His guards followed.
But before leaving, Marcus looked over his shoulder.
"You should ask your new friends what happened to the last person who tried to help Lily."
The door slammed behind him.
Lily stood completely still.
Jax turned toward her.
"What did he mean?"
She swallowed.
"I don't know."
Cole frowned.
"You do know."
Lily looked down.
"There was someone else."
"Who?"
"My mother's lawyer."
The diner owner slowly lowered the coffee pot he had been holding.
"What happened to him?"
Lily's voice became barely audible.
"He disappeared."
Jax exchanged a look with Cole.
"How long ago?"
"Three months."
"And you think Marcus had something to do with it?"
"I don't know."
She looked at the flash drive.
"But my mother knew he was dangerous."
Jax pulled out a chair.
"Sit."
Lily obeyed.
He sat across from her.
"Start from the beginning."
Lily took a shaky breath.
"My mother owned forty percent of Marcus's company."
Cole raised an eyebrow.
"Forty percent?"
"She inherited it from her father."
Jax nodded slowly.
"So Marcus married her."
"Yes."
"And after she died, he took control."
"Yes."
"But your mother's will says otherwise."
Lily nodded.
"She left everything to me."
Silence.
"Everything?"
"The shares. The properties. The accounts."
Cole whistled softly.
"And Marcus gets nothing?"
"Almost nothing."
Jax looked at the flash drive.
"What else is on there?"
"My mother's final recording."
"Have you listened to all of it?"
Lily shook her head.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because Marcus found me before I could."
Jax leaned back.
"Then we're listening."
Lily looked nervous.
"Here?"
Jax glanced around the diner.
"Not here."
Cole nodded.
"I know a place."
Jax stood.
"Let's go."
Chapter 3
The Iron Brotherhood clubhouse stood twenty miles outside town, hidden behind an old auto-repair shop.
To Lily, it looked nothing like the terrifying biker hideout she had imagined.
It was old, loud, and cluttered.
But it felt safe.
Several bikers were gathered around a pool table when Jax entered.
The conversations stopped immediately.
Cole walked in behind him.
And Lily followed.
A tall man with gray hair looked at Jax.
"Who's the kid?"
"Someone who needs a safe place."
The man nodded without asking another question.
That was the first thing Lily noticed about the bikers.
Nobody demanded an explanation.
Nobody asked what she had done.
Nobody treated her like a problem.
They simply made room.
Jax led her into a small office.
Cole locked the door.
Lily placed the flash drive on the desk.
Her hands trembled.
"I don't know what's on this."
Jax sat beside her.
"Whatever it is, we'll deal with it."
He plugged the drive into the computer.
A single audio file appeared.
FINAL_RECORDING.MP3
Lily stared at the screen.
"That’s my mother."
Jax pressed play.
Static filled the room.
Then a woman's trembling voice emerged.
"If you're hearing this, Lily, something has happened to me."
Lily covered her mouth.
Her mother's voice continued.
"Please listen carefully. Do not trust Marcus."
Lily began crying.
"He has been moving company money into private accounts for years."
Jax exchanged a glance with Cole.
The recording continued.
"I confronted him yesterday."
A pause.
"He threatened me."
Lily's breathing became unsteady.
"I don't know what he will do next."
The woman's voice cracked.
"But I have protected the evidence."
She explained that she had discovered millions of dollars being transferred through shell companies.
She had copied bank records.
Contracts.
Emails.
Payment schedules.
Everything.
Then came the part that made Jax sit forward.
"There is another secret."
The recording crackled.
"Marcus's company has been transporting illegal shipments through several warehouses."
Cole's expression hardened.
"Damn."
Lily looked at him.
"What?"
He shook his head.
"Keep listening."
Her mother continued.
"If Marcus discovers the evidence, he will destroy it."
A long silence followed.
Then:
"Lily, I need you to know something."
"I never believed you were weak."
"You were the only reason I stayed alive as long as I did."
Lily broke down.
Jax quietly placed a hand on the table.
He didn't touch her.
He simply stayed there.
Her mother's voice became softer.
"If I am gone, find Daniel Hayes."
"The attorney."