I’m not afraid. No, I’m excited, almost giddy at the prospect of wiping that fucking smile off his face.
He watches me walk with a smirk that makes me want to grind glass into his next coffee order. I could pretend it got into the grinder from one of the broken windows.
His expression when I approach is pure satisfaction. He thinks he’s got me scared and ready to give in. “Silver,” he says, gesturing to a chair. “Sit. You look like you have a lot on your mind.” His smile widens, oozing fake sympathy. “Rough few weeks for you, I hear.”
I return his smile with a wide one full of teeth as I slide into my seat. God, this is going to be good. “Things are looking up.”
He leans on his elbows and regards me. “I’m glad you called. There’s no reason for things to get more complicated for you. Austin pressing charges isn’t helping anyone, but I can try to change his mind if you’re willing to be reasonable. Let’s put an end to this.”
His little speech is as infuriating as he meant for it to be, painting me as the unstable one in that condescending tone.
“Let’s get something straight.” I look him in the eye. “Ididn’t come here so you could pat me on the head and tell me how you’ll fix things if I comply. But I agree, we’re going to put an end to it.”
“Is that right?” His chuckle is low and patronizing. That’s okay, enjoy that self-righteousness now.
“It is.” I unzip my bag slowly, and his eyes flick down to watch. I’m sure he thinks I’m being dramatic, but he doesn’t understand what kind of bullet I’m about to fire straight into his plans.
I pull out a folder and toss it onto the table. The slap of it hitting the wood is loud enough to make him blink. It’s thick with the truth, though not nearly all of it, and the papers spill out slightly.
Grady’s smile falters. “What’s this?”
“A little light reading. I thought you might like to see your greatest hits.”
He lets out a little doubtful laugh, but it sounds forced. He pulls the folder over to him and flips it open. I watch him closely, savoring the moment as his fingers freeze and his eyes scan the first page. The spending records are right on top and clearly show that the documents they filed don’t match the receipts.
His pupils grow and his nostrils flare as he turns the page. And then another. I sit back, cross my arms, and enjoy the silence stretching between us, broken only by his tightened breathing.
We’re interrupted when the waitress comes over to see if I’d like to order. After I tell her no thank you, he grunts out an order for whiskey. Guess beer isn’t enough for this.
“What the hell?” he mutters, flipping a ledger copy over.
“Grant fraud,” I reply cheerfully. “That and the embezzling are my favorites. It was a nice touch using the fake LLC names. Very creative, but not subtle. Also, you should show Emmett how to create a burner email.”
The waitress sets his whiskey down, and he drains it before she walks away. His jaw ticks, and his fight to stay in control of his temper is fascinating. He lifts his head and finally meets my eyes. There’s no smirk on his face now. “Where did you get this?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does,” he snaps, through gritted teeth.
I lean forward. “To you, sure, but not to me.” His intimidating glare doesn’t have the desired effect when I remain silent and composed.
A forced smile leaps to his face. “What’s the matter? Sending that lumberjack to threaten Austin didn’t work? I don’t scare easily either.”
His flippant remark catches me off guard, but I do my best not to show it. I’m going to kick Lee’s ass.
He shoves the folder away like it’s radioactive. He’s trying to look unbothered, but it isn’t going well. His posture is stiff and he keeps swallowing. “You’re making a mistake,” he says quietly.
“No, I don’t think so.” My light happy tone only rubs it in.
He breathes out through his nose and sets his glass down. “And what exactly do you think you’re going to do with this?”
“Well, it depends. It’s a hard decision to make, you know?I could send it to the attorney general in Frankfort. I imagine the arrest warrants would take a week or so, which would give you a little time to say goodbye to your family, other than the ones who’ll be sharing a cell with you. It would be all over the news, of course. Or…” I sit back, pretending to mull it over. “I could send it straight to the press first. They’d have a field day with it, wouldn’t they? It’d probably even hit the national headlines. You may want to get a professional headshot taken that shows off your good side. Otherwise, they’ll use your mugshot and the lighting in those is awful.”
He shakes his head and leans over the table. “You little bitch. If you think?—”
“Save your threats,” I interrupt, tapping the folder. “A friend has copies of everything in here. They know where I am and who I’m with.” I lean in a little and keep my voice casual. From a distance, we probably look like two friends whispering secrets over the table. “If anything happens to me, if you have me arrested or attacked, if I mysteriously disappear, all the copies go straight to the attorney general, the press, and the FBI.”
His jaw clenches hard and he stares at me, long and unblinking. He’s studying me, trying to figure out if I’m serious, weighing how dangerous I am. I keep my eyes locked on his bloodshot ones and I see the moment the realization hits him. I’m not bluffing, and he knows it.
