I run a hand over my jaw as I look at the paperwork that Denver’s managed to get ahold of. It’s all here in black and white. I could ruin Rory if I choose to.
“No one will know if he pays it back in time. But if he doesn’t, he’ll lose his job, his license to practice, he could face jail.”
“Stupid boy. He could have sorted all this with what I gave him. What’s he done with half a million?”
Denver looks at me from beneath his dark brows. “My guy in London has been keeping some tabs on him. He’s already gambled a lot of it.”
I shake my head as I drop the papers onto my desk.
“And he spent a night in a hotel with two hookers,” he adds.
I snort out a disgusted grunt. This is the man who thought he was worthy of Hallie. Who actually believed he stood a chance with her.
“You want me to tell my guy to keep an eye on him?”
I sit back in my chair, steepling my hands in front of my face. Hallie has been so happy since we came back from England. She knows Rory didn’t get those bruises her mom mentioned from a clumsy fall. She’s also told me she understands that Beauforts do anything for family.
And she’s one of us now.
I’ll dispose of every Rory on this earth that so much as breathes in her direction if I have to.
But she’s also asked me to leave it in the past. She wants to move forward, and she doesn’t want Rory’s parents to hear what he’s been up to from someone else. Just like she didn’t want hers to hear about Vegas from someone else. She’s always seeing the good in other people. She wants to believe that he’ll tell them himself and deal with his problems like a man.
I can guarantee he’ll be a coward and not come clean to them.
But Hallie’s asked me to leave it behind us.
“No. Tell him he can stop. If Rory has the balls to come back here, I’ll deal with him.”
“Boss.” Denver nods as he rises from his seat.
“Denver?” I say as he reaches the door of my office.
He turns back.
“Keep Killian and Jenson here from now on. They’ve spent long enough chasing thin air in Cape Town.”
He nods, his eyes holding mine. “We still have some people to identify on the CCTV.”
“Finish it. And after that…”
He doesn’t need to say anything. I know from the look in his eyes that he understands. It’s been two years and we’ve gotten nowhere. Nothing is going to bring them back. Living in the past suited me until now. It gave me a purpose, chasing an answer that I thought had to exist. But now I have a real reason to keep going.
Denver closes the door behind him as he leaves, and I pick up my phone.
“I just wanted to hear your voice,” I say the moment Hallie answers.
I close my eyes as we chat, relaxing in my chair and just listening to her excitement flowing from her as she tells me about another new client who has reached out to her today.
When we finally hang up I’m smiling.
This is living in the present. This is what I need. No matter how many times I tell her what she’s done for me, I don’t think she’ll ever truly know just how much I love her.
She’s given me a future.
The intercom on my desk phone flashes and I reach out to answer it.
“Yes?”
