Chapter 6 - THE MAN RHETT TRUSTED MOST
Gideon Shaw had been at Rhett’s father’s funeral.
He had written Rhett’s first legal contract.
He had spent twenty years handling the family’s most sensitive affairs.
When Rhett summoned him to Valin House, Gideon arrived smiling.
Then he saw Isa.
The smile vanished.
Only for half a second.
But Rhett caught it.
“So,” Gideon said, removing his gloves. “Our missing housekeeper.”
Isa’s skin crawled.
Rhett poured two glasses of whiskey.
“Sit.”
Gideon sat.
“You wanted to see me?”
Rhett slid Andrew Mercer’s employment authorization across the desk.
Gideon looked at it.
“Interesting.”
“Is it?”
“You think I did this?”
“I know your access credentials were used.”
“They could have been stolen.”
“So could Andrew’s.”
Gideon’s eyes narrowed.
Isa watched them.
Two dangerous men playing a game where neither wanted to blink first.
Then Rhett lied.
“We found Mason.”
Gideon’s fingers tightened around the glass.
Tiny movement.
Enough.
“Alive?” he asked.
Rhett smiled coldly.
“You sound surprised.”
“I attended his funeral.”
“So did I.”
Gideon stood.
“If this is an interrogation, call your lawyer.”
“You are my lawyer.”
“Then find another one.”
He walked toward the door.
Isa suddenly noticed something.
His cuff link.
Black stone.
Silver edge.
She had seen it before.
Not on Gideon.
On the kitchen floor of her apartment.
After Mason attacked her.
“Wait.”
Gideon turned.
Isa pointed.
“Where did you get those?”
He looked down.
“Gift.”
“From who?”
“My wife.”
“You’re not married.”
Silence.
Rhett slowly stood.
Gideon smiled.
Wrong answer.
His hand moved toward his coat.
Rhett moved faster.
Cole appeared behind Gideon and removed a small pistol from the attorney’s shoulder holster.
Gideon laughed.
“This is becoming dramatic.”
Rhett’s voice went flat.
“Why were you at Isa’s apartment?”
“I wasn’t.”
“One of your cuff links was.”
For the first time, Gideon looked directly at Isa.
Not like an employee.
Like a problem.
Rhett saw it.
“Cole.”
Cole searched Gideon.
In his coat pocket he found a burner phone.
One recent message.
SHE DOESN’T KNOW WHERE THE ORIGINAL IS.
Rhett placed the phone on the desk.
“Original what?”
Gideon remained silent.
Then Isa’s phone rang.
Unknown caller.
She answered before Rhett could stop her.
Mason.
“Sweetheart.”
Her hand tightened.
“What do you want?”
“The same thing I’ve always wanted.”
“You?”
He laughed.
“No.”
Then his voice became cold.
“What your father stole.”
Isa looked toward the flash drive.
Mason continued.
“And you should ask Rhett something else.”
“What?”
“Ask him why Samuel Ward was investigating the Valins in the first place.”
Rhett’s face hardened.
Mason delivered the secret before hanging up.
May you like
“Your father wasn’t hunting Rhett’s family, Isa.”
“He was working for them.”
