“Obviously it could hold some value if you are here looking through it. You never know what is going to be meaningful to someone.”
She shrugged, sliding another box toward her knees and digging through it. Another hour went by with us in the sameposition, her sifting through boxes, mumbling curse words, until a new stack of papers caught her attention. She finally stood, stretching out and looking around.
“I think these are useless. I’m not finding anything in here that seems helpful, and nothing about Veritas or the lanyard. If we don’t find anything worthwhile soon, I’m going to have to resort to more blackmail to get more help from you,” she said, her words casual, but part of me knew she meant it to some extent.
I looked back at the door as if anyone could hear us.
“I really don’t think that would work out like you hope it would.”
Her soft laugh echoed around me, her eyes lighting up, and I fought to not enjoy it. “Are you insinuating you wouldn’t do what I ask to keep those photos hidden, or that you wouldn’t fall into a trap again?”
“Harder to trap me when I know what to look for.”
She stepped closer, her hands climbing up my stomach and resting on my chest. Heat flooded my skin, sharp and unwelcome, but I didn’t move.
Couldn’t.
Her fingers dragged along the edge of my collar, featherlight, but it felt like a fucking chokehold.
My breath hitched. My chest rising and falling too fast, too sharp.
She was too close. Close enough I could feel the warmth of her skin, the weight of her eyes on my mouth.
My body answered before my brain caught up, leaning in, drawn to her like I didn’t have a choice.
The faint sound of footsteps shattered the moment like glass. I ripped myself back, like I’d finally come up for air after drowning. She laughed softly, knowing exactly what she’d done. Like she could see exactly how close I was to giving in.
My hand twitched, aching to wrap around her throat, to drag her to her knees and watch her fall apart for me. I could destroy her. I could make her beg, make her fucking unravel under my hands.
Even if she didn’t want me, she wouldn’t be immune to being touched.
The thought sounded better and better, and I almost gave in until Asher filled the doorway.
“Find anything?” he asked.
“Not even a shred of information I need,” she huffed as if she hadn’t just been seducing me.
As if she hadn’t proven her theory that she could get more blackmail photos if she truly wanted them.
My lip lifted with a sneer... I shouldn’t be so weak for one woman.
“Do you want to give me more of a hint of what you may need and then I can tell you what I know?” he asked, his voice always so calm and kind to Evie.
She glanced at me before looking back at him. “Veritas.”
He arched a brow, obviously surprised she wanted to know about it.
“What do you know already?” he asked.
“Just the name.”
He nodded, walking over to the cabinet we had already gone through. “I doubt there is anything on Veritas here,” he said, flicking through files. “They were an accounting company who worked out of that building for years before being slapped with a hundred different cases of tax fraud. They shut down for a few years before the owner reopened under a new name. How he gotout of the charges is beyond me, but I assume it was an expensive bribe or payoff to someone. One of the guys who started it runs a new accounting company called Pierce now. Smaller company, but plenty of shady clients still use them. We can assume he is up to the same antics, but with different people.”
She tilted her head, taking in everything as he turned back to us.
“Like I said, there are no files in here about them,” Asher continued. “The feds would have cleared it out way back then. I’m surprised you found any trace of them, honestly. Is that helpful?”
“It actually saves me a ton of time, and a good lead to go on. Thanks Asher.” She walked over, throwing her arms around him before grabbing her backpack.
