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“You have thirty seconds to tell me why you’re here, and then I’m calling the military police.”
“I have evidence against you, Ronald,” she said. “Evidence of your drug smuggling, proof of your motive for killing Bryan. I’ve come to give you the courtesy of turning yourself in and getting a better deal. If you don’t, I’ll give them the evidence.”
His amused expression fell for a moment, but it returned quickly. He looked her up and down, but not in a pervy way. In an assessing way. Did he suspect she was wearing a wire?
“I don’t know what drugs you’re talking about. And me killing Bryan—that’s just bullshit.”
But he wasn’t calling the police. He wanted to know what she had on him.
“Is it?” she said and walked farther into the foyer. That might be a mistake. He could try to cut off her exit. “Then why aren’t you dialing?”
“What evidence do you have, Amber?” he said, pronouncing the word “evidence” as though it were in quotation marks.
“You ship the drugs on sky trains. And you have a man on the inside who oversees the deliveries and doesn’t let the dogs around. I know all about Aman Safar, and I know all that because Bryan was helping you. He wanted out, and he threatened to tell on you. That’s why you killed him.”
He shook his head, his eyes turning dark and threatening.
“Princess, wake up. I want to know what the fuck you’re smoking to get these ideas.”
He wasn’t budging. She had to up her game, which meant taking bigger risks.
“Okay,” she said and took a few steps towards the exit. “I gave you a chance.”
He moved so fast she didn’t see him. He slammed his palm against the door, his mouth turning into a snarl.
“No. You haven’t given me anything. What exactly do you have on me?”
Amber was rooted to the spot. Not exactly a confession, but she was getting closer. Sweat misted her skin. She looked straight at him. Man, she had much less courage than she was trying to show.
“Aman is ready to come forward and give a statement against you.”
His expression went blank. “What?”
“He made a deal with the US government. His family is going to be moved to the US while he serves time in prison. He’s terrified of you.”
“You’re bluffing.”
She cocked her eyebrow. “Do you want to try and find out?”
He shook his head. “I wasn’t born yesterday, sweetheart. You can’t prove shit.”
“Then remove your hand and let me go.”
His palm gathered in a fist on the door, his knuckles white.
Instinctively, her body tensed. He was going to snap. But he might snap physically at her and not confess, and she needed him to say the words. Those words would set her free.
This wasn’t working. She needed to up her game even more.
“Everyone in your drug organization is terrified of you,” she pressed. “Bryan was ready to rat you out. Now Aman. You’re done, Ronald. Because you can’t shut Aman up. You can’t kill him like you did Bryan. The only chance you have is to come forward.”
He narrowed his eyes. “How did you get here?”
She blinked. “What?”
“You’re in hiding. No one knows where you are. You were last seen in Scotland. How did you cross international borders? Fake passport?”
“Yeah. Fake passport. Why?”