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In some ways, it felt even more intimate than sex. Being together in the dim light, fingertips brushing, need lingering in the air. Unfulfilled desires, unspoken feelings, the lines blurred by their actions.
“Any updates on the Asher situation?” Keaton asked. “Tell me that asshole isn’t going to get away with his DIYBachelorexperiment.”
“The matchmaker’s lawyers seem confident they can prevent him from speaking in any specific terms about the agency and, therefore, me. It might not be enough to stop him publishing the article, but at least my name won’t get dragged through the mud. So, fingers crossed.”
They looked at one another for a few heartbeats, the air crackling with tension. Keaton always made her feel like she was on the back foot, one little toe away from making a misstep and trouble within her reach.
It was wrong. Exactlynotwhat she wanted.
Then why did it feel so damn good?
“So,” she said, clearing her throat. “How’s, uh...work going?”
“Same old, same old,” he said. In the slight pause, insects chirruped and the trees rustled overhead, alive with nocturnal activity. “My boss wants me to crush this small company so our client can swoop in and make a killing.”
“What do you mean?”
He told her the story of the deal he was working on, how he was trying to get Thomas to take a fairer approach and how his research assistant had been roped into digging up some dirt to leverage. And how it was the same thing they’d done dozens of times before.
“All so they can reduce the price for his client to buy their company?” August asked, aghast. “That’s terrible!”
“That’s Wall Street,” he said with a sigh. “This kind of stuff happensallthe time. Shorting stocks, sneaky share buyouts, insider trading. You name it.”
“But this is people’s livelihoods, and for what? Money? Greed?” For a second she didn’t recognize the man walking next to her. Her vision swam and she saw her father’s face, instead of his. That desire formore, more, moreno matter the cost. No matter what had to be sacrificed. “And you support it?”
“I don’t support it, no. But...I’ve tried convincing them to do it another way and Thomas won’t listen to anyone. I keep a close eye on what the researcher comes up with, and I have definitely ‘misplaced’ things before that felt too out of line, but still...it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, August. That’s the nature of business.”
She blinked. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Why not? I have my own goals. Everything I make goes toward helping my family, so it’s not like I’m blowing my pay on yachts and Rolexes and shit.”
“That doesnotmake it any better.” She shook her head. “I admire that you’re so unselfish with what you earn and that you want to take care of your family, but do you think it’s okay to do it at the cost of destroying other people’s lives?”
They’d reached the cabin, and the automatic light flicked on, illuminating the welcome mat and door. But neither one of them made a move to go inside. Overhead, a moth fluttered around the light, bumping against the glass. Drawn to something that would destroy it, if the glass weren’t there to protect the moth’s delicate wings.
“If the CEO keeps running the company the way he is, it’ll go broke anyway.” It sounded a whole lot like he knew Thomas was going to get his way, and that he was trying to justify his role in the destruction of the little guy.
“Please,” she scoffed. “Are you really drinking the Wall Street Kool-Aid, Kea? You’re smarter than that.”
His jaw ticked. “Do you think any of these corporate assholes would have helped me when I was young and fresh out of juvie? No. In fact, I went for an interview at a company this CEO’s second-in-charge was previously running when I was in college, looking for an intern position. I got an interview, but when they did the background check, the guy called me up to tell me they wouldn’t hire criminals.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you and I know it was probably a huge blow at the time, but that doesn’t excuse helping your boss wrench the guy’s company out of his control against his will.”
Keaton was a good man, but he could be so blinkered at times. Just because he did good things with the money he earned, didn’t excuse the kind of work he did.
“How do you think Leah would feel, knowing her house was paid for with a bonus you got for lining the pockets of the rich and greedy?”
“That’s low,” he said, his voice gravelly. “The only thing I’ve ever wanted was for my family to be safe and secure.”
“What about other people’s families? Don’t they deserve that, too?”
He looked down at his hands. She could see the guilt in his eyes. Argumentative as he might be, heknewthat his work skated the boundaries of ethics. And yes, maybe he tried to influence things from the inside, but he still toed the company line when his boss demanded it.
“What am I supposed to do?” He raked a hand through his hair. “I don’t want to be part of this, but—”
“Then quit!” she said, her voice raising. Keaton was telling her these things for a reason, because he knew it was wrong and he needed to hear someone say it.
“I can’t just quit.”
