Page 27 of Collin: Episodes 10-12
“Veronica. And I don’t think the internet listens to lawyers.”
Collin tightened his shoulders. “We’ll figure something out.”
The woman laughed, wetly. “No offense, but I don’t think Reevesworth Industries is going to pull out the big guns for someone like me. I’m not sleeping with the big boss.”
He had to run that through his brain twice before it made sense, and by the time he understood what she had said, her hands were over her mouth and shock and horror were registering in her eyes.
“Please forgive me. I shouldn’t have said anything; it’s just…the news…I mean.” She buried her face in her hands.
Collin put down his phone. “Mr. Reevesworth has enemies. This project”—he pointed to the map on the table in the center of the room with the blue proposed train line—“has enemies. None of this is personal. And we can’t let ourselves get distracted when they try to make it personal. Most of us,” Collin said and drew in a deep breath, “are sleeping with someone. And very few of us want anyone watching that without our permission. If any of us are being targeted because we’re on this project, then it’s company business, not personal business.”
There, you said that without implying you are or aren’t sleeping with the boss. Good job! Now if you can just keep it up…
Eliza sized Collin up. “But you are sleeping with Mr. Reevesworth, aren’t you? Just so we all know where we stand.”
Collin blushed. “Who I’m involved with is my own personal business.”
“Fair enough. So, Collin-who-may-or-may-not-have-a-direct-line-on-the-boss, what’s next? Because we all have things we don’t want the public to know and family members who are vulnerable to threat.” She held up her phone, showing a picture of a six-year-old. “Someone just sent me a picture of my granddaughter at her school. And it’s not a number I know.”
“Where is her school?”
“Nebraska.”
“Call the school, and tell them there’s a threat. Give Veronica the city and have her call the local police. Then call the parents. I’ll get the boss.”
Veronica spun around toward her computer, fingers above keys. “Area code?”
Collin ran for his master’s office
To say that Mr. Reevesworth reached for the big guns would have been putting it lightly. Veronica and Eliza were not the only ones being targeted. By six o’clock that evening, national news stations were running the story of how innocent workers were being targeted for industrial sabotage. Mr. Reevesworth went to the TV station himself, accompanied by Collin, though Collin did not go on camera. He sat down with a news host and delivered a sharply worded warning that Reevesworth Industries was not about to be cowed and offered any and all employees his protection, organized through his legal department. The fact that his hand was still wrapped in a bandage from the previous week did not escape the cameras.
Private security and police, as well as federal agents, had all already been contacted. It felt like half of them had come through the office, interviewing Collin’s new team and compiling lists of friends, relatives, exes, and significant others. With multiple credible threats, private security had been dispatched to no less than one hundred and seventy-three individuals. How far the enemies of Reevesworth Industries were willing to go was hard to say. So far, no one had been abducted or physically attacked since Collin and Mr. Reevesworth, but three people had had intimate photos or videos released, and four had been doxed by extremist sites.
Not even Ash had had the chance to order lunch, though Carrie saved all of them by having food brought in.
Mr. Reevesworth walked off the TV set, headed straight for Collin as soon as the cameras stopped rolling. “Updates.”
Collin checked his phone. “The guy who took that picture of Eliza’s granddaughter at her school is talking. He thought he had been hired for legitimate private investigative work for a custody case.”
“Not if he sent the picture like that.”
“He didn’t. The people who hired him did. But they don’t have them yet. The phone number was an internet number, already disconnected.”
Mr. Reevesworth grimaced, heading for the door. Collin handed him his coat and nodded to the security guard, signaling they were ready to leave.
“Sir, we have to give them time to pull the car around.”
Mr. Reevesworth paused beside the elevator. “Fine. What about the videos of Veronica? Do we know who did that yet?”
“She’s agreed to sue the guy who videotaped her without permission. And the lawyer she’s been assigned says the case is solid. She’s on camera asking him if he’s recording, and his voice is clearly on the tape saying he’s not recording. We still don’t know if he leaked them on purpose or if his security was just compromised on his personal devices.”
“Either way, he recorded her without permission.” Mr. Reevesworth buttoned up his coat. “I’m happy to make an example out of him and write off the expense.”
Collin smirked. This side of Mr. Reevesworth was fiercely attractive. “I’m glad you’re not a mafia boss, sir.”
“They might wish I was by the time I’m finished with them. Because before I was willing to just win. Now I want them gone.”
“You were so calm before, sir.”
