Julian stood as well, suddenly very, very nervous.

“What did Macon promise you?” I added.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he snapped.

“North, who told you that Macon had been with his mistress when he died?” I asked but didn’t turn to look at her.

“The police,” she replied.

“He was with you, wasn’t he, Julian? He died while you were together in bed. You called someone… ah, you called the escort service North used and had a woman show up. You paid her to call the police. To pretend he’d died while fucking her, not you.”

North sucked in a breath, obviously putting it together.

“Macon Wainright wasn’t into women, was he?” I pushed. “He was having sex with you. Telling you things. Got you to believe you meant something to him when you weren’t anything more than a pawn.”

After what North shared, it was plausible. She wasn’t the only one he’d used.

“I wasn’t a pawn!” Julian said, eyes narrowed in anger. “He loved me. I did things for him. Got deals signed. Pushed things past the ice princess. I told him I could do it and I proved it.”

Fuck. Me. I’d been right.

Eddie sat up, leaned against my leg.

“Why did you try to have me killed?” North asked. Her voice wasn’t sharp or angry. It was sad. She recognized how Julian had been used. The difference between North and Julian was that she’d never given in to Macon. Never believed his lies. She’d stood up to him.

Julian hadn’t been so strong.

“Caston paid me to take care of it. You see, I solve everyone’s problems.”

“The owner of the logging company paid you to kill North and sign the contract for her.”

I had to clearly outline his guilt. Aloud.

He nodded. “Yes.”

“She didn’t die,” I said. I wanted to grab him and rip his head off, but I needed his full admission.

Julian flicked his gaze to North. “I know.”

Julian pulled a gun from beneath his portfolio. I knew he had to be carrying some kind of weapon. To finish off the job that had been botched. If he’d been involved.

He was. He was at the center of it. The organizer. He was a guy who’d fallen for the biggest bullshitter of them all.

My blood went cold at the sight. This moment was why I’d been adamant North stay cuffed to the bed.

I slid over in front of North, blocking her. The room was big, but the chairs were close to the desk. I was easily able to reach out and shove the weapon to the side but didn’t get to it before Eddie snarled and lunged, biting Julian’s leg. He howled in pain, the gun swinging wide. He fired, blowing a hole in the wall.