“You guys really dabble in a little of everything.” I’m surprised there are so many accounts for a million different things.
I know Taylor and Mace took over the family law firm, and it was already well known before they got their hands on it, but they have already doubled the firm’s growth. I can tell from a quick glance that the two of them really have built sothing with what they were given.
“What do you an?” Taylor asks. Every ti I glance up from my laptop, he’s staring at , and it’s not helping with my concentration. I’m already overwheld just being in his presence.
“It’s a lot,” Craig mutters in agreent.
“Can you enlighten ?” Taylor’s tone holds an edge to it, but I guess he’s used to people jumping to answer him quickly.
“You have attorneys in almost every field. The firm is massive.”
“Yes. Mace and I wanted to be able to handle anything a client might need. From a criminal case to divorce or simple traffic tickets. Why would I want to send business elsewhere when I could hire lawyers to do those things here?”
I knew Taylor and Mace work hard, but this shows just how driven they are.
“Let’s not forget the trusts and wills,” I point out, because it’s what has my attention.
“That’s what I was thinking.” Craig clicks on another file.
“Thankfully it’s all really organized,” I say because I’ve seen so ssy books before, and Craig nods in agreent. He can be annoying, but he knows what he’s doing.
“The investnts?” Taylor stands as it dawns on him.
“That would be the best way to try and hide money. You have hundreds of trusts for very rich people who have those trusts invested in a million different things. The peaks and falls of those investnts might not be noticeable to soone so wealthy and that isn’t checking regularly. They might think a stock dropped if they are halfway paying attention.”
“They take a little from here and a little from there,” Craig adds. “Then they make a break for it before anyone catches on.”
“But you can trace it?”
“Yes, but it’s going to take ti. We’re going to have to backtrack and go through each account.”
“All right,” Taylor agrees, still standing.
“Though I want to make a quick swipe of the firm’s other accounts and make sure those books are clean. That should be easy, but I’d hate to dig into all these trusts only to find out it’s sothing else.”
“That would blow.” Craig can’t help but give his two cents, and each ti it annoys Taylor. Craig might not realize it, but I know Taylor, and I can read him like a book.
“Yes, that would blow,” I say in agreent and try to hide my laugh.
“Do what you need to, I trust you,” Taylor says, and I hate how much I love hearing it. It feels like butterfly wings in my belly when he says it, and I have to remind myself that Taylor is a distraction.
“Do you think we could talk for a mont?” I glance to Craig. “Alone?”
“Of course.” Taylor is already heading toward the double doors of the conference room. “We can go to my office.” He holds the door open for . “You didn’t bring a coat.”
“Um...” His comnt catches off guard. “No, I forgot.” I’m surprised Briar hadn’t said anything, but she was wrapped up in evil thoughts, and it wasn’t until I was out of our building that I noticed. It isn’t as cold today, so I didn’t go back for it.
“Sir.” A blonde stands from behind her desk as we approach. Great, another blonde. Damn it, jealousy is the last thing that needs to be on my mind right now.
“I don’t need anything,” he tells her as he opens the door to his office for . “I’m not to be disturbed,” Taylor adds before the two of us are all alone in his office. Crap, obviously having a word in private would an being alone with him, but I really hadn’t thought we’d actually be this private. Now I’m in a room that’s filled with his rich, warm scent.
“Is he bothering you? I can request soone else.”
“Who?” I ask, confused.
“Craig?”
“Oh, no.” I shake my head. “He’s fine.”
“Okay.” Taylor’s expression tells he’s not happy with my response.
“In fact, Craig is more qualified than I am. I’m actually wondering if you should have replaced. Gondal Assist has—”
“No,” he cuts off.
“But there are people there with so much more experience than .” I already know he doesn’t want to bring on more people to help. Taylor wants to keep this investigation quiet so that he doesn’t spook whoever is behind this.
“I said no.”
“Right, because it’s always what you want.”
“Trust . It’s not.”
I step farther into his office, needing space, but Taylor follows. Deciding I’ve got to move again, I sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk, thinking it will make him take a seat behind it. Instead he leans up against it and is even closer than before.
“I know you requested ,” I say, and he clenches his jaw. “No one told .” I got the sense when I emailed my boss about knowing the McCartney brothers that he was already aware of our connection. I think it’s why I got the email so late.
“Why wouldn’t I request you? Like I said, I trust you, and you work at the most prestigious and progressive accounting firm in the city.”
“It was ranked third,” I correct him, making him smirk.
“Yes, the last ti it was ranked, but I have no doubt it will be number one next ti. They are a younger company, but they’re also growing rapidly.”
A thought suddenly occurs to , and I don’t like it. “Did you make them hire ?”
“What? No,” he says, looking offended.
I glare up at him and search his face for the truth, but I don’t think Taylor would lie to . He’s always been honest even when I didn’t want to hear it.
“I’m not saying that’s beneath sothing I would do,” he admits.
“You are a lawyer.” I roll my eyes, pretending to be annoyed. The reality is, I think it would be sweet if he tried to do sothing for without knowing. Don’t get wrong, I’m happy I got the job on my own, but it’s the idea that he would do it that I enjoy.
“The reason Gondal Assists is doing so well is because Rendall has a knack for picking the right graduates that know what they are doing.”
“Thanks.” I hope I’m not blushing, but my cheeks feel warm.
“It’s the truth. You don’t need to tell you that, Jasmine. You’ve always been the best at whatever you put your mind to.” If only that was true. “And as I said, I trust you. I’m handing over a lot of personal client information. Only you can access it and hand things off to Craig. Confidential details that my client is selling sothing can co down the line at any mont. That might not sound like much, but it could change stock prices if soone knew beforehand—”
“Insider trading,” I finish for him.
“Exactly. I’ve got enough of a ss on my hands with this.” He lets out a deep breath.
“Okay,” I agree and stand. “You look tired.”
“Are you saying I look like shit?”
“I don’t think you could look like shit if you tried,” I say, and he pushes off his desk to close the space between us. “I’ll figure this out. You should get so rest.”
“I haven’t gotten rest in years, Jasmine.” His hand cos up to cup my cheek. “Not since—”
“You can’t go in there!” a woman shouts from behind us and snaps back to reality. I step away from Taylor a second before the door swings open and my sister cos strolling in.
“Can you make a will and leave everything to your cats?” Briar asks.
“I don’t believe you have an appointnt,” Taylor responds, but she ignores him.
“Like if I die, can my will cover the expenses of my cats?”
“She’s seriously asking this,” I tell Taylor. It might be a bullshit reason to show up here just for this, but she still wants to know the answer.
“Yes.”
“Great, I need you to draw that up.”
“You’re not making a will,” I say to Briar, because I don’t want to even think about sothing happening to her.
“Your family has a trust, so that would only be an added clause.”
“Right, I knew that.” Briar’s eyes bounce between Taylor and . “So clause it up.”
“I’ll get right on that,” Taylor says, but he’s full of it.
“Thanks, but you’re still the evil twin,” she informs him.
“Why am I the evil one?” Taylor actually looks offended. “Wait, do you think I’m Mace?”
I snort a laugh because I’m not sure if I want to kill or kiss Briar right now. What was Taylor going to say before she burst in here?
I’m not sure I want to know. The last ti we were all alone, he broke my heart.
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