The room goes still.
Daniel lets out a short laugh that sounds forced.
“You two should run while you still can.”
I let the silence sit for a moment before I speak.
“You could call every police officer and federal contact you have, Colin,” I say calmly.
Grant’s eyes burn into the screen.
“You’re fucking right I am,” he snaps. “I’ll have the police there in minutes, you stupid bitch.”
I let that sit for half a second, then shake my head slowly.
“You and I both know that’s not true. Your family estate is about twenty minutes from anyone else, including the police.”
His expression flickers.
“And right now,” I continue, “your entire department is probably busy cleaning up what happened at Victor Voss’s gala.”
His face shifts, not much, but enough. Shock cuts through the anger for a split second before he tries to bury it.
I tilt the phone slightly, letting him see the room again. His family. Their fear. The way everything is already slipping out of his control.
“On our way here, we caught the news,” I add. “Seth must have done his worst.”
My gaze locks on his.
“Your family is next.”
The room goes quiet.
Daniel’s breathing picks up, fast and uneven. Thomas’s confidence cracks, the weight of the situation settling into his posture. Gina starts to cry, soft at first, then harder when no one stops her.
Grant’s voice explodes through the speaker.
“You touch them and I swear to God I will kill you!” he screams. “I'll skin you alive. I'll make you beg for death!”
Evelyn leans forward in her chair, her face twisted with fury.
“He’s going to kill you, you stupid little bitch.”
I meet her stare without blinking.
“You’re in no position to make threats, Mrs. Grant. And just so you know, I’ve already killed one of your pathetic, sadistic sons. I had him cut into so many pieces they’re gonna have to reassemble him in his fucking coffin.”
The words settle into the room.
Thomas’s jaw sets. Gina starts crying harder.
“You fucking bitch,” Grant snarls.
I stop behind the chairs.
The knife slides free from inside my jacket. It is a long hunting knife. The blade catches the light as I turn it once in my hand.
Daniel sees it first. His bravado slips.
