Page 82 of An Unending Claim
“Would you… can I see it?” I asked. “Did you really have enough evidence to take him down?”
Lisa preened. “Yeah. It’s all in a safe place.” Then she deflated and glared at me.Shit.“If I give it to you, you’ll just keep it for yourself and he won’t know it was me who ruined his life.”
“What if I promise to make sure he knows it was you?”
She contemplated it for a minute, shuffling her feet and stretching her arms out in front of her. “I don’t know…”
“Okay, how about I promise to give you ten minutes with him before he’s dealt with? Then you can give me the evidence.”
The door slammed open, making us both jump. I swiveled around to see Nathan stalking inside. “Let’s talk,” he growled before taking my arm and firmly but gently dragging me from the room. My panther practically sighed in relief when we were in Nathan’s presence again. She didn’t want to be near Lisa anymore. But I still needed her for the moment.
“What the fucking hell, Peyton?” Nathan snapped when we were in the hall and he’d shut the door. “You know better than to promise shit like that.”
I put my hands on my hips and huffed as I stared up into his stern face. “You promised to trust me.”
“You said you’d only meet with her this once,” he countered.
“I had an idea. It will kill two birds with one stone.”
Nathan inhaled slowly and ran his hands through his hair. Then he exhaled before asking, “What is it?”
“My idea?”
“What the fuck else would I be asking about, Peyton?”
“Stop being such an ass, Nathan. I’m trying to help.”
“Do it without putting yourself at risk, or not at all.”
I scowled and twisted my ring around my thumb. “I can’t get into it right now. The longer I’m out here, the less likely she is to open up to me again. I’m already going to have to build it back up from you bursting into the room and reminding her where she is and that I’m basically here to interrogate her.”
Nathan’s expression was as dark as mine and we stared each other down, neither of us willing to back down. Finally, he said, “Convince her to give me the evidence and we’ll talk about your plan afterward.” I opened my mouth but he grabbed my chin and brought his face close to mine. “I’m not going to budge on this, baby. You won’t be seeing that head case again.”
I thought it over and decided I could probably make it work, so I mumbled an agreement. His eyes dropped to my lips and heat exploded all around us, but then he let me go as if I’d burned him and stepped back. I was too fucking angry to be hurt by it, so I spun around and waited for him to unlock the door before stalking back inside.
“What do you think?” I asked Nathan. It had taken me over an hour to draw Lisa out again and ultimately get her to agree to my plan. Now, I’d finished explaining it to Nathan and Tanner and was waiting for their reactions.
“It’s brilliant, Peyton,” Tanner said from where he was lounging on the couch in Nathan’s office.
“It could definitely work,” Nathan mused as he rubbed a hand over his beard. “I’ll make the call.”
“See? I was right all along.” I smiled brightly and Nathan eyed me sharply.
“Don’t push it, Peyton.”
I shrugged and continued to smile because he could be as grumpy as he wanted, but we both knew I’d won that round.
My bag was on the chair in front of the desk and I bent over it to dig out a notepad, then I tossed it to Tanner. “Her notes on his compound. Directions to the different buildings, guard shifts, pretty much anything you guys need to know to get in and out cleanly, or take over.”
Tanner’s brows shot up and he scanned the contents of the first several pages. “Holy shit, Peyton. This is… damn.” When he glanced back up, his brown eyes were full of respect and a little awe, making me fight a blush. Which was nuts.
I don’t blush.
My gaze strayed to Nathan.
Usually.
My panther had no problem preening under Nathan’s approving gaze.