My heart races. As much as I’m enjoying this, I remember Celia’s warning of how dangerous cornered men can be. It’s time to show him the way out.
“I don’t particularly want to send the file anywhere. Like you said, let’s put an end to this.”
He glares at me. “You’re threatening an elected official.”
“Oh come on, you’ve threatened lots of people. Don’t get all moral on me now. This is just getting fun, and we can both get what we want. Assuming you want to stay in office without a scandal.”
“What do you want?” His anger is still clear, but I notice his shoulders relax as relief seeps in. He really doesn’t like the idea of jail.
“That’s simple. I want to be left the fuck alone. All the strings you’re pulling to get Lucky’s shut down stops now. No more health inspection bullshit. No more vandalism. You and your family accept that I will never sell.”
His brows turn down. “You think I vandalized your diner?”
“Maybe not personally, but I’m sure Austin did, probably with your permission along with Chief Clay’s. It doesn’t matter. We can call it all water under the bridge. If you get the charges dropped against me for hitting Austin and get the fire marshal to report my house fire as accidental, not suspicious, to the insurance company. I know he’s in your pocket too. You two go way back, according to the volunteer firefighter fund. You tell all your family that I’m off limits, and to ignore my existence. That’s it. I get to go back to my life as normal and so do you.”
Silence thickens the air as he considers everything. “You’ve got some nerve,” he says, finally.
“All the audacity,” I agree happily, scooping up the folder. “That comes with proof.”
His gaze is assessing, but under the anger, there’s something else reflected in his tone and expression. A grudging respect. He leans back slowly and says, “I misjudged you.”
“No shit.”
His mouth twitches into a smile that’s edged with irritation. “You really think you can waltz in here, flash a few papers, and make demands?”
“That’s exactly what I did. Now you’re deciding how gracefully you want to accept it.” I’m not nearly as confident as I sound because this is the moment. If he says no, I have to follow through with my threat. Either way, I’ve made an enemy of a dangerous family.
“And I assume you’ll be hanging onto that folder for future requests?”
“I’ll be storing it securely to keep myself safe from any future idea you or your boys might have to target me or my friends, yes. But you won’t hear from me other than that, and nobody else needs to know. I don’t want a cut of your criminal enterprise. I just want to be left alone.”
Another tense minute passes before he responds. “Fine. You’ll get what you want. I’ll contact the others today.” His voice is cold, but it’s a promise, the only kind of promise a man like him makes and sticks to, one that’s forced.
“Good. I’m glad we could end this amicably.”
He snorts out a laugh that actually sounds amused and throws some money on the table to pay for his drinks as he gets to his feet. “You’re enjoying this too much.”
“Like you said, it’s been a long few weeks.” I watch him leave, then release a deep breath that I absolutely knew I was holding when the door swings shut behind him.
Adrenaline buzzes under my skin like electricity as I go to the window to confirm he’s driven away before joining Calli and Alicia at their table.
Calli raises her eyebrows at me expectantly. “Well?”
“I think it’s over. He agreed.”
“I don’t know what that was about, but he looked like he was about to shit his pants,” Alicia says, and the three of us break into laughter.
“It was great.” For the first time in too long, I feel like things are going to be okay. Like I’m powerful and standing on a ground that’s solidly mine. Mom would be proud.
We stay to have lunch together before I head back to work. I’m cautiously hopeful that Grady will do what he said he would, but there’s still a flutter of anxiety in my chest. Even if I get what I want, there’s going to be decisions to make. My house isn’t salvageable. Either I tear it down and rebuild or sell it as is and let someone else deal with it. The second one sounds like a better option.
It’s a busy afternoon at Lucky’s Coffee Bar, and I jump in to help the baristas keep up. They’re raking in the tips, and everyone’s in a good mood. It’s such a relief to see it didn’t turn into a ghost town after the novelty wore off. When things die down, I have a little impromptu meeting with the baristas to see if they have any complaints or suggestions.
“Have you considered staying open until ten like the diner side?” Patty asks. “My mom works at the plastics plant.She and her coworkers would love to be able to grab a good coffee before their night shift. She said they usually get one from a food truck but it’s swill.”
Riley nods excitedly. “I bet you’d get a lot of people who work third shift.”
It’s not a bad idea. With the success of the place, I’m already looking to hire more help. “I’ll think about that.”
