The sound of shoes squeaking on the polished hallway floor kept Tiana on edge, not that she wasn’t already. Offices and boardrooms on the third floor of the district courthouse building were leased to various discretionary bodies that mediated legal disputes, took informal depositions, and oversaw civil tribunals. In other words, this was the last place in the world she wanted to be right now.

 

Thad’s suicide, and his attempted murder of Tiana, had rightly sent shockwaves through the IMMAF. Not least because Dax Easterling had testified that something like that could, and probably would, happen if they didn’t step in and give Thad a complete evaluation, which they had not done. Therefore, they were all about covering their asses now. Dax couldn’t wait to demand a full criminal investigation, and they probably knew it. But too much was at stake, too many reputations and careers were on the line for them to just roll over and expose their wrongdoings. Dax was playing with fire, and by mere of association with both him and Thad, Tiana was likely to get burned as well.

 

They’d discussed it thoroughly with Dax’s lawyer, Porter Vicky. Thad’s autopsy had revealed extensive use of steroids over a prolonged period of time, as well as the testosterone treatment he’d been given to combat the damage. The question now was: who in the IMMAF had known about his doping? And whom had he paid to cover it up? The paper trail should be easy enough to follow—drugs testing in sports had become highly scrutinized in recent years—but, again, the wrongdoers wouldn’t be stupid enough to put their names on anything incriminating. At least she didn’t think so. Dax’s lawyer agreed. And without that kind of hard evidence, a smoking gun, it would be tricky to collar those responsible.

 

The most important thing now was for Tiana to tell the truth, they all agreed. The truth was on her side. She’d done nothing wrong. Indeed, if it weren’t for her patience and loyal support, Thad would have probably gone off the rails a lot sooner. So what if she’d known about his doping and a little about the cover-ups; he’d frightened her into silence. She was not to blame for any of it, they assured her. The doctor or doctors who’d facilitated his drug abuse were the culprits here.

 

“If only I knew for certain who they were,” she said to Dax, as he put his arm around her on the wooden bench. “All I have are two names, and they might not have anything to do with it. Christ, if I knew for certain, we could nail them and put this whole thing behind us.” She watched the anonymous, suited people walking by and wondered if the real villain or villains were here today, keeping tabs on her and what she said. “Until we know for sure who they are, we’re not safe,” she added.

 

“Neither are they,” he assured her. “Remember, the spotlight is on them, too. You never know—we might get lucky. Your names could lead them right to the documents that prove the whole thing. It could be that simple.”

 

“Get real, bub. They covered it up this whole time. They know how to be invisible.”

 

“There’s no such thing,” he assured her. “Everyone slips up somewhere along the way. I don’t care how careful he is.”

 

“Or she.”

 

“Yep.”

 

Tiana fingered the bracelet he’d given her. It was something she’d done more and more, ever since she’d received this summons. Thad might not be around anymore, but he could still make her life a misery. The people he’d colluded with, whether inside or outside the IMMAF, more than likely had a lot of influence. Bribing doctors, ring officials, and God knew whom else: she just didn’t know the connections, the sneaky trail of corruption which had enabled him to keep fighting when he should have been banned outright from the ring.

 

“Are you coming in with me?” she asked Dax.

 

“Do you want me to?”

 

She nodded. “I’d feel better if you were there.”

 

“Okay, let me ask someone and see if it’s allowed.” He got up, scanning the corridor. “They can be weird about who they let in. But if not, at least you’ll have Porter in there.”

 

“I’d rather you both be there.”

 

“Okay. Wait right there.” He spotted a woman carrying a folder, who appeared to be giving orders to a security guard at the far end of the corridor. He made his way over to her.

 

Tiana crossed her legs and fingered the bracelet. A group of several youngish, well-dressed men cracked jokes as they passed. A few of them checked her out, but only discreetly. She chewed her bottom lip. Waiting was always the worst part of these things, she decided. Better to just breeze in there and get it over with. Let the bureaucrats take it from—

 

“Hello there, Tiana.”

 

She looked up at the speaker. It took a few moments for her to recognize him under his glasses, but when she did, she cracked a quivery smile. “Isaiah? Hi. I almost didn’t… How are you?”

 

“Can’t complain. It’s been a long time, huh.”

 

It sure as hell had. Isaiah Bernal had been Thad’s best friend for years. Before he’d moved to New York, the two of them had spent one weekend a month together. Whether fishing, mountain climbing, or gambling in Vegas, Thad had always had good things to say about their adventures. Isaiah had supported him in the early days, when Thad had been desperate to break into the UFC rankings. Come to think of it, he’d been there at every step of Thad’s career, the good and the bad, always ready with a bit of advice or a sure way out of trouble.

 

Yes, Doctor Isaiah Bernal had been a good friend.

 

He was also one of the two names Tiana was about to give in this inquest. The guy was now a big shot in the IMMAF. His promotion to the New York office had taken him out of medical surgery and into sports politics. But the fact that he was here, today, talking to her, suggested he had things he wanted to be kept quiet.

 

“You’re not here by coincidence, are you?” she said, readying her alarm.

 

“No. I’m not.” He glanced up to see where Dax was—still chatting to the woman at the end of the corridor. “And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep my name out of this.”

 

“I can’t do that, Isaiah.”

 

“You can and you will. I’ve always liked you, Tiana, but Thad said you were a Mary Sue. He said you’d never understand what he did.”

 

“Screw you! I understand what a psychotic asshole you helped turn him into. For all I know, you got him hooked on steroids. Then you covered it up personally. Am I getting warm?”

 

“This is a one-time warning,” he said, checking his cell phone. “Either keep your mouth shut or we’ll be forced to do it for you. Believe me, you’ve no idea what’s at stake, or what we’re capable of.” He turned and walked away.

 

Tiana thought about shouting to Dax; she even looked to where he was. But she stopped herself. It would only put him in the firing line with her, she reckoned, if he chased after Isaiah and tackled him. Jesus. It wasn’t so much that he’d threatened her; it was the word he’d used—we—that filled her with dread. Whom was he working with? Whom was he working for? Powerful people who would stop at nothing to silence her, and Dax as well, if she went through with this.

 

Shit. Shit. Shit.

 

Dax gave her the thumbs-up as he approached. She nodded back, unable to summon even a fake smile. This inquest had suddenly gone from being an ordeal to an outright nightmare.

 

The truth is on your side, Dax had told her innocently. It could be that simple.

 

But it was never that simple, she now knew. The truth carried a high price in a world where everything was for sale. Including lives.

 

An usher invited them into the room. The first thing she saw was an empty chair at the head of a long, cedar conference desk. There was a microphone standing on the desk.

 

The truth is on your side.

 

Tiana slung her purse over the back of the chair and prayed that it was.

 

***

 

“Well? How did I do?” she asked Dax, as they stepped outside the building. Her nerves had finally begun to settle. It helped that it was such a warm day; the sunlight acted like a balm as she descended the stone steps, glad to be away from that claustrophobic room.

 

“You did well. Brief and to the point.”

 

“That was Porter’s advice.”

 

“You hesitated over the second name though,” he pointed out. “Like you were having second thoughts about giving it up.”

 

“Did I really?” Tiana shrugged. “It was a little unnerving in there.”

 

“Anything I should know?”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Like who that guy was you were talking to just before we went in?”

 

“I don’t know. You…you saw that?”

 

“Uh-huh. Keep walking.”

 

“Why?” She tried to look behind her, but Dax cupped the back of her head.

 

“Because that guy you were talking to…he’s following us. And he’s not alone.”

 

“Oh crap. What should we do?”

 

“First tell me who he is.”

 

Tiana’s heel snagged on one of the steps. Her stomach leapt into her throat, but she somehow managed to keep her balance.

 

“Take it easy,” he told her. “I’ve got you. But I need to know who he is. Quick.”

 

“Goddamn it. It’s him. It’s him.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Th-the second name! Isaiah Bernal!”

 

“Doctor Isaiah Bernal?”

 

“Yes. He was Thad’s best friend for years, and now I’m pretty sure he was his go-to man in the IMMAF.”

 

Dax gripped her arm a little tighter. It didn’t hurt; it was more…firm, reassuring. “Why didn’t you tell me that last part before?”

 

“I didn’t put it together until he threatened me just now!”

 

“Just before we went in?”

 

“Huh? Yeah, yeah. Just before.” She told him exactly what the good doctor had said.

 

Dax flashed Bernal and his accomplices a hateful glance, then quickened his pace. “Bastard must have been waiting for his chance. See? I was gone a minute and he still got to you. I’m gonna have to put a stop to this.”

 

“How?”

 

He didn’t answer. Instead, at the end of the sidewalk, rather than letting them follow indefinitely, he turned to face them, shielding Tiana behind him. Isaiah and his two accomplices slowed their walk on cue and strolled up to Dax.

 

“Can I help you?” Dax asked.

 

They stopped several feet short. Not that she could blame them; Dax wasn’t exactly someone even three of them would want to tangle with.

 

“I want a word with Tiana,” Isaiah said, glaring at her. He took his glasses off to sharpen the effect.

 

“What about?” Dax shot back.

 

“It’s between me and her.”

 

“No, I’m between you and her. So either say what you came here to say or fuck off!”

 

Isaiah Bernal, hardly a weakling himself—he’d fought amateur MMA to help pay his tuition for medical school, which was where he’d met Thad—took half a step forward. It surprised Tiana. She hadn’t expected a confrontation like this, not with Dax Easterling protecting her.

 

“I thought I made myself clear. I told you not to mention me.”

 

“Too late, asshole,” Dax replied. “Your name’s in the soup. Better get used to it.”

 

“No, you’re both in it. Up to your necks. I told you it was a one-off warning. Now you can reap it.”

 

“Speak plainly, Bernal, before I show you what reap it means.”

 

Isaiah scoffed at him. “Please. What are you gonna do? Take on three of us? Don’t waste my time, Easterling.”

 

“Threaten Tiana one more time and you’ll find out.”

 

The charged air reminded her of being ringside before a big fight. She could almost taste the testosterone. But, as sexy as Dax was when he was like this, she didn’t like where it was going. She took a step back. “It’s okay,” she told him. “He’s said his piece. I chose to ignore him. It’s all out now anyway. There’s no going back.”

 

“The inquest has only just started,” Dax reminded her over his shoulder, without losing eye contact with his opponents. “All you gave them was a name. That’s not enough to hang him. He can still squirm out of this a hundred different ways. Believe me, his threats are real.”

 

“I know. But I don’t want you to—”

 

Dax cut her off, shouting to Isaiah, “Are we done?”

 

“Not even close.” The doctor took two steps forward. His men, who were at least as big as he was, followed suit. “I warned you what would happen, Tiana, and you betrayed me, just like you betrayed Thad.”

 

“He was crazier than a shithouse rat,” she retorted. “You helped make that happen.”

 

“No. You drove him to it. He told me everything. He told me you were a chain around his neck, dragging him back the whole time. He wanted to soar, Tiana, and you made sure his wings were clipped. I know all about it.”

 

“Lies! Fucking lies!”

 

“That right there is guilt speaking. You made his life unbearable, and you know it.”

 

The bitter sadness welling up inside her almost got the better of her fury. Almost. She’d racked her conscience over Thad and had tried to blame herself a dozen different ways, but none of it had stuck. Dax was right. Cassie was right. Her therapist was right. She was blameless, and anyone who said otherwise was playing an angle. In this sick bastard’s case, he was trying to goad her, to prey on her, to make her do or say something irrational that would tip the situation out of Dax’s control.

 

“Tell all the lies you want, Bernal,” she said. “You’re the one who’s going down. We’ll make sure of that, you evil prick.”

 

“Fucking bitch!”

 

No sooner had Isaiah lunged for her than Dax caught him and hurled him sidewise off his feet. Tiana leapt back out of the way as the other two men rushed Dax. Jesus, why hadn’t she brought her Taser with her?

 

Because they’d never have let me in the freaking building, she remembered.

 

Incensed, she dragged the nearest guy off Dax, yanking at his long, curly hair and spitting in his face. She went to scratch his eyes. Missed. Sliced his cheek with her nails instead. He backhanded her, knocking her into the gutter.

 

It stung like hell. She lay there, shaking.

 

Meanwhile, Dax had knocked out the third man, who lay sprawled across a hedge. He was now busy tangling with Isaiah. No prizes for guessing who had the upper hand in that match-up. But when the second man jumped in after flooring Tiana, the outcome was suddenly not so easy to call.

 

“Help!” she screamed. People stopped to watch from both sidewalks. A few started dialing on their cell phones. Then she remembered they were less than a block away from the courthouse! Surely the police would be sprinting this way right now.

 

Dax flung Curly Hair off his back and planted a size twelve on his jaw. The man scrabbled away across the asphalt, nursing his face. Then Isaiah Bernal got what was coming to him: a vicious uppercut that knocked him spinning into the road. Blood poured from his nose and mouth. He stumbled across the road and into the field on the other side. Curly Hair joined him, bleeding from a more serious injury but still able to quick-walk across the grass.

 

To his credit, Dax didn’t chase after them. He’d done what he needed to and the fight was over. Instead, he picked Tiana up and, seeing how much she was shaking, carried her in his arms, all the way to his car.

 

Over three blocks away.