Chapter 16 Ares #2
“You stay close,” I said. “You don’t talk to anyone without one of us present. You don’t leave the executive floor. And you sure as hell don’t resign or do anything that makes you look guilty.”
“But Henri said—”
“Henri doesn’t get a vote,” Orion cut her off. “We decided this last night. All four of us. And we don’t abandon people we care about just because someone threatens us.”
“Even if it costs you the hotel?”
“Even then,” all three of us said simultaneously.
Tashi’s eyes welled up, but she blinked the tears back. “You’re all insane.”
“Probably,” Leo agreed. “But we’re your kind of insane now. So, you’re stuck with us.”
A small smile flickered across her face, there and gone. “Lucky me.”
“Damn right,” I said.
My phone buzzed.
Neville: Pulled something off Wilder’s flash drive. You need to see this.
I showed the text to my brothers.
“Go,” Orion said. “Find out what he knows. We’ll keep Tashi with us.”
I hesitated, not wanting to leave her when she looked fragile.
“I’ll be back soon,” I told her. “Don’t go anywhere.”
“Where would I go?” Her laugh was hollow. “My entire life just imploded.”
“Not yet, it hasn’t,” I said. “We’re just getting started fighting back.”
She nodded, drawing a slow breath, as if steadying herself.
“Just… don’t disappear on me,” she said quietly.
I squeezed her hand once, pulling my phone back out as I stepped away from her side.
Something was very wrong here. Something that went deeper than corporate sabotage or Gaming Commission politics.
Leo spoke my thoughts out loud. “The timing of these events is too convenient. Marcus files his complaint? Wilder shows up with lawyers? Henri acting…”
“Out of character,” I finished for him. “What else is going wrong? Orion, what about the investor who’s been asking questions?”
Orion shot me a concerned glance. “Which investor?”
“The one who called you three times this week. The one who suddenly wants detailed financials on the marketing department budget.”
“Mitchell’s been nervous since the fire, but I smoothed it over.” Orion paced the room. “You think he’s part of this…”
“Conspiracy,” I said. Though I wasn’t sure, I had my suspicions.
Orion drew in a deep breath. “Mitchell’s concerns aren’t vague anxieties about the fire. He’s citing specific budget allocations. Marketing expenses have gone over budget.”
My chest tightened. “What else has he referenced?”
“Personnel decisions. The timeline of when we hired Tashi. How quickly she was integrated into executive operations.” Leo’s voice dropped. “He even mentioned the private jet to the Grand Canyon. Said it raised questions about ‘appropriate use of company assets.’”
“That flight wasn’t public record.”
“No. It wasn’t.” Leo met my eyes. “Someone told him. Someone with access to our schedules, our internal communications.”
The implications settled like ice in my gut. This wasn’t just corporate espionage—someone was actively weaponizing our private information against us.
“Henri,” I said.
“Has to be. He’s the only one with that level of access across all systems—financial, operations, and security. CFO privileges give him visibility in everything.”
“But why?” I moved away from the window, pacing. “What does he gain from feeding intelligence to our investors? What does he gain from helping Marcus build a harassment case against us?”
“I don’t know.” Leo’s frustration bled through. “He’s like family to us.”
I mulled over Henri’s reactions over the past few months. His subtle disapproval over the decisions we made. He positioned himself as the “responsible” one when we took risks.
“Maybe money trumps loyalty,” I said.
Leo’s expression shifted. “You think Henri is waiting for us to make a mistake?”
The pieces were falling into place, each one more damning than the last.
“I think someone’s been creating opportunities for us to make mistakes, but yeah, I suspect he’s helping whoever is behind this.”
“We’ve known Henri for seventeen years,” Orion said finally. “Since we bought this property. He’s been with us through every expansion, every crisis, every success.”
“Which gives him intimate knowledge of our vulnerabilities,” I said.
“You really think he’d betray us?” Leo asked.
“I think people do many things when they see an opportunity for themselves. The question is, what opportunity?”
“But who would he work with?” Leo said.
“Maybe someone who wants to acquire us,” Orion said slowly. “Force us into a financial crisis, tank our reputation, and get investors to panic. Then buy us out when we’re desperate.”
Orion’s reasoning made terrible sense.
“A hostile takeover,” I said.
“If enough investors demand their payouts in lump sums, we can’t cover operational expenses—” Orion’s jaw tightened. “We’d be forced to sell pieces of the company to stay liquid.”
“Holy hell,” Leo said.
A funeral silence engulfed the room. Someone’s conspiracy threatened to destroy years of hard work and dedication.
“So,” said Tashi, her eyes wide. “What are we going to do?”
I clapped my hands together. “It’s time I get to work.”