Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
“Sounds good,” I say, and I’m almost too tired at this point to even feel capable of digesting all that he might have to share, but I suspect food might re-energize me mentally and physically.
About thirty minutes later, we’re on the living room floor in front of the couch, the coffee table our dinner buffet of pizza, which we’ve shared with a very happy Molly. So far, he’s told me all about the timing of my disappearance and the partners meeting, and his efforts to find me after said events.
“The thing that bothers me the most about the way this all went down,” I say, “is the way I was hijacked right when you were called into that meeting. It feels as if the Allen family conspired to take you down, or at least threaten you.”
“Yes. I agree.” He sets our pizza box aside. “There’s a connection, which means I have a leak from inside.”
“Or it’s Withers and your father,” I suggest. “I mean what if Withers was instructed to deliver the terms of the will to the partners, even if he didn’t know what it was?”
“I considered that,” he says. “But we’d have to assume he conspired with the Allen family on the timing of those letters and your kidnapping. It’s a tough sell.”
“Not if one of the partners was corrupted by the Allen family and paid to call the partners meeting this morning. Or maybe there was no letter from your father and Withers at all. The Allen family simply got to some of your people.”
“That feels right, though I wouldn’t put it past my father to send letters to the partners. I should have assumed as much, and I have to assume as much now, even if it’s not what happened.”
“Which translates to what?” I ask, shoving my plate aside and sipping from the glass of wine Tyler poured me.
“I need to think about that, and I’m too damn tired to do it objectively. And I think I’ll pay Withers another visit.”
I rotate to face him with a realization. “I forgot an important detail about my time with Oliver. I’m just tired and I think on overload.”
He goes stone still. “What does that mean, Bella?”
“Nothing bad,” I say, leaning over to kiss him. “But now that I’ve eaten and my adrenaline has settled down, my brain is focused on the details and one of them might be important. You already know he pushed me hard to convince you to give him that file. I told him you don’t have it…we don’t have it.”
“And yet he left you alone. That surprises me.”
“He pushed me hard but seemed to believe me, but the important part is where that led. When he found out that Withers would be the one to release the file to the public should you challenge the will, he was not pleased. He called him on speakerphone.”
“Oh, shit. And what happened?”
“Withers assured him he had no idea that what was in the press release he’s supposed to make public if you challenged the will.”
“Which is a lie. Withers knows exactly what is going on. He was either lying for show or lying to save his ass with the Allen family.”
“Whatever the case, Oliver reminded him how important loyalty to the Allen family must remain. Well, actually it was more like—they would be unhappy if you released that file, and you know what happens when they’re unhappy.”
“How did Withers respond?”
“Scared. He’s not going to cross them, Tyler. You don’t have to worry about that file being released. I believe that with every part of me. Once Oliver talks to the Allen family, this should be over. And you haven’t even told me about your meeting with them. How hard did they push?”
“It wasn’t the family but one man, Knox Allen.” He shifts the topic. “What did Oliver look like?”
“A tall, distinguished Black man.”
“He showed up and asked to talk to Knox in private. I don’t know what he said to him, but when Knox came back into the room, nothing had changed. He wanted my assurance the family was protected. He offered me a proposition, which was nothing but bullshit.” His energy shifts, darkens. He pushes off the ground to sit on the couch.
“What proposition?” I ask, uneasy enough to sit on the cushion next to him.
“He wanted me to record a confession about the trial that he could hold should I burn him. This in exchange for your safety.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Tyler
“No. No, no,” Bella declares, rotating to face me, her eyes alight with a mix of absolute panic and anger. “Tell me you said no. You don’t give that family anything to hold against you, Tyler.”
“Look, baby—”
“Oh my God,” she gushes. “You told them yes.” She pops to her feet.
I follow her and catch her hand, turning her to me yet again before she can escape, my hands settling on her shoulders. “No,” I say. “I did not tell that little prick yes, though for the record, if I thought it would truly protect you, I’d do about anything, no matter how stupid it might be.”