“I was surprised to receive your message,” Graeme said softly, eyes glittering in the low light. “But I’m glad to have this opportunity to get to know my niece.”
I focused on keeping my breathing nice and even, so as not to let him catch a glimpse of my nerves.
“Thank you for the dinner invitation,” I returned, playing his game. “I figured there has been too much hostility between our families and it was time to break that cycle.”
Plus, I know you’re fucking your sister.
His grin broadened. “Something tells me there’s more to this visit than just breaking the cycle of hatred between our companies. Tell me, Riley, what is the real reason you’re here tonight. Maybe if we get that out of the way first, the rest of the meal will be more pleasant.”
I seriously doubted that, but it was worth a shot. “I need you to release the black files.”
He didn’t speak, but his expression conveyed his shock.
“Not all of them,” I hurried on. “The ones for Katelyn only should suffice.”
He shook his head, and for the briefest moment, grief crushed his face. He’d loved his daughter. I hadn’t been sure, but it was there.
“You have a lot of nerve,” he said softly, “coming into my house and bringing up my murdered daughter.”
Our polite conversation was now over.
“Dante didn’t kill her,” I said just as bluntly. “It’s a killer already being hunted by the police, a killer that is now targeting me. By withholding that file, you’re withholding evidence that might help catch the actual killer.”
Graeme crossed his arms, face again emotionless. “There is nothing in that file you need to concern yourself about. That fucking gangbanger killed my daughter, and he will pay for his crime.”
I turned to Beck, unsure where he wanted me to go now. Should I threaten him? Tell him that I saw him and Catherine and threaten to expose them? One way or another, I was leaving here with that file released to police.
“I will vote for you,” Beck said shortly, and I sucked in a deep breath.
Both because I was shocked he’d just come out and said that, while also realizing that Graeme would expect me to be shocked.
“In the Delta vote for a new member of the board,” Beck continued, “I will cast mine in favor of Huntley taking the sixth seat.”
Graeme looked between both of us, like he was unsure what to believe.
“Beck, no,” I said shaking my head, deciding to push my “shock” a little further. “I really want to save Dante, too, but there has to be another way.”
He reached over and pushed some of my hair behind my ears. “It’s only one vote, Butterfly. Graeme has to secure two more to actually get his seat. It’s not that huge of a sacrifice on my part.”
Beck acted supremely confident that there was still no way that Graeme would take the sixth seat, which again, was all part of the game we played. Beck had told me the other night that he was almost certain Graeme had two secured votes already: Catherine and someone else on the board who they’d managed to bribe or threaten to his side. Which was why Katelyn had been working so hard to get Beck’s vote. The third and final they needed.
“Will you confirm this in writing?” Graeme asked.
Beck nodded. “I will, but you will need to keep that hidden until the vote. If my father hears about it, he will try and revert the vote back to him.”
Graeme tented his fingers in front of him, regarding us both for a moment. “Why do you want to free the gangbanger?” he asked, still clearly suspicious about why Beck would offer something so huge for someone like Dante.
My eyes burned, as they did every single time I thought about my best friend. “Dante is my family,” I said simply. I had the heirs now, they were the most important people to me ever, but that didn’t make Dante less of a part of my family.
“And Riley is mine,” Beck growled.
Graeme’s expression brightened, and he straightened in his chair. “In that case, consider the file yours. I will have it couriered over to your house, and also the separate files sent to both your private network and the police investigating the Osiria Killer.”
I straightened then too.Osiria killer?We hadn’t told him that. “You knew,” I said breathlessly, fury simmering in my gut. “You knew and you were still willing to let Dante pay for a crime he didn’t commit.”
His eyes shuttered. “Ah, yes, well … that was a favor for someone. But I consider that favor repaid, and now I’m looking out for the future of Huntley and Delta. We will be stronger together.”
Beck and I didn’t bother to answer; I was too busy trying to figure out who the favor was for. Catherine? It had to be Catherine. She was the only one who wanted Dante out of the way so he couldn’t cause her more trouble.
