Chapter
Twenty-Six

Ethan was a mess. His heartbeat was racing, sweat rolled down his back, and his hands were clammy as he entered the MPC building. He’d agreed to this because his gut was screaming at him that something was wrong.

He’d pushed down thoughts and questions about his client before, but the more he spoke with authorities, the more he thought there was actually a possibility that Royce was dirty.

So maybe, just maybe, he could turn this thing around.

Penny escorted him in to see Royce. There was no sign of Bradley this time, and Ethan was glad for that, but he did see Matt sitting at the large table across from Royce. This would make his task all the more awkward and challenging.

“Wasn’t expecting to see you today. Thought you’d be deep in trial prep,” Royce said. “Matt and I were just talking over development plans for the next year.”

Ethan didn’t care at all about MPC’s plans. “We’ve got a huge problem. Kate Sullivan has gone missing.”

Royce raised an eyebrow. “What?”

He took a breath. “Royce, if you had anything to do with this, I need you to come clean right now while we can still fix it.”

Royce cocked his head to the side. “Ethan, this is the second time you’ve accused me of doing something to that woman, and I’ve never taken any action against her.”

Ethan clenched his fists. “I’m having a hard time believing you.”

“You’re turning red. You need to calm down.”

Royce was right. The police had told Ethan to remain calm, get to the facts. He wasn’t supposed to fly off the handle. That wouldn’t help anyone. He needed to use Matt to his strategic advantage to get Royce to confess. Matt was always level-headed.

He shifted his attention to the COO. “Matt, please help me. Talk some sense into him. If he’s gotten himself into something, let me help him out of it.”

“Ethan’s right,” Matt said. “We’re all in this together, Royce. I know the extreme pressure you’ve been under in this litigation. If you took things too far, we can figure out a plan. But we need you to tell us right now.”

Royce shook his head. “I’ve taken many actions to protect this company, and some of them might be legally questionable. But I have not crossed the line with Kate Sullivan. I’m telling you both that.” He shifted his eyes to Matt. “C’mon, Matt, tell him he’s out of his mind.”

“The police are all over this,” Ethan said. “Royce, you’re living in a delusional world right now if you think you can get away with actually hurting people.”

Matt pulled out his cell phone. “I’m texting Bradley to inform him that we have a security situation on our hands, and we need to do damage control ASAP.”

Matt had just provided Ethan with the perfect opening. “Royce, the police believe you’re behind Kate’s disappearance and that Bradley is doing your dirty work.” He followed the script the police had given him.

Matt looked up from his phone. “Do they have any proof?”

“Yeah,” Ethan said. While they didn’t exactly have proof connecting Royce to this, he felt the need to bluff. “Please, Royce, just tell me where Kate is.” He hoped he could appeal to whatever humanity Royce still possessed.

Royce threw up his hands. “I don’t know what to tell you. I have no idea where Kate Sullivan is!”

“That’s enough,” Matt said loudly.

Ethan looked at Matt and sucked in a breath as his eyes locked on the muzzle of the gun in Matt’s hand. The gun was pointed right at him.

“It wasn’t meant to go this way,” Matt said.

Ethan swallowed hard. “Matt, please, don’t do this. Let’s talk.”

“Matt, what—what have you done?” Royce’s voice cracked, and a wave of realization washed over his face. “This was all you, wasn’t it?”

Matt turned his attention to Royce. “You didn’t have it in you to take the company to the next level. You’re too soft to make the decisions that have to be made to ensure success. We have so much more we can accomplish, but you were standing in the way.”

“Even if it means risking people’s lives?” Ethan asked. If he could keep Matt talking, maybe they had a chance to get out of there alive. But if he was going to die, he needed to understand why Matt had done this.

“Someone had to be willing to push forward with Celix.” Matt looked at Royce. “And you wouldn’t have done it if you had known the real test results. I had to tell you that we’d resolved all the issues because MPC stood to turn a hefty profit from Celix and Acreda. Record-breaking numbers. I was willing to risk the collateral damage. A risk you would’ve never been man enough to take.”

“You shouldn’t have kept me in the dark,” Royce said.

Matt’s face reddened. “Everything would’ve worked out just fine if Ellie Proctor hadn’t started snooping around. I thought Bradley had handled her, but I didn’t account for all contingencies. Including one of our own lawyers selling us out and sending documents to the enemy.”

The accusation hit Ethan hard. This man was not only dangerous, he was out for revenge.

“You want my job,” Royce said flatly.

Matt took a step forward. “I deserve your job.”

Ethan watched as Matt shifted the gun toward Royce and fired. The bullet struck Royce in the head, and he dropped to the floor with a loud thud, a pool of bright red blood forming around him.

Ethan instinctively stepped back and to the side, but it was too late. Another gunshot rang out, and the bullet tore through his flesh, sending searing pain throughout his body. Lights flashed in front of his eyes.

Then the world went dark.

Cooper’s SUV came to a screeching stop in front of Warren McGee. Landon picked up his bag and opened the backseat door.

“Get in,” Cooper said. “We’re ready to go.”

Details were still murky, but they’d just gotten word that Royce was dead and Ethan had been shot. More officers were already en route to MPC, and Landon and Cooper planned to be right behind them. Noah was riding up front.

Before Landon could close the door, Adam Fox came running toward the vehicle. His face was bright red and wet with tears. “I need to talk to you.”

“Jump in.” He didn’t really want to deal with Adam’s emotional breakdown, but he didn’t have time right now to do anything else. He slid over to let Adam into the vehicle.

Cooper hit the gas, and they were off.

“I’m responsible for this,” Adam blurted.

Landon looked at him. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll tell everything to the police, but I need to explain it to you first. I never thought that Kate would be harmed.”

“What have you done?” Anger simmered as he looked at the traitor beside him.

“I didn’t have a choice. I’m being blackmailed by MPC.”

“Blackmailed?” Cooper chimed in.

“Yes. Bradley Cummings is the security officer at MPC, but he is also their hired gun. I have a gambling problem and got on the wrong side of some dangerous people when I couldn’t pay my debts. Bradley found out about it and paid off the money I owed. Then he held it over my head. I was to serve as MPC’s inside man. All I was told was that Kate would be kept out of the picture so that I could try the case. They said they wouldn’t hurt her. I was a fool to believe them. Especially after what Bradley did to Ellie. But they claimed it would be different with Kate. That all they needed was for me to take her place as lead counsel.”

Landon clenched his right fist. It took every ounce of discipline he had not to strangle Adam. “You need to tell the cops the entire story. You understand me?” He gripped the turncoat’s arm as hard as he could.

“I’m sorry,” Adam whispered, squirming.

“That’s not enough. But in the meantime, keep talking. Tell us everything you know.”

Kate said a prayer as she silently waited for the man to come back and hurt her. She was locked inside a hot, dark basement with no way out. She’d tried everything, but there was no exit except the locked door at the top of the stairs. Literally, her life was in God’s hands right now, and she had come to terms with the fact that she might die today.

She started reciting Psalm twenty-three quietly. The Lord was with her. She knew that much. But she also was prepared for the fact that she might not make it out of this room alive.

She’d had plenty of time alone in the darkness to mull over MPC’s plans—and Adam’s stinging betrayal. He’d probably been playing her the entire time. And with her locked away, Adam could naturally step in and take her place at trial. No one would know that he was working with MPC. He’d be able to make it easier on them. Especially on the link between Celix and Acreda.

What a disaster. She simply couldn’t let that trial move forward with Adam as lead counsel if he was on MPC’s payroll. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about Mrs. Wyman and Melinda. There had to be a way to stop MPC before it was too late.

The door opened, and she scooted back as far as she could into the corner. It was the same man who had taken her. He jogged down the steps and walked toward her.

She stood up to face him. “Please,” she said. “Just let me go.”

“We’ve gotta move now.” He grabbed her by the arm.

She saw the gun tucked into his waistband.

“Please,” she begged. “Don’t do this. Don’t hurt me.” But as she said the words, she realized he might do just that. “You don’t have to do this. You can just walk away.”

“Do you really think I’m paid to just walk away? My job isn’t over yet.”

She started to pray, because that was all she had left. “You killed Ellie Proctor, didn’t you?”

“I’m just a good soldier following orders. I don’t make the calls.”

“So Royce gave you the order?”

He leaned down and chuckled into her ear. His breath sent a chill down her spine. “You really have no clue, do you? You must not be as bright as everyone says you are.”

She didn’t understand his response, but she had to keep trying. “There’s always another way. You can make that decision.”

“Start walking. Upstairs—now. The decision has already been made. I’ve been given my orders, and it’s time to get out of here.”

She closed her eyes, fearing the worst. If she didn’t make a move now, she may not have another chance.

Taking a deep breath, she started to climb the long staircase. She wanted him to believe that she was afraid and wouldn’t fight back. But she was a fighter and refused to let him take her. Lord, I need your help.

She waited until they were about halfway up the steps. Then she quickly turned around and shoved him. Hard.

He lost his balance and fell backward.

Not wasting a second, she started to run up the rest of the steps. She’d almost made it to the door when he grabbed tightly onto her left ankle and pulled her down.

She hit the stairs hard, banging the side of her head. But she kicked and screamed, refusing to let him drag her off. She was able to break his grip and make another run for it, her heart pounding, her breathing heavy. But he was right there again. Grabbing her right calf, he yanked her down.

Her fingers dug into the wooden steps, desperate not to let go. He flipped her over on her back and stood over her. He pulled out his gun.

This was it. He was going to kill her. She closed her eyes.

A loud gunshot rang out. She expected to feel pain, but she didn’t. Opening her eyes, she saw the man lying on the steps below her. She hadn’t been hit. He had.

Police officers rushed past her, down the stairs and into the basement. Shouts and sounds echoed loudly all around her. She lay frozen in shock. The next thing she knew, Landon was there. His strong arms pulled her up and wrapped around her.

“Kate, are you all right?” He looked down at her.

“Yes, I think so.”

He helped her stand. She looked down and saw her captor groaning in pain. “Is he going to make it?”

Landon turned her head gently back to face him. “Don’t worry about him right now.” He led her up the steps and took her outside. “Are you hurt?”

“Nothing too bad. Just a bit sore.”

He pulled her into a tight hug, and she let the tears flow freely.

“It’s okay, Kate. You’re safe now.”

“What happened? I’m so confused.”

“We’re still working through all the details, but it looks like Matt Canton is the puppet master behind all of this.”

“MPC’s Chief Operating Officer?”

“Yeah.”

He had seemed so mild mannered in his deposition. She’d been so focused on Royce that it never occurred to her that Matt could be calling the shots.

“Why do you think it was Matt?” she asked.

“Ethan confronted Royce, thinking he was responsible for taking you. But really it was Matt, and then Matt shot Royce, killing him, before turning the gun on Ethan.”

She gasped. “Is Ethan all right?”

“Thankfully, Matt missed the mark. An inch over, though, and the bullet would’ve struck a main artery. Ethan’s in the hospital having surgery, but he should pull through.”

“So Royce is dead?”

“Yes. Gunshot wound to the head. But Matt didn’t realize Ethan was wired and that law enforcement was outside waiting for him. He didn’t get very far.”

It was all coming together in her mind. “So that’s why he said that,” she murmured.

“What are you talking about?”

“The man who abducted me. I was trying to keep him talking, and I asked if Royce gave him the order to kill Ellie. He said that I didn’t have a clue. That’s what he meant. That it was never Royce. He was innocent this whole time.”

“As far as the attacks against you and the murder of Ellie go, it certainly appears Royce wasn’t involved. That’s not to say his hands were clean, because we don’t know yet the extent of his involvement with the decisions made about Celix. But it looks like Matt was the mastermind behind the rest of it.”

She realized she was shaking. “Where’s Matt?”

“In police custody. He provided your location in an effort to cut a deal. But I doubt there will be one. We’ll know more once the police fully interrogate him and the guy who took you, who I believe is the MPC security chief, Bradley Cummings.”

Her mind swam. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” He paused. “But I can’t let another moment go by without saying something to you.”

Her fingers tightened against the fabric of his shirt. “What? Please tell me there’s not more bad news.”

He shook his head. “Kate, when I thought that I could lose you, I went crazy beating myself up over how I’ve treated you these past few weeks. I realized that I cared so much about you that I pushed you away because I was afraid. But I don’t want to live in fear, and I don’t want to hide my feelings from you. There’s been so much darkness and pain in my life over the past few years, but you’ve shown me there’s another way. And somewhere throughout all of this, I’ve fallen totally in love with you.”

She stared into his dark eyes and let his words sink in. “You love me?”

“Yes, I do. I didn’t know if I would ever find someone to love, someone who would accept me with all my baggage and issues. You never discounted my past, you listened to my words, you actually heard me, Kate. You showed me that God hadn’t given up on me. You and I make a great team. I want to continue what we’ve started. I hope you do too.”

Tears slid down her cheeks, but this time they weren’t tears of fear, but joy. “Landon, I love you too. And I do want to build on what we’ve started. There’s so much more ahead for us.”

“Roger that.” He gave her another quick hug. “Let me get you out of here.”

She smiled. “Can we go by the hospital before you take me home? I’d like to check on Ethan.”

“You’re a good woman, Kate Sullivan. I knew from the moment we met that you were one of the good guys.”

Kate walked out of the conference room and shook hands with Ethan and the two board members from MPC who were present at the settlement negotiations. It was official. MPC had settled the entire multidistrict litigation for a staggering 1.5 billion dollars. The MPC settlement would be one of the top five Big Pharma settlements of the year.

It was unclear whether MPC would be able to weather the storm, especially with the criminal penalties they would most certainly be facing. But they were going to try to make a fresh start, including a completely new leadership team that had been instated immediately after Matt had been taken into custody.

“Kate, can I have a word?” Ethan asked her.

“Sure.” She followed him down the hallway. He still wasn’t up to full speed after being shot, but he’d come back to work on the settlement.

He turned and looked at her. “Kate, I know I’ve said I’m sorry multiple times, but I’m going to say it again. I should’ve taken your accusations about MPC more seriously. I was blinded by my need to win the case, and I have to live with that fact every single day.”

It had been almost a month since Matt’s arrest. Kate still couldn’t believe everything that had happened. Matt thought taking Ellie out would solve his problems, but little did he know, a handful of emails would open the door to the Acreda issue. Ethan had told her that one of his associates, a woman named Nicole Sosa, was the brave person who sent Kate the documents despite knowing she would lose her job.

“Ethan, I don’t want you to live like that. Yes, I got hurt, but I also know that once you found out about what MPC was up to, you did everything you could to help me. Including endangering your own life.”

“Then maybe I can start trying to earn your trust back,” he said. “Your friendship does mean the world to me, even though I haven’t done a very good job of acting like it.”

She couldn’t help but feel warmth toward Ethan. He’d been through a lot. She took his hand and squeezed. “We’re going to be okay. Focus on making a full recovery. That’s the most important thing right now.”

“Thank you.” He paused. “Looks like you have company. I’ll head out now.”

Kate smiled when she saw Landon waiting for her at the other end of the hallway.

“Thanks, Ethan. We’ll talk again soon. Please take care of yourself.” She left Ethan and walked to meet Landon. “Hey,” she said.

“Is the settlement done?” he asked.

“Yes, it is. We’ll put out a statement for the press within the hour. I still can’t believe it.”

Landon nodded. “It just shows what the thirst for power can do to a man. Matt was already working board members to put the idea in their heads that he was the future and Royce was the past.”

“You know what, it probably would’ve worked if it hadn’t been for Ellie and Nicole. Have you heard anything about Pierce Worthington?” she asked.

Landon nodded. “Pierce is safely back in the country and fully cooperating. He’s providing very useful information about how his family’s lives were threatened, which just adds to the charges against Matt and Bradley. Pierce had no choice but to flee for his family’s safety.”

“It’s truly mind-boggling.” She didn’t think she’d ever be the same again. “And Adam’s betrayal still stings.”

“Yeah, but Kate, remember, he was being blackmailed.”

“He would’ve thrown the entire case to do their bidding. I’m so thankful it didn’t come to that and the victims will now have justice. The settlement money won’t bring Melinda and the others back, but it sends a strong signal that companies like MPC can’t get away with treating people as if their lives have no value. Money isn’t everything.”

“But it’s finally over. We can start moving past it all.” Landon took her hand in his. “Let’s get out of here. I want to take you out to dinner.”

Her heart filled with love. “It’s a date.”