Scott’s stare settled on Eve again.
“To become an adulteress is already a questionable choice, but to leave a Keys at the altar at the first sign of trouble is an extremely disappointing thing,” he said. “One of the reasons I hired you in the first place was because of your ability to think quickly and pivot in a high-intensity situation. Both traits I appreciated in your work over the last year. However, now I’m not so sure those truths still hold.”
He paused. Not too long or too noticeably, but with enough space in between to change his expression slightly.
If Darius hadn’t suspected Scott Keys of being a cruel, calculating man already, the subtle shift in his demeanor would have aroused suspicion. He wasn’t outright threatening them when he spoke again, but there was an edge to every word.
“Starting next Monday there will be an investigation into your involvement with the Keys Foundation, the personal lives of the Keys family, and any and all connections to our beloved late Gary Whittaker.” Scott cut a quick look to Darius. “Since we aren’t sure where the law enforcement priorities lie, we will make sure that youwillanswer for any wrongdoings that you have committed for your own personal gain. And then you will pay for everything you have done.”
The last statement hit hard.
Darius’s body reacted faster than his brain.
His fist balled into the fabric of the chair back, rage no longer rising but instead crashing across his entirety.
Scott was back to looking at him again. He must have seen the change.
A whisper of a smile seemed to cross the rich man’s lips.
Not only had he just clearly threatened Eve, he’d come into Darius’s domain to do it.
And not only that—he’d done it in front of Darius too.
It was nothing short of infuriating.
It was also about to earn Darius’s not-so-composed wrath.
He opened his mouth to say something—he wasn’t exactly sure what—when another voice unexpectedly joined the chat.
“Fair enough.” Eve’s voice wasn’t small or weak. It was loud and steady. She waited for the men across the table from her to focus before she continued.
Which is how Darius was able to read the absolute surprise in them when she spoke again.
“And when they investigate, they’ll find my investigation into you.”
Instead of looking at Scott, Darius could tell by the turn of her head that Eve was staring right at Toby.
His eyes widened. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water for a moment.
“Me? What do you mean investigation into me? Investigation into what?”
She shrugged.
“Oh, you know, just the whole you visiting small towns before some kind of calamity happens, only to then pave the way for our White Knight here to ride in and save the day. At first I wondered if it was just a coincidence—your bad luck—but then I saw the pattern and understood that you’re either one of two things, Mr. Sanderson.”
Eve tapped the table’s top between them.
“You’re either a man who brings the plague, or you’re the man who tells others to bring it. Then, after it spreads, you get to sit back and watch as your best friend, with all his resources and money, cures what you helped infect.”
Toby shook his head, anger and shock deepening his frown.
“That’sridiculous,” he exclaimed. “You thinkIhave been—what?—sabotaging random towns through the years? That sounds like a bad plot to a bad movie. Can you believe this, Scott?”
The man in question hadn’t moved a muscle.
His face was like stone.
As he answered, his words were just as hard.
