There had been a few dozen to start. His team had done outstanding, speedy work, and his grandfather was screaming at him? It had been done in mere hours. Yet still not enough.
“Do you see it? Ten up from the bottom.”
It was written by someone named Kland5568. It meant nothing. But her words were few and potent. No wonder grandfather was about to pop his temporal artery.
There were now two.
He did it to me too, Cadence. I just never told anyone. Stay strong. Consent is supposed to be contingent on you being conscious. People will call you names, but you know what happened to you was real. You’re braver than me. I could never come forward. Good luck.
He did it to me too. The words replayed over and over in Tristan’s mind. Holy crap. He started to breathe faster in response and sweat wet his palms. Two girls had accused his brother? It was…
“I told you. I told you more would come out of the woodwork. Did you read it? Didn’t I predict this?”
Tristan let out a deep whoosh of breath. Yes, Grandfather had predicted this. He let the relief flow through him. Of course Grandfather was right. Of course more were coming out of the woodwork. The Tamasy name was synonymous with money. And Tommy was well known right now, the perfect walking payday.
“I see it.”
“Find out who the bitch is and shut her down. We can’t have two, Tristan. Two speaks to scandal and truth. Two makes a third decide it might be a good game to get in on. I will take care of the Cadence girl. I have feelers out to try and pay her off and get her to sign some nondisclosure paperwork... you know the usual. You take care of this other one. Do whatever you must to neutralize this one. Get it done. And now.”
Tristan was staring at his phone. He’d hung up after his ominous threat. Of course it was on Tristan to get it done. He rubbed at his head again with the ache brewing across his forehead. He’d done nothing but somehow he wasn’t fixing it faster. Damn careless little brother. Damn Grandfather expecting all the brains and ability of the family to fall to Tristan because he believed it bypassed JR and Tommy.
He grabbed his cell and searched for his lead tech’s phone number. He punched it in. As soon as he had the tech on the line Tristan waited, foot tapping while the tech loaded up the website and comments that Tristan specified. “I need an identity on who made the comment marked Kland5568. Get me a name. An address. Something, ASAP. I’ll triple your fee.” He started talking without preamble, without a hello, without any care for what the other man had been doing with his time off work. Just exactly as Grandfather had spoken to Tristan. Tristan knew he was an excellent student and practitioner of what he learned.
“Yes, sir. I’ll get right on it.” Another lesson, money worked wonders to open doors otherwise impossible. No thought to privacy or what they wanted the name for. Kland5568, you are going to be sorry you ever tried to spread anonymous lies.
Tristan stared at her comment for a good twenty minutes. Good luck. It seemed to be glaring at him in a mocking challenge. Good luck? Well, good luck to her too.
****
His cell phone woke him. Fumbling around his nightstand, he knocked his change off the top and finally found the irritating ringing phone. Opening an eye his clock glared at him with the early numbers of just past four a.m., groaning, he mumbled without looking at the screen, “This better be something on fire.”
“No. But you said ASAP.”
Tristan sighed recognizing his tech’s voice. He sat up, leaning against the headboard and clearing his throat. “Yeah, yeah, that’s a fire. What have you got?”
“Kylie McKinley, a twenty, almost twenty-one-year old, junior at Peterson. Her address is 5568 Claymore Street, Marsdale. She works alternating shifts at The Acorn. Do you need the address?”
Tristan ran a hand over his face. His brain was barely grasping the tidbits of his newest nemesis.
“Do you see it? Ten up from the bottom.”
It was written by someone named Kland5568. It meant nothing. But her words were few and potent. No wonder grandfather was about to pop his temporal artery.
There were now two.
He did it to me too, Cadence. I just never told anyone. Stay strong. Consent is supposed to be contingent on you being conscious. People will call you names, but you know what happened to you was real. You’re braver than me. I could never come forward. Good luck.
He did it to me too. The words replayed over and over in Tristan’s mind. Holy crap. He started to breathe faster in response and sweat wet his palms. Two girls had accused his brother? It was…
“I told you. I told you more would come out of the woodwork. Did you read it? Didn’t I predict this?”
Tristan let out a deep whoosh of breath. Yes, Grandfather had predicted this. He let the relief flow through him. Of course Grandfather was right. Of course more were coming out of the woodwork. The Tamasy name was synonymous with money. And Tommy was well known right now, the perfect walking payday.
“I see it.”
“Find out who the bitch is and shut her down. We can’t have two, Tristan. Two speaks to scandal and truth. Two makes a third decide it might be a good game to get in on. I will take care of the Cadence girl. I have feelers out to try and pay her off and get her to sign some nondisclosure paperwork... you know the usual. You take care of this other one. Do whatever you must to neutralize this one. Get it done. And now.”
Tristan was staring at his phone. He’d hung up after his ominous threat. Of course it was on Tristan to get it done. He rubbed at his head again with the ache brewing across his forehead. He’d done nothing but somehow he wasn’t fixing it faster. Damn careless little brother. Damn Grandfather expecting all the brains and ability of the family to fall to Tristan because he believed it bypassed JR and Tommy.
He grabbed his cell and searched for his lead tech’s phone number. He punched it in. As soon as he had the tech on the line Tristan waited, foot tapping while the tech loaded up the website and comments that Tristan specified. “I need an identity on who made the comment marked Kland5568. Get me a name. An address. Something, ASAP. I’ll triple your fee.” He started talking without preamble, without a hello, without any care for what the other man had been doing with his time off work. Just exactly as Grandfather had spoken to Tristan. Tristan knew he was an excellent student and practitioner of what he learned.
“Yes, sir. I’ll get right on it.” Another lesson, money worked wonders to open doors otherwise impossible. No thought to privacy or what they wanted the name for. Kland5568, you are going to be sorry you ever tried to spread anonymous lies.
Tristan stared at her comment for a good twenty minutes. Good luck. It seemed to be glaring at him in a mocking challenge. Good luck? Well, good luck to her too.
****
His cell phone woke him. Fumbling around his nightstand, he knocked his change off the top and finally found the irritating ringing phone. Opening an eye his clock glared at him with the early numbers of just past four a.m., groaning, he mumbled without looking at the screen, “This better be something on fire.”
“No. But you said ASAP.”
Tristan sighed recognizing his tech’s voice. He sat up, leaning against the headboard and clearing his throat. “Yeah, yeah, that’s a fire. What have you got?”
“Kylie McKinley, a twenty, almost twenty-one-year old, junior at Peterson. Her address is 5568 Claymore Street, Marsdale. She works alternating shifts at The Acorn. Do you need the address?”
Tristan ran a hand over his face. His brain was barely grasping the tidbits of his newest nemesis.
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