Page 168 of Lovestruck at Sundown
Tobias:But there are still 17 minutes left in the game.
Me:So, like an hour left in real minutes?
Tobias:If you put it that way.
“It’s Tobias,” I said, walking to my bathroom to brush my hair. “He misses you.” I chuckled.
“Is the game over?”
“No, not yet.”
“Then tough shit.” She gave me a mischievous smile and returned her attention to her book.
Me:She’s staying. When the game’s over, let me know,
and I’ll send her up.
Tobias:You can’t be trusted. I’ll get her myself when it’s over.
Me:Suit yourself :)
The doorbell rang, and Cecile closed her book, tossed it to the side, and followed me. I let Aaron in, and we moved into the living room.
“William and I have been in touch since he left this morning, trying to make sense of what happened,” Aaron began the moment he took a seat. “But now that we have all the information, he wanted me to be the one to explain it to you, although I’m sure he’ll contact you later to talk about it.”
“What happened?”
“You know Agent Mark and I go way back, and even if he went by his first name instead of his last, which is unusual, I stillknew his last name was Campbell. That threw me off initially, now that we have confirmation that Agent Hawthorne is Agent Mark’s son.”
Cecile audibly gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. “Pardon,” she quickly apologized for interrupting. She was a second away from throwing a bag of popcorn in the microwave.
“Wait, what?” That didn’t make sense. Or maybe it did, since there was so little I knew about either Agent Mark or Agent Hawthorne.
“Agent Mark’s wife died of cancer when their son Oliver was young. Agent Mark’s mother took care of Oliver’s upbringing while he attended the Federal Law Enforcement Training in Glynco, Georgia, to specialize in diplomatic security,” Aaron explained. “But I already knew this from multiple conversations I had with him through the years. As you know, he then fell in love with your mother and got himself kicked out of the DSS because of it. When that happened, he changed his last name to Hawthorne, his wife’s maiden name. He started his own private security firm, Hawthorne Security, alongside another ex-military friend of his and his son, who had been serving in the military while he was abroad working for the DSS.”
“So Agent Mark learned of the shared outing with my father and asked Agent Hawthorne to call in sick so he could take his place and confront my dad?”
“That is correct,” Aaron confirmed with a sharp nod. “That might be another reason Agent Hawthorne was keen to keep tabs on you whenever William was gone. He didn’t have to. You have your own security, but they were curious and began gathering information. But since you and your father became estranged after that Christmas, yesterday was one of the rare occasions where the three of you coincided.”
“Why didn’t Agent Mark just wait for him outside hisapartment and punch him in the face?” I asked. “I’m sure it wouldn’t have been too hard for him to find out where he lives.”
“I had the opportunity to talk to Agent Mark,” Aaron said, pressing his lips together. “We were friends. We trained together. When I tell you he was the best out there, I’m not exaggerating. He was the best of the best. I respected him, and he respected me.” Aaron seemed disappointed in how things had turned out for everyone involved.
“Hawthorne Security specializes not only in high-profile private security services but also in cybersecurity and private investigations. So when I asked Agent Mark the same question you’re asking me, he said he didn’t just want to confront him. He already had the opportunity to tell him what he thought in the past, but he wanted to achieve a few things with this exchange.” Aaron straightened in his seat and smoothed a hand down his tie.
“He’d been keeping track of your father’s new venture with Mr. Saunders and knew how crucial it was for the business that things went well for him at the gala. So Agent Mark aimed for a public humiliation, hoping to tarnish your dad’s reputation and his chances of securing this new client. He also admitted he wanted you to know the truth.” Aaron’s brow flew up in a way that told me he was against Agent Mark’s vindictive methods.
“Agent Mark didn’t seem particularly proud about this last part, though. He thought he had moved on, but when he found out one of his clients was dating María’s daughter … all the feelings came back to haunt him.” Aaron’s expression softened with sympathy. “He saw the chance to hurt your father, and he took it.”
“It’s too bad Nathan has to suffer for my father’s sins,” I muttered, almost to myself.
“Mr. Saunders knew who he was getting involved with whenpartnering up with your father,” Aaron said, surprising me with his candor.
“That’s the thing,” I replied. “I don’t think he did at first. Nathan looked up to my dad, but after the things he told me at the gala, plus all this mess, he sure knows who he’s dealing with now.”
I didn’t enjoy seeing my father get hurt, but I believed what happened at the gala and its aftermath impacted him. I’d never seen him display emotions in such a raw way or show remorse for his actions other than when he came looking for me back in May. But I knew that even if I could forgive him with time, I was afraid I’d never find it in me to trust him again. And I didn’t know what that would mean for us or where that would leave us.
“From what your father informed me, Mr. Saunders decided to part ways after yesterday’s incident and is trying to secure the deal on his own. So it’s up to Mr. Saunders to get this client on board.”
