This time I make the meeting with Senator Grayson. There will be no confusion. Senator Norwood won't be a surprise guest this time.

Still, I have Ethan and Dante with me. I feel like a queen with these two big strong men backing me up. I walk in front and they come behind me. I now understand why mob bosses walk around with security. It isn't just for show.

We meet at my aunt's office after hours. I arrive first with Ethan making sure that everything is secure as Dante and I set up in the office. We make sure there are comfortable chairs and refreshments. It feels rather silly to be playing hostess, but I know the details matter.

I sit in my aunt's heavy leather chair behind the desk. It feels strange to be on this side of the desk, but my aunt had insisted. I am running this show. I have to be in the position of power.

Dante stands behind me, his hands behind him and stance wide. He is my bodyguard. The shape of a Glock handgun is easily visible through his jacket. I know another smaller pistol is strapped to his calf and he has a knife up one of his sleeves.

He isn't about to let anyone touch me or his child.

Ethan stands outside my office like a bouncer. I don't have the full inventory of his arsenal, but I know he was just as well armed as Dante, if not better.

I steeple my hands and wait for my meeting start. Outwardly, I look calm. Collected. Inwardly, I am shaking and nervous.

I think of my mother.

I think of her gentle smile and long fingers. The way the sunlight smelled on her dark hair after we played in the park. I remember her yellow sweater. I remember the loss of seeing her in that morgue.

“I love you, pumpkin.”

This is for you mom, I tell myself. I will get justice for you.

It took ten years, but I am going to finally have the way to put the man who hurt her behind bars.

I smile, showing my teeth. I am going to destroy Norwood.

Chief O'Brien arrives first. He wears civilian clothes of a dark blue suit and pale green tie. He plays with the expensive wedding band on his left hand as he enters, but otherwise doesn't look outwardly nervous.

As a prominent citizen, it isn't that strange to ask him to come to my office.

He comes in and greets me, shaking my hand. He swallows hard before shaking Dante's hand as well.

“Please, take a seat,” I tell him with a smile.

He sits, crossing one leg over a knee. “You look good in your aunt's spot,” he tells me. “It suits you.”

I nod politely. I can hear Ethan greet someone and a moment later, the office door opens. Senator Grayson walks in.

A little bit of tension leaves me. Despite it being irrational, I was nervous it wouldn't be him. The last meeting I was supposed to have with him ended with me being beaten to a pulp. I still have the fading purple and green marks on my face and arms.

“Senator.” I smile and shake his hand. He shakes mine and gives Dante a polite nod.

I sit back down. It's time for me to start the avalanche that will bury Norwood.

“Gentleman, thank you so much for coming here tonight. I'm sure you're curious why I've asked you here.” My voice is steady, but my heart is racing. “I have asked you here tonight to stop a criminal.”

Senator Grayson looks slightly surprised, but Chief O'Brien simply nods.

“Senator Norwood beat and abused my mother,” I inform them. “And I believe he killed her.”

Neither of them show much surprise. It isn't really a secret that my family believes Norwood killed my mother. We just haven't been able to say it in public because we didn't have any proof. Until now.

I slide a packet of photos to each of them.

“In these folders are photographs of the abuse Norwood inflicted on my mother,” I say. My voice shakes slightly. I hate those photos. My beautiful and talented mother deserved so much more than this. Dante puts his hand on my shoulder and gives me a gentle squeeze. “There are also copies of receipts, transactions, and what occurred for every documented bruise.”

The senator's eyes go wide and he turns pale as he looks through the photos. He shuts the folder without looking at all of them.

“I know the chief of police where this occurred,” Chief O'Brien says after a moment. “Statute of limitations hasn't passed yet.”

“Good. I want the law to take this as far as it can go,” I tell him. I turn to the Senator. “And I want these to go public.”

A cruel smile crosses his face and he quickly masks it with an expression of concern. I know that inwardly he's doing happy somersaults. I just handed him the end to Norwood's presidential run on a silver platter. No candidate can come back from something like this.

“Are you sure?” Grayson asks. “These are your mother, after all.”

I swallow hard. Dante has already asked me this question. Am I okay with pictures of my mother with bruises being public?

“She took these in order to bring him down. She died before she had the chance. She would want these to be out there if it means catching and punishing him. She took the photos and kept all the details so that this could happen. It's just that it's happening ten years after when it should have.”

Senator Grayson nods, but I see the corners of his mouth twitching upward.

“There's something else I want with these photos,” I say. “I want to push for a new autopsy of my mother. In light of the fact that the first one was done by a close personal friend of the man who beat her.”

Chief O'Brien looks up slowly. “You're going to use these to open up her death?”

I nod.

He leans back in his chair and looks me over. “You think you'll get anything?”

“He was the last one to see her after having an argument,” I reply. “He obviously had no issue with beating her. The police report doesn't match the coroner's report. There was no investigation done and it was pushed along. I want it redone.”

“With these, I think I can make that happen,” Senator Grayson says. “Norwood has a lot of people that don't like him. The only people that are loyal to him are those on his payroll, but these?” He points to the photos. “These will make a lot of those payments seem like not enough.”

“You'll do it then?” I ask him.

“Consider it already done,” Grayson replies. “I hope we nail him to the wall.”

Chief O'Brien chuckles. “This is going to be a bloodbath.”

“I certainly hope so,” I tell him. He smiles a feral smile at me that makes me glad he's on my team. Senator Grayson wears a similar one.

“We're going to get justice for your mother,” Grayson tells me. He smiles down at the folder. “Sweet, sweet justice. And maybe just a touch of revenge.”

I feel a pressure lift from my shoulders. My mother will have her day in court against the man that hurt her. She isn't here to do it personally, but I'm going to make sure that everyone knows exactly what Norwood did to her.

I'm going to ruin his life like he ruined mine.