Nodding, she lightened the mood. “When I’m home I enjoy reading on my porch and watching fireflies. Sounds boring, but there’s no better place to unwind.”
“Tell me about your home,” Caydan said.
The next hour was spent telling him about her childhood. By the end of the night, she really missed her parents. And from the comments about his mother and the look in his eyes, Caydan was missing his mother as well.
The dinner hadn’t been a total waste. She’d seen another side of him. But it also brought out some new concerns. Like what does he know and why won’t he tell me?
As she headed back to her room, she was determined to find out more. He intrigued her. “I just need you to promise me, you’ll stay here where you’re safe.” He wanted to protect me? But from what? She could wait till he was ready to share, or ask Shaun, but that might just open up a can of worms she didn’t want either.
Chapter 7
Caydan hadn’t slept for shit. He wanted to blame it on Bennett or even Shaun, but the truth was, he shouldn’t have had dinner with Allyson. He liked her. He didn’t want to, but he did.
Allyson put on such a tough front, but he could tell she was too compassionate and sweet for an HR manager role. He couldn’t imagine her having to call someone into her office to fire them and learning they have a family of six kids and no money. She probably would give them a raise and start a collection to raise funds to help them. Like his mother, she seemed to have a heart of gold. She could hide behind all the rules and regulations she wanted to, but he wasn’t buying it. HR wasn’t where she belonged.
The more Caydan tried not to think about her, the more she popped into his head. It made no sense. She wasn’t the type of woman he normally spent his time with. His norms were either bubbleheads who couldn’t hold an intelligent conversation or driven women clawing their way to the top and hoping he would help them. They all discovered the same thing: he wasn’t interested in what they had to say. And at his age, he knew nothing would change. Old habits die hard.
But he actually wanted to hear more about Allyson’s life, her past and her hopes for the future. He’d also learned something else: all she really wanted was her parents to be proud of her. From the sound of it, they were, but she couldn’t see it. Allyson seemed to believe because they wanted something different for her, she was a disappointment. It wasn’t his place to tell her any different. That was something she needed to figure out on her own.
He had debated admitting his mother wanted the same for him. She used to tell him she had missed out on being a real mother, and now all she wanted was to be a grandmother. He hated breaking her heart, but that wasn’t going to happen. He wasn’t father material—I can’t give what I never had—and he took precautions to assure no children appeared by mistake.
That was the major difference between him and compassionate Allyson. There was no room for being a self-absorbed asshole when raising a child. Although many men didn’t let that stop them, he wasn’t about to bring a child into the world and have them turn out as fucked up as he was.
James Henderson should’ve thought about that before having all those kids. Maybe Tabiq would be free from them if he had. Caydan didn’t know everything James had done, but he knew enough. And it sickened him to think that behavior could have been passed on and would continue without anyone knowing it.
Caydan had given Shaun too much credit. He might seem to be different, but after yesterday, he knew Shaun wasn’t. But what is his agenda? No way could Shaun or anyone else suspect why he was there.
He’d expected Roger to update him by now. No news was good news, but it probably meant Roger couldn’t find anything concrete.
Like him, the Hendersons were damn good at keeping things quiet. So he would have to do this himself.
Caydan had a perfect view of the beach from his balcony. Although there were several people walking it, Shaun stood out. He wasn’t dressed for it nor did he appear to want to be there.
Good, then you’ll be thrilled with a reason to leave it.
Pulling out his cell phone, he rang Shaun.
“Good morning, Caydan. Did you enjoy your tour yesterday?” Shaun asked.
“It was informative.” But the problem wasn’t what he’d seen; it was what Bennett didn’t show him. And I need some answers. “One spot yesterday caught my attention. I was wondering if you’d like to go for a ride with me to check it out.”
“Bennett didn’t mention anything to me.”
There was a good reason for that too. “It only came to my mind last night. So do you want to join me?”
“Bennett needed to attend to a few things in town. Can this wait until tomorrow?”
Was Shaun afraid to go out alone with him? He disliked the Hendersons very much, but Caydan wasn’t a cold-blooded killer.
“I don’t see why it should. If you’d rather, I can see if Allyson is available.” Caydan was pushing his buttons and hoped he’d take the bait. There was no way in hell Caydan was taking Allyson anywhere near where he wanted to take Shaun. Would it be a wiser choice to have Bennett with them? Yes. But this was something he wanted to do with only Shaun.
“No. That’s okay. I’m sure she has things to handle here. I’ll meet you out front in an hour.”
Caydan was surprised Shaun didn’t question why he didn’t need to get work done rather than tour Tabiq a second day in a row. A benefit to me, really.
Caydan sensed Shaun’s reluctance and was sure he was updating Bennett with the new development. He knew Shaun had no idea what he was about to show him. Caydan wanted it to be a surprise so he could see Shaun’s reaction. It was the only way to obtain what he needed to know about him. Caydan hadn’t decided exactly where he was going to take Shaun, but a few spots with great need came to mind. One in particular the Hendersons have overlooked. By the end of the day Caydan would know if that was intentional or not.
He quickly changed into casual attire, strapped on his gun, and headed down to meet up with an employee who lived off site. If Caydan ever wondered who controlled shit in Tabiq, the answer was clear. It might be a dangerous place but everyone knew who not to fuck with. Janet had fallen under the protection of the Hendersons and therefore was free to come and go as she pleased. He had a few questions for her before meeting up with Shaun.
She was easy enough to locate. Janet was always in the dining room or the lounge, making sure her team was on top of everything. If he’d been running New Hope, he probably wouldn’t have hired a cocktail waitress to manage the staff, but he would’ve been wrong. The guests as well as the staff loved her.
She was her normal bubbly self, double-checking everything before the lunch crowd arrived.
“Janet, do you have a minute?”
She replied, “Of course. I hope everything is okay.”
“Yes, it’s fine. I have a few questions. Can we talk outside?” She nodded, and he led the way. Once out of earshot, he cut to the chase. “I know you live outside the resort. Why is that?”
“I know it’s not policy, but when I agreed to come here, I told Isa, that’s Drake’s wife, that I don’t want to live where I work. You know, there’s no privacy.”
“You’d have your own room. One I would think is better than where you live.”
She rolled her eyes. “That sounds like a man who doesn’t have a life.”
“Excuse me?” Caydan said, shocked.
“I don’t mean any disrespect. Since you are asking me personal questions, I’ll answer like you aren’t my boss.”
“As you should.” Not that he liked her snarky tone, but it was deserved. “May I ask you a few more questions?”
“Go for it. But just remember, I have lunch service to get ready for.”
“How do you know you’re safe here?”
“Wow, that’s a leap. I guess I watch where I go, and I only go where I’ve been told I can.”
“Who provided you with these guidelines?”
“Isa and Drake showed
me around when I first came here. They’d wanted me to stay with them, but I would never intrude on them like that. So they found a small cottage for me, which worked out perfectly. I like my independence.”
And privacy. “One more question.”
“What is that?”
“May I borrow your truck?”
“What?”
“I promise to make sure I return it in the same condition.”
She laughed. He knew the history of Janet’s beloved but ancient truck. It shouldn’t still run, but that truck had regular attention and a lot of TLC from the local mechanic, now her husband.
“Darn, couldn’t you bring it back better?” He laughed with her. Superman I’m not. Janet reached into her pocket and pulled out her keys. “If you find yourself stuck anywhere, my husband, Vinny, is a mechanic. I’m sure he would rescue you as long as it’s before dusk.”
Caydan didn’t need to ask why. He made sure he had the background on each of his employees and their families—all provided by Roger, not the company. Janet was all smiles. No one would ever suspect she married someone with an eye disorder who couldn’t see shit when it was dark or, hell, even cloudy. Caydan couldn’t understand why a beautiful young woman like her would want to tie herself down to that. Hell, why she’d want to live here.
But that wasn’t his concern. He needed to stay focused. Caydan took the keys. “If he’s a mechanic, why is your truck in such bad shape?”
“You know how it is, a painter never has time to paint his house and a carpenter’s home is falling apart. It’s the same with a mechanic. Besides, I always tell him I’m hoping it will kick the bucket and I can get something—”
“Better?”
“Well, I can’t get worst. But I was actually thinking smaller.” Smiling she said, “Hey, if you need a vehicle on a regular basis, I know a truck that could be for sale.”
“Then consider this my test drive,” he joked. “I’ll be sure to have it back before your shift ends.”
With the keys in hand, he went outside and drove the truck to the front of the building. He expected to see Shaun come out, but instead Allyson did.
“What on earth are you doing in Janet’s truck?”
“I’m going back out today, and she loaned it to me.” Caydan didn’t owe her an explanation but knew she wouldn’t leave until she had one.
She looked around then whispered as though someone could hear her over the truck’s engine. “Caydan, you know you’re not supposed to leave the resort.”
“Thank you for the reminder, again. But Shaun is coming with me.”
Her eyes widened. “Shaun? He’s going with you?”
“That’s what I said.”
“I don’t understand. All I hear is how dangerous it is out there, yet you guys can’t seem to stay away.”
He could hear the frustration in her voice. “Is something troubling you?”
She nodded. “Yes. Did you know another employee quit today?”
No, I didn’t. That one had nothing to do with him or Roger. For a moment he was tempted to park the truck and find out what happened. “I’ll address it when I return.”
“Caydan, this is not good. New Hope can’t keep losing employees. It’s going to look as though you’re . . . not the right person for the job.”
I’m not. “I’m sure there is an explanation to the—”
“Of course there is. They’re not happy. And do you know what’s worse?” He shook his head. She added, “They don’t come and talk to me. My job is to make sure the staff are treated fairly and are happy.”
So she was panicked not because of him, but how it might reflect on her. Once again she was doubting herself when what was taking place was out of her control. Just not out of mine.
“Allyson, I can assure you, this is normal when a new manager takes over. I’ll call a meeting when I return and speak to the staff. You can sit in on it if you’d like.”
“I’d like that.” She reached through the open window of the truck and rested her hand on his forearm. “I just wish you’d take this seriously. Your job could be at risk.”
He wanted to ask her why. As far as business went, this really wasn’t out of the normal. At least not yet. Shaun arrived and Allyson quickly made her way back inside.
“Did I interrupt something?” Shaun asked.
“She was just reminding me of company policy.”
Shaun laughed. “I thought for sure she was asking to go.”
“Even if she had, there is no way I’d allow it,” Caydan said as Shaun got into the truck.
“You do know she doesn’t work for you, right?” Shaun asked.
As they pulled away from the resort, Caydan said, “It has nothing to do with New Hope.” It was truer than he wanted it to be. If he wasn’t careful, she was going to be what stood between him and victory.
“So it’s personal? That’s more concerning.”
“Actually, it’s none of your business.”
“Caydan, normally I’d agree with you. Hell, I’ll be the first to admit I’m not one who should give relationship advice, but—”
“I’m not asking and I don’t want it,” Caydan said flatly.
“Then let me talk to you as your boss. She’s off limits.”
Caydan pulled the truck to the side of the road and met Shaun straight in the eyes. “I don’t know what you think is going on, but you’re out of line. You might sign my paycheck but that’s all. No one, not you or any of your brothers, tells me what I can and can’t do. Is that clear?”
He could feel the tension within him, and his knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. If he was trying to play it low key, he’d just blown it.
Shaun didn’t flinch. Why should he? He, like his brothers, thought they were above it all, that nothing could touch them. It was going to be sweet when they finally figured out they weren’t as untouchable as they had thought.
“I have a lot of questions about you,” Shaun said.
About, not for? “If you want to know, just ask.” Doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you everything.
“Why are you in Tabiq?”
“Because Scott hired me.”
“Don’t fuck with me. There’s something about you that doesn’t seem quite right.”
Caydan pulled back onto the road. “There’s a lot about me not right. None of them has anything to do with my ability to do my job.”
“I’m not sure I trust you,” Shaun announced.
“That’s the difference between us.” He didn’t even look at Shaun. I know I don’t trust you.
Caydan had been tempted to ask Shaun what he didn’t trust, but it didn’t matter. He already knew from Bennett’s questions yesterday they were unsure why he was there. By the time any of them figured it out, it’d be too late.
He had to admit, he was impressed Shaun threw out the boss card to intimidate him. For now, Caydan would play nice and let him believe he was in charge. That was going to change very soon. A few miles down the road he turned off onto a very bumpy dirt road not traveled often.
“Where the hell are we going?” Shaun asked as the truck rocked from side to side.
“You’ll see.” Caydan hadn’t been there himself, but he’d seen pictures and knew what to expect. It wasn’t something you could see from the road, but Roger had stumbled upon it when he’d first arrived. There were a lot of things Roger had reported that Caydan could’ve brought Shaun to, but this one would have the biggest impact. When the path finally ended, Caydan stopped the truck. You could see the old rundown building a few hundred feet away. He wasn’t going to risk going closer.
“What is this place?” Shaun asked.
“A place where families send their youth who might not be . . . all they hoped they would be.”
“What do you mean?” Shaun asked as he looked around.
“The kids that need special care. You name it, they send them up here where the rest of the country can ignore them.
�
�Why aren’t they with their families?” Shaun asked.
“You really have no idea what goes on here do you?”
Shaun glared at him. “I’m not ignorant to what transpired.”
I’m sure you aren’t. And that’s what troubles me.
“Neither am I.”
Shaun looked like he was going to question that, but stopped. Instead he added, “I haven’t made it a point to come here myself much. I came for the grand opening, but that’s all.”
“Then consider this me educating you. Most people here don’t have jobs or the means to get them. You and your brothers think you can build a resort and fix Tabiq. All you’re fixing are a few hundred people. What about the rest of them? Who’s taking care of them?”
“I understand your concerns. The plan, as I know it, is to expand the resort.”
“To once again only help a few.” He threw the truck in reverse and peeled out, leaving the building clouded by dust. “The resort will fail, and it won’t be my doing or anything Allyson or the others do either. This will all be on you and your brothers.”
“You’re way out of line, Caydan.”
“Me? After what your father did to this country, you’re going to tell me I’m out of line?” He could tell Shaun wasn’t prepared for that. Most people didn’t know the truth and didn’t want to. They were happy to turn a blind eye. Tabiq was insignificant to the rest of the world. Not to me. Not to my mother. Through gritted teeth, he added, “You have a hell of a lot of nerve. Places like this only exist because of James. Your father might be dead, but his legacy lives on. Of course, you wouldn’t know anything about that, living all comfortable in Boston now, would you?”
Shaun looked stunned, and rightly so. Caydan enjoyed turning the tables. But Shaun was a Henderson, and they didn’t stay down long.
“You know nothing of my life. If you did, you’d know I’m nothing like my father,” Shaun snarled.
“Then prove it. Help these children.”
It was a challenge he would bet everything Shaun would take. He had played on Shaun’s soft spot. He didn’t care. If Tabiq was helped, it didn’t matter how dirty he played.
Eight Reasons Why Page 10
