Fraud (Antihero Inferno #2) - Lily White Page 0,145

up his efforts. I want what’s on those servers.”

Tanner’s voice is a cool whisper of sound. “What the hell is on them?”

“I don’t know,” Thomas barks. “Everything is encrypted. But whatever the hell it is, your fathers want it, which means I want it, too.”

On that I can agree with him.

“I’m not the person who murdered John Bailey. I think we all know who did that. But after he died, Jerry had agreed to continue trying to access the records, at least until Luca called and spooked him. Now I have no idea where he is, and the records are lost. I’m sure I have you two to thank for that.”

A thought occurs to me. “Why did you have that flash drive? How the hell did you get it?”

“Jerry got it. He found it while packing up what was left of the office. Apparently John dropped it in a stack of mail to be sent, but was never picked up. He sent it to me with the hope that, through my connections, I could find somebody to decrypt it. Once we had the key, he’d have access to the rest of it, but nobody has been able to do it.”

“So then all of this has been you attempting to sink our fathers?”

His gaze snaps to Tanner. “I wouldn’t mind taking all of you down. I’m sure whatever you’re doing in your office isn’t legal.”

Gaze snapping to me, he steps forward. “Which is why you need to stay the fuck away from my daughter before you get her killed. I finally had her controlled until you showed up again. You are not good for her, and I refuse-“

I lunge forward, not even Tanner fast enough to stop me. Rage is lining my spine like steel, infecting my blood like a drug.

With my forearm against the Governor’s throat, I slam him back against a wall, the tips of our noses coming together as his lips part to drag in a breath.

Tanner grabs my shoulder, and I see security move into the periphery, but the Governor waves them away weakly as our eyes lock.

I’m not cutting off his ability to breathe, but the threat is there. Beyond this shit with our fathers, I hate this man for the damage he’d inflicted on a person I love.

My smile slides in place, sinuous and psychotic, a warning rolling off my silver tongue as smooth as a silken promise.

“I won’t hurt you right now for bruising her, only because Ivy still loves you. But her loyalty to you is done. Her subservience to you is fucking over. For her entire life, all you’ve done is dress her up like a pretty trinket, something you can keep on a fucking pedestal instead of letting her be herself. You controlled her. And what you missed while dismissing her as a woman who needs to be in her place is that she is so far above you that you might as well be buried in the ground.”

The beat of our breath collides, anger painting his face red while I still wear a mask of casual indifference. The only change in the game is that I’m not fucking lying this time.

I’ve never been more honest before in my life.

“Don’t tell me to stay away from the woman who has been in my life since the beginning. Unlike you, I’ve never damaged her. Unlike you, I’ve never doubted her, and unlike you, I’ve challenged her to be what I know she can be. I see her as an equal, as a threat, and as a worthy opponent, while you saw her as nothing more than a doll to be dressed up and a voice to be silenced. So no. I won’t stay away from Ivy. From now on, I’ll be the person standing beside her, the strength following behind her, the person building her the fuck up so she doesn’t fall victim to assholes like you ever again. So take that for the warning it is because if you so much as lay a finger on her again, I’ll be the person you’ll answer to for it. I can’t promise I won’t hurt you then.”

My forearm tightens against his throat and I slam him back against the wall once more before I release him and step away.

He steps forward to catch his balance, his hand moving to run at the skin of his neck.

“Get out of my house. Both of you. And I’d watch your backs after this. It’s not a