Page 92 of Evening Shadows

As if she’d discovered something funny, she smiled that odd smile that curled his blood. With a shrug, she signed everywhere before Grits snatched the pen from her and picked up the papers.

She wore that smug smile again. “It doesn’t matter what you think. It needs to be notarized, and without that or either of our attorneys present, those papers are worthless.”

Now Ken’s smile grew smug. This wasn’t their first rodeo dealing with crazies. A man in a crisp, gray suit stepped from the back of the room. “Beverly, meet our attorney, Sebastian Davenport, and the man who will notarize what you just signed and verify your verbal approval.” Sebastian slipped around the table, collected the folder from Grits and departed.

Anger slanted across her face so deeply her features began to morph into something sinister They already knew that to be here, but her look seemed to change. “You tricked me.”

“How’s that?” Ken asked.

“You said you’d turn me over to those who want Alejandro’s money if I didn’t sign.”

“Actually,” he said with too much joy, “I never said that. I only said what if they knew where you were.”

Her eyes narrowed and crimson crept up her neck. Whether in anger or embarrassment, he didn’t care. Before she schooled her features, her face fell. He freely admitted this was the first time he’d enjoyed seeing someone else’s pain. It could be wrong of him. Too much about her brought out his “not giving a shit” flag.

With that paperwork, Sam would be free. Cody would be hers. She had no idea what else they’d planned, and he hoped she could accept it as the way it needed to be for all involved.

Devon returned with a harried man in an ill-fitting tan suit. FBI Special Agent Finley Anderson. The agent had never impressed him, but he still was FBI. It’d taken him so long to arrive that they hadn’t waited and had started without him. Fin—as he hated to be called, so, of course, they called him that—could have the tape of the session, along with the honor of taking her into custody.

The FBI wanted info on Alejandro the same as the Mexican government. They could play their little wars without HIS being in the middle.

After this transfer, HIS would wash their hands of the situation. But they’d always keep Beverly in their sights. The woman had hurt one of their own and her child for vengeance.

Beverly turned her glare on Sam and pointed a finger. “This is all your fault. I’ll find a way to make you pay for helping him escape and taking my son away from me.” Her evil stare flitted to him then back to Sam. “Maybe I’ll finish what I started with your lover. You never should’ve crossed that line to be with someone like him. One of the men responsible for your husband’s death. You sicken me.”

He opened his mouth to speak but figured Sam needed to respond even though every cell in his body wanted to reach out and protect her. To show his support, he lightly squeezed her thigh and waited.

“I feel sorry for you, Bev,” Sam said softly. “You wasted so long in misdirected hate and almost had me fooled, almost convinced me to do something I’d never be able to take back. Jesse and Ken didn’t kill our husbands, and I think you know that. The terrorists who shot up the convoy are responsible. And if I hadn’t had this great group and the love of a wonderful man—” She turned to him, and he wanted to kiss her and thank her for the show of love. “—I wouldn’t have realized what I’d been missing… would still be missing. I only hope you’ll realize it before too long.” She paused, and the sudden change and steel in her voice ricocheted up his spine. “Touch Cody and I’ll kill you.”

Beverly’s eyes did that narrowing thing again that had come to annoy him. Time to transfer her to the FBI.

“Beverly, I want to introduce you to FBI Special Agent Finley Anderson. He’s here to—”

He didn’t get a chance to finish. She screeched to Agent Anderson, “Did you hear her threaten me? I want her arrested for threatening me, and they stole my son.”

Ken rolled his eyes at the woman’s stupidity.

“I just arrived. I didn’t hear a thing.”

She pointed to the door. “You got here a few minutes ago.”

He’d heard of people being crazy-stupid, but he’d thought it meant something else. He began to think most of Beverly was playacting.

Fin shrugged. “Sue me.”

Ken almost burst out laughing at the agent’s response. He imagined the FBI wouldn’t have approved, but it seemed an ideal retort to Beverly.

Her mouth opened and closed in a fishy motion.

For some reason, Ken just raising his eyebrow at her while she did that didn’t please her.

When Agent Anderson moved to Beverly, Ken’s men retreated. They were done. They’d accomplished what had been necessary.

It finally struck Beverly what was occurring. “You can’t arrest me. I’ve done nothing wrong. You can’t let them take me. Sam, make them stop.”

Hoping Sam would remain stoically silent, Ken shrugged nonchalantly. “As far as I’m concerned, they can dump you in the Bay.” Driving his gaze into her to confirm the depth of his next words, he said, “Stay away from Sam and Cody. It’s not a request.”

“Let’s go,” Fin said to her, with a hand urging her to stand.

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