Before she could rationalize the many reasons why moving into Colton’s home was a bad idea, she blurted, “If the wealth manager position is still on the table, I accept.”
19
GET HER OUT
Colton’s temples throbbed. Hecouldn’t change his past, but he could damn well help Brigit today. He’d have her packed and out of there within an hour. “You’ve made the right decision, Brigit.”
She’d agreed, albeit under horrific circumstances, to manage his wealth. With so much at stake regarding Francesco, he needed her head in the game. Would she be up to the challenge?
The devastation reminded him of the hell he’d spent years fighting to forget. Even two decades later the horrific images still seeped into his dreams. Demolished rooms in his parents’ home and so much property taken. But in the end, what forever changed him and ultimately defined him was the lifeless body of his twin brother. A sharp pain pounded through his chest, but he pushed past. “Let’s get you packed.”
Brigit couldn’t hide the utter fear in her eyes, but the scribbled message had given her away. Her past, already shrouded in mystery, had taken a dark turn. By insisting she move into his home, was he risking his staff’s safety?
“Colt?” Tucker called.
“My cousin’s here. Let’s go talk to him.” With a gentle touch, he guided her downstairs. Her body had gone rigid. More than likely, she was in shock.
“Hey, man, thanks for getting here so quickly.” Colton hugged his older cousin.
“You betcha,” Tucker said, then shook Chad’s hand. “Good to see you. Premises cleared?”
“Twice,” Chad said.
“Tuck, this is Brigit Farnay,” said Colton. “She’s agreed to be my new wealth manager. Brigit, this is Tucker Henninger of Henninger Investigations and Security.”
Tall and sturdy, with a rugged appearance, Tucker’s short, dirty blond hair and tanned skin were a stark contrast to his long-haired, fair-skinned cousin.
“Sorry we’re meeting under these circumstances,” Tucker said. “You wanna tell me what happened?”
“I…I walked in and found this.” Brigit gestured with a sweep of her hand.
Her fingers trembled and Colton wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her. Under the circumstances, she was keeping herself together damn well.
“Have you checked with neighbors?” Tucker asked.
She shook her head.
“Anything taken?”
“Nothing obvious like jewelry, but some of the rooms are—” She glanced into her living room. “I don’t know.”
“Called the police?”
Stepping back, Brigit hugged herself. “No.”
“I’ll call.” Tucker dug out his phone from his jeans pocket.
“I’m not required to file a report,” she said.
Tucker shifted his gaze to Colton.
Let it go, Tuck.With a subtle shake of his head, Colton hoped his by-the-book cousin would drop it. “We’re taking Brigit back to the house as soon as she packs.”
With his gaze fixed on Brigit, Tucker nodded. Colton could see him thinking, strategizing, sizing up Brigit and the situation. “Okay, no police,” Tucker said. “How about we install grade-A locks and a security system?”
“Thank you.” Brigit relaxed her stance.
Tucker glanced over his shoulder into the kitchen. “We’ll salvage what we can.”
