His Rules

Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

K acey

Had Mr. Kane called? That was the question on the tip of my tongue since Sebastian hadn’t volunteered it since calling me into the office.

His expression was a blank canvas. At least I could tell by the sparkle in his eyes something was going on. I only hoped it was something positive.

While the afternoon had seemed to drag on, excitement continued to build. I was eager to hear what kind of plans Sebastian had churning in that head of his. He’d left around noon for a business lunch, but it had been well after three-thirty when he’d returned. I’d already assured myself he wasn’t returning to the office.

He’d walked in with a scowl on his face, yet I’d noticed a twinkle in his eyes. Up until twenty minutes ago, he’d remained behind closed doors.

Alone.

If he’d been on the phone, he’d used his personal cell as his office line wasn’t lit.

When he’d invited me in, he’d simply asked me to go over conceptual pricing.

I’d enjoyed lunch with the girls and finally felt as if I’d found a business home. I’d certainly read about Winston Winfield’s successful hospitality company, but I honestly hadn’t realized that at the height of his career, he’d owned hotels in several countries. Over the years, he’d sold off many of the locations to competitors, but had kept a core.

Then he’d sold out to World Hospitality Corporation. They were doing well from what I could tell, but nothing like what Winfield Properties had been in their heyday.

I wondered why neither Sebastian nor his brother had taken over. And why did I have a feeling that decision had been the bass notes humming along for years prior to Drake attempting to dethrone someone he’d called a friend?

I’d seen Drake leave right after Sebastian earlier in the day and I’d almost followed him. Now I wished I had. It was well after hours and almost everyone else had already gone home. Sheila had come through with the hotel receipts. The location was in the heart of the city, one often used for conferences. I’d tried to snoop, but as expected, I didn’t get anywhere. Information on guests was kept highly confidential.

“I think there’s missing money, but I’ve yet to find how it’s occurring.” I thought my statement would surprise him, but he didn’t act as if he was bothered in the least.

He took a deep breath, nodding a couple of times. “You think or you know?”

“I know small amounts are missing. A few hundred here, a couple thousand there. Nothing large, but enough my hackles are raised.”

“Okay. Give me your thoughts on why.”

“Honestly? It’s minuscule dollars that don’t equate from one sheet to another. Nothing significant and if I wasn’t attempting to do a deeper dive into the books from a learning statement, I’m doubtful I would have found the discrepancies. I just can’t determine the source. Maybe the money was being used as a test to see if anyone would find out.”

None of this seemed much of a surprise to him.

“Then what do you suggest?”

“You need to have a full forensics audit done of the books. They will delve into everything. I’d have them use your past audits as a starting point, but also consider going back a couple of years to see if the start of the issues can be determined. Numbers never lie and there’s always a trail no matter how practiced the thief.”

“Yes, very true.”

My recommendation was the only way to determine if money had been stolen. That’s the conclusion I’d come to, although I’d need to dig for weeks to discover if I was right. An auditor and his or her team could likely accomplish the feat in two weeks tops.

“An audit.” He made the statement as if the notion had already dawned on him.

“Yes. It’s been two years. When did business begin to suffer?”

“Just about two years ago.” The corners of his lips began to curl.

“Hire someone you’ve never used before.”

His smile could be considered devious. “I’ll take your advice.”

“Good. I have something to show you that has nothing to do with what we were talking about,” I told him. Why did I feel embarrassed about my drawings? The pencil and paper renditions were damn good if I said so myself.

Instead of working on the job I’d been hired to do, I’d used my talent in art to create a picture of what I thought the interior of a luxury jet liner would look like.

“You do?”

“Yes.” I slipped a folder across his desk, cringing as soon as he opened it.

He pulled two of the papers into the light, scanning first one then the other. “Did you do these?”

“I like to draw when I’m nervous or just for relaxation. So yes.”

“They’re incredible. A vision. And I could clearly see you have costs in mind while keeping the luxury brand.”

I sighed before smiling. I didn’t know why it felt so important for him to like what I’d drawn.

“I just wanted to put some drawings to paper. I know you have designers, but they need to know how to start.”

He looked at me slyly and we both heard a knock on the door a split second before it was opened. Before I glanced over my shoulder to see who’d interrupted us, I noticed Sebastian didn’t bother hiding the drawings. He was in a bold mood.

“Ms. Taylor. Good to see you.” Drake was smirking as he sauntered closer. “How are you taking to your employment here with us?”

“It certainly has its challenges.”

His smirk pissed me off. “I bet it does. We’re glad to have you. Just don’t let the man keep you too late. He has a tendency of working until midnight.”

“I think I can handle it. This company deserves the time,” I told him and could tell he didn’t like that I’d stepped up for myself.

“Yes, I’m certain you can. I’m heading out, Sebastian. I have a date for a change.”

“You always have a date,” Sebastian said coolly.

“Yes, I guess I do. You should try it sometime.” It was as if Drake was purposely trying to push his partner into saying something or getting into an argument. I couldn’t tell which.

“Do you need something, Drake?” my boss asked.

“We should talk tomorrow. I have a few things to go over.”

“That’s fine. I’ll be at the office early. We’ll catch up. I have a few things for you as well.”

The two men glared at each other for a few seconds before Drake looked away. “Have a good night, both of you.” He gave me a hard look before walking out.

“Wow. It’s chilly in here.” I rubbed my arms as if I was freezing.

“Yes, it is.”

“Has it always been this way between the two of you?” I wasn’t certain why it mattered, but there was a reason the two of them had went into business together.

“At one point, Drake was one of my best friends. Your father was always busy and rarely had time to get together. I met Drake at a fundraiser and we hit it off. I think I was twenty-three at the time. He was from a rich family and just waiting for his trust fund to release. We were playboys at heart, spending all our free time chasing after hot women, but there was a drive deep within both of us. At one point, he’d wanted to be a fighter pilot, but his eyesight disqualified him. But he had the same love of aircraft I did.”

“Interesting.”

He chuckled. “Not what you’d expect from me?”

“The playboy part absolutely, but not your love of flying. Are you a pilot?”

“I am. Small aircraft though. Sadly, I haven’t flown in years. I haven’t had the time. One night Drake and I were commiserating over whatever bullshit had occurred when he threw out an idea. What if we built the kind of planes that we knew should exist? Safety. Luxury. Style. Easy on fuel. You know. We were dreaming. But we kept talking about it. I was working in the corporate branch of my dad’s company and so was he. Neither one of us were happy. After his trust fund came online and with the help of a couple investors, we made our dream come alive. That took time, but we never let go of the idea.”

“And the rest is history,” I said, thoroughly enjoying the story.

“We had mostly bumps in the beginning, but we got some contracts, additional warehouse space. We were finally able to hire the best designers and engineers and four years later when we were close to rock bottom, we made our first big deal. That was right around the time my father reintroduced me to Ashley, my ex. I didn’t know it at the time, but he’d already made arrangements with his best friend, Ashley’s father, that we should be married. They had competing companies and the merger would make the newly combined firm the most profitable in the world. No one would have been able to challenge their hospitality space.”

“Only you wanted no part of it.”

The way he looked at me left me with a stark feeling of sadness. “No, but from what I know, Ashley was sent in to woo me.”

“And you fell in love.”

“I hate to admit it, but I did. That began the rift between me and Drake. I was spending too much time with her while he was spending all his time trying to make our company stand out in a long line of airplane manufacturers.”

“You were used.”

“I was and I fell for it,” he snarked. “When I continued to refuse to have anything to do with my father’s company, our relationship went south. I stayed at the office more and she decided to seek company elsewhere. I honestly wouldn’t have cared except the divorce was very difficult as well as financially draining.”

“She’s still in the picture.”

“She is as a thorn in my side. She’s head of my father’s old company since Pops was bought out. A mistake. And one I need to rectify.” He got up from his chair, walking around his desk and sitting on the edge in front of me. He was so handsome, so debonair, and for a few seconds, I allowed myself to swoon from the scent of his aftershave alone.

I leaned in further, the closeness sending crackles of electricity all throughout my body. “You want to buy back your father’s old firm.” I felt like a kid who’d just been given the world’s best Christmas present. “You liked my idea.”

“More than just liked. You sparked something within me that I haven’t felt in one hell of a long time. Excitement.”

“That’s where you were today. You were trying to make this happen.”

“I was. And I will. It might take time and shoving Drake out the door will be arduous. He won’t go without a nasty fight. That means everything could get dragged through the press. I don’t want you involved in that.”

“Wait a minute. Part of this plan was my idea, but you’re pushing me out?”

“You’re the most intelligent, capable woman I’ve ever met, but I don’t want you hurt. I’m saying you need to find a job where you can be protected.”

My reaction was involuntary and I jerked up. “Hold on here. I know I haven’t been with this company for long, but I’ve already put in a lot of work including when I was in New York trying to get my life together in a few neat little boxes. I gave you a strong idea that you want to run with. I made certain you didn’t lose your best client because of your extreme arrogance and you want to push me out the door? Not a chance, buddy. I’m here for the long haul and I don’t give a damn what I need to do to prove my worthiness. You’ll never find anyone else like me in your entire life.”

He said nothing at first and that infuriated me more. Then his eyes twinkled even more vividly than they’d done before as a smile crept up on his face.

“Oh, my God. You were testing me. You wanted to see how badly I wanted to be a part of this? I’m right. Aren’t I?”

“Yes. Very good.”

I reacted even worse than I had before. I cracked my hand across his face.

“You bastard.” All the spiteful feelings I’d had for him before came sweeping back and I spun on my heel, ready to charge out of the room and his life for good. I’d taken two steps when he snapped his hand around my arm, jerking me back and against this chest with a hard thud.

The wind knocked out of me, I smashed both fists against him, but the immovable object didn’t budge an inch.

“Be very careful, my diamond. Not only are you treading on thin ice, you’re ready to fall in. But don’t worry. I’m right here to save you.”