Maya sat in the cafe, her fingers wrapped tightly around a mug of steaming herbal tea. She’d been about to order her standard double-shot coffee but then changed her mind as she placed the order. She didn’t need to be any more jumpy for this meeting than she already was. Even sitting quietly in the middle of a public place, nerves skittered over her skin. She glanced around the room but didn’t see anyone—Special Agent Miller, Seth, Liam, or her brother. The last three she knew were out there somewhere. Seth had nearly lost his mind when she’d hung up the phone the night before, joining in with her brother’s protests.

If it had been up to them, she would never have been here in the first place. But that was exactly why she’d made the call the way she had. This had to end, and she wasn’t going to let anyone take her out of the game, or worse, decide it was better that they just disappeared from her life again. She took a sip of her tea, holding up the mug to hide her grimace. Her brother was being a complete ass.

The chime attached to the front door rang out and Maya looked up. A man paced through the door, not looking to be in a hurry, but he still stepped with purpose. A ball cap was pulled down low over his eyes and he was dressed casually, but it was still obvious from the way the man moved that this was Bill Miller.

Show time.

Until he’d stepped through the door, Maya had no idea if the FBI had any clue what she’d uncovered. She’d been prepared to play dumb, act like the grieving sister who just wanted closure. But watching Agent Miller walk through the room, his eyes sharp, it was obvious. He knew. And now she was a sitting duck. She took in a breath and sat up straighter. The men in her life might be driving her crazy, but at that moment she realized they also probably had a point. Suddenly, she was grateful for Seth, Jesse, and Liam waiting close by. Her brother had protested vehemently about involving any official law enforcement. If she’d pushed the point, then Maya would have lost her brother all over again right there, and so they’d gone with just the four of them. Her brother, at least, knew how to shoot a gun—though she’d bet that Seth and Liam weren’t exactly slouches in that department, and it was the middle of the day in a freaking cafe. That still didn’t stop the shiver.

Agent Miller’s head turned, surveying the room. It took him only seconds to spot her and he strode over, pulling out a chair and sitting without greeting or waiting for an invitation. He tapped his fingers on the table top and he continued to look around the room, even as she waited for him to send the opening line. He would have been more comfortable over in the corner, she supposed, but right in the middle of the well-lit room suited her at that moment. Her brother had grilled her for at least an hour on the steps she had to take if Miller tried anything. Stay aware of her surroundings, if he tried anything to make a damn lot of noise, and under no circumstances go anywhere with him. Before any of that happened, she had to get him to talk. “Special Agent Miller,” she said. “Thank you for meeting me.”

Give nothing away. Let him show his hand first.

The man sitting in front of her kept his face passive, but he wasn’t fooling anyone. His body was taut, his eyes sharp. He inclined his head slightly, just enough to indicate he’d heard her opening volley. “Miss Graves. What do you want?”

Okay, so he was going to play it this way. She leaned forward, pulling up the swirl of emotions that had been powering through her for the past six months. That was the easy part. Jesse might be alive and well, but even if her brain ever actually caught up with that fact, Maya didn’t think she—or their family—would ever recover from what he’d put her through for half a year. They were never going back to the way they were, but at least she could make the person who’d destroyed their family pay.

Another breath.

Fuck.

It was a tossup at this point whether Jesse or Seth would be the most furious at her for what she was about to do, but they weren’t here. One look at Miller and she knew this was her only chance to hold him accountable. He didn’t want to be here, and unless she played her cards exactly right, she doubted she’d ever see him again. “Agent Miller, this is my last stop before I go to the press. Your last chance to explain why you murdered my brother.”

She kept her eyes on him, unblinking, or she would have missed it. Miller’s eyes widened ever so slightly. That was the only sign she was going to get of his guilt. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

Maya didn’t answer, but pushed over a copy of the police report detailing his arrival on scene, Liam’s notes from the investigation—now detailing Seth’s point-of-origin research—and lastly the photo of him she’d found at the library. Her smoking gun. The rest had come from her brother’s own words the night before, but that was one thing she wasn’t admitting. Hopefully Miller would be worried enough by the proof she did have and the truth of her words to not stop and wonder where she’d gotten that part of her info from. The one thing they’d all agreed on was that it was better for her brother to stay “dead” for now.

“I know you were there that morning, much earlier than would have been possible had the notification followed official channels. I know you sent my brother there to kill a federal judge as a test of his loyalty, and I know you were the one who set the fire.” She glared at him, her whole body hot. “And so don’t tell me you have no idea what I’m talking about. Respectfully, Agent, that’s complete shit.”

Miller’s face went white. His fingers stopped tapping on the table. He leaned forward, his voice dropping so that there was no possibility of being overheard. “Get out of here, Maya. Stand up and leave. Fuck, leave Monroe entirely while you still can.” His gaze burned into her. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with. They’re far closer than you imagine, and they won’t hesitate to kill you, too.”

Maya opened her mouth, but before she could say anything in reply, Miller pushed up from the table. He strode rapidly to the cafe’s front door, his steps no longer guarded, his gaze no longer sweeping the room. To anyone else, he’d look simply like someone in a hurry, but she knew better. She’d watched her brother for years, and now she saw the same in Agent Miller—the same clipped steps, the tightness in his face. He was a man on a mission. If only she knew what it was. Damn it. Seth really was going to kill her. She had to follow him, make him talk.

She hurried to the cafe door. Miller had only left a few seconds ago and so if she jogged she could still catch him. She pushed open the door and sped through—there he was! Three doors down. Maya heard the quiet tingle of the bell on the door as it shut behind her and she took one step forward when the back of Miller’s head exploded and he dropped to the ground.