“What about the deputy?” Mary Jo asked. “Deputy Birch. Can I go after her? What was she doing, bringing you in, anyway? She’s not a member of the Dallas PD. She’s from Titanville. There’s something going on there. Maybe I can get her suspended.”

“Leave Dana out of it,” he said as they left the parking garage.

Mary Jo glanced at him, eyebrows raised. “Dana? You know her?”

“We’ve met.”

“Tell me you’re not sleeping with her, Garth. Tell me this isn’t personal.”

He chuckled. It was personal, but not in the way his attorney meant. “We’re not involved or even friends. She’s…”

Dana was his half sisters’ friend. A deputy in the town where his mother lived. She was annoying, stubborn and determined to take him.

“She’s a friend of the family,” he said finally.

“I didn’t know you had family.”

“I’m more the type to have hatched?”

She sighed. “Fine. I won’t sue Deputy Birch. But tell her to stay out of my way. She’s trouble. I’ve had to deal with her in the past. I know the type. She’s honest and loyal. You know how annoying those two traits can be.”

He did. Once he’d believed in them. Lately though, he was more interested in results. An attitude that had cost him a lot but insured the win. And right now winning was all that mattered.

“I have the loan papers drawn up,” Mary Jo said. “Not to keep repeating myself, but you’re totally insane. Jed Titan is never going to accept the terms of the loan. Even if he does need the money, he won’t take it from you.”

“He won’t know it’s me.”

“He’ll suspect.”

“He won’t have a choice. I’m continuing to buy up his company. The shareholders are getting nervous. They know I’m interested, but they don’t know my end game, which is how I want it. Jed has had a lot of bad press lately. The possible treason charges alone cost his shareholders a lot of money as the price dipped.”