Eric and I exchange a concerned look. “Send him in,” I say.
Nancy nods and hurries back to her desk, and Kevin appears in my office almost immediately. “This is Eric,” I say. “You can speak freely around him.”
“Hi Eric,” he says, and looks between us. “I hope Mia forgives me for coming to you first, but she’s been through a lot and I’m sensitive to that fact.”
“What is this about?” I ask, trying not to sound impatient, but I am fucking impatient when it comes to Mia’s safety.
“I went to the coffee shop and a man cornered me and handed me this.” He indicates a folder. “He said it was a bombshell in the Delaney Wittmore case. I could have just walked it into Mia, but after the Ri stuff, I didn’t want to risk handing her some threat or problem that I can’t fully foresee. Especially since he knew I worked with Mia, and I’ve only been here a few days. That feels like a connection to Ri. Anyway, I thought you might want to be with her when she opened it.” He moves forward and offers it to me. “It’s sealed. I haven’t looked inside. I wouldn’t do that.”
I accept the folder and study him intently, surprised by his level of loyalty and protection of Mia. He came to me to shelter her. Perhaps I’ve let the man in me misjudge him. Perhaps he really is just a good friend. “Thank you, Kevin. Your loyalty will not be forgotten.”
“I’m not looking for good graces. Just trying to be a friend. Let me know if you need me.” He turns and exits, shutting the door behind him.
Eric arches a brow. “What are you going to do?”
I stare at that envelope and fight my urge to rip it open, but I don’t. I glance over at Eric. “In the past, I’d have opened it up and told her I did it to protect her. But I’ve learned my lesson. I’m going to respect my future wife and take this to her.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Mia
I’ve just hung up with Blake after he’s confirmed the identity of the reporter who sideswiped me this morning when Grayson walks in. Just seeing him does funny things to my chest. The way he affects me just by entering a room never ceases to surprise me. Will that ever go away? I don’t believe it will.
His eyes warm and I know he’s read my reaction. The thing is, I don’t even care. Yes, I swoon for Grayson, but we’re mutually obsessed and in love, which is an amazing feeling that has me running a finger over my engagement band. “Hey,” I say.
“Hey, baby.” He shuts the door and my gaze slides to the envelope in his hand, my spine stiffening. “Is that the agreement?”
“No, but all is well on that end.”
I frown, noting the edge to his presence I didn’t initially see. “Something isn’t good.”
He rounds the desk and I stand up to meet him. “This,” he says, “came to me from Kevin.”
I blanch. “Kevin?”
“He was worried about you and thought I might want to give it to you. Note that I have not opened it despite a clawing need to do so.”
I take the envelope. “What is this, Grayson?”
“A man confronted Kevin at the coffee shop and said this was a bombshell in the Wittmore case.”
“And he cornered Kevin?”
“That’s why Kevin thought it was strange. Whoever this reporter is knew he was here with you. He was afraid this was some kind of threat.”
A realization hits me. “And you didn’t open it?”
“No. Believe it or not, I used great restraint, however, if you should choose to hand it back to me and let me open it first, I’d be willing to trade you that little thing you like so much.”
“That thing you do with your—”
“Exactly.”
I laugh and hand him the envelope. “You win. Open it.”
His gorgeous lips curve but he turns somber quickly, walking to the conference table and opening the envelope, while I wait anxiously. There’s nothing that would be in that folder that would hurt Delaney. I know this. There is no part of me that fears otherwise, but God, I want to know what is in that envelope now.
“Huh,” Grayson says, setting the documents on the table and motioning me forward. “Looks like financial transactions and photos of two men. Who are they?”
I pick up the first photo and my jaw drops. I indicate one of the men. “That’s Delaney’s brother-in-law, the one I believe used her as a weapon to kill Mitch, her husband. And that’s the ADA who won’t give her a deal.”
“That looks shady,” Grayson voices before I can.
“Yes, it does. What financial reports?” Grayson hands them to me and I glance through them. “I’m not sure what I’m looking at.”
“Let me get our numbers man,” Grayson says, walking to the desk to call him on the inner office phone.