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Lowe’s mouth went tight. “If you didn’t personally do this, you had one of your people do it,” he upheld. “Either way, you’re responsible.”
Grayden cleared his throat. “You said yourself that the victim named no one. You have no proof that Mr. Merc—”
“I don’t need proof,” the sheriff snapped. “This reeks of Dax. He wanted revenge, and he took it. That’s his pattern.”
His expression still inscrutable, Dax looked from him to the deputy. “You can leave now.”
I almost snorted at how readily the deputy headed for the door.
Lowe, on the other hand, jutted out his chin. “You can’t throw me out. I’m not done questioning—”
“If this was about merely investigating a police matter, you wouldn’t have sought Addison out here at an event she’s managing,” said Dax, an edge of agitation to his words. “This is you using your authority to yank her chain and cause issues for her company. Simple. And I won’t tolerate it.”
Lowe’s nostrils flared. “You’re not above the law, Mercier, you are—”
“Rapidly losing my patience with you,” Dax finished, his face hardening. “You really don’t want me to push me further. Not unless you wantcertain thingsabout you to come to light. Your wife might be interested in hearing that your Saturday poker nights aren’t really poker nights at all, though some ‘poking’ is involved.”
Watching Lowe’s face flush, I inwardly smiled. He should have expected that Dax, who made a point of sniffing out the secrets of his adversaries, would have something on him.
“You’re still here. I’m struggling to understand why.” Dax pursed his lips. “Maybe you’d prefer it if I made a call to your wife here and now.”
His face morphing into an almighty glower, Lowe jabbed a finger in his direction. “This isn’t over.”
“Then your marriage soon will be,” said Dax matter-of-factly.
Cursing a blue streak, Lowe stormed out.
Grayden cast me a tormented look and then turned to Mimi. “Come on, let’s go.”
Ignoring him, she nervously licked her lips and zeroed in on Dax. “I know about the pact.”
“Do you.” Dax didn’t phrase it as a question. It was more of a bored statement. He made his way to me, his eyes roaming over my face. “Are you all right?”
Removing my headset, I sighed. “Yeah. Just annoyed.”
“I have no idea why you acted all secretive instead of just telling me about the pact,” Mimi said to him. “We’re friends. Practically family.”
I snorted. If circumstances were different, Dax might have one day been her brother-in-law, but she didnotthink of him as family. We all knew it.
“Mimi,” Grayden clipped, “it’s time to go.”
Again, she completely ignored him. “You’ve done some crazy stuff, Dax,” she said with a smirk, shaking her head in incredulity, “but marrying a woman you basically put on reserve? That’s wacked.”
His eyes darkening to flint, he cast her a glare. “What’s wacked is that you would dare come here. You know you’re supposed to stay away from Addison. Yet, here you are.”
She rolled her eyes. “So she got her boo-boos hurt by what I said last time we talked. It ain’t a huge deal.”
Uh, like what she’d said wasnothing? Unreal.
His gaze iced over. “Don’t try to trivialize what you did.” The words were quiet. Deep. Dripping with anger. “The things you said might have fucked up my marriage.”
“This isn’t amarriage,” she snarked. “You made a pact, you stuck to it. That’s it.” She looked away with a sniff. “I should have guessed it was something like that, really. An emotionless union would of course suit you just fine.”
“Mimi,” Grayden cut in, a plea in his eyes. “Don’t do this. Let’s you and me just walk on out of here.”
“Why?” she demanded, whirling on him. “Why should I have to stay quiet? Why wouldyouwant to leave when we both know you hate this situation as much as I do? You’d takeherback in a fucking heartbeat if—”
“Enough,” Dax bit out, pinning her with a somewhat callous look. “Out. Both of you.”
