Page 66 of A Billionaire Gentleman

I didn’t even blink. “I’ve got it all. And those are copies. Do you really think I’d be stupid enough to bring the originals here? Everything here has two more copies, both of which are in safe locations, and the originals are with the PI.”

“No one’s going to believe any of this.” He was turning an alarming shade of purple. “I don’t care what you say you have.”

He sounded like a belligerent child, and I marveled that he could’ve convinced Sofi to marry him.

“Let’s cut through the bullshit,” I said, keeping my voice carefully neutral. “We can go round and round about whether you think I really have all this evidence and how you’re going to threaten me, but it will end in the same place, with me telling you what you’re going to do to keep me from taking this to the cops. And before you think your friends will be able to get you out of this, let me tell you that no matter how much clout you may think you have, you’re out of your league dealing with me.”

The look he gave me said he didn’t believe me. I pulled out my phone, searched my own name, and then showed him the screen. More color flooded his face, and I had to wonder if he was going to have a heart attack.

“You got all that money, and you’re blackmailing me?”

“I don’t want money.”

“If you want the whore, you can have her.”

I took a step toward him. “Keep running your mouth, and I promise that I will bury you so deep, no one will find your body.”

He crossed his arms, chin lifting. “What do you want? Drugs? Guns?”

“Dallas.” I held out the legal documents Royd had gotten for me this morning. “You’re going to sign away all of your parental rights. Sofi gets full custody, and she sets up whatever visitation she thinks is best for her son. You agree to never contest the arrangement.”

Mead glared at me, but he hadn’t interrupted to tell me to fuck myself, so I figured I could give him the last part of the agreement.

“And you agree that if Sofi ever gets married again, her husband can adopt Dallas.”

“No fucking way.” His hands dropped to his sides, fists curled and ready to go. “I’m not a moron. You’re fucking my wife and want my kid.”

“She’s yourex-wife, and I don’t believe for a minute you actually love Dallas. If you did, you wouldn’t have put him through any of this.” I stepped right up to Mead and met his angry gaze with one of my own. “No loving father wouldeverhit a woman, and definitely not the mother of his child.”

“You’re a bastard,” Mead snarled.

I laughed. “You have no idea how right you are.” I held up the papers. “Now, sign…or do I make a phone call?”

He stared at me for a long moment, and I could practically see him sorting through his options. Finally, he huffed out a breath. “I’ll sign.” Mead grabbed a pen from a nearby counter and snatched the papers from me. He scribbled his name into the appropriate blanks, almost tearing the paper with the force of his writing. “How do I know you’re not going to screw me over?”

I took the papers and left everything else. “I promise you, Mead, I won’t speak a word of this to anyone. As long as you hold up your end of things, everything I have stays with me.”

“Get out of my house.”

“Gladly.” I heard the first sirens as I opened the door, and two cars screeched to a halt in front of the house as I hurried down the steps.

“What the fuck is this?!” The screen door slammed behind Mead as he came after me.

I turned toward him, hearing the car doors close as the cops got out. “I haven’t said a word. Sofi’s the one who took you down.”

He screamed obscenities as he ran at me, but an officer intercepted him before he could get to within a few feet. Mead might’ve had anger on his side, but the guy who took him to the ground was massive. The female officer raised her voice to be heard over the cursing.

“Mead Stafford, you’re under arrest…”

Thirty-Nine

Sofi

I’d expectedto spend hours at the station, giving statements, enduring cops being rude because I dared to accuse one of their own, but it wasn’t like that at all. The first sign I’d had that things were going to be different was that we weren’t at Mead’s precinct.

Royd had found enough dirt to convince someone that this needed to be handled outside of Mead’s sphere of influence. The second sign was that, as soon as I finished giving my statement, four officers left with an already-signed warrant.

I barely had time to process before Royd was taking me into what I assumed was an interrogation room so I could have some peace and quiet while I dealt with the custody issue. Because I hadn’t expected Mead to be arrested tonight, I hadn’t even thought about what I was going to do about Dallas. I hated the thought of him being put in a foster home while all the legal stuff was sorted out.

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