The Dom Identity (Masters & Mercenaries Reloaded 2)

“Or something scandalous happens like her stepson trying to set her up,” MaeBe pointed out.

“But there’s been very little press about Junior.” It bothered him. He’d thought about it all week long. The press had quieted, but he doubted that would have happened if Junior’s plan had gone through.

“The major news outlets all covered the story.” MaeBe had been tasked with watching the media when it came to Vanessa. “But it was very upfront coverage. Most of the major newspapers and entertainment outlets were fairly uniform. They put the facts out. The tabloids are a little different. There are some stories that question whether or not the Malone family put pressure on the police to hide Vanessa’s actions.”

“I want a deep dive into everything the Benedict Group is invested in, and Junior personally.” Something about the timing bugged him.

On the screen Ashton was continuing to tell the sympathetic-looking reporter how worried she was for Vanessa’s life, telling her stories about other times Vanessa had tried to hurt herself to get attention.

Bullshit. He’d talked to Vanessa’s therapist half an hour ago. She’d gone over the interview Ashton had given, too, and found none of it credible.

Vanessa is a strong woman. She’s determined to make something of her life. I do not believe she would hurt herself. Especially when things are looking up for her.

The therapist’s opinion had bolstered his own. Not for one second did he believe what Ashton was saying. If Vanessa had ever had a problem with drugs, she would have told him, would have owned it. She didn’t flinch in the face of any weakness. She dealt with it.

He so admired her for that.

“You think he has sway with some of these tabloids?” Kyle asked.

“I think the timing is interesting.” His brain was working overtime. “All of this happens just as he figures out my family won’t be swayed. He tried to force a rift between me and my mother over Vanessa. I’ve read Ashton’s other interviews. She’s never mentioned a drug problem before.”

“No,” MaeBe agreed. “This interview is so weird. I’ve watched and read them all. Ashton usually paints herself as the victim of Vanessa’s cruelty and lies. Now she’s making Vanessa seem fragile. Almost sympathetic.”

“Yeah, like the part where she talks about how hurt Vanessa is by bad press and how it sends her into a downward spiral,” Kyle commented. “What was that about? All she’s had is bad press, and she seems fine to me.”

He wouldn’t trust Kyle to psychologically evaluate a person, but he was right in this case. Despite the fact that she had a tender heart, she was tough. Yes, she cried, but that was a measure of her strength, too. She hadn’t hardened her heart against the world, hadn’t cut herself off from forming relationships even though her foundational ones had been dysfunctional.

Vanessa hadn’t stopped fighting for what she believed in. She’d hit the ground and was working on getting back up.

“She’s strong as hell, and I assure you there’s no way she’s thinking about hurting herself. She might punch me.” He would take it. He would take any punishment she needed to mete out as long as he was with her at the end of this. “But she won’t hurt herself.”

MaeBe was going through her files. “I got a report from our forensic accountant. The company is huge, but they do have a majority share in a news group that includes several tabloids.” MaeBe groaned. “Including the ones that are so harsh on Vanessa. He’s using these papers to build a narrative. I would bet he’s paying Ashton, too.”

“Then what’s the narrative now?” Kyle asked.

The conference room door opened, and Deke strode in. “Hey, I know Vanessa isn’t staying at her sister’s place anymore, but something weird is happening, and I’m going over to check it out.”

“Weird?” Michael didn’t like the sound of that. It was a lot of movement around her at one time. First the surprise interview, and now something at her old place. Probably coincidence, but he had a nasty feeling in his gut that something was about to happen, some line of dominoes being set up to fall.

“The power went out for the whole community,” Deke said. “I’ve been monitoring the community message boards, and the power went out about ten minutes ago. I checked Vanessa’s cameras. They’re off.”

“And the gate wasn’t fixed,” Kyle stood. “So it’s probably the press trying to get in.”

Michael joined him, pushing back his chair and getting to his feet. “No. They know she’s staying with me. We talked about it in our interview last week. There’s no need for them to go to her old place. I’m calling Tessa. I want to make sure she lets no one into our condo.”

He dialed her number, and Tessa came over the line.

“Hey, Michael,” Tessa said, sounding slightly out of breath. “You owe me a beer after having to climb all these stairs.”