Chapter Five #2
Melly steps over to Aurora. “To me you’re a young woman who got a raw deal that wasn’t of your own making.
My son likes you and wants you to become part of the family.
” She takes Aurora’s hand. “So when I say welcome, I mean it. And I can’t wait to have a baby around again.
It’s not like my sons are rushing to give me grandbabies,” she says, shooting Linc a pointed look.
“Well, Chloe’s getting married, so you can focus on her, too,” Linc says, obviously eager to take the spotlight off of him.
“Speaking of Chloe, she can’t make it today, but she promised to call you later,” Melly says to Aurora. “Now how about we go inside?”
Max picks up the bags and follows us in through the garage and the lower level, with Aurora gaping at the enormity of the mansion and the décor.
Aurora bought suitcases in Florida so she could pack her things and bring them to New York.
Max places those in the bedroom Melly has chosen for Aurora to stay in.
Then he excuses himself and says he’ll be waiting when Linc is ready to head back to the city.
Linc leaves the women and excuses himself to make some calls. The man is constantly working, I think.
In the half hour we’re in Aurora’s new bedroom, it becomes clear Melly intends to treat Aurora like a daughter, and the young girl relaxes, becoming more like her normal, talkative self.
It doesn’t take long for Melly to realize Aurora is sadly lacking in clothing and to take charge of the situation. She announces they’re going shopping.
“Jordan, come with us please?” Aurora asks, obviously overwhelmed.
But Aurora needs to get to know Melly, and Melly didn’t extend the invitation.
“I can’t,” I tell Aurora. “I have laundry and things to catch up on at home. But you have fun! I’ll check in later, okay?”
Aurora steps forward and pulls me into an awkward pregnant hug. “You’re the best. You’ve been so good to me.”
“You make it easy.”
“I’m going to get my handbag and freshen up. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes,” Melly says, walking out of the room.
Aurora sweeps her arms around. “Look at this room! It’s meant for royalty!”
Taking in the queen-size bed with a gorgeous floral spread in beautiful colors, draperies on the windows and a large television on the wall, a private bathroom and walk-in closet, I have to agree.
“It’s gorgeous. There’s space for a crib in here, too. Or you can put the baby in the room next door.” I turn toward her. “You’re going to have to go shopping for baby supplies. But something tells me Melly is going to want to help,” I say with a grin.
Aurora sits down on the plush mattress. “She’s really sweet. I think I’ll be happy here, at least until I can figure out my life.”
With a nod, I join her. I won’t pressure her now with questions I already know Aurora has no answers to. “When Melly gets back, I’m going to go find Linc.”
“Speaking of Linc, how long have you two been together?” Aurora asks.
“What?” I whip my head toward Aurora. “We aren’t together. We’re just friends and I work for him.”
Aurora raises her eyebrows. “R-i-i-ght.”
“What? Why wouldn’t you believe me?” I ask.
Aurora shrugs. “Because you two are close. I’ve been with you both for over a week now, and I see how you look at each other. How you read each other’s mind. Stuff like that.”
Dipping my head, I close my eyes and shake my head. “We’re just friends,” I insist. “Look around you. You’re overwhelmed by this kind of wealth and they’re your family. I don’t belong as anything more than his employee and close friend.”
“That sounds stupid.” Aurora pushes herself up and stands, bracing a hand on her back, her belly protruding in front of her. “It should be about how you feel, not how much money you have. But I get what you mean. I’m not sure I fit in here, either.”
I rise. “You will learn to be comfortable,” I assure Aurora. “I promise.”
“Are you ready?” Melly returns, lipstick touched up and a Chanel handbag on her arm.
“I’m ready,” Aurora says.
“You two go on. I’m going to check my messages and then go find Linc. Aurora, I’ll call you tonight.” I smile and watch them go.
Ignoring what Aurora said about her assessment of my relationship with Linc, I pull out my phone, surprised to see a message from a number I don’t recognize.
I hit play and discover it’s Suzanne Ashton, Kenneth Kingston’s secretary.
I gave the woman my phone number in case she remembered anything about the deal we’re looking into.
From the urgency of the voicemail, the woman clearly wants to talk.
Tapping on the number, I wait and Suzanne picks up.
“Hello, Jordan?” Suzanne says.
“Yes, hi. Did you remember something?”
Suzanne is silent for a moment, then says, “I never forgot but I couldn’t talk in the office. I didn’t want anyone overhearing and reporting back.”
“To who? What’s going on?” I ask, sitting back down on the bed.
“You know Kenneth and Wallace Franklin were close, right?” Suzanne asks of Linc’s father and the company CFO.
“Yes.”
“Well, Wallace was aware of Kenneth’s quieter deals.
He helped move money and allowed him to do things Linc didn’t know about.
And this current contractual situation you were asking about?
The man Kenneth went into partnership with was Beckett Daniels,” Suzanne says.
“I didn’t want Wallace to know I was revealing information they expected me to keep secret. ”
“Thank you, Suzanne. The revelation won’t be tracked back to you. I promise. And I’m really grateful you called me.”
“Of course! Mr. Kingston, Linc, I mean, was good to me. He kept me on and made sure I didn’t lose my job after his father died.” Suzanne sniffs. “If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to call after office hours.”
“I will. And thank you again.” I hang up and glance at the ceiling, trying to put pieces together.
Beckett Daniels. Beck. I know the name. He’s been a definite competitor of Linc’s in many real estate deals, and they went to college together and were once close. I assumed they drifted apart. But that’s all I know.
Grabbing my purse, I head to find Linc and fill him in on what I’ve learned.
* * *
Linc
I sit in the study behind the desk in the corner. Since my father had an office on the other side of the house, my mother uses this room as her sanctuary, and for some reason, I’ve retreated here now when I need to think clearly.
I can wrap my head around my father doing sneaky deals behind my back. But even with Kenneth’s illness, I can’t comprehend him risking the company, and if he tried to do such a thing, why would Wallace have let him?
No matter who I’ve asked so far, I’ve hit a dead end. No one I’ve called knows where Wallace has disappeared to, and clearly the person pulling the strings, Kenneth’s so-called partner, is keeping me dangling. And I want to know why.
A knock sounds on the door and I glance up. “Come on in!”
Jordan opens the door and steps inside. She’s wearing a pair of black leggings and a white boxy cropped top that reveals a strip of skin above the waistband, and one look makes me drool. Black Chucks complete the cute, sleek outfit.
“Am I interrupting anything?” she asks.
I shake my head. “No. Come sit.” I rise from behind the desk and walk around to join her, lowering myself onto the couch.
Her floral scent surrounds me, and I want her in my lap now, my fingers in her hair, her lips on mine. Instead I take a look at her face and know immediately something is wrong.
“What happened? Is there a problem with my mother and Aurora?” I ask, knowing how panicked Aurora was about meeting Melly.
Jordan shakes her head. “God, no. They’re like this.” She crosses two of her fingers in the air. “But Suzanne Ashton called me.”
I stiffen in surprise. “Now? On your cell over the weekend?”
She nods. “I know who your father’s partner is, and you’re right about Wallace helping him hide it. And apparently it’s not the only secret deal.”
Jaw clenched, I nod, glad to know my instincts were right. “Wallace,” I mutter. “Okay, and the partner?”
“Beckett Daniels.”
I jerk in my seat, shock running through me. “Beck,” I say, a roaring sound in my ears, and I force myself to focus.
Beck. My rival in business, but our past worries me more. Beck is clearly still harboring anger and resentment against me, and the bitch of it is, I don’t blame him. But a man with an emotional grudge is an unpinned grenade waiting to explode.
I’ve never told anyone what happened between me and Beck. My father didn’t know, which means to Kenneth, Beck was a convenient person with whom to do business, but to Beck? My father and his illness made him easy prey to get to me.
Nobody but family and trusted people inside the office knew about Kenneth’s dementia.
Clearly I made wrong choices there. But with my father’s more fragile mental state, it would have been easy for Beck to swoop in.
But Wallace was supposed to protect us all.
Shit. I scrub my face with my hand. What is Wallace getting out of the deal?
Jordan’s soft hand rests on my arm. “Linc? What is it?”
I don’t know how to tell her. She’s my best friend and the person I trust most, yet I’ve kept this from her. Not even my brothers know. I blow out a long breath, reminding myself if I can trust anyone, it’s Jordan.
I just hope she looks at me the same way after I tell her my deepest secret. “It’s about Beck. We have history.”
She meets my gaze. “I know. You went to college together.” Bending one leg, she rests her knee on the sofa, settling in.
I let out a groan and decide to get the truth out there and over with. “Okay, here goes. Beck and I were best friends, and late sophomore year, his room was next door to mine.”
She raises her eyebrows. “I didn’t know you were once close.”