“It’s a good thing you’ve brought up this conversation, Tom,” I said smoothly, my voice laced with a calm that I didn’t quite feel. “It’ll make things easier for both of us.”
Thomas raised an eyebrow at me, clearly intrigued by the shift in tone. “Oh? And how is that?” he asked, leaning slightly forward, his eyes never leaving mine.
I set my glass down on the table with a soft clink, the quiet sound filling the room as I straightened in my chair. “Let’s not pretend,” I said, my words slow and deliberate. “Your honesty will be for your own good.”
I could feel the air between us grow tense, charged. I had him exactly where I wanted him. I needed to know what he knew, what he was hiding, and it was time to push a little harder.
“My border has been under attack for the past few weeks,” I c
