sorry about Duke. If you weren’t trying to help me—”
“I don’t want to talk about Duke, either. He’s still my brother.”
“Have you talked to him since—”
“No. But he’s family. ”
“Understood.” Colton drained his beer. “I’ve always had your back. You’re as much a brother to me as Travis was. You know that.”
Sean didn’t doubt Colton’s loyalty. It was the one thing Sean had always trusted. He knew Colton was keeping something back about PBM, but he hadn’t betrayed Sean to Paxton.
Someone else had.
Sean motioned to the bartender for two more beers for him and Colton.
“Paxton isn’t someone you can screw over.”
“Let me worry about Paxton.”
“I can’t.”
“Sean, Paxton has far more to lose than either of us.”
“Tell me what you know.”
“He understands the risks, but once I get into PBM, I’ll have everything I need—” He cut himself off.
“What?”
“I don’t want to say yet—”
“Dammit, tell me.”
Colton waited until the bartender put the beers in front of them, drank a long gulp, then said, “He just wants one file.”
“What file?”
“I don’t know what’s in the file, but it’s in Joyce Bonner’s personal safe. He wants it before I expose PBM to the world, in exchange for funding my operation. He has a secret. So do we.”
“I really hope you’re going into this with your eyes open, C.”
“I am.”
“If I think Paxton is doing something that’s going to screw people, especially us, I’m walking.” Sean paused. “I need something from you.”
“What?”
“When you know what he’s after, tell me. I will never trust that man.” He held up his beer. “Deal?”
“Yes.” Colton seemed to sag with relief.
“Tell me about Evan,” Sean said.
“He’s been with us for a couple years. Skye brought him in. He’s not as good as you, but he’s good.”
“Carol?”
“She’s been living with me for a year. I love her, Sean, just like you love your Lucy. Why all the questions?”
“I don’t want to go to prison.”
Colton smiled and relaxed. “You won’t. And Sean? It’s really great to have you back. It’s like you never left.”
Hardly. Sean hadn’t realized how much he’d changed in a decade. While the adrenaline high was still incredible, he had far more to lose. Things—people—he wasn’t willing to sacrifice.
He needed to dig deep into PBM and figure out why the pharmaceutical company was important to Jonathan Paxton. Because there was something else going on and Sean couldn’t figure out if Colton knew and was keeping Sean in the dark or was truly ignorant.
Jonathan Paxton was the last person Sean would ever trust.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sean sat in the bar for another thirty minutes after Colton left, researching on his smartphone any connection between Paxton and PBM or their principals. He’d already looked into PBM and they were squeaky clean, at least as clean as a corporation could get. There was no active federal or state investigation, per Noah.
Nothing jumped out at Sean, but he made a note to investigate their cancer trials from two decades ago. Colton wouldn’t say PBM had given his brother unproven cancer drugs if he didn’t have something solid to base his accusation on. Sean needed a copy of Travis’s medical reports, and that was treading in a delicate area.
There was no reason for Paxton to fund a big project like exposing PBM simply to expose them. Sean knew it in his gut. It all centered around this mysterious file that Paxton wanted Colton to steal.
Sean believed Colton when he said he hadn’t told Paxton about the information on a possible bio-weapon—it was likely that a military development company or the government could have a private medical research company like PBM developing such a thing. That was the kind of political statement Colton would love to make, and he wouldn’t trust a politician with the knowledge. Everything made sense, except
“I don’t want to talk about Duke, either. He’s still my brother.”
“Have you talked to him since—”
“No. But he’s family. ”
“Understood.” Colton drained his beer. “I’ve always had your back. You’re as much a brother to me as Travis was. You know that.”
Sean didn’t doubt Colton’s loyalty. It was the one thing Sean had always trusted. He knew Colton was keeping something back about PBM, but he hadn’t betrayed Sean to Paxton.
Someone else had.
Sean motioned to the bartender for two more beers for him and Colton.
“Paxton isn’t someone you can screw over.”
“Let me worry about Paxton.”
“I can’t.”
“Sean, Paxton has far more to lose than either of us.”
“Tell me what you know.”
“He understands the risks, but once I get into PBM, I’ll have everything I need—” He cut himself off.
“What?”
“I don’t want to say yet—”
“Dammit, tell me.”
Colton waited until the bartender put the beers in front of them, drank a long gulp, then said, “He just wants one file.”
“What file?”
“I don’t know what’s in the file, but it’s in Joyce Bonner’s personal safe. He wants it before I expose PBM to the world, in exchange for funding my operation. He has a secret. So do we.”
“I really hope you’re going into this with your eyes open, C.”
“I am.”
“If I think Paxton is doing something that’s going to screw people, especially us, I’m walking.” Sean paused. “I need something from you.”
“What?”
“When you know what he’s after, tell me. I will never trust that man.” He held up his beer. “Deal?”
“Yes.” Colton seemed to sag with relief.
“Tell me about Evan,” Sean said.
“He’s been with us for a couple years. Skye brought him in. He’s not as good as you, but he’s good.”
“Carol?”
“She’s been living with me for a year. I love her, Sean, just like you love your Lucy. Why all the questions?”
“I don’t want to go to prison.”
Colton smiled and relaxed. “You won’t. And Sean? It’s really great to have you back. It’s like you never left.”
Hardly. Sean hadn’t realized how much he’d changed in a decade. While the adrenaline high was still incredible, he had far more to lose. Things—people—he wasn’t willing to sacrifice.
He needed to dig deep into PBM and figure out why the pharmaceutical company was important to Jonathan Paxton. Because there was something else going on and Sean couldn’t figure out if Colton knew and was keeping Sean in the dark or was truly ignorant.
Jonathan Paxton was the last person Sean would ever trust.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sean sat in the bar for another thirty minutes after Colton left, researching on his smartphone any connection between Paxton and PBM or their principals. He’d already looked into PBM and they were squeaky clean, at least as clean as a corporation could get. There was no active federal or state investigation, per Noah.
Nothing jumped out at Sean, but he made a note to investigate their cancer trials from two decades ago. Colton wouldn’t say PBM had given his brother unproven cancer drugs if he didn’t have something solid to base his accusation on. Sean needed a copy of Travis’s medical reports, and that was treading in a delicate area.
There was no reason for Paxton to fund a big project like exposing PBM simply to expose them. Sean knew it in his gut. It all centered around this mysterious file that Paxton wanted Colton to steal.
Sean believed Colton when he said he hadn’t told Paxton about the information on a possible bio-weapon—it was likely that a military development company or the government could have a private medical research company like PBM developing such a thing. That was the kind of political statement Colton would love to make, and he wouldn’t trust a politician with the knowledge. Everything made sense, except
Similar Books
