All right, so it went back further than Reyes. To Smiley. The old President. The sadistic fuck. He’d gotten the Iron Shadows messed up with all sorts of illegal shit.
Reyes had come in and started sorting shit out. He’d bought the bar. He’d taken over the Iron Shadows after ousting Smiley. But the bar and club had been in a bad financial state. They’d started laundering money through the club for Fergus Bartolli, who had used them to blackmail Senator Robins. The good senator had been buying girls from a pimp, taking them to his cabin and raping and murdering them.
Ink had done a dance for joy when Reyes had offed Bartolli.
He’d thought that would be the end of things. Until Reyes insisted on doing something about the senator.
“You saw his face, though,” Jason pointed out.
Ink turned to glance back at the large man. He was easily the biggest of them all. And the youngest. Ink hadn’t been so sure of the other man when he’d first joined them. He’d seemed too quiet. A gentle giant.
But Jason had his darker side. Just like the rest of them. Only some of them hid it better than others.
“When he was pretending to be that homeless guy, Marv, you saw his face,” Jason reminded Duke.
Duke frowned. “Yeah, but according to Sunny, he looked far different from the man who locked her up.”
“He’s a master of disguises,” Spike said. “It’s why he’s so good at what he does. He can blend in. Pretend to be whoever he likes. He’s smart. He’s deadly. And he has few morals.”
“That makes him a fucking problem,” Reyes growled.
“Wait. You think the Fox is going to be a problem?” Ink asked. “Why? I mean, Sunny has seen him but that could have been another disguise. Nobody knows who he is or what he truly looks like. He cares about her, in his own weird way. He saved her. Sure, he fucking kidnapped her,” and if he ever saw the asshole again, he’d clock him just for that, “but he killed Horse and Rory. They were intent on hurting her. He didn’t do anything to her but lock her up and keep her safe.”
“And send us on a damn goose chase looking for her,” Reyes growled. “All so he could kill the senator.”
Someone had hired the Fox to take the senator out. But they had no idea who and as far as Ink was concern
ed, they didn’t need to know.
“He was giving you assholes an alibi,” Ink told him. “And what does it matter who assassinated the senator so long as he’s gone? Far as I’m concerned, he did us a favor.” He turned to Duke. “He likes Sunny. Look at what he did to that asshole ex of hers.”
The Fox had somehow gotten into Greg, Sunny’s ex’s, bank accounts and donated all his money to a charity for foxes in the UK. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
“You’ve got no reason to think Sunny’s in any sort of danger,” Ink told Duke.
Duke was thoughtful. “Yeah, I just…any hint of threat to her and I can’t fucking think rationally, you know?”
“Understandable,” Razor told him. “You’re a protective guy. She was kidnapped and you didn’t know where she was. Of course you’re gonna freak.”
“Yeah. I’m finding it hard to let her out of my sight at the moment. She’s told me a few times that I’ve got to ease up. That’s why I left her out in the bar with Jewel. Couldn’t leave her at home alone. Couldn’t bring her in here.”
“Ahh, you’re learning the art of compromise. I’ve taught you well,” Razor said sarcastically.
“Shut up, old man,” Duke growled.
“There’s no reason to think the Fox is a threat. He’s likely moved on,” Spike told them. “Taking out the senator was a job for him. None of it was personal. No reason for him to stick around.”
Duke just nodded. “Yeah, I’ll try to ease up on the protective stuff.”
Good luck with that.
Reyes went through another few things of interest. Then his face turned grim. “The senator’s father is pissed about his son’s death.”
“His father?” Ink asked. “Did we take a look at him when we were watching the senator?”
Reyes nodded. “Yeah, but they had little to do with each other. The dad is Jonathan Robins Senior. Filthy rich. Inherited a hundred million when he was twenty. He’d turned that into a billion by the time he was thirty. Owns a shipping company. A couple of hotels. Has his finger in numerous other pies.”
“He on the up and up?” Razor asked.