Eight

Ellie walked beside Lily, Riley on her other side.

As they walked down the hall, she could feel eyes on her. It looked like the employees of StratCast could feel the tension in the air. Ellie schooled her expression and smiled brightly, nodding as she walked past.

She was going to have to gather them all together and have a talk. The last thing she needed was the troops getting anxious. They would be worried, too. They might not have millions of dollars in stock, but many of her employees had invested and some got stock as incentives. They depended on it for their retirement since her father and Castalano hadn’t seen fit to give out bonuses or match 401(k)s.

That would change when she took over. She intended to have employees heavily invested in StratCast’s future. It was one thing she and Riley saw eye to eye on. An employee who made more money when the company succeeded was an employee who worked harder. They had to have skin in the game or it was simply another job and not a commitment.

“Lily, put together a company-wide meeting for three thirty.” She wanted them to go home with their worries eased.

Lily nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. People are scared. I think they’re more scared now that Steven’s dragged board members in.”

“Any ideas about what he’s planning?” Ellie asked.

Lily shook her head as they made their way toward the boardroom. “No idea. I was making a few calls and Castalano’s admin walked up with a shit-eating grin on her face and told me I better have you and Lover Boy here in the boardroom asap.”

“Lily,” she ground out.

Lily waved her off. “Sorry. Everyone knows what you’re doing when he closes the blinds and locks the door in the middle of the day. And you suddenly don’t have panty lines. I’ve told you time and time again to wear a damn thong.”

She hated thongs. Could everyone really tell she’d recently had a mind-blowing orgasm? She squared her shoulders because she wasn’t about to apologize for that.

“You look perfectly respectable,” Riley murmured. “I wish I had a couple of minutes to figure out what this is about.”

He’d argued that they should take their time, figure out what Castalano wanted before they walked in. She was sick of waiting and game playing. She wanted to get through this so she could deal with the fallout. If she was about to get raked over the coals because of that article and the problems with the coolant trials, she would rather it happened sooner than later. Worrying about it wouldn’t help anything.

“It’s fine. They’re pissed and think I mishandled the situation. They probably don’t understand that the new trials are going to prove that everything is proceeding exactly the way it should. I’ll explain it and we’ll all move on so much faster. I can set up a new trial this afternoon if that helps.”

Confidence was required in situations like these. Never let them see you sweat. It was one of the few helpful things her father had taught her.

Lily stood back, frowning. “I want to know everything the minute you get out. I’m going to talk to some of the other admins. I swear if I find out they’ve been holding out on me, I’ll be dealing with a couple of those women myself.”

Ellie glanced up at Riley. She wished she could hold his hand, but she had to look like the toughest bitch in the room. And tough bitches didn’t hold hands with their boyfriends in the middle of board meetings.

She pushed through the doors and had to stop herself from gaping.

Steven Castalano was in a three-piece suit, sitting at the head of the table. He looked every inch the elder captain of industry. She hadn’t seen him looking so strong and put together in two years. Since her father had passed and it was decided she would buy Castalano out, he’d taken to dressing for the golf course, not the boardroom. He’d become almost docile in the way he handled things right up until the blackmail attempt.

He stared out at her in a way she’d never seen him before. Cold. Calculating. Ruthless.

What the hell was happening?

“Kind of you to join us, Ms. Stratton, Mr. Lang.” He gestured to the two seats he’d left for them. They were off to the side, a deliberate insult to her place in the company. She should be at the head of the table or in a place of power.

Unfortunately, to get there, she would have to evict her partner or the elderly board member at his side, which would make her look either weak or nasty. Her position was always a delicate balance. Unlike her male counterparts, she was judged for social graces as well as her business acumen. Castalano knew that, and it looked like he was placing her in an untenable position.

“Please, Mr. Garner, don’t get up,” she said, even though the man had made no move to stand. “I can sit here. I’m sure I can still make myself heard from this seat.”

Riley held the chair out for her. “As this isn’t a formal meeting, I don’t think it matters where you sit, Ms. Stratton.”

Garner had flushed. If they used her femininity against her, she could call them out for not being gentlemen. Castalano merely smiled, his eyes watching them as she settled in and Riley took the seat beside her.

“I’d like to know what’s going on.” She looked around and recognized the six most important members of her board. They didn’t form the majority of the shareholders, but they came damn close. An enormous amount of StratCast stock was currently sitting in the room, looking at her with judgmental eyes.

“I would as well.” Riley was looking around, obviously seeing the same thing she was seeing. “There isn’t a quorum here. There can’t be a vote. And I don’t know who those two are.”

He gestured toward the two people she didn’t recognize. A man and a woman sitting across the table and to her left. She didn’t have time to truly think about them however as Steven was pressing on.

Castalano sat back. “I’ll get to that in a moment. I don’t need a quorum. I only called in some longtime board members because they were very disturbed by the turn of events around the company lately.”

So this was a dressing-down and very likely the start of a nasty fight. There were fifteen board members. Six of them were sitting in this room. These were the men on Castalano’s side. Along with Castalano’s own vote, he had seven. That left her and Riley, and four others she was sure were on her side. That was likely the reason they weren’t here. That left two votes unaccounted for—a woman who had bought Patricia Cain’s stock in the company and whoever had purchased her sister’s stock. Riley was looking into that. He’d put a call in to the company that had bought it but hadn’t gotten a call back yet. She needed to feel out the new investor. Whoever it was would have a voting share. She needed to get to that person before Castalano could.

This was likely Castalano’s way of showing her he still had the muscle in this world.

“I understand we’ve had a setback with the reports about the coolant system’s issues. I’m very happy to tell you that those reports are false and I’ve got someone looking into them right now.” She’d set a couple of her best managers on it early this week. They would figure out who had leaked the reports on the faulty systems.

“I’ve discovered who leaked those reports.” Castalano sat back, looking over the table.

“Excellent. I’d love to hear who it was.” If he’d done the job, she would thank him profusely. It would have been better had she been the one to take care of things, but she would make the best of it.

Riley was on his phone, texting someone. “And if you’ll wait a moment or two, we can have the new reports up here. I’ll bring the head designer in to explain what went wrong and how it has no meaning at all to where the project is right now. Which is on time and under budget.”

It was a perfect solution. She had them here. She could get her best guys to truly explain the situation.

“I think we can skip the scientific drivel.” Steven nodded to his admin, who was standing in the back with a stack of file folders in her hands. “Jane, if you will. Gentlemen and Ms. Stratton, as you know, an article came out today questioning leadership here at StratCast and calling our cornerstone project an abject failure.”

A low grumble went through the room as Jane began to pass out copies of the article. They’d worked very quickly to get everything together. Steven must have been desperate to make her look bad.

Had she made a mistake in not paying him off? She’d gone back and forth but finally decided that she’d brought Riley in for a reason. She was paying him handsomely and, given their relationship, he wouldn’t steer her the wrong way. After all, he had a stake in StratCast as well.

“Do you expect me to answer the charges one by one or to simply give you all my opinion of this guy’s hatchet job? I apparently pissed him off at some point in time.” She was trying to figure out who the extra people were.

One man, one woman. Both in suits. Both very buttoned up, but not in a corporate way. They looked somehow tougher than executives.

Neither one looked down at the reports. Every now and then they spoke to each other or looked at their phones.

Riley was staring at them, but she didn’t think it was a good plan to lean over and have a private conversation.

“I have to question why you thought it was a good idea to talk to reporters when we were having trouble with a product as important as the coolant system,” Steven said pointedly.

Deep breath. It wouldn’t do to show how angry she was with the man who was supposed to be her partner. “That’s the point. We’re not actually having problems with the coolant system. Those reports were based on miscalibrated machines. I got the go-ahead from PR. I would never have talked to anyone from the press without clearing it with public relations. The story was supposed to be about me taking the reins as one of the few female executives in telecom. It was never supposed to be about the coolant project. It is not my fault the reporter had an axe to grind.”

“Did he have an axe to grind or did he ask very pertinent questions?” Castalano asked.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Riley sat up straight beside her, his irritation obvious.

Castalano shook his head. “I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to Ms. Stratton. She is the one whose decision making is in question here. You’re simply one of those decisions that I call into question.”

Riley’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sure you wish she’d stayed with a lawyer you could buy off. Did you get upset that I refused to allow her to sign away the coolant system?”

Castalano sat back, obviously unmoved. “I believe you’re the one who added that clause to the contract in an effort to make me look bad. You’re the one who has tried time and time again to discredit me with Ms. Stratton.”

She was so aware of the fact that they were doing the one thing she knew they shouldn’t—air their dirty laundry in public. Every eye was on her.

Riley leaned forward. “I’ve done my best to protect her from you.”

This was the last thing she needed. Riley needed to be her lawyer, not her lover. “Steven, why are we here and not talking about this in private?”

“We’re here because the stock has already dropped twenty percent.”

Her stomach clenched. Twenty percent? It had only been a few hours. How low would it go before the end of the day? Before she could get those corrected reports out? Oftentimes the media preferred to report bad news over good. It could be days before the word spread. “You know as well as I do the stock will come back up once the real reports get out.”

“That will take time.” Her partner stared right at her, accusation in his eyes.

Where was this coming from? He’d never once looked at her like that.

“We have time. We’re a few years away from actually manufacturing. A few weeks means nothing.”

He nodded regally. “Yes, you’re right about that. I’ve brought some worried members of our board in to reassure them that our stock won’t stay down for very long. The company will survive this unfortunate incident, and it will be all the stronger for flushing out the employees who caused the problems.”

Shit. Had he figured out who had messed up the calibrations on the machines? That had been her job. She handled R&D. Always. It was her baby. Even when her father had been in control, he’d ceded R&D to her.

She wasn’t about to let go of her place. “I think we need to talk about any possible staff changes, and we don’t need to do that in front of the board. I’m sure they have much more important things to do with their time. I assure you all that we can handle this situation. The stock will come back up in a few weeks. It’s unfortunate, but I will get the correct information out as soon as possible. My PR people are contacting the big financial networks and informing them of the issues we’re having. We’ll show them the correct reports, perhaps invite a couple of trusted reporters to witness our tests. This is going to pass, and we’ll be stronger for it.”

“We still have the issue of your image and poor decision-making process,” Castalano explained.

“You can’t possibly believe what that article said. Steven, you’ve known me all of my life. I’m certainly not the woman portrayed in that article.”

“Are you having an affair with Riley Lang?”

Riley shook his head. “That’s absolutely none of your business.”

She wasn’t hiding behind half-truths. “Affair is a ridiculous word to use. Do I have a personal relationship with Mr. Lang? Yes. Does it affect my decision-making process? No. I still do what’s best for this company, and as a fellow stockholder, so does Mr. Lang. This isn’t a case of having a relationship with someone working against us. It also isn’t the first time an executive has had a serious relationship with a coworker. I’d rather not list them all, but it’s happened many times. There’s nothing in the company codes about fraternization.”

“That’s something we intend to fix,” Garner said righteously. He slapped at the table. “You young people think you can sleep with anyone at any time. By God, when I was working here, we were businessmen. What would your father think?”

“My father didn’t give a crap about my personal life and neither should any of you. Let’s not be hypocritical, Bill. We all know about the affair you had with your secretary when you worked here.” If they wanted to play hardball, she could throw them a few sliders. “And you, Steven. Should I get into your relationship with the head of HR a few years back? You were married at the time. I’m not married and who I sleep with is my own business.”

“Not when you use him to do your dirty work,” Castalano said.

“He’s my lawyer. Doing my dirty work is his job,” she shot back.

“Is devaluing the stock so you can buy me out at a bargain-basement price his job, Ms. Stratton?” Steven’s question dropped and the whole room went silent.

He was really going to play this for everything it’s worth. “Steven, I suggest we delay the buyout. Obviously it’s not in your best interest for me to buy you out now. We wait until the price comes back up. I know you’re eager to start your retirement, but I’m not trying to cheat you.”

Riley had gone still beside her. “I don’t like the accusations you’re making, Castalano.”

“Then you really won’t like this.” He nodded to his assistant, who turned on her laptop. With a few keystrokes, she threw the feed up onto the media screen.

Ellie was confused. Had he planned a multimedia campaign to humiliate her? She felt her skin heat. If someone had caught them getting physical and put it on tape, she was going to sue the shit out of them.

The camera came into focus. She leaned in, trying to figure out exactly what she was seeing. It looked like someone had left the camera on their computer on. The shot was very narrow, but she could see the wide tables that they used in R&D. Everyone had a desk, but the middle of the “lab,” as they called it, was a grouping of big tables with the testing engines on it along with the machines they used to measure the function of the coolant engine.

The lights were low, only every third one on, so it was likely late at night or early in the morning. The building was never dark, but the lights were on a timer to go to one-third power after eleven for conservation’s sake. That told her even the cleaning staff had gone home when this was taken.

“I want to know what’s going on.” Riley turned to Castalano.

“I think you know,” came the smug reply. “This was taken over a week ago. The night before the testing was done.”

“Before the tests that were improperly measured? Is this about the calibrations? Because I was told it was an intern mistake,” Ellie said.

Steven’s head shook. “There was no mistake, Eleanor. The only mistake that was made was that you thought I wouldn’t find out. One of your interns left his camera on. He’d been using company equipment to video chat with his parents. He caught this. He likely would have gone to you, but he was well aware of your relationship by then and came to me instead.”

“What does my relationship have to do with any of this?” But then she understood because a familiar figure moved into camera range.

Riley had his jacket off, shirtsleeves rolled up. He was obviously unaware the camera was on him. He looked around and then a smile crossed his face as he found what he needed. He pulled out his phone and seemed to be speaking to someone. He picked up the first of the testing devices and popped off the back to get to the inside of the machine.

The whole room went cold.

“Ellie, I can explain.”

She heard Riley, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the screen. He seemed to be talking to someone. Likely he’d placed his phone on speaker. It was sitting on the table as he reworked the calibration machines. All three of them. He seemed very intent on what he was doing and he’d come prepared. When he needed a screwdriver to get inside the system, he pulled one out of his pocket.

He’d waited until everyone had gone home and then made his way down to the department and deliberately changed the calibrations so her tests would fail.

So she would fail.

A numbness wound through her system, like someone was pouring ice through her veins. It was good because that meant she couldn’t feel the pain.

“Ellie, there’s an explanation for all of this.” Riley put a hand on her arm.

She very calmly pulled away. She wasn’t going to make a further fool of herself over this man. He was playing some kind of game and she wasn’t sure what it was. She only knew she’d lost.

She had to keep whatever dignity she had left intact. In a low monotone, she spoke to her former lover. “Mr. Lang, you’re fired. I’ll have security escort you out. You’ll find there was a criminal clause in your contract. Had you managed to stay more than a year, I would be forced to purchase your stock at current value.”

Riley turned her chair around. His face had gone tight. “Ellie, I need to talk to you.”

She had very little left to say. “As that is not the case, your stock reverts back to me. I’ll let you know if I decide to file criminal charges against you.”

A low chuckle made her turn. Castalano applauded lightly. “Is that how you’re playing it, then? He must not have been too good in bed if you’re willing to throw him to the wolves at the first chance. As it happens, no criminal charges will be brought against Mr. Lang. You know that the press would be all over that kind of thing. It wouldn’t look good. I’ll let Mr. Lang go with the warning that he really should know his enemies from now on. I can’t say the same for you, dear.”

The door opened and suddenly there were two police officers standing there.

What the hell was going on? He’d just said he wasn’t going to prosecute Riley, though he damn straight should have talked to her about that. That should be a decision between them, security, legal, and PR.

“Having security escort Riley out is enough. I scarcely think he’s going to require a police escort.” She turned to him, looking at Riley for the first time. “Or are you going to humiliate me further by causing a scene?”

His eyes were on Castalano. “Ellie, baby, I don’t think this is about me. Whatever he’s done, know that I’m going to get you out of this.”

He was so serious it caused Ellie to look around. Everyone was looking directly at her. And the man and woman in business suits had stood up.

“Ms. Stratton, my name is Special Agent Charles Cooper. It is my duty to inform you that you are being placed under arrest,” the gentleman said.

So this was what it felt like when a person was stuck in a dream, figured out it was a dream, and still couldn’t wake up.

“Arrested for what?” It was ludicrous.

Castalano stood, buttoning his suit jacket. “We discovered how you and your father managed to embezzle ten million dollars. Did you think we wouldn’t figure it out eventually? The holding companies were cleverly hidden, but they’re all in your name. We can’t find the actual money, but I suspect that’s the bureau’s job. You will also be charged with fraud for manipulating the company stock for personal gain.”

This was a dream. It had to be. Nightmare, really. Except she felt really awake.

Riley’s hand found hers and he leaned in close. “You hold your head up. I’m not letting you go down for this. I swear to God, Ellie, I will get you out of this.”

For a second, she held on. She threaded her fingers through his because she so needed his warmth. The whole world seemed to have gone cold.

The words the officers were saying didn’t quite process. She knew them. Anyone who watched television knew their rights. Miranda rights. She was being Mirandized because the FBI had decided she was the one who’d stolen from the company.

And they would book her for fraud as well. For attempting to manipulate the stock market because they had proof her right-hand man had screwed with those machines.

Had Riley been the one to give the press the reports? Had he been the one to tank StratCast stock?

There was a hand on her elbow, hauling her up. Her fingers slipped from his.

“Do you have to do that? She’s going with you willingly.” Riley’s voice sounded like it was coming from far away. It was muffled by a roaring sound in her ears.

She felt like a rag doll. She was there, but she wasn’t. This couldn’t be happening to her. Her feet felt wobbly under her, but somehow she was upright and the police officer was pulling her hands behind her back, cold metal snapping against her skin.

“You’re lucky we’re not bringing you in, too,” she heard the cop say.

“Eleanor, I’m sorry it’s come to this.”

She turned at the sound of Castalano’s voice. He was standing there, a smug look on his face. He certainly didn’t look sorry. He looked triumphant.

Why was he doing this to her? Why was he standing there in his thousand-dollar suit? All he’d wanted to do was retire.

Or had she been a fool all along? He’d never planned to do anything but this. She knew what her contract stated. She knew what would happen now. She would lose everything.

If something looks too good to be true, it always is. Always. She should have remembered that lesson from her father, too.

Riley had been too perfect for her because he’d never been here for her. She’d been a pawn in this game.

Steven Castalano’s game.

“You son of a bitch,” she said, finally figuring it out. “You never intended to let me buy you out. This was your play to get rid of me and take it all for yourself.”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I was so looking forward to the golf course, my dear. Please escort her off the property. Let me know what you need to ensure she’s prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Ellie, I’ll be right behind you,” Riley promised.

She looked at him. He’d been too beautiful. Too sexy. Too good. Too perfect. “Don’t ever talk to me again.”

It was almost a relief when they led her out. At least she wouldn’t have to see him again.

—

Riley felt like the ceiling and the floor had flipped places. What the hell had happened? They were taking Ellie out in handcuffs. They were leading her to some goddamn detention cell like she was a criminal.

All around him people were shaking hands and encouraging each other that it was all for the best. That getting rid of Ellie solved their problems.

He turned on Castalano. What a fool he’d been. He’d fallen into a trap. How had that happened? He’d been the one laying the trap.

He didn’t believe for a single second that Ellie was the one behind the embezzlement scheme. His gut told him there was no way Ellie was involved. His brain was still working though. When he really thought about it, they had zero proof it was Steven Castalano. They’d simply seen what they’d wanted to see. They’d known Castalano was a criminal and seen criminal activity and ascribed it to him.

If he had half a brain, he would look into the situation. He would withhold judgment until he had absolute proof that Ellie was innocent.

He didn’t need a brain. He had a fucking heart and he knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that Ellie hadn’t done this. He could walk into a room and find her knee-deep in cash and ask her where she’d gotten it. He would never question her integrity. He knew that woman inside and out, and she was rock solid.

It was sad that everyone around her was such a deceiving prick. Including himself.

His mind worked, seeing the con from the other side now that it had played out. Oh, that he’d had some foresight. It would have saved them all.

He stared at Castalano. “You did this so you could purchase Ellie’s stock cheap.”

Castalano sighed. “Gentlemen, I think I could use a moment with Mr. Lang. He doesn’t understand how the world works and I need to explain a few things to him. If you wouldn’t mind going to my office. I believe you’ll find a very nice bottle of Scotch for us to work our way through this afternoon. My son is waiting there for all of you.”

To celebrate his victory over sweet, smart, save-the-world Ellie. She had crazy ideas about justice and what was right and how the world should work.

The world had just taken a nice chunk out of her flesh.

He was supposed to be the one to protect her. He was supposed to be the white fucking knight who took all the hits so she never had to know how shitty the world really was. He’d failed her utterly. He was the reason her world had crumbled.

How could he have missed that camera? He’d been on the phone with Bran that night. He’d needed his brother to explain how to fuck with the calibration on the testing machines. He’d actually been talking about Ellie at the time. Like he wasn’t messing with her company, her livelihood, her life. He’d been talking about how he’d had dinner with her and then sneaked back into the building to grab some contracts. He hadn’t noticed the open laptop and camera.

All his fault. It was all coming down around them, and it was his fault. Everything—the plan to avenge their father, all of Ellie’s hopes and dreams—they were dying because he’d been a dumb fuck.

Where would they take her? Which precinct? The feds had allowed the police to arrest her so she would go to a local jail. They often did that to give local authorities the arrest on their docket. They would likely question her and then move her to a federal facility.

They might leave her in a city jail until she’d made bail.

God, they were going to put Ellie in jail. Pure panic began to thrum through his system.

Castalano was going to try to put her in jail for years, and all so he could take the company from her.

“So this was all about a cheap stock buyout?” The door closed behind the men Castalano had brought in to witness Ellie’s downfall. Riley would have run after her, but they wouldn’t let him go with her. They likely wouldn’t allow him anywhere near her.

Castalano smiled. “Oh, I think we both know it’s more than that. You know, the funny thing is I thought I would only get her on the embezzlement charges.”

She’d had nothing to do with those charges, but it brought into question some of Castalano’s recent actions. “What the hell was the request for two million dollars about? You tried to blackmail her.”

He couldn’t go into why. He knew Castalano owed millions to a mobster, but he wasn’t going to give up his cover at this point. He needed every advantage he had.

“What? Me? Why would I ask Ellie for two million? I was about to retire. She was going to buy me out. Now, had I gone to her in order to confront her about the embezzlement, I likely would have requested that she begin to make some restitution on her part. Twenty percent would have been an excellent start.”

That told him everything he needed to know. That check would have sealed her fate if he hadn’t. To the feds, it would have been an admission of guilt. To Castalano, it was a down payment.

“Holy shit, you intended to buy her out with her own fucking cash. You son of a bitch.” They’d walked into one long setup. Castalano had never intended to retire. He’d played the elderly gentleman. Talked up his doctor’s appointments. He’d done the rounds so everyone knew how happy he was to be leaving it all to the next generation.

He’d even had his son tip Ellie off to the accounting issues.

He hadn’t had the money to buy her out. So he’d waited patiently, telling her they would get the deal done.

“And you put the clause in the contract,” Riley surmised. “I should have seen it. I should have known no one would be that stupid.”

Complexity. His brother-in-law had talked about it. Case had told him they were ignoring the fact that any situation they walked into was complex and fluid. He’d been so right. They’d been arrogant to think they could stalk in as the only predators in the game.

Castalano had that smile on his face. It made Riley want to cut it off his fucking body. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I do know that the anger and confusion from it being there likely set us back by weeks. I feel for Ellie. I really do. I’ve known the girl all her life. In some ways she was like a daughter to me. If only it had simply been the issue of money, I would have bought her out and we could have moved on. I would have done that for her father’s sake. Nasty bastard, but he was my partner. He couldn’t have known she was taking all that money from the company.”

“The embezzlement began when she was seventeen. Are you telling me she formed holding companies and managed to steal from StratCast without being caught when she was a teenaged intern?” The idea was ridiculous.

“Well, everyone knows Ellie was a business prodigy. She was practically running R&D in high school. Certainly she had some people on the inside. If we find out who they are, we’ll send them to jail as well. It was really your perfidy that did her in. I was willing to settle for the stock at a reasonable price.”

“You were going to force her to pay you so she could stay out of jail.” It was so obvious now.

“Now I’ll get both. You gave me the means to make a true power play. Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited to take true control of my company?” He gestured to the door where two uniformed guards were now standing. “I believe your escort is here, Mr. Lang.”

“I am not going to let you get away with this. You took that money.” And Castalano’s company was built on his father’s murder. He wasn’t going to get away with that, either.

“That is not what the evidence proves.” Castalano was cool as a cucumber. “It clearly proves that Ellie was behind everything.”

“You faked it. I’ll prove that and I swear when I’m done, you’ll be the one left with nothing.” He felt a beefy hand wrap around his elbow.

They weren’t leaving anything to chance. The other guard was right beside him.

“We need you to leave now, Mr. Lang,” a deep, gruff voice said. “Don’t make us call the police back.”

“They’ll be back here one day. Count on it.” He couldn’t take his eyes off Castalano. The snake.

The guard to his right pulled on his arm and he found himself being hauled out of the conference room.

“I will sue every single one of you.” He knew it was a douchebag lawyer thing to say, but at that moment, he meant it. He would burn this place down. He would cover it in kerosene and light the match to make them pay for what they’d done to Ellie.

He would never forget the blank look on her face when she’d looked at him.

Don’t ever talk to me again.

He had so much work to do. He let them lead him out because his mind was whirling.

She had to feel so alone. They would be putting her in a squad car. It would have been kinder to have the feds arrest her. They would have likely given her some dignity. The fact that they’d allowed the police to take her into custody meant they thought she was a big fish. They were allowing the locals to take credit. They would eventually move her to a federal facility, or they might allow a local judge to oversee her bail hearing.

He had to get her out as soon as possible. He had to get her out now.

His whole body felt tight. His throat had practically closed and he couldn’t see straight as they led him down the hall.

It didn’t look like a single person was left in a cubicle. They were all up on their feet, all talking and a few women crying. The tension was palpable. They would be worried about their jobs, their futures.

Yeah, he’d done that, too.

He should have been the one being walked out in handcuffs. They’d all watched her humiliation.

“You bastard.”

He looked around, expecting to see Ellie. They were in front of his office somehow. How had he gotten here?

Lily was standing there, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Lily, who hated him. Lily, who had figured him out way before Ellie had.

He looked up at his escort. “May I grab my things?”

The larger of the guards nodded. “But you keep that door open.”

He gestured for Lily to join him. He wasn’t surprised when she practically ran into the office. She was begging for a moment alone with him. She likely wanted to flay him alive.

He didn’t have time for that.

Lily looked back at the guards. “Please, Carl. Please let me have a minute alone with him. For Ellie’s sake.”

The shorter of the guards looked up at Carl. “Do you honestly believe Ms. Stratton stole from the company?”

“No,” Carl replied, his eyes on Riley. “But I believe that motherfucker is the reason she’s in trouble.”

So everyone loved him.

Lily didn’t give him a chance to defend himself. She softened and turned big eyes on Carl. “Please. We’re the only chance she has. She made sure you got paid paternity leave when your wife and baby were so sick after the birth.”

Carl held up a hand. “Two minutes.”

He would take it. Riley slammed the door and turned on her. “Stay quiet. We have two minutes before they shove me out the door. I need you to find out everything you can. Work whatever magic you have and call me.”

“I would rather rip your balls straight off your body and feed them to my cat. How could you? How could you hurt her like that?”

He went to his desk and grabbed what he needed. He’d kept most of his information on a single thumb drive, and then there was his personal laptop. He left the company one behind. All the good information they’d gotten had come from hacking anyway, with the exception of that accounting info that he’d copied a long time ago. His cell was trilling, but he didn’t have time to answer it.

“I know you hate me, but I’m the only one who can save Ellie right now. Unless you have a multibillion-dollar corporation backing you.”

Lily frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why would I believe a word you say at this point? I saw that tape. All the admins have, you bastard. They kept it from me until a few minutes ago.”

And she likely hated that fact. Lily liked being in a position of power and she loved Ellie. He had to use that because she might be the only ally he had left.

“I love her.” He said it. It didn’t matter now how stupid he sounded.

Stupid? He loved Ellie Stratton. That wasn’t stupid. That was everything. Yes, it made him vulnerable. Yes, it made him weak when it came to her. But he loved her. He would trade anything to make sure she was all right. He finally understood what that damn word meant. Love. It meant he would sacrifice himself for her. It meant it didn’t matter that she never wanted to speak to him again. He loved her. He would do anything to save her.

Lily stopped, her eyes going wide. “Are you serious?”

So she understood. He moved to her, trying to show her how damn serious he was. “I love Ellie. I came here under false pretenses, but she’s all that matters now. I will do anything to make sure she’s safe.”

Lily’s jaw turned stubborn, tilting up. “Even if it means hurting yourself?”

Even if it meant giving up the revenge he’d dreamed of since he was a child. He finally saw the future his father had wanted for him and it didn’t include hate—though he hated that fucker Castalano now more than ever. “I promise if I can trade myself for her, I will. I’ll do anything. I love her more than my own life. More than anything.”

Lily moved in, scooping up the files on his desk. “Take it all. I’ll steal whatever I can before they walk me out. I have allies here, too. And Ellie is loved. If I can get the truth in the ears of the right people, we might still be able to sway things. I’ll get on the phone to the board members who are close to Ellie. I swear if you’re playing me, I’ll find you and my cat will feast. Do you understand?”

Apparently, Lily’s cat really had a taste for testicles. “Yes. Get as much information as you can. Try not to get walked out. Play dumb. You had no idea. You’re shocked. You’re a true StratCast girl. Throw us under a bus if you have to, but try to keep your job. We need eyes and ears here.”

He needed something. How had it gone so wrong? How had he underestimated Castalano? Ten years. Castalano had been planning this for ten years. They’d known he was skimming, but they hadn’t suspected he’d had a fall guy in place.

Fall girl. His girl.

God, she hated Riley. She hated him and he loved her.

He shoved it all aside. All that mattered was getting her out of lockup.

“She can’t stay in jail.” Lily handed him the file folders to stuff in his briefcase.

There was a knock on the door. “It’s time to go.”

They needed to move.

“I’ll have her out in a few hours. As soon as I can. I’ll call a defense lawyer as soon as I walk out the door.”

“Maybe I should do that,” Lily offered. “Ellie can afford it.”

He needed Lily to understand. “She can’t. They’re freezing her assets as we speak. She has nothing. She won’t be able to make her mortgage next month. Castalano will take everything from her.”

Lily stifled a cry.

He put his hands on her shoulders. “I’m going to take care of her. Stay here. Be our eyes and ears. I will make them all pay.”

She nodded.

He grabbed his briefcase and laptop and nodded as the door came open. “I’m ready. Lily, get the fuck out of here. I don’t want to hear your bitching anymore.”

Lily seemed to understand. “I hate you both. I can’t believe you did this.”

He strode out with his head held high. Until he saw Castalano. He stood in the hallway, watching everything.

The guard reached out and held Riley’s arm. “It’s time to go.”

He was led past Castalano. Hatred welled. He wanted to stab the man through the heart and watch him bleed.

Castalano merely watched him, a smirk on his face. “Good-bye, Lang. You know, you have your mother’s eyes.”

Riley stopped, his whole body suddenly a live wire. What had he said?

But he was dragged to the door.

Castalano had played them all.