Fade To Midnight Read Free Page A

huge. I think X-Cog would be extremely interesting to him. And we would have multiple layers of security, since he’s Club O.”
    Ava’s lip curled. “But he’s a dickhead.”
    Des’s eyes rolled impatiently. “Don’t be a spoiled baby. Offering him a partnership would solve all our problems in one move.”
    â€œAnd create a lot more,” she said.
    Des’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve set up a demo. You will be good, Ava.”
    Well, look at him. Throwing his weight around. Trying to whip her into line with his big dick. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Tell me the bad news,” she said. “Maybe it’ll cheer me up.”
    Des stared at her, nostrils distended, cheeks reddening. Anger turned him on. A fact she often turned to her advantage. “I was at a Parrish Foundation board meeting today,” he said finally. “Parrish is taking over where his bitch of a wife left off. Getting rid of Linda distracted him for a while, but the party’s over, everybody out of the pool. He’s engaged a panel of financial forensics experts to examine every penny of Parrish Foundation money spent in the past three years. And to vet all future projects. No more cutting it close.”
    â€œOh, God,” Ava moaned. “I’m so close to a breakthrough!”
    â€œI know, but what can you do. He’s as much of a pit bull as his ballbusting wife, may she burn in hell. The Morality Police don’t want anything naughty going down, after Dr. O’s big scandal.”
    â€œFucking hypocrites. ‘Helix was a victim, too,’” Ava mimicked.
    Des looked at the moaning girl at his feet. “This shit does not look good, Av. Save it for when we can afford a more secret facility, and that won’t be until after we get control of the Foundation board.”
    â€œIt can’t wait! Besides, no one will miss her. She’s just a whore that I scraped off the bathroom floor of a dance club. No wonder she’s a dud.” She kicked Mandy in the kidney. “I need better raw material to work with.”
    â€œWe need reliable funding first.” Des’s voice was stern. “And someone to supply lab rats, and safely dispose of the garbage for us. The Parrish Foundation is watching like a hawk. It’s too risky.”
    â€œCharles Parrish has been raking in hundreds of millions in medical patents for years,” Ava said bitterly. “Like he cared where the smell came from before his nose got rubbed in shit.”
    â€œThank God he’s retiring. I’m giving a fawning speech for that pompous tightass at the retirement banquet. Fucking bore.”
    â€œRetiring? That’s good.”
    â€œNot really. It just leaves him that much more time to be possessive and controlling about Parrish Foundation research money.”
    Ava gave him a big, brilliant smile. “So let’s kill him.”
    Des looked startled. “That wouldn’t solve our problem.”
    â€œNo? You’re on the board. You handpicked the last two board members after we got rid of Linda. If Parrish disappeared, the rest of them will do anything you want, for the 400K salaries, the skybox, the Lear jet. The paid luxury vacations. They’re sheep. It’s easy, Dessie.”
    Des grunted. “Hardly. Don’t oversimplify.”
    â€œBut it is simple,” Ava said. “We create the perfect board. Eliminate the watchdogs. Create a perfect screen of bland, squeaky clean product development projects that they can all feel virtuous about. Siphon a percentage of the money back to the real stuff, like Dr. O did. Except we won’t fuck up, and let it explode in our faces.”
    Des looked dubious, but he wasn’t rejecting it out of hand.
    â€œWho inherits Parrish’s fortune when he dies?” Ava asked.
    Des frowned thoughtfully. “His younger daughter, Ronnie. Ronnie’s thirteen. Edie, the older one,