Page 127 of Moonlit Colorado

My blood ran cold. “Jesus. Are you talking about Nina’s murder? Kip is responsible for that? Is that what you’re saying?”

“In a way, yes. If he’d been smarter, none of this would’ve happened.”

“Just say what you fucking mean,” I seethed. “But know this. If you think I’m going to hush up the cold-blooded murder of an innocent woman for anyone, family or not, you’re out of your mind.”

“Then you need a reminder of what’s at stake. Vincent, you can come in.”

I whirled around to face the door.

And my entire world shifted into a nightmare.

Vincent Brady stood in the doorway with Grace in front of him. He held a knife to Grace’s neck. Her amber eyes pleaded with me. Her lips shook as she tried to keep still. Immediately, I thought of the way Nina had died. Her throat had been cut, maybe with that same weapon.

My jaw clenched so hard that my teeth creaked, grinding together. “If you hurt her, I swear…”

“I don’t want to hurt Grace,” Ainsley said. “I happen to like her. But I’m a businesswoman, and I’ll use whatever leverage I have.”

I tried to project my determination through my gaze.Hold on. I’m getting us out of this.

“Leverage, huh?” I almost laughed as I finally understood, though I didn’t take my eyes from the tip of the knife brushing Grace’s neck. “You’re the one running the escort ring. Is it just you, or is the rest of the Harcourt family in on it too?”

I was facing away from Ainsley, but I heard her come around to the side of the desk. Saw in my periphery as she leaned against it.

“Bristol works with me, though I often find myself questioning that decision. My father has no idea. He’s like your dad. A dinosaur who wants to control his children by giving us bits and pieces of his legacy. I decided to break free of that. Start my own business, like you. But running escorts isn’t really about cash. It’s about information. Blackmail material that I can use to get what I really want.”

“Dane is nothing like you,” Grace said, then whimpered when the tip of Vincent’s knife drew a drop of blood against her pale skin.

I took a few steps toward them, my fists clenching.

“Dane,” Ainsley said.

Vincent’s mouth twisted. “Come any closer, and you won’t like the result.”

It took every ounce of willpower I could summon not to launch myself at the man. “I swear I’m going to kill you, Brady.”

Vincent laughed and scraped the knife against Grace’s skin again. She squeezed her eyes shut.

“Ainsley, if you want me to listen to your bullshit, then let Grace go. There’s no discussion so long as that piece of trash is touching her.”

Ainsley came into my field of vision, crossing her arms over her suit jacket. “You have nothing to bargain with. Zero leverage.”

Yet we both knew that wasn’t true. Otherwise, she would just make her demands instead of trying to get me on her side.

But I also had an additional bargaining chip.

“I have something you want. The information that Nina Badowski was planning to turn over to a reporter.”

Grace’s eyes flashed. “Dane, no.”

Ainsley tapped her fingers against her arm, trying to hide the interest in her expression. “Is that right?”

Grace looked pissed. If at all possible, I wasn’t going to turn over everything. But I had to get that murderer away from her.

“There are financials,” I said. “And a list of names that includes Kip and Dirk Lancaster. I’m assuming that’s a list of your clients?”

Now, I definitely had Ainsley’s attention.

“Fine.” She nodded at Vincent. “Grace will stay here, but I’ll keep an eye on her myself. Probably smarter if Vincent is guarding you, anyway. So you don’t do anything stupid.”

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