Page 61 of Beautiful Betrayal

“Every word.”

“You didn’t—”

“You don’t want in the middle of this war. I heard you. You said that to me, too.”

“I was hurt and angry when I said that to you.”

“You were telling the truth,” he replies. “And I don’t want you in the middle of it and yet, there you are today, right in the middle.”

“That’s not your fault.”

“Yes. It is. I didn’t end this a year ago when he sent Becky to my office to fuck us the way he wants to fuck you. That’s right. Asher found electronic proof that Mitch and Becky were working for Ri. We no longer have to speculate. You won’t be in the middle long, Mia. Of that, you can be certain.”

“What does that mean?”

“A conversation better had in person.”

My stomach knots. “You’re not talking about us, right?”

“No, Mia, I am not talking about us. We do not end ever again. Stay out of his way today. And I’ll make sure he stays out of your way from this point forward.” My phone on my desk buzzes and he says, “I’ll be close, baby.” Grayson hangs up and the receptionist says, “Delaney Wittmore is on the line.”

My client, who I need to talk to. “Put her through,” I say, trying to shake off the idea that the worst thing that ever happened to Ri was for Grayson to hear that conversation which wouldn’t bother me if I knew what that meant, but I don’t. What is Grayson about to do and what consequences will that have for him and us? I need to see him. I need to talk to him, and yet, I cannot. I’m here, trapped inside a world that Ri controls.

I grab the phone. “Hi, Delaney.”

“Mia, how are things coming along? Do we have a trial date? Is there any hope of ending this without one?”

“There’s always hope.” We talk a good fifteen minutes and we’ve just hung up when Kevin pops his head in the door.

“You’re still on staff?”

“Yes,” I confirm. “For now, all remains the same.”

“Are you looking for a job?”

“Not anymore.”

“Good. Then we have a team meeting at six. It’s the only way to get past everyone’s court schedule.”

“Six. Yes. Okay. I’ll be here.”

He disappears and now I officially know that I’ll be here late, after hours and exposed in a sparsely occupied office. I grab my phone and decide against a group text that might make it to Grayson and set him off. I text Kara instead:I have to be here for a six pm staff meeting.

She replies:I know. I overheard Ri telling Kevin to set it up. He’s behind the meeting. Stay alert and I’ll stay close.

I type,I’ll see you there and thank you, Kara,and then set my phone down, letting this news sink in. Ri, who doesn’t have any direct interaction with our team, set up this meeting. Ri wants me here late. He’s up to something.

Chapter thirty-nine

Grayson

Idon’t want to be in the middle of this war.

Mia’s words stay with me for the hours that follow her shouting them at Ri. I don’t know how the hell I manage to go to the office, but I do. I go. I work. I get frequent, and thankfully uneventful, updates, and come early evening, Eric takes over a problem I’m managing, and Blake picks me up in the parking garage to take me back to the surveillance van.

“Nothing new,” he says when I join him in the backseat of an Escalade with one of his men in the front seat. A guy named Savage with a scar down his face who looks brutal enough for me to want to introduce him to Ri. “At least not where Mia’s concerned. Ri’s another story. I have a lot to share.” He hands me a data drive. “Everything I’m about to tell you is backed up with proof on that drive.”

I pocket it. “I’m listening.”

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