Page 78 of Cocky Prince
She exhales and her shoulders visibly relax. “Okay. I mean, I know I can. Or I feel I can. It’s just—this has to do with work. And where work is concerned, we haven’t always seen eye to eye.”
Fuck.
She’s right.
There are things about my job I can’t talk to her about. And not because I don’t want to, but because it’s not safe to. “Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you, and we’ll go from there?”
She gives me a soft smile, then looks ahead and takes a deep breath. “I have to ask you about the Blue Stars.”
“Paul and the others?” I say. “Have they done something?” The thought makes the back of my neck heat.
“No—well, I don’t know,” she says. My eyes are on the road, but I see her studying me, out of the corner of my eye. “You never wondered what makes them special? In any other company, employees work together. But the Blue Stars are handpicked by the CEO and seem to have absolute control regardless of their position.”
I pull into her driveway and cut the ignition, turning to face her. “I’ve never thought about it. Favoritism exists in every company.” I grab her hand. “I don’t like the way Blackwell treats you. Makes me crazy. But try not to let it get to you. You are extremely competent and good at what you do.”
“But you’re a part of them—the Blue Stars. You support the way they treat me and the others.”
“I’m not considered a Blue Star. I work with them. It’s a part of my job.” I glance away, trying to piece together what this is about. “Do you want me to say something on your behalf? I thought you didn’t want me to step in for you, but—”
She pulls her hand from mine. “I’m capable of taking care of myself. Was doing it long before you showed up.”
“You started working at Blue just a few months before I did,” I point out, which only seems to annoy her further. Goddamn my mouth.
“What does that have to do with anything? They hired me because they thought they could control me.”
I shake my head. “Hayden, you’re drawing conclusions. Paul and William and the others are jackasses. Don’t let them get to you.”
“What about Blackwell? You think he’s just some jackass?”
I drape my wrist over the steering wheel. I’m in it now. Might as well go all the way. “No. I think he’s powerful. In ways you and I can’t begin to imagine.”
She sighs. “I agree. That’s why I’m bringing this up. Not because I need you to rescue me.”
She’s angry, but my own frustration is growing. “Why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you?”
She crosses her arms over her chest, a subtle challenge in her eyes. I already know I’m not going to like what comes out of her mouth next. “I believe Blackwell is using Blue to conduct illegal business.”
Nope, definitely didn’t like where that went.
Hayden suspects something, or she wouldn’t have been snooping around the facility manager’s office.Looking for evidence,Lewis said. Hayden is trying to find out what she’s missing.
I don’t know what more Blackwell is capable of, but my imagination fills in the blanks pretty quickly, considering the resources he’s poured into Bliss, the lineup of ex-military at his disposal, and the mysterious source who’ll be sending drugs into the casino through hired escorts. And if Hayden knew any of this, she’d try to do something to stop it. She doesn’t want me to rescue her, but neither can I give her the information she seeks and put her in the line of fire.
I need to nip this in the bud and get her off the subject. “Suspicions aren’t evidence.”
“And that doesn’t sound like denial,” she says. “What have you been keeping from me?”
I let out a sigh. “I know what the rest of the managers know.”
That was a vague answer, but it was truthful. I just happen to know a few extra details in addition to what the other managers know.
“Not all of the managers are aware of Bliss.”
My jaw shifts. Those damn files in the facility manager’s office. I knew she found them. “I’m not allowed to talk about that,” I say. She shakes her head in disbelief. “This is my job, Hayden. It would be wrong for me to ask you for confidential information on employees. Please don’t put me in the same position.”
She gets out of the car, and I follow her to the porch. Hayden inserts the key and opens the door, standing on the threshold. “What they’re doing is illegal. Mira and Tyler know it. Lewis and Gen and the others do too. We’ve been trying to find evidence to take to the police.”
“Goddammit, Hayden.” I thrust stiff fingers through my hair. “Don’t use Blue as your retaliation for the past. This isn’t about you, and what you’re talking about is going to get you hurt.”
