Page 20 of Dirty Little Vow

Dash is intelligent, a man who writes bestselling novels, but it’s easy to read his past on the pages of his books. He stood toe-to-toe with the most lethal of killers every day of his life until he left the FBI. He’s smooth and knows how to take people off guard, and based on his question directed at Gavin, I want to know what was said on that phone call with his people more than ever.

I angle toward Gavin. “Yes, Gavin,” I say, “do you own a burner phone?”

Gavin bristles. “I don’t own a burner phone because my work is legit, and I’m not involved in any of this.” He shifts toward me as if he’s inviting me to read him. “The Allen family is trouble. I never liked the idea of you digging around in their history and this—what is happening now—is why. They have a reputation for making people pay for crossing them.”

“And yet you went to the courthouse to get that file,” I point out.

“You weren’t letting it go. And the more I thought about the Allen family, it made no sense to me that we couldn’t find the file that pertains to this case your father is threatening you with. I asked a favor from a friend to help us compare what we have to what is on record.”

“And?” I ask.

“If any case file exists, it’s been wiped from the archives.”

I sit back and breathe out. “Damn it.”

Dash glances between us. “What does that mean to both of you?”

I look skyward and then eye Dash. “It means most likely there were some underhanded actions on the case and my father, who believed in leverage, expected the Allen family would make the files disappear.”

Dash turns his attention to Gavin. “Did they?”

“I’d bet Hawk Senior beat them to it. Then he held them captive if they ever tried to cross him.”

“He was smoother than that,” I argue. “He would have stolen the file, handed it to them, and kept a copy. He’d have sworn he did not, but they’d suspect he did.”

“And when you started nosing around,” Gavin follows, “they weren’t having it. I’m telling you, they did this. They have Bella. Has there been any communication? Have they asked for the file?”

“Nothing,” I say. “Not one damn little thing. And as for the Allen family and your assumptions, Gavin, why would I need to nose around if I had that file? I don’t think anyone but Withers has any ideas what is really going on right now.”

“Maybe,” Dash concludes, “but Dierk’s good. I knew that about three minutes into my call with him. I don’t think he’d get busted nosing around. Maybe the Allen family doesn’t even know we’re nosing around, but rather believes that you inherited that file, and they want it back.”

“Back to Withers,” Gavin interjects. “The man works with the Allen family. He has a direct conflict of interest. I don’t think he’d go down the path we’re assuming he’s traveling, no matter the money involved. He’d risk losing his license.”

“He handed me the letter that my father made part of the will threatening me with the Allen family.”

“Was it sealed?” he challenges. “If it was, he may not have even known what was inside. What if your father is just playing you all around?” He taps the table. “Before you reply to that, I’m swinging back to the partner meeting and how it was timed to be held right when Bella was taken.”

“Meaning what?” Dash asks.

“If we’re looking for motive, the content of that meeting proves motive.” His attention shifts to me. “Who benefits if you don’t inherit that stock?”

“The partners,” I answer easily, because it’s nothing that hasn’t crossed my mind, though I still think my father is ultimately behind this.

“Right,” he says, “and you just told them, all of them, that Bella is the ticket to you securing your role long term. They must have already known that. You walked out of that boardroom, and your ability to claim your rightful inheritance was immediately threatened because you no longer have Bella. She’s gone and I’m betting one of the partners made her gone.”

It’s all I can do not to launch myself at him.

Did he really just suggest one of the partners had Bella killed?

Chapter Seventeen

Tyler

Gavin takes one look at me, his eyes going wide as he clearly reads the thunder in my expression. His hands fly up. “Okay, I went to a bad place just now and I did not mean to do that. They probably want to scare you and her.”

Dash’s lips set grimly. “We have to think through all possibilities, but I have to reject any idea she’s not coming home. That’s not how this works. That’s not how we get her back. That said, the partners’ involvement is a logical takeaway under the circumstances. I need to call my guys and I’ll loop in Dierk as well, and make sure they’re looking at this as well.” He drags himself to his feet, a heaviness to his body, as he walks away. He is cool and calm on the outside, but inside, he’s coming unglued.

“I’m not involved, Tyler,” Gavin repeats, drawing my attention back to him. “I might come at you with a stubborn, hard attitude, but it’s the only way to work with a true leader who holds firm to his beliefs, and that’s you.”