Page 203 of The Forbidden Note

I shake my head. “I’m good. What do you think the guys found?”

“Cadey said it was something big,” she adds. “That’s good, right?”

“All we need is a thread that links Harris to The Grateful Project.” I turn so my knee lightly touches hers. She doesn’t pull away. “The fact that those boxes were kept hidden means they have ammunition we can use.”

“I hope so,” she breathes. “Harris knows we were involved in that fire. I’ve been fielding calls from the administration office all day. The police are involved too. We won’t have many more chances after this.”

Her knee bounces up and down and I set a hand on it to calm her. “No matter what, we’re going to get your revenge.”

Troubled brown eyes meet mine and it’s a struggle to stay in my corner of the car. Does she know how badly I want to wrap my arms around her? One look at those luscious lips makes me burn in my pants. With one flash of those deep brown eyes, I’d burn myself and the world to the ground.

Grey inhales a breath, visibly composing herself. “How did you feel hearing your dad is running for office?”

I shift around. “I feel sorry… to all the people who’ll be dumb enough to vote for him.”

“You think he could win?”

“He’s definitely doing all the ground work.” I stroke my chin. “It’s surprising though. Dad isn’t the type to wear suits and ties. I don’t understand why he’d suddenly run for office.”

“Do you think it’s all connected? Him marrying my mom. Your inheritance.”

“Probably.” I tell myself to smirk, but my lips remain in a flat line. I can’t find the energy to smile and pretend that this isn’t ten kinds of screwed up.

“You’re worried,” she notes.

The skin under my cast itches. “I keep feeling like we’re always one step behind.”

She tilts her head, listening intently.

“What if that’s not all? What if, with all this, we’re still only seeing a part of the picture?” I mumble.

Every time it seems like we get a leg up over dad, he finds some way to reveal that he was holding the cards all along.

There’s got to be a way to end this once and for all. I just don’t know ifIcan be the one who makes it happen or if I’ll inevitably screw it up like I always do.

A soft hand lands on mine. I glance down and realize I’d been unconsciously scratching at my cast. Gently, Grey curves dark fingers around my pointer and sets it aside.

“We’re going to win.”

“You’re so sure?”

“In the stories, the good guys always win.”

My heart shrinks a bit.

Grey might be considered ‘one of the good guys’, but me?

I most definitely am not.

And that right there is what I’m most afraid of.

Because the villains… they always get close enough to taste it, but they never really end up with the happily ever after.

* * *

I follow Grey up the stairs into the house and note the heavy silence that hits us when we enter the living room. Boxes are scattered all over the rug. Stacks of papers form their own version of white-reamed skyscrapers. Energy drinks are crushed and piled in heaps, evidence of how boring this job was for my crew.

“You’re finally here,” Dutch says, drawing to his full height.

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