I give her a look. "You know they'd lock me up without a key not caring about the truth."
She looks at me like I've betrayed her. It breaks me even as it angers me.
"This is a setup, Olivia. We've been through too much suspicious shit for you not to see that. Who sent you here? Blackwood?"
Her jaw tightens, telling me I'm right.
"He wanted you to be the one to find me here. He's either giving you a gift or testing you. How much do you want to bet he suspects something between you and me?”
"There's nothing between you and me. Nothing real anyway."
"Bullshit. I'm in love with you. It doesn't get any more real than that."
Her eyes widen, but the gun doesn't waver.
"I'm no saint, but I'm not the monster you want me to be. I'd never put you in this position, finding me with a dead colleague."
"You told me to make sure he was pulled from your case and?—"
"He was no threat to my business. In fact, I got more information from him than he did from me."
She doesn't lower her gun, but doubt flickers across her face.
I take a chance and step toward her. "This is Blackwood. He's setting me up, and he sent you here to witness it."
"Dom—"
"If I wanted him dead, he'd already be dead, and no one would find his body. You know that. Besides, I have an alibi. He's been dead a few hours. I was at the Winter Festival. There are tons of witnesses." I hold her gaze, willing her to believe me.
I can see the conflict in her. It should give me hope, but it hurts like hell that she has any doubt at all.
"I tried to call you earlier, but I guess you've blocked me. I have information about your father's murder."
The warehouse door bangs open again, and Blackwood strides in with his gun drawn.
"Agent Ricci, step back. I've got him." His voice carries the false concern of someone playing hero.
My stomach drops. This setup is more elaborate than I thought.
The timing is too perfect.
Blackwood arriving moments after Olivia found me with the body.
He planned this down to the second.
Blackwood's eyes meet mine, and I see it. The cold calculation, the satisfaction.
This man has orchestrated everything and now he's here to finish what he started with me.
"You've done good here, Ricci," Blackwood replies smoothly. "Vitale's been one step ahead of us for years. Not anymore."
I shift my weight slightly, assessing my options. I’m hand cuffed, but I’m not helpless. But I can’t risk doing anything without Olivia getting caught in the crossfire.
"Agent Ricci, go call in the forensics team," Blackwood orders. "I’ll secure the suspect."
Olivia hesitates, her gun still trained on me but her eyes flicker with uncertainty.
"Don't leave," I say quietly, maintaining eye contact with her. "The moment you walk out that door, I'm a dead man."
