Shattered Trust (Colorado Trust 4)

Comprehension dawned on Jordan’s face. Justin looked back at his father. “Was.”

Dale frowned. “What?”

Justin blew out a breath. “I fired her. We can’t use the design.”

“Why did you fire her?”

Because I thought you were having an affair with her. Because I also thought you might be conspiring with her to ruin the company Granddad left to us instead of Mom, and by default, you. Because—

“I was going to offer her an internship so we didn’t have to pay for the design,” Dale told them with a deep frown. “Next time you might want to ask me before doing something so rash.”

Justin sat forward with his jaw clenched. “First of all, Dad, I don’t have to ask you when I want to fire one of my employees.” His father’s expression hardened but Justin ignored it. “And second, it’s unconscionable to take advantage of Ms. Wade like that.”

“What do you know?” Dale spat. “She’s been angling for that damn internship from the first time I met with her.”

“That doesn’t matter. I’m not sure how Granddad handled it in the past, but there’ll be no more unpaid internships.” He glanced at Jordan who’d remained silent. “Do you agree?”

“Completely.”

“That’s the whole idea of an internship,” Dale explained as if Justin were five years old. “Both parties get something they want, it’s completely legitimate.”

“Not when you take obvious advantage, and you know this design is worth a lot of money,” Justin argued. “Anyway, it’s out of the question, she’ll never come back. What else do you have?”

Dale shoved more drawings across the table to Justin. A quick glance at each one confirmed none compared; Marley Wade’s inspiring design had the best chance of winning the bid for Hunter.

Of all the reasons Marley had been meeting with his dad, Justin couldn’t believe this was it. He felt like a complete ass.

“Justin?” Jordan prodded.

After a quick glance at his father’s smug expression, Justin met Jordan’s gaze. Looking back down at the good-but-not-good-enough drawings in front of him, Justin gave a short, negative shake of his head.

“So now what?” Jordan asked.

“How bad do we need it?” Justin asked, even though he knew the answer.

“We’re staring at crimson red.”

Things just kept getting better and better.

“What the hell are you two talking about?” Dale looked from one to the other. “Have you managed to run this company into the ground in less than two weeks?”

Jordan directed a hard look at their father. “As former CEO, Dad, you should be aware that any damage to Granddad’s company happened long before we took over.”

Dale’s gaze narrowed, but he remained silent.

“Which brings me to another order of business we have to discuss.” Jordan reached to press the intercom button on an electric panel built into the table. “We’re ready, Bonnie.”

The door opened and a rounded, balding man entered.

Dale looked back at Jordan. “What is this about?”

“Please sit down, Ron,” Jordan said, ignoring Dale. “This is my brother, Justin. Justin, Ronald Reed, our chief financial officer.”

After shaking the man’s hand, Justin waited with interest to hear Jordan’s answer to his father’s question. Why did Jordan want to talk to their father with the CFO present? Ronald Reed sat next to Justin, and Justin noticed a sheen of sweat on the man’s pasty forehead.

Jordan spoke first,

directly to Dale. “There have been some withdrawals from your business account recently that haven’t been accurately documented.”