Page 70 of Tied to You

“Hear me out.” I hold up my hands, feeling unsure, but oddly confident given that Travis hasn’t already picked me up and physically removed me from the room. I have a shot here. A small one. But one, nonetheless. “He won’t give you what he wants. He’s too protected.”

Travis balks. “Who by?”

I take another small step, trying to ignore all the blood. “By the men out there. They cover up misdemeanours if they can gain from it. And there’s always something they can gain from it.”

Travis’ face turns down.

“Trust me. He won’t give you what you want. He’d rather let you kill him and take his dirty secrets with him.”

“His dirty secrets?” Dean hits Tim on the side of the head, sending his head flying forward.

I jump. Shocked.

“Men like him, Mollie, they don’t deserve to walk this earth.”

Tim stupidly sits straighter, spitting his mouthful of blood to the carpet. “You should listen to her.”

Another hit, this time from Travis, right on his jaw.

Tim laughs, and it doesn’t do him any favours. He’s gaining confidence from me being here. It’s misplaced.

“That may be true,” I say, looking at Dean. “But men like him only care about one thing.”

Dean cocks a brow, and Travis steps closer to me. “Mollie, get out of here.”

“No,” I challenge, refusing to look at him, ignoring his growl. “You have to take away the thing he’ll miss most.”

I look down at Tim, and he angles his battered face to me. “What are you talking about?”

When I slowly lift my gaze to Travis, every part of me hopes he understands what I’m doing. “Do you have the picture? The evidence of his secrets?” I’m secretly begging he reads my expression. I don’t know if there’s a picture or any evidence, but right now, I need Tim to think there is.

“I have it.”

I take a breath, pulling out my phone, grateful he’s following. “Send it to me.”

Travis looks at Dean before he sends me a blank message, making my phone ping.

Tim’s head swivels. He’s worried.

Looking at the screen, I frown, pretending to look at an image of him. “You have to take away his power.”

“Bitch,” Tim splutters.

Travis wastes no time sending his fist through Tim’s face again.

“You don’t have that kind of pull,” Tim spits at me.

I laugh under my breath, knowing that I hate what I’m about to say. “No, I don’t. But I get the partner of Harrington Law to speak to the Chief Secretary of State, and there’ll be no investigation. No trial. I’ll show them this image and you’ll be disgraced and barred indefinitely.”

Tim squirms, but his gaze never leaves mine. “He’d never believe you.”

“I’m his daughter, Tim. Of course he would.”

Tim’s face drops. He doesn’t need to know I would never go to my dad for anything like this. It would have to be a pretty dire situation for me to have to go to him for help. “I suggest you give them what they want, or do I need to go out there and get him?”

He takes a beat. “Fuck,” Tim hisses.

Got him.