Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 149209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
No sign of Bethany.
Alarm sets in. I’m just about to shout for her when I hear her voice drift around the corner of the building. “What do you want?”
“To see you. I’ve been trying to find you for weeks. Why did you come to Maui?”
She’s talking to some guy, and it’s definitely not Paul Daniels. I’ve never heard this low, polished voice before.
I creep closer, careful not to alert them I’m listening.
“You’re here, aren’t you?” Bethany responds, her voice sounding as hard as armor. I’ve never heard her talk in this assertive, rapid-fire tone. “Besides, I had to get away from the bad press back home. Too much negative attention.”
“And I guess you’re working in this shithole to lie low. Good cover.”
Is that why she’s working here? I’ve been wracking my brain for an explanation that made sense…
“Where are you staying?” he goes on.
“With a guy I met last week.”
Technically, she’s spent her nights with me, but we’re not staying at my place. Did she misunderstand the question or is she trying to mislead this guy?
“And saving your money since your accounts are still frozen. Good. You’ve always been the smart one. Now I need you to do something for me.”
“Tell me.”
“We’ve taken a lot of damage. But you can put a stop to Reed Financial’s bleeding and make this whole case against me go away now.”
I freeze. Is she talking to Barclay Reed? He’s here? Holy shit. Why does he think he has any right to talk to Bethany? He must have balls the size of fucking Jupiter.
Since he knows what happened to the money people invested with him, I have no compunction about eavesdropping. Besides, if Bethany needs me, I’ll be here to protect her.
“What’s your plan?” she snaps.
“Bring me that video, Bethany. You know the one I mean. It’s critical. Tell me you were thinking ahead and got it out of the office before the feds descended.”
“Where’s the money?”
“Safe. I can’t get to it now, but you know me…”
Is that supposed to be some kind of assurance? From a man who would cheat his clients and use his own daughter for profit?
“But it’s accessible?”
“Are you second-guessing me?” he snarls. “I’m your father. I paid for your very private, expensive education, including that Harvard MBA. I gave you a position as my right hand in one of the most profitable organizations of the last decade. I’ve never doubted you. Don’t you dare repay me like this. Do you have the video or not?”
God, he just laid an ugly fucking piece of manipulation on her. I want her to give him a verbal beatdown or, better yet, punch his damn face. She doesn’t.
“Of course,” she assures.
His sigh of relief is audible. “This is why I handpicked you to work by my side. Brilliant, brilliant girl. I need you to make a copy of it, then return to San Diego and deliver it to the AUSA.”
“Timeframe?”
“What kind of question is that? Tomorrow. Hell, now. And I don’t mean pop it in the mail, Bethany. I mean deliver it, along with a very personal reminder. You’ve never disappointed me. I know you won’t start now.”
My jaw drops. Is that asshole really insisting that she give her body to some other dude in order to save his ass? I hope she tells him to go fuck himself.
“I have no money for a plane ticket,” she points out.
“Here’s two thousand dollars.” I hear the rustle of bills. “It should get you to the mainland and back.”
“All right, but let’s talk this through. We have to be smart. We can’t overplay our hand.”
Our hand?
“We’re not,” he insists. “You play a royal flush when it’s time to crush the opposition. Now’s that time.”
“It’s not. The case isn’t going to trial for a while, but rumor has it our mutual friend will be promoted up the food chain in the next couple of months. If we wait until just before his new position is announced, he’ll have far more incentive to heed your demands.”
Bethany is helping her father? She’s plotting with him?
I stagger back against the wall of the building. Please fucking tell me I’m misunderstanding this conversation.
But logic tells me I’m not.
Has she been lying to me all this time?
“Clever…” Reed praises. “You have a point.” He sighs. “I don’t like the idea of waiting. It inhibits our ability to start investing again, but it’s all for nothing if the charges aren’t dropped. All right. I’m relieved you’re monitoring the situation, but I expected nothing less. Keep up the good work. I’ll be in touch soon.”
The click of his dress shoes as he walks away resounds in the night. His cadence steady, confident. I prop myself up against the wall since disbelief threatens to take me down.
I can’t move. Hell, I can hardly breathe. What the fuck am I going to do?