Page 113 of Destiny

“I’ll do it anyway.”

He carries the box to the back door of the bakery, and I unlock the door. We walk in and go straight up to my apartment. He sets the box on the kitchen table, where my tarot cards are still spread.

Brendan places his hand on the box. “What is this anyway?”

“The key to everything,” I say on a sigh. “At least according to my grandmother.”

“What?”

“I’m the key, Brendan.” I shake my head. “I never wanted to be any damned key, but apparently I am.” I jingle my bracelets. “And these? They didn’t come from Grandma Didi after all. They came from Grandma Wendy.” I twist my face into a scowl.

“Ava, I’ve had a long couple of days. I’ve missed you so much.” He grabs my hand. “And I wish I knew what you were talking about, but I don’t.”

I let out a breath. “It’s a long story, Brendan. Believe me, I wish I knew what I was talking about too, but I really don’t.”

“Can I look in the box?”

“You and I promised we wouldn’t keep any more secrets from each other. So yeah, go ahead and look inside.”

He takes the lid off the box, pulls out the first file folder, which of course is the one from Wolfram and Burke, since it was the last one I threw back in after my ill-fated meeting today.

“Shit…”

“What?” I ask.

“This is the law firm that…”

He pulls a folded letter out of his pocket. “Take a look at this.”

My eyes widen of their own accord. It’s signed by an attorney named Dion Hays of Wolfram and Burke. “He said the file was active lately.”

“Who said?”

“Duke Wolfram. That’s where I was today, Brendan. I was in Denver, paying a visit to Mr. Wolfram.”

“Whatever for?”

“I found the Steel Trust.” I pull out another file folder. “Look at the beneficiary.”

Brendan’s jaw drops. “What the hell is this, Ava?”

“Are you accusing me of something?”

“Of course not. But that’s your name. It freaked me out.”

“I know.” I run my hand over my forehead. It’s sticky with sweat. “This is all fucked up, and it’s got me pulling my hair out.”

He strokes my hair. “Don’t do that, sweetheart. But you’re going to have to tell me what you know.”

“I know nothing.” I riffle through the box’s contents. “I’ve never seen any of this before.”

“Neither has Donny,” Brendan says. “He says his family doesn’t know what the Steel Trust is.”

“And you think I do? The only ones who do are those people at the law firm, and they wouldn’t talk to me. Something about attorney-client privilege.”

“But your name is on this document.”

“Right, but I’m not the client.”

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