“And tell them I’ve missed an embezzler for the past decade.”

  “And tell them you caught an embezzler who’s covered her tracks—well—for the past decade.”

  Sloan’s emphasis was in all the right places and still, Chase couldn’t help but feel the spin.

  “One more excuse. Just like Althea’s.”

  “I’d call it the truth.”

  He heard the steel in her tone and saw it mirrored in the hard set of her features, her jaw fixed in place.

  It should have been harsh, but instead...it was compelling.

  And a reminder that he’d wanted answers and had gotten them.

  This was never going to end in a good place. He’d called in Sloan and her expertise specifically because there was a problem with the books.

  It was hardly the time to get angry at the messenger.

  Which made the explosion that much worse.

  “You can call it whatever the hell you want, it doesn’t change the fact that a woman was just escorted out of here, broken by life.”

  He picked up Althea’s half-full water bottle and hurled it at the far wall.

  The move wasn’t particularly satisfying, but the anger roiling through him softened a bit with the action.

  In the desire to move and rant.

  To somehow shed this rage that had filled him at the discovery of his father’s secret life.

  Yet Althea’s excuses—one more dark mark in a column full of them—only made the thick miasma of it all heavier.

  A weight that seemingly grew as each day passed.

  Sloan didn’t deserve any of it.

  She’d helped, but in seeing her standing there, more than willing to shoulder the burden of her discovery, Chase knew a sense of shame.

  And anger.

  And a deep sort of fracture that separated the life he believed he had from the one he actually did.

  It cratered through him.

  And Chase wondered if he would ever be the same.

  * * *

  Sloan was tempted to just walk out.

  Leave Chase to his anger and his need to process it, and head home.

  She’d solved the case. It was time to pack up and head back to Chicago.

  She nearly did all that, actually turning on her heel to head out the same way she’d come in, before something stopped her.

  This wasn’t directed at her. Oh, she was handy, but she wasn’t the real target. And whatever she was seeing now had nothing to do with the raw, aching fury that was raging through him.

  With calm, purposeful movements, she crossed to the sideboard and picked up a roll of paper towels, then went over and cleaned up the water. She’d sopped up the first seeping puddle when she felt a large hand on her back.

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “It’s fine. I can—” She didn’t even finish her sentence when Chase was gently pulling her to her feet, taking the roll and the sopping handful from her. “It’s my mess. I’ll do it.”

  He tossed the wet handful in the garbage and already had a fresh length pulled off when Sloan laid a hand on his arm.

  “Why don’t we both do it and we’ll get it done in no time?” She couldn’t resist adding a smile. “Your aim was solid, and you even cleaned that window there.”

  The tease had its desired effect and he let out a laugh when he saw the streams of water dripping down the window that overlooked Main Street. “Side benefit.”

  Chase handed her the paper-towel roll and within minutes they both had the room back to rights, the floor and the window dry once more. He resettled the considerably smaller towel roll back on the sideboard before turning to face her.

  “I’m sorry.”

  His green gaze was bleak, but his voice was firm.

  Solid.

  And underneath it all, she could hear that Chase had regained some of his equilibrium.

  “Apology accepted.”

  “Althea’s been here for so long. She’s part of the Colton Properties family.”

  Sloan didn’t want to add to his pain, but she’d done enough work through the years to know that his thinking was a fallacy. Colton Properties, no matter how well-meaning, was a place to come to work. Althea’s family was separate and always had been.

  And when push came to shove, her focus and her bad decisions were in service to her own family.

  Although she said nothing out loud, Chase must have seen her lack of agreement. “You don’t think we could have done something different?”

  “Harsh truth?”

  “Give it to me,” he said on a resigned sigh.

  “I think this is your family business, but I think this is a job and a place to come to work for everyone else.”

  He nodded. “I suppose you’re right.”

  She wanted to go to him—to touch him—but because she did, Sloan stayed right where she was.

  “It’s not a bad thing, Chase. In fact, if you can channel that properly, which I believe you have, you create a place where people want to come to work. Where they want to devote their lives.”

  “To steal from me.”

  “To build a career. To partner with you on your vision. To live a good life, with purpose and commitment every day. It doesn’t have to be a family. A job can be a good thing. It can matter, just for itself.”

  Her own words felt a bit hollow as they echoed in her ears.

  Hadn’t she done the exact opposite?

  She might have begun SecuritKey with purpose, but it had become something of an all-consuming mission, especially these past few years. She’d felt that all too starkly when she’d considered her dating life, but if she extended it even outside the realm of dating, she had made her job her life in all aspects.

  Perhaps it was time to pull back on that a bit.

  Whatever else this job was meant to be in her life—and meeting Chase Colton was obviously a part—maybe he wasn’t the whole story.

  And maybe this assignment had come at the perfect time to make her wake up and realize she needed to build a life that was more than work.

  More than something to fill her days.

  “I should get into the big conference room and update everyone on what’s going on.”

  “Why don’t I come with you? I can explain my role and why I’ve been here.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I think I do. You said it to me from the first. That you didn’t like foisting a ruse off on your employees and lying to them. I can explain what I did and what I’ve turned over to you.”

  “There’ve been way too many lies up to now.”

  “Yes, there have been. And because of it, let’s tell them the truth. Push it all into the light and let everyone know how you’re going to fix it.”

  * * *

  Markus sat with Winston Kraft in the luxurious trailer they used as an office and watched the numbers scrolling on the large computer monitor in front of them.

  “We need her to come to heel. That Colton money will help solve some of these shortfalls.” Winston pointed to three areas on the screen, all tied to recruitment and some payoffs they’d needed to do to manage the dead women.

  Dead women who would have stayed buried if it weren’t for those damn K-9 trackers.

  He’d always hated dogs. They found more than they should and uncovered the stuff that needed to stay beneath the surface.

  And wasn’t it bad luck Jessie’s son had been engaged in the case?

  He’d guilted her about it and managed to buy himself a few extra weeks without her nagging him incessantly about marriage. How Max had turned to such dark life’s work because she’d left him as a child.

  He’d been subtle about it, Markus smiled to himself, but it had been an effective ploy. And the added benefit was how much he could then press her about her relationship with Nathan and Sarah and how much love and devotion she’d shown them.

  Shouldn’t they want to support her? Shouldn’t they want more of their fair share of Robert Colton’s money?

  Despite manipulating her to the situation, it hadn’t changed the fact he’d had to pay out to keep a few county officials quiet.

  It had been necessary dollars out the door, but they were operating in a deficit and would be fully in the red if Jessie didn’t figure out a way to get her kids on board.

  “How much time do we have?” Markus asked.

  “Another month. Maybe two if we can squeeze a bit more out of the current patrons.”

  It wasn’t much time. Markus considered how he’d approach some of his followers, who still hoarded some of their own money they thought he didn’t know about.

  He had a few tactics he could employ there. But the truth was, Jessie Colton’s money would go a long way toward not just keeping them solvent, but putting them in a position to invest more. There was a trafficking ring in Boise he wanted a piece of and there were a few other big fish he’d had on the line he wanted to try and reel in.

  They were skeptics, but prettying up his enterprise would go a long way toward getting those fish into his growing pond.

  “She still at you to get married?” Winston asked as he shut down the program, tapping in the additional layers of passwords and encryption he insisted on.

  “With damn near every breath.”

  “You know you may have to do it?”

  Markus eyed his second-in-command. Winston had been with him for years now and the man was a slimy bastard, but effective and committed to the grift.

  “I don’t see you lining up to do it.”

  Winston flashed him a dark grin and batted his eyes. “I’m a married man myself. My sweet little wife is a good-natured follower and is eager to have children to increase our flock.”

  “How’s that working out?”

  Markus hit his friend with the dig on purpose. He knew it had been a serious bone of contention that Winston’s young wife wasn’t pregnant yet and he’d always found those well-placed barbs kept a person in line.

  And ensured they realized Markus saw far more than his benevolent demeanor might suggest.

  Winston’s eyes had grown dark, and he pushed away from the computer. But when he spoke, he was his even-toned self. “In due time.”

  “Don’t you have grandkids you could foist off on her?”

  Winston didn’t keep up with his first family. His estranged son, Rick, was unwilling to be a part of his father’s life. Winston had always seemed okay with that, if not actually somewhat relieved not to have the baggage of his adult son nosing around in his business.

  “Rick’s not eager to have a family reunion, but I keep tabs on them.”

  Markus kept a few tabs of his own but held back from saying anything more.

  It always paid to know the comings and goings of your flock.

  Even when it was a lifelong friend.

  Perhaps especially then, Markus thought.

  It was a cold world and even the closest of friends could turn on you for the right incentive.

  Which was why he’d always ensured he kept a stack of information at the ready.

  Knowledge was power in every way. Sure, weapons and fear were endlessly effective tactics, but knowledge and the secrets most people held close to themselves were the foundation of a healthy enterprise.

  The Ever After Church was the latest incarnation of that power, but it would be temporary, just like all that came before. Another year, maybe two, if they could keep reeling in the big fish, but that would be all. He and Winston would suck this part of Idaho dry before moving on, but they would move on.

  It was inevitable.

  Shaking off thoughts of what came next, Markus focused on the here and now, their budget spreadsheet vividly tattooed in his mind.

  He needed to go talk to Jessie. It was time to amp up the pressure campaign for Robert Colton’s money.

  Every last cent he could get his hands on.

  Chapter 11

  Sloan watched Chase work the conference room, full of Colton Properties employees, from the initial speech he gave outlining what they’d uncovered about Althea’s embezzling, to the real reason Sloan had come to Owl Creek, to then answering questions. He remained respectful of Althea’s privacy, even in the midst of her destructive behavior, before directing everyone’s attention to the future.

  Even as he painted that vision, he was quick to answer each and every question, most of which dwelled on the past.

  He was even quicker to take responsibility and outline how he and his family would absorb the costs of Althea’s damages, going so far as to confirm everyone’s bonus structures and salaries were safe.

  It was hard work, that sort of dedicated leadership and willingness to helm the ship, but he did it well.

  And when the last person had filed out of the conference room, Sloan’s heart did a hard bump in her chest at the look of sheer exhaustion that painted his features.

  And it wasn’t even noon yet.

  “That started the week off with a bang.”

  Chase reached for the center of the table and snagged a fresh bottle of water among several someone had thoughtfully put out earlier.

  He swigged down almost half of it before looking back up at her, his smile wry. “Don’t worry. I won’t throw this one.”

  “I’m not worried about the water.”

  He glanced up after taking another large pull on the water. “Oh? What are you worried about?”

  “You.”

  “Yeah, well I’ll be fine.”

  “You will be. But right now, you’re entitled to be angry and hurt and frustrated.”

  “Like I’ve been for the past four months?” Chase shook his head. “What’s the point any longer? As difficult as today is, it’s finally a step in the right direction. Finally a step forward, not wondering who’s out to harm the business.

  “I’m sad. But today’s not the day to worry about me. I finally have some answers.”

  She didn’t want to doubt him, but she knew how grief worked. Hadn’t her mother always said that it comes in waves? No matter how well in hand you thought you had things, a rogue wave knocks the wind out of everyone.

  And make no mistake about it, Chase Colton was grieving.

  It was the second biggest point she kept returning to, over and over.

  The first point she returned to was about herself.

  Because she couldn’t quite get past—or even begin to process—how naive she’d been in taking on this job.

  She’d taken the work believing that it would be easier, somehow, to uncover secrets for a small, family-owned business.

  Instead, she’d discovered that this betrayal took as large a human toll as a lot of the work she’d done for the FBI. The stakes were different, but pain was still pain and she hadn’t really braced herself for that fact.

  With the FBI, her work helped to uncover killers and brought them to justice.

  With this work for Colton Properties, she’d uncovered yet more secrets that caused Chase pain.

  “You do have answers.” Sloan nodded, anxious to get out of there.

  She’d changed lives today. Althea’s was ruined. Chase’s beliefs in an old friend had been shattered.

  And she desperately needed to get away from the suddenly crushing weight of her work.

  * * *

  One moment she was there and the next she was gone.

  Wisped away like smoke was all Chase could think as Sloan made an excuse to leave and three other people walked into the conference room to talk to him.

  Because even with a morning as wild as theirs, the work still had to go on.

  He vowed to call Sloan later and then switched his focus to the evolving negotiation for a piece of property just outside of Conners. That was followed by a conference call he set up with his siblings, including Nate and Sarah, to fill them in on Althea’s arrest. The call had gone well, but as they were wrapping up, Nate had asked if he was free to meet for coffee later that afternoon and Chase had agreed.

  Chase used a visit to the property out toward Conners as the basis to set their meeting point and suggested Nate meet him at a small coffee shop he favored there. It cut a bit of time off his brother’s drive over from Boise and gave Chase an opportunity to walk the property in question once more.

  It also gave him a chance to replay all that had happened that morning during his time alone. Sloan’s work had been impeccable—she’d laid out a clear trail and Althea’s history of embezzlement was damn near impossible to dismiss.

  His office manager’s crimes were long, and he had every expectation the Owl Creek PD would match what was taken from Colton Properties to deposits into Althea’s accounts. Fletcher had recused himself from the case based on his personal proximity to the family business. But his partner would see this one through and help secure the evidence.

  And Chase’s siblings had all agreed that they would support Althea’s husband’s treatments for as long as he needed them.

  None of it meant they weren’t prosecuting Althea for the crime.

  He hated it, deeply, but he wasn’t excusing her behavior, either. Especially when so much of her rationale for her actions was that his father had done bad things, so she felt it was okay.

  It wasn’t okay.

  Hadn’t that been the root of their collective frustration and upset these past several months at the news of his father’s misdeeds?

  The man they’d all believed to be a strong, upstanding citizen and businessman hid terrible secrets.

  “Those look like some pretty dark thoughts.” Nate stepped up to the small table Chase had snagged when he walked into the bustling shop. “I hope it’s not the coffee.”

  He glanced up at his half brother, dressed in a sport coat, pressed shirt and slacks. As a detective for the Boise PD, Nate no longer had to dress in uniform. But as Chase considered the younger man, he realized that uniforms came in all shapes and sizes.