Knight: Over The Edge Part 30

I walk through the front door of the diner; a few people are scattered around. My brother is already sitting in a booth with a drink in front of him. As I sit down a waitress comes up to the table.

"What can I get ya?"

"I'd like a sweet tea please."

I tell her with a smile. After she brings my drink back Drew and I finally begin speaking.

"What's going on?"

He asks his elbows on the table as he leans toward me.

"I know who the traitor is."

"What the f.u.c.k Kat. How do you figure that?"

"Bruce sent one of his employees to see me today and in looking over the accounting records I narrowed it down to two suspects. One of those two was the one taking money from Bruce"

I sigh before continuing.

"I gave both names to Hunter and had him run checks on them."

"Yea and..."

"One of them came back with all kinds of red flags. They are skimming money from I would guess several Knight owned businesses plus they have a bank account funded from deposits by Sal Martin."

"Holy s.h.i.+t. Who is it Kat? This must be big."

It's big alright. I still don't know how to say it aloud. This is going to be bad.

"I want you to go back with me to the mansion this evening. I want you there when I talk to Bruce and Cole and I'll reveal it all at once."

"It's going to be that explosive huh?"

"You have no idea brother."

We finish our drinks and Drew walks me out to the car with Rocco. He opens the door for me and I climb back in. I buckle my seat belt as I say "come straight to the mansion."

"I'll be right behind you."

"You found something big, didn't you girl?" Rocco asks.

Watching the business district zoom by out the window I answer Rocco.

"Yea I did, and Rocco a lot of people are going to get hurt and people are going to die, I hope it's not my family."

"When I joined the Knight Family I knew what I was signing up for. I may have only been fourteen but I knew that I was giving my life up for the Family."

"Yea..."

"Yea... every man who joins the Family knows what he's risking. We're willing to take the risk. We're loyal to the Knights. They treat us good don't ask us to do stupid reckless s.h.i.+t like other organizations do."

"Right" I sigh "Doesn't change the fact I don't want anyone I love dying because of this."

"Something tells me you'll fight until your dying breath to keep that from happening."

I give him a tentative smile. He's right in some way. I would fight to my last breath if I had too. I had Drew teach me how to use a gun as a teenager and for the first time since then I felt the need to have, a gun on me at all times. I may have to get some practice in with Drew to refresh myself.

Tonight big decisions would have to be made, and I didn't envy anyone in this situation. The Knights were going to face the betrayal of someone close to them. Then to decide how to handle the situation is going to be hard. However after my conversation the war would be declared. Our world is getting ready to turn topsy turvy. There is no way to stop it now.

"Girl you have the weight of the world on you right now."

"I'm fine."

"I've known you a long time now wanna lie to someone else?"

"I'll be fine. I just hate what I'm getting ready to do. The war will start after tonight Rocco."

"Told ya that's part of what I signed up for I say bring it... and I'll be protecting you with every move I make as I have for almost six years now."

"I know you will Rocco. That's part of what scares me. Knowing the lengths most of you'll go to."

"It's going to work out. The Knights don't let nothing keep them down."

I sigh. I turn to face out the window again. Houses pa.s.s by my window now as we have entered the residential section of town. It's not long before we are pulling up to the gated driveway of the mansion.

I take a deep breath. Steadying myself as I prepare to walk inside this mansion and change everything for everyone forever. It's a heavy burden. One I wish I was not carrying but at the same time I'm glad that there is an end in sight. The war may be starting tonight but that meant it would be ending too, at some point.

I go straight to Bruce's office upon entering the house.

"Kat" he greets me as I walk in "I don't like the secretiveness."

"I'm going to reveal it all in just a moment."

I grab my phone sending messages out to my brother, Cole and Justin. Asking each of them to come straight to Bruce's office. Drew is the first to arrive as true to his word he followed right behind Rocco and me. He pours himself a drink before sitting down at the table in the room. I walk over and pour myself a shot of whiskey downing it in one swallow before pouring another and joining my brother at the table.

"d.a.m.n girl I never seen you down whiskey so quick."

"Should've seen me with jello shots at the Frat parties" I try to joke but it falls flat even to me.

Bruce joins us at the head of the table as I begin unpacking my bag. I set up my laptop powering it on. I pull out the stack of doc.u.ments I printed this afternoon including the one with all the information Hunter sent me.

Justin walks in next. He sees us around the table and doesn't say a word heads to the bar and pours himself a drink before joining us. The serious nature of everyone around the table is a tell. He doesn't even make any of his usual wisecracks.

"Where's Cole?"

"He's on his way" I reply "The last text he sent me said he was 15 minutes from being here."

We sit in silence the only noise is my nervously tapping a pen against the table.

"Kat" Drew says.

"I'm fine. Be better when Cole's here and I can get started."

"I'm here babe."

Cole says walking into the room kissing me on the cheek. The little gesture brings me some comfort but not near enough for what I'm about to do.

He pours himself a drink and sits beside me at the table.

I begin with the background information of Bruce asking me to meet with Jenny this morning. Then Jenny coming into the office and working with her for three hours and then two more hours on the files after she left with Steve. I tell them everything I found out about the skimming so far. I fill them in on asking Hunter to run a check on names of employees that Jenny provided me with.

"Hunter didn't even realize what he gave me. I don't think he even looked at the info or he would have said something to me" I finish.

I pull a sheet of paper out of the stack in front of me and hand it to Bruce.

"Here is your rat."

"Son of a b.i.t.c.h" he pa.s.ses the paper to Cole.

"Are you f.u.c.king kidding me?"

The paper is then handed to Drew.

"Holy f.u.c.k."

Last Justin is handed the paper his reaction is the one I watch closely.

"I'm going to kill the son of a b.i.t.c.h myself."

No one says anything for a moment everyone is processing what they just read on that one piece of paper when Bruce's office door is thrown open.

"Guess the b.i.t.c.h already outed me" is heard as Gary Marks walks into the room gun waving.

"What the f.u.c.k man? Why?" Justin asks "We grew up together."

"Blame Kat!"

"How the f.u.c.k is this my fault?"

I ask getting angry.

"Always too good for us guys back in high school, you never even noticed that I loved you back then. Didn't look twice at any guy until Cole came along. Guess it was the real money and power you were waiting for."

"Are you f.u.c.king kidding me right now? I didn't even want Cole back then. I was too busy working on getting the h.e.l.l out of Belmont. I wasn't going to be stuck like my mother wanted me stuck."

"Whatever b.i.t.c.h."

Gary moves closer but Cole is right up against me and reaching for a gun tucked in his waistband.

"I waited figured you would see the light everyone knew Cole was a manwh.o.r.e. But he proved himself faithful with you fooled us all."

There is a pause as he takes a breath. No one is speaking we are all still too stunned.

"Then you left, and I thought she'll come back and you never did. The love I had for you began turning into hate. Somehow Sal figured out how I felt about you and contacted me while he was in jail. I began visiting him."

"Your first mistake."

I say dryly.

"No my only mistake ever is I loved a b.i.t.c.h like you."

The men in the room stiffen at his words each upset for a different reason.

"Sal made me an offer I couldn't refuse, a way to get back at you and Cole for all that you had done to me."

"You're f.u.c.king crazy" Drew says.

"Shut up."

Gary yells at my brother waving the gun around it goes off just barely missing Drew.

"Gary, your father would be so disappointed" Bruce speaks up.

"Why? Because I wasn't the loyal lap dog to the Knight Family he was? f.u.c.k that!"

I watch Gary closely and I realize something is not right with him mentally and it would make sense that he and Sal would work together. Neither man had it all together. Another bullet flies this time barely missing Bruce as he dodges to the left to get out of the line of fire.

I'm p.i.s.sed now. There is no other words to describe it.

"So all this started because you loved me and I didn't love you back?" I ask.

"That's right b.i.t.c.h."

"So why go after the Knights who've been family all your life it wasn't their fault. I was the one who wanted out of Belmont. I was the one who left."

"You let Cole touch you, you were tainted then."

"Um you do realize I had s.e.x way before Cole right?"

I ask a little sarcastic.

"Cole ruined you though."

I sigh I realize he has own version of reality and its nothing like what really happened years ago.

A bullet flies from his gun again this time hitting Cole in the arm. I watch as blood begins to seep out of the wound. I move around to check on him.