Page 16 of Sunburned

“What? No. You invited me—”

“You may think you have the upper hand here, but we go down together,” he growled. “What would your sons do then, huh?”

I pushed back from the table, my chair scraping over the tile as I shot to my feet. “What the fuck, Tyson?” I was shaking. “I don’t want anything from you. And I didn’t send you that article. Though I do think we should talk about its contents—”

“Why, so you can record our conversation? Are you working with the feds?”

“Thefeds?” I shook my head. Talk about paranoia. “I don’t knowwhat is going on with you, but I had nothing to do with any of it. Keep your money. I’m going home. I’ll find somewhere else to stay for the night.”

Anger roiled in my veins as I stormed toward the door. To think I’d come all the way down here for him to accuse me of—what? I wasn’t even sure.

“You’re forgetting I have evidence,” he said without rising.

I spun to face him. “Of what?”

His face was placid. “The statute of limitations may be up, but you think the attorneys and law enforcement agencies your little firm works with will continue to trust you with their confidential information once they know you’re a thief and a liar?”

It was all I could do not to smack him. “I know your secrets too,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Yes.” He smiled. The asshole. He was actually enjoying this. “But it would be very difficult for you to spill them without implicating yourself. And once I destroy your reputation, who do you think people will believe?”

“Fuck you, Tyson,” I spat. “What doyouwant fromme?”

“Now we’re getting somewhere.” He pointed at the chair opposite him. “Sit down.”

My knees wobbled as I sat heavily into the chair, staring daggers at him.

“If you want me to believe you didn’t send this,” he said, tapping the envelope, “then tell me who did.”

“I told you, I don’t know!”

“Discovery agent,” he scoffed, making air quotes with his fingers. “What does that even mean?”

I glared at him, cursing myself for being stupid enough to think coming here was a good idea.

He thrust the envelope at me. “Discover who sent this, and your secret is safe.”

“Why do you care?” I appealed. “It’s just an article. Public knowledge.”

“I think we both know there’s more to it than that.”

I shook my head. “Anyone who was around at the time Ian disappeared knows he’d been living on your property, and they know how successful you are now. Someone is just fucking with you.” I rubbed my hands up and down my arms to warm myself. “What we should be talking about is what we’re going to say to the police when they call us for statements.”

“We already gave them statements.”

“Ten years ago, when it was a disappearance. There’s a body now. If they open a murder investigation, we’re going to have to answer questions all over again.”

“So, I’ll tell them what I told them then.” He leveled his gaze at me. “Unless you give me reason to change my story. You have five days to figure out who sent me this, or I’ll have to assume it was you.”

I’d promised myself I wouldn’t let him manipulate me, and within ten minutes, he’d turned me into his bitch.

Chapter 5

I steeled my nerves, hardening my face as I stared across the table at Tyson. How was it possible that just ten short years ago I’d been smitten with this black hole of a human being? The thought was revolting.

But he’d been different then. Not perfect, by any means, but not…this. The venom I’d seen only glimpses of when we were together had clearly spread like a fungus within him, turning Jekyll into Hyde.

“If we’re going to play this game,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest, “who—besides me—do you think might have sent you this article?”

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