Devoted Defender by Rachel Dylan

table.”
    She wanted to argue since it was clear that Phil wasn’t currently a threat to her. But she didn’t.
    “I’m going to check outside to just be sure the area is secure and then do some recon. I’ll check back in later. You have this situation under control.” Gabby said. Then she walked out leaving her and Caleb with Phil.
    “Start talking,” Caleb said.
    But instead of Phil looking at Caleb, he directed his attention back toward her. “Annie, again, I’m so sorry. I know what I did was unforgivable, but this whole situation has gotten out of control. I’m a coward.”
    “Phil, the best thing you can do now to help me is to answer Caleb’s questions. He’s the chief of police here in Maxwell.”
    Phil nodded. “I don’t even know where to begin, though.”
    Caleb sat down across from Phil. “Let’s start with what you know about your father’s relationship with Silva.”
    Annie waited as Phil took a few deep breaths. Even though this man had tried to kill her, she felt sorry for him.
    “My father met Silva through a mutual acquaintance a couple of years ago at a charity event in Atlanta. At that time, my father had no interest in Silva’s business.”
    “Which is?” Annie jumped in and asked.
    “Silva’s network is extensive. Drug trafficking is his primary business but he had his hands involved in money laundering, gun running and I don’t even know what else. Plus it expands all throughout the southeast. He has a business partner who runs part of the region and then his cousin runs the Florida operations. I know they have a complex drug network in south Florida.”
    A chill shot down her back. Annie was all too familiar with the dark side of life in south Florida where she had grown up. Her mom bouncing from random apartment and even more random men. And most of the men were involved in some sort of drugs or other criminal activity.
    “What changed to make your father want to get involved?” Caleb asked.
    “My father started to have more time on his hands. He’d largely turned over day to day operations of his investment firm to my two older brothers. I have a percentage of the company but no managing control at this point.” Phil slumped down in the chair. “Looking back maybe that was part of the problem. Part of why I turned on him, because he had excluded me. But back to your question. My father started doing side investments. Some gambling and other things. And I think he thought investing in Silva’s business would be fun. He’d live on the edge a bit and make a stellar return.”
    “Because of the illegal nature of the business, he stood to make more money,” Caleb said flatly.
    “Exactly. And there was the thrill of operating outside of the law that I think was attractive to him. My father was so rich and powerful he thought that he was above the law and could do pretty much whatever he wanted. It started with my father making investments. But then about six months ago, he and Silva became closer. My father wanted to understand more of the business. And at that point, Silva trusted him. But my father was too smart for his own good. He tried to cozy up to some of the players and suppliers and siphon off business for himself. Cutting Silva out of the equation.”
    “And when Silva started sniffing around, that’s when he came to me.” Phil looked at her again. “I realize all of this in hindsight. I was such a fool. If I would’ve kept my big mouth shut, maybe none of this would’ve happened. Maybe my father would still be alive right now.”
    “What did you do?” she asked.
    “Like I said. I was upset that my father chose my two brothers over me. I was basically third in line to run the business. And given our ages, there’s no way that I would’ve ever been a major player in father’s investment business. Yes, I have some percentage ownership which means I get a part of the profits, but only a fraction of what my brothers get.”
    “Silva used you,” Caleb