Page 85 of Bourbon and Lies

“You stopped calling me a liar. I told you everything. But you know what?” I point between us, adding space as I keep stepping farther from him. “I’ve been the only one sharing things. You haven’t told me a damn thing about you. About Fiona. How you and your family even know Bea Harper. I’m the one taking chances and trusting you. And what? For what?”

His expression reflects the stress and pain I’m feeling, and it pulls at my heart. I know he doesn’t deserve all of this, but I have no one else to be angry at here. Julep comes barking up behind me, interrupting our stare-off. She knows something’s wrong, but I’m too upset and spiraling to soothe her as I storm up toward my place.

“Fuck, Laney, stop!”

I stop on the top step of my porch and turn to look at him.

“Talk to me, honey. Please,” he breathes out, his hands clasped together, resting on top of his head. “Tell me what’s happened? Is that Bea?”

I nod, tilting my chin up and trying my hardest to stop it from quivering. “I need a minute.” My eyes water as I look at him. “I don’t know what any of it means, but I need to make a call.”

I shut the door to my cottage and lean against it, sinking to the floor. Blowing out a slow breath, I swat away the tears that keep falling down my cheeks and call Bea.

She picks up before it even rings. “Laney, I’ve got two colleagues now who have asked me about a Colorado asset. And, if I’ve brought anyone from Manhattan into the program under the radar. This isn’t good, kid. It’s not just you I have to protect, you understand that?”

“I didn’t know,” I say, closing my eyes.

“Grant?”

“Yes. We got close and I should have told him sooner.”

“It's just as much my fault. I should have given him the heads-up. I’m going to make my way down to you in the next few days.”

There are plenty of other questions I should be asking, but there’s only one I want to know the answer to. “Am I going to have to leave?”

She stays quiet for too long. “I promised you that I’d keep you safe. And I promised Ace that this wouldn’t come anywhere near him or his family. I plan to keep my promises, Laney.”

And the only thing I’m thinking about is that I promised Grant I’d stay.

Chapter 37

Grant

“I need something from you,”I say to Griz as I stalk up their front porch.

He studies me. I feel like a wreck and I must look like it too, because he hesitantly asks, “You okay?”

“You want the truth, or will you please just get me what I want?” My tone is gruff, but I don’t have it in me to sugarcoat anything right now.

Ace comes out the front door. “Grant, you alright?”

I drag my hands from my forehead and back to the nape of my neck. “I messed up.”

“Well, that’s fucking obvious,” Griz chimes in.

Ace points to him. “Not helping.”

“If I asked you not to ask questions, can you respect that?”

Ace nods as Griz folds his arms over his chest.Good enough.

“How quickly can we move some money around so I can cash out of my share of the business?” I avoid making eye contact with Griz when he grunts and mumbles something that soundslike disapproval. I don’t want to see what this question does to him. I know it’s a panicked move, but I have to know my options. If Laney needs to move quickly, then I’ll know what I’m working with.

I’m not letting her leave alone. I’m going with her.

Ace stares at me, working out what’s going on with me in his head. “A few days—probably. Are you talking about cash, or can we move to offshore accounts?”

“You tell me. The numbers from the last quarterly meeting put our gross at just over 1.2 billion. I know that’s not a complete split of assets if you include the properties, but I’ll leave that alone.”

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