Page 80 of Forged in Peril

She knew now why the name Grapas had stuck out to her each time that it came up.

She’d seen their company name and logo at least six months ago.

It had been plastered on a bunch of the suspicious restricted files that she’d accidentally stumbled upon while working at Dorling & Porter.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FOUR

BRISTOL

Bristol’s heart pounded as she turned the corner and headed down the long hallway toward the legal department. She forced her breaths to slow. She wanted to look calm and casual, but if Jaclyn noticed that she was acting strangely, she’d confess that she and Cameron had an argument.

It would be embarrassing, but better than raising the lawyer’s suspicions.

As she walked, she mentally replayed the conversation she’d overheard. Though the exact words used had long since escaped her memory, she knew that Jaclyn had mentioned being ready on her end for Friday, and told Albert to be sure that Grapas did what they were supposed to do.

Jaclyn's explanations to Gabriel had been nothing but an attempt to obscure the truth.

She was smooth, but Bristol wasn’t fooled.

And now, even if no one else would listen, she had to find out exactly what was going on before it was too late.

Come Friday, a Grapas truck would be entering the secure garage of Forge Brothers Security and heading straight into the loading bay, and she was terrified it could contain something much more dangerous than a bulk carton of thumbtacks.

The file she’d seen back at D&P was certainly not a standard supply delivery contract.

The firm had defended a man who had been accused of plotting a bombing at the mayor’s office. The plan was thwarted, and in the end the charges were dropped, but none of that mattered now.

What mattered was the fact that the man had been working at the Grapas warehouse when the plot had been uncovered.

Bristol hesitated as she spotted the half-open door to the legal department up ahead.

She could still turn around and head to Cam’s office to tell him what she knew.

With the information she’d remembered, it was likely he’d take her concerns about the phone call a lot more seriously.

But after a few seconds of consideration, she shook her head, dismissing the idea.

She couldn’t bear the weight of his doubt again. She would let him and his brothers handle the situation in the end, but first, she needed proof.

Grace had said the truck was coming Friday. If she could prove that the threat was legitimate, they would still have several days to prepare for it.

She drew a final breath and headed into the office before she could change her mind.

“Good morning,” Melanie said, looking up from her computer and smiling over at her. “Jaclyn stepped out of the office for an early meeting, but she told me to ask you to proof the Dorfman file before you get to your other stuff.”

Bristol only barely stopped herself from looking up at the ceiling and thanking God out loud for His miraculous timing.

She had to find those contract files that she’d seen before, in case there was some sort of clue. Hopefully, they would still be somewhere in Jaclyn’s office, and if they were, she doubted they would be very well-guarded, at least not from those within the department. After all, the lawyer hadn’t seemed to be too worried about her seeing them the first time.

Which probably meant there was nothing useful.

Still, she had to try, now that she knew what she was looking for.

At least for this sort of work, she didn’t need Cam or anybody else.

She knew how to slog through legalese with the best of them, and with any luck, she’d be able to prevent any potential danger long before it happened.

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