Page 96 of Unlocked

Tatum pressed her cheek to his sternum and found the thud of his heart comforting and real, and perfect. And within minutes, she drifted off to sleep.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Archer sat behind his desk, waiting. Jason Sakstra was due any minute. Out of the blue, the man had called to request an appointment this morning. Archer had been inclined to say no, but decided it was better to see what Jason needed. After all, it was better to have the board’s support when the time came to deal with Davis.

Eventually, he’d carried Tatum to the bedroom last night, then slept with her in his arms all night. Something he couldn’t remember ever doing with a woman before. And he’d slept better than he had in the past ten years. He didn’t dare consider what that meant. Didn’t wish to examine why she felt like a gift he didn’t deserve…shouldn’t have.

At dawn, reluctantly, Archer had crawled out of bed, leaving Tatum sleeping. He’d hated to go, but he didn’t have a choice. There were so many moving parts to arrange to be ready for Davis at the board meeting in two days.

He'd been going over the list Kelly had provided, names of people who'd invested with Granite Industries. Jason's name was on it. Along with several of his clients. Jason had said he’d lost money with the Ponzi scheme, but now Archer wanted to know if that was a cover. Was Jason one of the Curator’s clients? The records didn’t lie, he’d lost money, but was it through the Ponzi scheme, or was he using that as an excuse to try to get money back because he’d played too much and now had to pay the piper?

The fact that Archer had doubts didn't sit well with him. He'd always considered Jason a solid guy. Smart. Careful. Not the type to get pulled into something shady. Was he wrong? Was his judgment clouded? Quite possibly. It was hard to tell these days. The pressure from Davis and now Fisher, maybe it had always been Fisher, along with running everything and now dealing with Tatum, the strain had all taken its toll. Archer felt like it was all spinning out of his control. And he hated that. More than anything else.

A knock at the door interrupted his morose thoughts.

"Come in."

Jason stepped inside, looking as polished as ever in a charcoal suit and crisp white shirt. But tension around his eyes created wrinkles not there previously. He’d expected to see hope there. Archer had told Jason he would reach out if he found the money. He’d assumed when Jason asked for the meeting that’s what it was about. Jason should be cautiously hopeful at the very least. He wasn’t. He was…uncomfortable. Possibly even afraid.

Suspicions rose like bile in his stomach, tightening the ever-present knot there.

"Archer." Jason nodded.

"Jason." Archer gestured to the chair across from his desk.

Jason sat, his posture loose but not quite relaxed.

Archer didn't waste time. "What can I do for you?"

Jason's jaw tightened slightly. "I was wondering if you heard anything about this camera business.”

Archer stilled. So that’s how it was. “I’m looking into it. I won’t discuss it until the emergency board meeting.”

“Of course, of course,” Jason was quick to respond. “Just several of the board members, well… We’re worried.”

Archer remained silent. Then he said, “You invested with Granite Industries, correct?”

Jason frowned at the segue. “Yes. I told you about that. Is there something new since we last spoke?”

Archer ignored the question. "You invested with them. So did several of your clients."

"Yes. Like I said, I told you all about it.”

“Tell me about it again. Why did you invest?”

Jason exhaled slowly. "My boss pressured me into it."

"Your boss?" Archer repeated. "Martin Hendricks?"

"Yes. Martin got involved with Granite Industries and was convinced it was a solid investment. Pun intended,” he said with a chuckle. But when Archer didn’t crack a smile, Jason continued, his discomfort seemingly growing by the second. “Martin pushed me to get on board. Said it was a sure thing. Said my clients would thank me."

Archer leaned back in his chair, studying him. "And you didn't question it?"

"Of course I questioned it." Jason's voice was firm. "I did my due diligence. I looked at the paperwork, the projections, the returns they were promising. It all looked legitimate on the surface."

"But?"

"But it felt off. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something didn't sit right. So I told Martin I wasn't comfortable recommending it to my clients."