Sweet Retribution (Rydeville High Elite #3)(85)
“We could all see it coming,” Kai says, leaning back in his chair and patting his lap. I drop down onto him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.
“There’s no shame in admitting you are hot for one another,” I say, taking Kai’s cup from his hand and drinking his coffee.
“I am not hot for him,” Sawyer says through gritted teeth, stabbing at the buttons on his tablet.
“What did I miss?” Drew asks, appearing in the kitchen doorway.
I slam the mug down on the table and hop up, racing toward my brother. I throw myself into his arms. “I wasn’t expecting you back until tonight.”
“The bastard had meetings today, so we flew back on the jet,” he says, yawning.
“Well, how did it go?”
“It’s fine,” he says, slinging his arm around my shoulder and steering me back to the table. “He got Denton on his side, and he concocted some bullshit about a bodyguard accidentally shooting him.”
“And what about the engagement swap?” Kai asks, holding out his arms for me.
“All done.” Drew grins. “I’m officially free of the she-devil.”
I sink onto Kai’s lap again, facing my brother. “Thank fuck for that. Her and Trent are a match made in hell, and they so deserve one another.”
“He’s fucking ecstatic,” Drew admits, accepting a mug of coffee from Jackson.
“Morning, hot stuff,” Xavier says, eyeballing Sawyer as he saunters into the kitchen with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Don’t start with me,” Sawyer says, frowning. “I’m seriously pissed right now.”
“Over moi?” Xavier says, propping his elbows on the counter and leering at Sawyer.
“They all know because your mouth is too fucking loud!” Sawyer hisses.
“That’s not what you were saying about my mouth last night,” Xavier retorts, winking.
Sawyer audibly sighs, and his eyes close for a brief moment. Gathering up his things, he stands, clutching his tablet and paperwork to his chest. His gaze jumps between us. “Xavier and I hooked up. It was a onetime thing, and it’s no big deal.” He prods his finger in the air. “And if any of you gives me shit, I’ll fucking walk and you can find another lackey to do your donkey work for you.” Sending all of us a glare, he stomps out of the room.
“I thought getting laid would remove that giant stick up his ass,” Xavier says, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl. “But I can see I still have my work cut out for me.” He waggles his brows before biting into the fleshy apple. “It’s just as well I always rise to the challenge,” he adds, and Jackson chuckles.
Kai rolls his eyes, while Drew looks at me. “I go away for two nights and miss all the drama.”
The next week is busy with school and figuring out the next stage of our plan. Chad and the gang have finished their investigative work, and we have all the intel we need on the board members and the elite members we targeted, so their role in this plan has come to an end.
Drew and I meet the three board members he’s been warming up the last few weeks, and it’s a hugely successful meeting. We took a calculated risk and informed them of what goes on in the basement dungeon of our house and how we believe it’s only a matter of time before the authorities swoop in and arrest Father. We impressed on them the urgency of separating the business from his actions and how there is little time to waste. They were particularly pleased to hear we have no plans to fulfill an active role in the business at this time and how we will allow the board and senior management team to continue to operate as they currently are. The only change will be the appointment of a new interim CEO until Drew has graduated college and is ready to take the mantle.
They agreed to work with us, behind the scenes, and they promised to secure their other colleagues’ agreement. As soon as they have spoken with every board member, and gotten the green light, we will hold a group meeting where they will be required to sign nondisclosure agreements and new contracts.
It’s like I thought.
They hate Father’s guts, and he hasn’t built any loyalty within his team.
Thankfully, because it makes our job easier.
The other progress we make is with the doctors on staff at the Parkhurst medical facility. There are only five on payroll, and Xavier was able to infiltrate the firewall and hack into their system undetected. He found two doctors noted as attending physicians on my file, so we have a manageable shortlist. Sawyer and I stayed up late over the weekend, researching both men, and we feel pretty sure we have our guy.
Dr. Tom Collingsworth has only been working at Parkhurst for four years. He took over from his late father after he passed. He has a wife and two young daughters, and they live in a sleepy town fifteen miles north of Parkhurst. As well as providing medical services to the elite, he owns his own doctor’s clinic, servicing several neighborhoods. He donates to several charities, most of them focused on women’s health or mental health charities, and he goes mountain biking every Tuesday and takes his family to church religiously every Sunday.
Maybe because he’s atoning for his sins.
Or maybe it means he has a conscience and he’s the doctor we are looking for.
We won’t know until we talk to him.
Which is currently the hot topic of conversation around the dinner table.