“Technically, it’s extortion,” Tristan corrected.
“Whatever.” Rain twisted his face, clearly disgusted. “You’re stupid, you know that, right?”
Tristan nodded. When he’d stopped by Mason’s place a few days ago to come clean, Rain had yelled at him for almost four minutes straight, and then he’d thanked Tristan.
“And I love you. You know that, right?” Rain darted over, hugging him, and Tristan tried not to cry.
“I love you too, kid.” He kissed the top of Rain’s head before they parted. “And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
“You won’t have to.” Mason pointed out as Rain drifted back to him.
“That’s if everything goes according to plan.” Tristan glanced toward the foyer.
Apparently, he hadn’t been the only one keeping secrets, because Eve’s Valentine’s Day visit hadn’t been her first trip to The Pointe. Once Tristan had confessed, he’d found out that Eve had barged into the wedding hall last year to find and harass Rain, and she’d brought her greasy fling as backup. However, Marci had tossed them out on their ears.
Come to think of it, Eve had always appeared far from the building, so she wouldn’t be caught on camera, which made sense now. Hopefully, she’d never step into their lives again after today.
“Everything is set,” Gideon strolled down The Pointe’s grand staircase into the foyer. “Owen’s desk has a microphone and there are three hidden cameras. I wish you’d told me about this earlier. I could’ve given you some to place around the kitchen, try to catch Derrick in the act.”
“I don’t know…” Tristan smiled kindly despite the knots in his stomach. “Someone might have found them.”
“True, true.” Gideon looked him up and down. “Listen, friend. You’re doing the right thing.”
“He is,” Mason stated with less of a monotone than usual, and Tristan was touched.
“I just want Jax’s name cleared and The Pointe reimbursed, that’s all. I don’t care about what she did to me.”
“Well, I do,” Rain grumped similarly to Mason, crossing his arms.
“Are you sure you don’t want Jax here? Wouldn’t he want to see this?” Gideon asked.
Truthfully, Tristandidwant Jax at the hall, so he could see that he was right; hehadbeen targeted, and it was exactly who he thought it was.
But Tristan had to fix things before he could face Jax again.
“Not yet.” Tristan shook his head. “This might not go the way we hoped. Eve can be unpredictable, that’s why Marci’s here.”
While Tristan hadn’t liked telling Owen, Angelo, and Marci the full story about Eve and Derrick, including the threats and extortion, there’d been no need for him to feel embarrassed, because once he’d shown them the pictures, Angelo had grumbled in anger, and Marci’s aura had become quite threatening.
Owen had offered to fire Derrick on the spot, but on the drive with Gideon, Tristan had come up with a plan that Rain and Mason had also contributed to, and when the other three had been looped in, they had his back one hundred percent. In fact, Owen had consulted Liam, who was versed in law, and they’d all managed to create something that was mostly foolproof, keeping it amongst themselves.
Funny, Tristan had almost turned down the maître d’ interview, not thinking that he’d had a chance, and he’d ended up part of a new family. In fact, Owen had been angry on his behalf, revealing that he had a malicious ex too, one who’d kidnapped his child, and Tristan was still stunned. Overall, it made him feel less alone, but not any less guilty.
“We should get into place.” Gideon glanced out the window at the empty parking lot. Not wanting any interference, they’d scheduled this when the hall was closed, so their footsteps echoed as everyone went upstairs.
Gideon raced into Owen’s office, adjusting the few tiny cameras, and Tristan nodded at Marci and Owen before standing off to the side. Rain and Mason went into Ollie’s office next door, where they could easily hear through the wall and stay out of sight. They’d come to support Tristan but wanted to avoid Eve at all costs, and Tristan wished he could avoid her too.
“Is anyone here?” Eve’s high-pitched tone echoed through the place, and they all stilled.
Tristan wasn’t ready for the rage that washed through him, as if hearing her had broken the dam, and he inhaled sharply through his nose, trying to calm down.
“Nice voice,” Gideon stated, patting Tristan on the shoulder. “Good luck!”
“Thanks,” Tristan replied absently as both Gideon and Owen left, and a moment later, Owen came back with Eve.
She strolled in like she was meant to be there, like she owned the place, and that’s why people fell to her. It wasn’t just her beauty; it was her entitlement, and she wielded both like weapons.
But that entitlement also blinded her. She was at The Pointe because Owen had called her about a job. He’d meant Jax’s job, but she had definitely talked herself into the idea that she’d find employment at a place that she’d been physically ejected from. And she’d never consider that her little scheme had been discovered.
