"Then I'm not fucking you again," she cocks her head challengingly, I scowl as Aspen lets out a hoot of laughter.

I lean in close and she stiffens. "Baby, when I'm on top of you, you'll be way too horny to try resisting," She gasps, inching away from me and glaring at me.

"I'm still helping, and you can't stop me,"

"Whatever," I'd stop her later anyway.