Page 70 of The Facilitator: Part 2
He seemed most unconcerned if it was, in fact,illegal.
“So you’d go to illegal lengths to continue to punish Addison and Daniel?” I asked, quietly. The look on his face told me I’d moved from rocky ground to a dangerousone.
“I’d go to illegal lengths to protect what is mine when I know devious methods are at hand to steal fromme.”
The steely tone to his voice brokered no response fromme.
I stood to make two coffees. The machine was on a timer, so it would have filtered for the morning. I pushed buttons randomly to override it, unsuccessfully. It didn’t help the tears I had in my eyes blurred my vision. I felt Mackenzie behind me. He reached over and sorted the machine; he then wrapped his arms around my body and rested his chin on myshoulder.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to speak to you that way. I protect my businesses, Lauren, in any way I can when I know something underhanded is happening. I had no idea Jerry was involved. I’ll do whatever I can to ensure he doesn’t lose out, but it’s going to be my word against Addison’s, and we know how smitten he is withher.”
I turned in hisarms.
“I shouldn’t have made it personal. You’re right, you have to do what you believe is best for your business. I just worry about Jerry, he’s my friend,” I said, and then shrugged my shoulder. “However, I won’t tell him anything. I’m going to stay out of this one. I love him, but I love youmore.”
Whether I could stick to that promise was another issue of course. I wasn’t dumb. For Mackenzie to have gotten to the level of businessman he was, to own the companies he did, meant there would be a ruthless streak to him. I would be a hypocrite if I condemned him for that. I enjoyed the trappings of his success, of course, and I’d made decisions when working for Jerry and with Trymast that went against my beliefs but were necessary. The thought of Jerry losing everything, however, had me worried. I just had to trust Mackenzie when he said he’d do what he could to ensure that didn’t happen forhim.
Mackenzie walked back to the table with his coffee. He sat and typed a reply and when he finished, he lowered the lid. I sat oppositehim.
“I told him that I had it on good authority there was no new contract, and I advised he get out quick. I said my sources told me that company was going to lose its existing one soon, so his shares would be worthless. I also told him whoever was advising him of this deal might not understand what they are doing themselves. I thought it better than to just tell him they are usinghim.”
“Are you surprised it’s Daniel and not her father?” I asked, sipping on the hotcoffee.
“No, I guess I’m not. I thought it was her father initially, but then I know he doesn’t have the type of money needed to have bought what they have so far. Jerry just got on board; so that means Addison and Daniel have obtained what cash they needed somewhere else. That worriesme.”
“Could Daniel have gotten it from his mum? He must have access to money to be able tolive.”
“He has a trust that pays him monthly, as does Gabriella. It isn’t enough to do what he has, though.Unless…”
He flipped open the laptop lid and started totype.
“Unless what?” Iasked.
“Unless he’s managed to steal from the Collingsworth family trust. I invest some of their funds for them, he would get statements, so he knows his family’s worth, but he doesn’t have access to his full share until Viviennedies.”
“Who are youemailing?”
“The trust’s lawyer. I won’t get a reply until tomorrow…” He looked at his watch. “Until later, but I want it to be the first thing hesees.”
He scrubbed his hands over his face, and I heard the scratch as his palms ran over his stubble. “There’s nothing more I can do tonight,” he said, as hesighed.
“Will you tellGabriella?”
“I’ll have to. I think we might need to delay our trip to Boston. I need to get to the bottom ofthis.”
“I’m not unhappy about that. I can’t imagine swapping this for Boston, although I hear it’s beautiful,” Isaid.
He stood and smiled at me. He raised his arms over his head to stretch out his back, the muscles rippled on his naked torso. “You go on up, I’ll be along shortly,” hesaid.
I left him stretching and headed back to bed. My body was all over the place with the change in time, and it was starting to wear me down a little. I climbed under the sheet and didn’t remember anythingelse.
As the previous day, it was late morning before Mackenzie wokeme.
“You need to wake me up when you get up,” Isaid.
“I didn’t go back to bed.” He ran his hand through his tousled hair and I noticed the circles starting to form around hiseyes.
“Why? Mackenzie, the time difference affects you as well, you’ve been in the UK too long. You’ll be of no use to anyone if you’reexhausted.”
