Chapter 27: Katie

I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles as I waited in my office for Uncle Allen to call with an update. By now, the papers should have been signed and he was a wealthy man, certainly the wealthiest man I ever knew to come out of South Boston.

I glanced at my watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. It was nearly two o’clock, and I had not heard a word. I was starting to get nervous. I had a sinking feeling in my chest that I couldn’t explain. Perhaps Reed Helstrom had broken out a bottle of champagne to toast the deal and they were all getting snockered. I was sure Uncle Allen would call soon.

Then, like a ghost in the night, Uncle Allen appeared at my office door with a sick look on his face. I knew immediately that something had gone terribly wrong.

“Oh my god,” I said, rushing around the desk to greet him. His face was red and sweaty. His tie was askew, and the front of his shirt was stained with blood. He was holding his right hand in his left. The knuckles of his right hand were scraped and bloody. “Uncle Allen, what happened? Are you hurt?”

“They stole my company,” he said, shaking his head.

“What? Who? What are you talking about?”

“That fucking Reed Helstrom and Conner McGee. They stole my fucking company.”

* * *

Thankfully, it turned out that none of the blood on his shirt was Uncle Allen’s. It all belonged to Reed Helstrom. It came from his nose when Allen slammed his fist into it.

I had Monique get Uncle Allen an ice pack for his hand and a glass of scotch for his head. He sat in the chair in front of my desk with gritted teeth, telling us both the story of how they had stolen his beloved company.

At first, I refused to believe it. There was no way Conner—my Conner— could be a party to such a devious plan. Who would buy a man’s life’s work only to sell it out from under him? But deep down, I knew he was part of the plan. This was Conner’s deal. He was the mastermind behind it. He knew all along how it was going to turn out because he was the one orchestrating it. And he had played me for a total fool.

I knew now that nothing between us was real.

Monique was right all along.

Why would he be attracted to a Plain Jane like me when he could have a woman like Cassandra Leone in his bed?

Conner wasn’t falling for me.

Christ, he probably didn’t even like me.

He was just fucking me so I wouldn’t find out about him fucking over my uncle.

He kept me busy all week to make sure that I wouldn’t uncover his plan.

He had seduced me and I had made it so easy for him.

I had gone along willingly.

Like a lovesick little girl.

Oh my god.

What a fucking fool I was.

“I’ll talk to Ed Ridgely, our senior partner, and see what we can do,” I said hopefully. “He’ll know what to do. Maybe we can halt the deal somehow. Get an injunction. Or charge them with fraud.”

“It’s no use, Katie,” Uncle Allen said quietly. He finished the scotch and held out his glass for more. Monique poured another glass and glanced my way.

“I’m going to let the two of you talk,” she said, heading toward the door. The hard look on her face told me exactly what she thought. I had to tell Uncle Allen about my relationship with Conner. I had no other choice.

“Don’t bother calling anyone,” Uncle Allen said, shaking his head at me. “It was all perfectly legal. All on the up and up. They didn’t do anything against the law.”

“Maybe not legally, but—”

“There’s no but to it, Katie,” he said, blowing out a long breath. “I was a fool. I let them do it. It never occurred to me that all they cared about was the patents. I was blinded by the money. And this damn cancer… Christ, how could I have been so incredibly stupid?”

My phone was lying on my desk. It buzzed with an incoming call. I didn’t have to look at the screen. I knew who it was. Conner calling to explain or gloat, as if there was a difference at this point. I had no desire to talk to him. I silenced the phone and set it back on the desk.

“I feel responsible,” I said quietly. “You asked me to look over the agreement. I should have dug deeper. I should have gotten a full list of all assets. I should have—”

“This wasn’t you’re doing, Katie girl,” he said, mustering a sad smile for my benefit. “You had no idea what these bastards had planned. Christ, asking you to meet with Conner McGee was like asking a lamb to enter the lion’s den. I’m sorry I ever got you involved. Can you ever forgive me?”

My phone buzzed again. This time, I turned it off and shoved into a desk drawer. I watched Allen drink the scotch for a moment, me feeling guiltier with each swallow. I finally couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to tell him what I had done.

“Uncle Allen, I have to tell you something. And I just hope that you can someday find it in your heart to forgive me.”