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“I think we’re flirting with disaster. No one knows we’re here.”
“If you want to wait here…”
“No, I just want you to be careful.”
“Text Paige and tell her what we’re doing. Just in case.”
Apollo nodded and quickly typed something on his phone before standing up and following Mick in the direction Pat had gone. He’d parked the four-wheeler and was now walking along the perimeter talking on his phone. He looked up as Mick and Apollo approached, his eyes narrowing. He quickly stuffed his phone in his pocket and walked toward them.
“When did you get back, Mick?”
“Just now,” Mick lied smoothly. “I wanted to see if any progress had been made, but it looks like just the opposite.”
Pat swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “The investigators wanted us to clear the property and start over.”
“Start over?” Mick cocked his head. “What the hell are you talking about? All we had was some garbage and the new trailer.”
“Mick, this isn’t your project anymore,” the older man spoke quietly. “Loren’s taking over.”
“Loren’s taking over?” Mick couldn’t help it; he burst out laughing. “That’s rich, Pat. Seriously, my dad have a picture of you and your mistress or something?”
Pat’s face visibly paled, even in the quickly fading light, and Mick just shook his head.
“Come on, Pat, what’s the deal? You might as well tell me. If you don’t, I’ll be on the next flight to San Francisco with every bit of documentation I’ve gathered, and believe me, I’m not the one who’s going to look bad.”
“Your dad said you wouldn’t be on board,” Pat sighed. “Then you played right into his hands by hooking up with that girl from your past… he was looking for a reason to either bring you into the fold or send you packing and you wrote your own death sentence.”
“My dad was planning to fire me?” Mick arched a brow. “To what end?”
“Insurance money.”
“Why?”
Pat shrugged. “Bad investments, over-extending himself, a combination of things.”
“And he was going to do what with the money? He can’t use business insurance proceeds to pay off personal debt.”
“He borrowed against the company,” Pat said quietly. “I didn’t know anything about it, but honestly, it was Loren who caught on. He went to your dad and asked to tag along on the project in exchange for making sure you didn’t find out about it and a cut of the proceeds.”
“Sonofabitch,” Mick grunted.
“I found out when I fired Loren the other night. He told me everything, but at this point, it’s too late. Either I go along with this or the whole company will go under.”
“Jesus fucking Christ. It’s that bad?” Mick was flabbergasted. “And Hank knows too?”
“I told him last night.”
“And?”
“He said he wanted no part of it and was going to have a chat with your father. I haven’t spoken to him today, though.”
“And what were you going to do here tonight?”
“Looking to make sure Loren disposed of every ounce of evidence.”
“Loren set the original fire?”
“Both fires.”
