Page 84 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

Maddie stood staring down at the room below and she didn’t miss the irony of the situation. That she was back, maybe not in the same room they had interrogated her in but it was an identical copy of it.

Grant was handcuffed to the table. They’d hit a button at the side, hiding their faces so he wouldn’t know they were there, that they were watching and though part of her was grateful to be invisible, another part wanted dearly to storm right in there and start throwing punches.

Opposite Grant sat the same two men that had questioned Maddie and if anything that annoyed her too. Because as she watched them they just seemed to be going round in circles. Them asking questions, Grant just avoiding them or more often just not answering at all.

“How do you explain being in possession of this?” The man on the left said shoving the evidence bag over the desk towards him.

Grant smirked but said nothing.

“Who gave you these documents?”

Grant still sat there in silence.

Maddie shook her head. It was more than infuriating.

Grant glanced up at the glass, up at where they were all standing and she wondered if he somehow knew she was there. She hoped he did. She hoped he knew because she wanted him too, to know that after all of it, after planting all that evidence, after essentially kidnapping her that she was here, watching his downfall.

The Agent asked another question and he leaned forward and muttered something back.

“Excuse me?” The Agent asked.

Grant smirked leaning back and glancing up at the glass again. “You heard. You want me to talk then you get her in here.”

“That’s not how this works.” The Agent stated.

He laughed then.

“Get Maddie Cooper in here.” He said raising his voice and Maddie felt her eyes roll. Of course he would pull that stunt, she thought, of course he would.

“She’s not here.” The Agent on the left said.

“Then you’d better go find her.” Grant answered folding his arms.

She stepped back, away from the glass and turned to see Cole shaking his head at her.

“Not a fucking chance.” He said and Maddie looked to Brandon then.

He frowned obviously weighing it up.

“If it gets him to talk…” Brandon started.

“No.” Cole stated and she turned to face him down.

“It’s not your decision.” She said.

“What did you just say?” He half snarled at her.

“You heard. It’s Brandon’s call not yours.” She snapped back.

“Thank you for reminding me that I’m in charge Maddie.” Brandon said and she could hear the irritation in his voice too and rolled her eyes before she could stop herself.

He looked back down, back at Grant, and sighed.

“Let me think on it.” Brandon said.

She opened her mouth to argue.

“Enough Maddie. I’ve said I’ll think on it.” He cut across her and she clenched her fists and let it go hoping that he made the right decision.

She turned again, staring back down at the man that had set her up, the man that she felt had all the answers and that she knew she could crack if they would only give her the damn opportunity.

---