CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Lara slumped into the taxi seat. “Thank god that’s over.”
“Yes,” Draco replied, absentmindedly.
“You were right about Charlie, he’s not just using when its party time.” It made her sad.
Draco looked at her. “I’m sorry I was right. Maybe he’ll grow out of it. Right now he’s basically pissing his life up against the wall.”
She nodded. “Is it like the person you knew who’d taken drugs?”
“Different circumstances. That person had nothing in life, no opportunities, not the way brother has. She thought she had nothing to look forward to, but her life changed later and there was so much more good stuff to come.”
Lara couldn’t help herself, she had to know. “Was it a girlfriend?”
He stared at her in his eyebrows lifted, he looked shocked and then he laughed. It was the last thing she’d expected him to do. “No, it was my mum.”
Lara was stunned by his response and the look in his eyes as he mentioned his mother. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
He smiled at her tenderly and reached out to stroke her shoulder. Lara melted. He was gorgeous when he looked at her that way. It made her feel special and cared for. Was it just what she wanted, or was it real?
“Don’t be sorry. I don’t talk about it much but we all suffered as kids, me and my sisters, because of her habit. Especially my youngest sister, Sky.”
“You said she’d so much good stuff to come, your mum.”
“She’s remarried now, and they’re hardly the ideal couple but they’re in love and she’s happy. If she’d stayed on the drugs, she might never have met anyone new. It’s colored my judgement I know, but I look at your brother and I think about stuff he’s missing, the opportunities he’s wasting.”
Now that they’d edged into talking about Charlie, Lara felt it was time to ask something that was worrying her. “Do you think Charlie’s the breach? Is he secretly been accessing funds?”
“No. It’s not Charlie.”
“You’re sure? Already?”
He nodded. “Hey, don’t worry it’s in hand.”
“Is it? You didn’t say.”
“Lanky Harry grilled me about it the other day.”
“Lanky Harry! Oh my!” She giggled.
He put his arm around her shoulder, drawing her close. God it felt good.
“Do you think you’re close to uncovering the breach?” She had to force herself to ask. She’d steered away from it because it signalled the end. Even saying it aloud made her feel as if she was pulling them apart, and her time with him so precious she didn’t want to do that.
“Soon.” That’s all he said. Thankfully.
“There’s something I want you to know, I’m not a spoiled rich girl. I know you think I am.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I might have thought that at first, but I don’t now. You’re working hard to equal your bothers.”
“It’s more than that. I have to battle with my mother too. She wants me to ignore the lot of them, refuse an allowance from my dad. I love her, but I was just a little kid. I just want to be part of it. My brother’s are given jobs high up in the company while I’m studying for the skills to earn a place on the bottom rung.”
Hugging her against him, he took his time to reply. “You hadn’t thought about how you were going to reveal the source of the breach, had you?”
Her cheeks flushed. “Because it depended on what you found out, what the answer to the question was. If it’s someone will get hurt by this—”
“Someone is bound to get hurt by this.”
“I didn’t want to hurt anybody. I just wanted to... get ahead.”
“Your dad might value people who climb the ladder of progression.”
“You’re talking as if you’re on his side.”
“Nope, just playing devil’s advocate.”
“Of course I’d love the chance to climb the company ladder, but this is just placement. I chose a business degree because I think I can contribute to the family company but so far it’s my brothers and I’m doing better on my business degree course than they ever did. I’ve got my head down and working hard.”
“You didn’t need to resort to this project really, did you?”
“I suppose not.”
“It was the danger you are attracted to, the risk. You had to know it could all go belly up.”
“Believe me I knew that, and planned for it.”
“But not if it all went right, and how you’d present the information to Compton Senior?”
“I guess I thought I’d make an appointment with him and tell him.”
“So let’s do that.”
Astonished, she pulled out of his hold. “Wait, what? You know who’s behind the fraud?”
She saw his eyes in the passing streetlights, saw the concern and affection. “I’ve known since the first night you left me alone in the apartment, it didn’t take long for me to find out.”
Her mouth fell open. “Unbelievable! All this stress, all this time.”
“It’s what you wanted, deep down. You wanted the danger of discovery, and you wanted to impress your dad. Now’s the time to come clean.”
“Who is it, who’s behind it?”
“I’m not telling you, I’m not revealing until we’re standing in front of your father, and I don’t believe you’re ready for that.”
She stared at him, silently trying to think it through. “No, you’re right. I’m not ready.”
“But it’s time to come clean,” Draco said firmly.
She shook her head. “Just give me a couple of days to get used to the idea.”
He pulled her closer again.
She sighed and snuggled against his chest, wishing they could stay that way forever.