Damage Control (Page 51)

“Has it?”

“It’s getting there, but it’s come with high risk and liability. We need to balance that out with a lower-risk, high-profit addition to our brand. That’s where you come into play.”

“Me?”

“You,” he confirms. “I don’t have time to look for that next venture. You’re smart and I trust you. I’d like you to help me narrow down the prospects to two or three, and then we’ll run numbers and do the due diligence.” He pats the folders. “These are the companies I looked into with my notes, but we’re not limited to these choices. They’re simply where I’ve begun looking.”

“I’d love to help,” I say, both thrilled and honored he wants me to do this.

“I have a private CPA to help with the back end. If there’s something you have a question about, and need answered, he’ll help.” He flips open a folder and indicates a card stapled in the front. “This is him and I’ll make sure he is accommodating.”

“Are you going to get rid of the financial division your father runs?”

“Everything that exists now will be replaced, but that knowledge is to stay with a small group of insiders, which includes Seth, Jessica, and the CPA.”

“Because people are going to be upset.”

“Yes. They will.”

My mind flickers to our morning and his abrupt handing off of the Bentley. “Did that black Escalade that showed up in the garage have anything to do with your plans to exit any of these divisions?”

“It was about exiting a bad business deal Derek got us into.”

“Since I’m looking for replacement investments, can you tell me what it was and why it was bad, so I don’t make the same mistake?”

“You are not Derek,” he says. “You would not have made this deal.”

“What was it?”

His hands come down on my legs. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

“But I’m curious. I want to do a good job.”

“You will do a good job.”

“You don’t want to tell me,” I say, confused by his mixed messages. “Is it a trust issue?”

“I trust you. You know I do.”

“But obviously there are boundaries to what you feel comfortable sharing.”

“Don’t do this. Don’t put a wall between us that doesn’t exist.”

“I’m not trying to put a wall between us. I just want to know that there will be a point when we’re closer—”

“You are closer to me than anyone has ever been. I repeat. This isn’t about trust. I can’t say that enough times.”

“Then what is it about?”

“You are too good to be a part of Derek’s creations. That’s what it’s about. You’re the future, not the past. You’re the good that I need while I get rid of the bad.”

“You’re protecting me.”

“You’re damn right I’m protecting you.”

“Like I was protecting you, but I ended up telling you everything. You insisted.”

“And now I can keep you safe from everything.”

“Who keeps you safe?”

“I don’t need to be protected.”

“But you decide when I do?”

“In this? Yes.”

I have a flashback of my mother questioning my stepfather and him saying something similar. Only she accepted the answer. I won’t. “I don’t like secrets. My life has had too many secrets.”

“This isn’t a secret. You know this is about Derek’s bad business.”

The doorbell rings. “That’s going to be Seth. He’s bringing you the details on all the holes he plugged in your background. We’ll finish talking when he leaves. We’ll figure this out.” He stands up and walks away. I sink back onto the floor, pick up my wine, and instead of drinking, watch the red liquid swirl in my glass. Secrets. Lies. Trust. Love. Hate. Family. Sex. I guess I’d rather have silence than lies. Wouldn’t I? I down my wine and reach for the bottle, refilling my glass before opening the first file, which ironically appears to be a winery. This intrigues me, but is it low liability? Maybe, if we aren’t the ones doing the retail sales.

Footsteps sound behind me, and I shut the file. Shane reappears, and I twist around as he sits on the couch, placing a file on the table. “This has all the details about your past filled in. You’ll want to study it.”

“Of course.” I narrow my gaze, noting the hardening lines of his expression. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to head to a meeting with Seth and Nick, the person running much of our private security.”

“Is there a problem?”

“We’re working on a solution to last night’s security breach at BP.”

“Oh right. I forgot about that. What happened?”

“We don’t know and that’s unacceptable. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone.”

“Any word on my security guard Randy?”

“I’m sure I’ll get an update on that at this meeting, but no one has mentioned it to me since Seth started looking into it.” He pushes to his feet and offers me his hand. “I have something to show you upstairs before I leave.”

Curious, I let him help me to my feet and lead me forward. “What is it?” I ask as we start up the stairs.