The man laughed. “They certainly did. Still, I’m sure if I know you from somewhere it’ll come back to me. It always does.”
Someone from over by the oversize barbecue hailed him, and he turned and waved to them before making his excuses and leaving Miles and Chloe to themselves. She watched him walk away, feeling as though a ticking time bomb had been activated inside her. Keith Cooper must have known her parents. If he was as close to the Wingate family and as entrenched in the business as he appeared to be, he probably would have known about Trent Wingate’s offer to her father, too. And he’d have known what had happened next when that offer had failed to materialize.
A bitter taste flooded her mouth, and she gladly accepted the glass of champagne Miles took from a passing waiter and offered her. She downed half of it in one desperate gulp.
“Thirsty?” Miles asked with a quizzical look on his face.
“I probably should have started with water,” she said, forcing a laugh. “I promise I’ll go slower with the rest.”
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “I don’t blame you for reaching for a little liquid courage. My family en masse is quite enough, but with all of the hangers-on as well? It makes a good case for drinking. Come on. Let’s go check out the buffet.”
Chloe nodded and tucked her free hand in the crook of his arm and fought the sensation that she was rapidly losing control of the world around her. It was clear that she really hadn’t thought things through properly. While her mom had severed ties with everyone back here in Royal when they’d moved to Chicago, people could still remember her and a gathering like this was bound to prompt memories. Chloe could only hope that no one connected her to the late John Fitzgerald, and she also wanted to distract Miles from possibly pressing her more about how Cooper might have known her.
“Miles, I got the impression you’re not all that happy about Mr. Cooper and your mom?”
He firmed his lips before replying.
“He and Dad were cut from the same cloth. Maybe I just see too much of my father in him. I can’t help feeling he’s just been biding his time until the coast was clear so he could win Mom back, and I think the way he is around her now, a little too familiar. He—” Miles paused for a moment choosing his words carefully. “He doesn’t have the best track record with women. Keith’s been married and divorced three times, and he’s known to have a temper.”
“You know, watching them, I don’t think you need to worry. Your mom isn’t as into him as he is into her.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.”
* * *
Miles looked up as Sebastian joined him
for breakfast. His brother looked tense. In fact, it had been a tense week all round. Everyone had been walking on eggshells, waiting to see whether the DEA would lay charges against WinJet or not. Tempers had been frayed, and even family dinners in the evenings had failed to create the bonhomie that his mother had so prided herself on.
“Any news?” Miles asked, putting his coffee mug down on the table.
“Yeah, I heard just now. They’re preparing the case to officially charge us with drug trafficking.”
“What? No. There’s been a mistake.”
Sebastian looked as if he’d aged ten years overnight. “No mistake. A large supply of drugs was found concealed in cargo holds of three planes nearing completion. They say the street value is estimated at millions of dollars.”
Miles let out a long, low whistle. “What happens now?”
“We tell our very expensive team of lawyers to fight the charges for us and fight hard. Oh, and if the charges aren’t bad enough, WinJet’s assets are tainted by what the DEA have deemed probable drug trafficking. They’re freezing the company’s assets with a view to forfeiture if we’re found guilty.”
“They can’t actually seize property until you’re found guilty, though, right?”
Sebastian nodded. “But when the asset freeze becomes public knowledge, there won’t be enough damage control in the world to save us. WinJet can’t continue to trade under the freeze. All the company’s real estate and accounts will be inaccessible to us. I’m not going to lie to you. This, and the roll-on effect, is going to hit us hard.”
“Have you told Mom and Sutton yet?”
“No, and I’m not looking forward to it. Miles, I really need you to up your game on finding out who is behind the safety report tampering. I can’t help feeling the fire and the drugs are somehow tied together.”
Miles shook his head. “I’m doing what I can but I have to be careful, too. If the DEA discover me poking around in your systems, especially now, they’re going to think I’m trying to hide something. Aside from what that might do to my own company, it wouldn’t be a good look for the family if we’re not seen to be doing the right thing from the outset.”
Sebastian sighed. “You’re right. We’ll have to issue some kind of preemptive announcement—make it abundantly clear that we’re innocent and that we’re assisting the DEA in any way we can.”
“What’s this?” Ava asked as she joined them in the breakfast room. “Of course we’re innocent. As to assisting the DEA—”
“Mom, we will be assisting them inasmuch as we’re capable. They’ve decided to file charges.” Sebastian quickly filled her in on the details. “To be obstructive would only make everything worse.”
“Of course it would,” she said, coming to stand by her firstborn and putting a hand on his shoulder. “I—”