Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Owen

"You'll never believe what Annalee's family is doing." Aaron dropped a folder on the desk in front of me. “They’re claiming Annalee forced her father to change his will because she was jealous of her stepmother, and then killed him before he could change it back. Then when they questioned the reading, Annalee took off with the money.”

I wasted no time opening it up and flipped through article after article. Each one was a variation of the same thing.

And they were all lies.

"A majority of these are gossip rags." I tossed the pile of garbage back down and looked through the mirror to where Annalee was typing away at her computer. If she got wind of this, it would break her heart.

"They are, but we both know it only takes one person to believe the story and make her life hell."

With a frustrated sigh, I ran my hands through my hair. There was no proof that the stories originated from Annalee's stepmother or stepbrother, but based on some of the accusations, I could see why Aaron assumed it was them.

"She hasn't even been gone for thirty-six hours. How the hell did they get something printed so fast?"

Aaron shrugged and took the chair at the next desk. "Money talks and journalists who write for those things don't care about the truth. They just want to sell copies and a story like that accomplishes that goal."

I hated Annalee's stepmother even more and I had yet to meet the woman or even look into her yet. I was so focused on Annalee's father and his job.

"I've spent the entire day researching her father and the company he worked for,” I told Aaron. “There was no bad blood there, and as far as I could tell, the shares he owned in the company were always supposed to go to Annalee. I'm not sure what he changed in his personal will, but from what I can tell, she was set long before the stepmother came into the picture."

"Beats me. I'm not getting shit from my mother and that's fine with me. I tell her all the time she needs to use her money to enjoy herself. Not worry about me anymore."

I agreed, and from the little I knew about Annalee, she seemed to be of the same mindset. Nothing she did screamed spoiled rich brat. Even her spending habits were well within her budget and not the one set forth by her inheritance.

"Let's keep this between us for the moment. Annalee doesn't need to add this to her already full plate."

I was going to do my best to squash the articles before she ever found out but I didn't tell my friend that. They were already talking about the two of us and I didn't need to add fuel to the fire.

"You sure that's the best idea? I would be pissed if someone kept this from me."

“No, I’m not but I’m going to do it anyway. She can be as mad as she wants but it’s my job to protect her from the bullshit.”

"Suit yourself. I'm in no position to be giving advice when it comes to women."

Aaron walked away before I could question him about that. I didn't make a habit of mingling in my friends’ love lives. I wasn’t sure if he had one, and maybe he didn't. My mind had been too occupied lately.

I pushed Aaron's vague comment off and opened the folder back up. Only two of these articles were written in semi-respectable magazines, so I focused on those first. Maybe I could get the journalists to give me some information on who their sources were.

I ripped the phone away from my ear and tried to fight back the urge to chuck the fucking thing across the room.

Why the hell I thought a journalist would give up their sources was beyond me. And so much for even “semi-reputable.” The journalists I spoke with were money-hungry assholes who didn't deserve to have their names anywhere in the journalistic world.

"Things not going so well?" Maverick asked.

"You could say that."

"Then I apologize in advance for the information I'm about to give you."

I dropped my head onto the back of my chair and looked up at the ceiling with a huff. "Lay it on me."

"Easton asked me to look into that other place Annalee had an appointment with. The sublet won't be ready for a few days. The owner's mother had an unexpected fall and has been in the hospital with her for the last week. He’s a single father with way too much shit going on and hasn’t had the chance to get the place cleaned out from the previous tenant."

Well, wasn't that just great. This day couldn't possibly get any worse.

I spoke too soon.

Annalee's screech and slamming of the office phone echoed through the room. I was once again grateful for the audio system Maverick put in place that allowed us to hear what was happening out in the reception area.

"Well, that doesn't sound good."

I gave my boss the “duh” look before rushing out to see what was going on. Annalee was still mumbling to herself when I made it to her side.

"Everything okay?"

"No, everything's not okay," Annalee snapped. "My father's attorney emailed that he had urgent business to discuss with me, so I called him back. My evil stepmother is suing me and trying to contest the will saying I coerced my father into changing it."

At least he hadn't told her about the magazine articles and the fact that they were blaming her for her father's death. I had a feeling that would've only further pushed Annalee over the edge.

"Did the attorney mention what her chances are of winning?"

"Zero. Her chances are zero. He assured me she doesn't have a leg to stand on. My father's attorney was the one to witness the change of the will and spoke in great length to my father about it. He made his attorney promise that he wouldn't discuss anything with me until the will was read. The attorney knows I didn't have a clue what was going on, let alone coerced my father into anything."

That was good at least. But it didn't explain why she was so mad.

"So then, what's the problem?"

If looks could kill. I would be a pile of ash at the moment.

"The problem is my stepmother is dragging both my name and my father's name through the mud. I don't give a shit about me. I can defend myself, but my father can't, and he did a lot of good while he was alive. To have her ruin that would have my father rolling around in his grave."

I guess I hadn't thought about it that way. From the little research I had done on Theodore Bruce, everything pointed toward him being an extraordinary individual who never hesitated to donate money. That was a rare commodity among the rich.

"Did your stepmother ever have a problem with how much your father donated?"

Annalee released a heavy sigh and leaned farther back in her desk chair. "I'm not sure. If they fought about it, he never mentioned anything to me. My mother was the one who loved to give back to others. When she died, my father continued on with her legacy. As far as I could tell, that didn’t change even when he remarried, but again, if they disagreed about it, he never said anything to me."

I made a mental note to check on that as well. It would be easy enough to go back over the years and see where the money was being spent. Money trails were one of the easiest things to follow, especially if things were kept on the up-and-up. Something told me Theodore was that kind of man.

"What do you say we get out of here for the day?" It was after five o'clock, and even though Maverick never required us to keep typical banker hours, it was rare I would leave so early, but it looked like Annalee needed a break.

She looked at the clock and winced. "I was so busy I forgot to check in with you about those places to see if they were still available."

"Yeah, about that . . ." I really hated being the bearer of bad news. "The one is no longer available. I don't have the exact information yet, but they removed the sign. The other won't be ready for a few days."

Annalee chewed on her lip. "I could always get a hotel room. It would have to be under your name but I could pull the money from my inheritance without anyone knowing."

That wasn't happening.

"The closest hotel is twenty minutes away, and as much as driving doesn't bother me, I've gotten used to being able to leave my house and be at work in under five minutes. I have no desire to travel an hour every morning to go get you and then come back to work."

Plus, there was no way I was leaving her in a hotel room alone, so the point was moot. I didn't tell Annalee that though. Until the situation with her stepfamily was resolved, she wouldn't be going anywhere alone.

"I could buy a car"—Annalee snapped her fingers—"or take the bus."

"Does this town look like it has a bus station?"

We walked out the front door together and she looked up and down Main Street. "Yeah, I guess not, now that you mention it. I didn't think this whole arrangement through when I agreed to come down here."

That made two of us. I was flying by the seat of my pants here and honestly I was starting to question my sanity.

For the record, I was pretty sure I didn't have any left.

"Don't worry about it. You can stay with me until the other place is ready. It's only a few days. How bad could it be?"

Famous last words.