Page 133 of Always

In a flash, I execute a roundhouse kick and send the gun flying out of Beau’s hand and sliding across the marble floor of the lobby until it stops against a wall.

Beau freezes, clearly surprised at my guts. Peter turns his head, eyes the gun.

“Don’t even think about it,” I say to Peter. “We both know you don’t have the balls.”

Peter’s face goes pale, and his eyes…

Damn. Are those tears welling in the bottom of his eyes?

“We don’t want trouble,” Beau says.

Seriously? He really just said that? All the fear, all the doubt disappears.

“You don’t?” I shake my head. “You always threaten people with a gun when you don’t want trouble? And by the way, my security has been back up since I arrived, so I’ve got you dead to rights for assault with a deadly weapon. Plus what you’ve done to Skye.”

“We didn’t hurt her,” Beau says.

“You threatened her. You disabled the elevator so she couldn’t get away from you. Believe me. I’ll make charges stick.”

“Fuck you,” Peter says.

“Shut up, Peter,” his father commands. “We’ll just forget this happened.”

“I’m afraid not,” I say. “The cops are already on their way. You’re both going to be arrested.”

“We didn’t hurt anyone,” Peter says.

“You scared Skye. You threatened my doorman, and you held Skye and me at gunpoint. Plus, you’ve been drugging women for years.”

“You can’t prove that.”

“I can. Ms. Logan and Ms. Davis are both willing to press charges against you”—I eye Peter—“and Mr. Ramirez. But Mr.Ramirez will walk. You want to know why?”

Peter looks like he’s about to hurl, but Beau remains calm.

On the outside, at least.

“Probably because he hasn’t done anything,” Beau says.

“To the contrary. I approached him after Ms. Logan was hospitalized. All it took was a little prodding and he sang like a coloratura soprano. How he and your son drugged Ms. Logan and Ms. Davis with substances you provided them. How you’ve been drugging clients for years to get them to sign contracts with your firm.”

Does he know I’m lying? I haven’t talked to Garrett. If I’d been anywhere within a five-mile radius of him, I’d have pummeled him into next week.

“You can’t prove any of that.”

“I can,” I say, “and I will.”

“What do you even care?” Peter demands. “You have everything. Why don’t you just stay out of our lives!”

He hits me where it hurts.

For so many years, I knew what Beau Reardon and his firm were up to, how they did business. I never had concrete proof, but even without it, I could have done something.

But I turned a blind eye. I minded my own business.

But when I saw Skye at that Gala with Peter Reardon…

“I did, for many years,” I say. “I shouldn’t have, but I did. Until it hit close to home. Tessa Logan and Betsy Davis are Skye’s friends, and consequently they’re important to me.” I look down at Skye. “I’m sorry it took me so long to put a stop to this. If I’d done it when I first suspected, Tessa and Betsy wouldn’t have been in any position to be taken advantage of.”

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