Nothing To Lose: A Grey Justice Novel (12 page)

“You never thought that was strange? An anomaly?”

Thomas had thought it was suspicious, but proving someone’s innocence hadn’t exactly been on Nick’s must-do list. He’d been looking for a way to nail all the Slaters, not investigate one who’d already been proven guilty.

“The guy was caught with a shitload of cocaine and heroin. Not much mystery there.”

“True. But when you piss Papa Slater off, you pay the price.”

“You’re saying Slater set up his own kid? Why? And how do you know this?”

“Because Jonah Slater works for me.”

Nick wasn’t buying it. “You’re saying the son of Mathias Slater is a good guy who was set up by his father to take a fall as punishment? Somebody sold you a crock of shit.”

“I assure you, Mr. Gallagher, I don’t deal in crocks, shit or otherwise. Jonah went against the family. He was punished for his sins. It was either send him to prison or kill him. As an indulgence to his wife, Jonah’s mother, Mathias chose prison.”

“Gee, what a nice guy,” Nick said.

“I’m sure Mathias thinks so.”

“Sounds like you have more insight into the family than just Jonah.”

“I’ll be glad to tell you more if you agree to my terms.”

“I’ve already told you I’m not going to work for you. However, I do want to make sure Kennedy stays safe. If that means helping you, then I’ll agree to those terms.”

“You’ll have to move to Dallas.”

“Fine. I’ll take a leave of absence. Problem is, no one’s going to buy that I’m just taking time off. No way in hell will they believe I’m not continuing an investigation of the Slaters.”

“Don’t worry, a leave of absence won’t be necessary. I’ll take care of it.”

Nick narrowed his eyes at the man across from him. He took nothing on faith these days, especially from a man who was probably just as powerful and well connected as the Slaters. “Take care of it how?”
 

“I can understand your caution, Gallagher, but it’s time to take a stand. I can make things happen, but giving you details is time consuming and pointless. What’s it going to be? In or out.”

Nick considered all that he had heard. Seemingly content to allow him this time, Justice continued a relaxed pose across from him. The man was as well known for his sexual exploits as he was for his charitable foundations. And yet here he was indicating that he was a hell of a lot more than just a playboy or philanthropist.
 

“What happens if I say no?”

“Then I’ll be on my way.”

“Just like that…even though I know this about you?”

“Again, Mr. Gallagher, I don’t deal with untrustworthy people. If you say no to my proposal, I have every faith that you will never mention this discussion to anyone.”

“But you’ll still find a way to use Kennedy.”

“By her own actions, Mrs. O’Connell has indicated she wants to be involved in bringing Slater to justice. I intend to make it easier for her.”

“How magnanimous of you.”

“I make no pretention of my motives.” Justice went to his feet. “But from the sound of your comments, it doesn’t look like you’ll be interested.”

“I didn’t say that. I would need your guarantee that Kennedy would be protected.”

“Protecting the people who work for me is my number one concern.”

“Then why is Jonah Slater in prison?”

For the first time since this bizarre conversation started, Nick saw emotion on Justice’s face. No matter how unfazed the man pretended to be, Jonah Slater’s incarceration had made an impact.

“When the truth comes out, Jonah will receive a new trial and be exonerated.”

“You sound very sure of yourself.”

“That’s because I don’t fail, Mr. Gallagher. My methods may take longer than I like, but in the end, there will always be justice.”

“Odd how your name fits this mysterious persona of yours.”

Without acknowledging the comment, Justice raised a questioning brow, waiting for Nick’s answer. And since it had been decided the moment he’d seen Kennedy’s picture, he saw no reason to delay the inevitable.
 

“I’m in. What do I need to do?”

Chapter Ten

Slater House Hotels

Dallas, Texas

Rachel Walker peered intently at her computer screen. Crap, that wasn’t right. She pulled off her glasses, wiped a couple of smudges from the lenses and returned them to the bridge of her nose. They weren’t prescription—just plain, ordinary glass. She didn’t wear them to aid her in seeing. Rather, the glasses helped others from seeing the real her. They were the subtlest of the changes she had made to her appearance.
 

She scanned the spreadsheet until she spotted the mistake. Clicking the backspace key, she typed in the correct numbers, then hit enter. There—her work was finished. What should have taken eight hours had been accomplished in four. Amazing what a properly motivated employee could do. After lunch, while she looked still busy at her job, she would snoop.

Standing, she stretched her back and neck muscles until she heard a small pop. Sitting in one place for a long time wasn’t good for her posture or health, but the job was what it was. Boring, but in its own way fulfilling. Right now, she was one tiny cog in the giant Slater machine, but one day she would be much more. This she vowed.

“Hey, Rachel. We’re going to lunch. Want to come?”

She glanced over her shoulder at three of her co-workers. They were a friendly group, and despite her desire to stay as isolated as she could, she had blended in well with them. She was just one of the millions of young, single women earning a living in the big city.

Still, going to lunch was out of the question. There were two or three reports she had new access to that she wanted to peruse. She needed privacy for that. Not that she expected to find anything illegal or incriminating in them, but the more she learned about the business the better her chances for promotion.
 

She gave them a friendly grin. “Thanks, but I brought my lunch.”

Throwing her a “see you later,” the small, cheerful group of women walked out the door. She turned back to the computer and was about to click onto a new screen when someone called her name.
 

Startled, she looked up into the smiling face of her supervisor. She had thought the woman had gone to lunch, too.

“Yes?”

“Have you taken your lunch break yet?”

“No, I was just about to.”

“I’m going to eat in the break room. Want to join me? I need to talk to you about something.”

Refusing wasn’t an option. She was finding that her eager-to-please attitude was opening doors earlier than she had ever anticipated.

A shot of fear surged through her that she quickly squelched. If her real identity had been discovered, her supervisor wouldn’t be the one dealing with her. It would be someone with more authority and a deadly motive.

The thought giving her ease in its own bizarre way, she nodded eagerly at the woman. Sandra Frost was just one of dozens of supervisors in this huge hotel conglomerate, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have knowledge to share.

The woman smiled and turned away, never realizing that Rachel had only one thing on her mind—picking the woman’s brain of everything she knew about her job and the owners of the company. Rachel was like a sponge, eager to move forward in her new career. She wanted to be known as the most dedicated and ambitious employee the Slaters had ever had. But unlike most ambitious women, her ultimate goal had nothing to do with money or prestige and everything to do with gaining justice.

Seven days later, Kennedy sat in a chair in front of a massive cherry wood desk belonging to Eli Slater. Never had she anticipated that sharing lunch with her supervisor last week would lead her here.

Nerves jumped like manic crickets inside her, and she worked with all her might to get her jitters under control. She crossed her legs, and the instant she saw her leg swinging, she dropped both feet back to the floor. Showing a few nerves was fine—after all, she was interviewing for a new, much-higher-paying position. Revealing that getting this job meant a lot more to her than just a higher salary and some nice perks would have been a major mistake. She was a motivated young woman, eager to move up in the world, nothing more.

When her supervisor had told her about the opening and suggested she try for it, there had been no hesitation in Kennedy’s agreement. The closer she could get to the “family”, the better for her plans.

As she waited for Eli Slater to arrive, Kennedy reviewed what she had dug up about the man. He was the next to the youngest of Mathias and Eleanor Slater’s sons. A thirty-four-old widower with two young daughters, Eli had been in charge of the Slater House Hotels for ten years as chief operating officer. The luxury hotels were in every corner of the world. Eli had run them from the corporate headquarters in London for six years. Four years ago he had moved his family to the U.S.
 

 
Known to be tough but fair, it was reported that when he wasn’t working, the man was with his children. Rumor was he had been devastated by the death of his wife, Shelley, who had lost her battle with drugs and alcohol only months after giving birth to their second child.

Kennedy had done extensive research on the entire family and had found Eli to be one of the most mysterious—not because she couldn’t find any information, but because he seemed so damned normal. An everyday, average man devoted to his family, his job, and his employees. Nothing in his profile suggested that he was involved in anything remotely illegal.
 

Of course, that kind of cover-up was how the Slaters had stayed out of trouble for so long. They portrayed themselves as a large, loving, and successful family. The only taint was Jonah Slater, who was serving a long prison sentence. And even though she had never met the man, his arrest and conviction had been the beginning of the end for her and Thomas.

The door swung open, and Kennedy twisted her head around as Eli Slater entered. A few inches over six feet tall, the man strode into the room with a surprising grace and lack of sound. For such a large man, he moved with a fluidity she’d only ever seen in a dancer. With thick, blondish hair, an artfully angular face, and warm brown eyes, he could have been the poster boy for All-American good looks. How could evil be so handsomely disguised?

“Ms. Walker, thank you for agreeing to this interview.”

Standing, she held out her hand. “It’s my pleasure, Mr. Slater. I’m excited for the opportunity.”

After shaking her hand with a cool, firm grip, he rounded his desk and dropped gracefully into his chair. The instant she was seated again, he gave her an impersonal but polite smile. “You come highly recommended by all of your supervisors. When I mentioned the need for a new executive assistant in our weekly staff meeting, your name was brought up by several people.”

“I’m flattered. I—”

“Don’t be. If you’re half as good as you’re reported to be, then it’s hard work that’s brought you here.”

She nodded and remained quiet.

“This job will challenge you, and at times I’m sure you’ll question your sanity and want to quit. However, if you stick with it, I believe you’ll find it to be more rewarding than you ever thought possible.”

“Can you explain what the job entails?”

“You’ll handle my daily calendar and all travel arrangements, organize staff meetings, prepare press announcements. Screen all of my calls—my secretary will give you a list of approved people. You’ll also be provided with two assistants and can delegate the more mundane matters to them. Once you’re more comfortable with the day-to-day operations, I’ll want you take over some of the analytical responsibilities. I understand you’re proficient in the most up-to-date analytical software?”

“Yes.” She had acquired these skills in previous jobs and had learned even more since moving to Dallas. If she got this job, she would make herself invaluable, indispensible. The more Eli Slater trusted her, the better for her plan.

“Do you have any issues with travel?”

“Travel?”

“Yes, I’ll expect you to go with me on business trips and attend various functions.”

Even though this was a common duty for an executive assistant, a warning bell went off in her head. She would be in close proximity with this man night and day. Would Eli Slater expect more from her than the normal executive assistant duties? There were a lot of things she would do to gain this man’s confidence…sleeping with him would not be one of them.

She took in his expression and demeanor. She saw no indication that he found her even remotely appealing. Though not particularly vain, Kennedy had become accustomed to the gleam of attraction in men’s eyes. It was reassuring that Eli Slater didn’t appear to even see her as a woman.

“Travel is fine.” And because she had to know for sure, she added, “I’m single and am only responsible for myself.”

His expression never changing, he stood and rounded his desk once more. “Report here tomorrow morning at nine.”