Page 29

Jade

T he house feels colder without Rhys, even with the fire burning. I don’t know what I expected the night he left, but for the last two days I’ve been hoping what happened was all a bad dream, or maybe somehow, he’ll change his mind and walk through the door with that gruff, brooding expression that drives me crazy. But he hasn’t come back. Maybe he can’t, but he hasn’t even called. I mean, I guess I told him not to. I hope he’s okay, that he’s safe. He was close to the edge when he ran out of here in the middle of the night. I don’t know what he meant by there being a threat against him, but I have to believe Clear will be one step ahead.

I sit at the kitchen table, tracing the rim of a bisque-fired mug. They’re all lined up in rows, ready for glazing. I tell myself they’re the only reason I haven’t packed up and gone back to San Francisco. Rhys’s ranting about staying away from him had to be paranoia, right? The security detail here with me seems willing to go wherever I’d like, as long as I keep them close. But if I think about it too much, I get nervous. Worried for Rhys, mostly. I don’t want to add to his stress. So I remind myself that the mugs are too fragile to transport in this state, and I don’t want to lose the time it would take to remake them.

I glance out the window at the rugged peaks in the distance. The quiet here should be peaceful, but now it feels a bit ominous. I should have told Rhys how I felt about him. Part of me thinks he left me behind so easily because he didn’t believe I was serious about him. He thought he was doing me a favor, I’m sure. I blame myself.

My phone buzzes, and I lunge for it, my heart stupidly hoping it’s Rhys. It’s not. It’s my sister.

“Hey, Alexis.”

“How are you doing?” she asks. “Have you heard from him?”

“No. I’ve tried asking the security team what’s going on, but they’re not willing to share much with me.”

“Why did Rhys leave them behind?”

“They said they’re here for my safety, same as they always were.”

“What are you doing to keep busy, now that you’re there alone?”

I sigh. “Tonight, I’m going to dinner with the Martins. Did you tell them where I was? It’s not supposed to be broadcast.”

“You’re alone now. I reached out to have them check on you.”

Monica and George Martin are friends of Alexis, and they live here in Beaver Creek year around. I don’t think them knowing I’m here is a big deal, but I don’t really know what to think anymore. Evidently, someone is targeting Rhys. That thought wrenches my heart all over again.

“Anyway, I’m also glazing the mugs,” I continue. “I want to fire them all before I leave, which will take a few days. They’ll be easier to pack up after that.”

“You’re staying for mugs?” she says. “Jade, come home. You’re hiding in the mountains like a hermit. Rhys is gone. Why would you stay?”

I can’t get into all this with her. It’s not my story to tell, and I don’t even have all the facts. I don’t know whether Rhys’s fears are founded, so I don’t know how to regulate mine. “I’m not hiding,” I snap. “I’m working. And it’s not just a mug or two, it’s one hundred and twenty-five mugs for the Under the Sea commission.”

Alexis sighs, and I can practically see her rolling her eyes. “Fine. Be stubborn. But don’t call me in two weeks saying you’re sick of the quiet and out of snacks.”

I force a laugh. “I won’t.” Changing the subject, I add, “How are you feeling?”

“Do women who are pregnant get rickets?”

“What?”

“I can only eat white bread or saltines. Otherwise, the morning sickness comes.”

“I hear that’s a sign of a healthy pregnancy,” I offer.

“I know it will be worth it in the end, but right now, I don’t understand women who like being pregnant.”

“I’m sorry. But I’ll be back there with you soon. I promise.”

We hang up, and I let the phone drop onto the table. It’s impossible to know what to do. I hate feeling like I’m always the one left behind, scrambling to pick up the pieces.

The doorbell rings, and my stomach tightens. It’s too soon for the mail, and no one around here just shows up. The security guys are still outside, right? I grab my phone and cautiously open the door.

It’s Jim Adelson from Clear Security, a man who looks like he’s never smiled in his life. He has a folder tucked under one arm.

“Jim?” I say. “What are you doing here? Is Rhys okay?”

“Rhys is fine. We’re doing everything we can to keep him safe and protect his company. Please try not to worry.”

I manage to nod but can’t even begin to figure out what to say.

Jim seems to sense this. “Sorry to intrude,” he says, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. “We finally got into the thumb drive you passed along to us. I’m sorry it’s taken so long.”

“Oh, well, I’m sure that’s not your top priority at the moment, so I appreciate you fitting me in.” I’d actually forgotten about the thumb drive Alan Frasier left me just before this crazy relocation to Beaver Creek. So much has happened since I had Rhys pass that on to Jim. “Please, come have a seat.”

“How’s my team treating you?” he asks as we settle in the living room.

“Lee and Matt are good. I told them they could go after Rhys left, but they seem to feel they should stay. Should I be concerned about my safety? How long would you recommend I stay here?”

He sighs. “The threat against Rhys is real, but for now, the focus seems to be solely on him. I would like you to continue to have security, but you don’t need to feel alarmed. I’m sorry he had to leave, and I’m sorry you both have to deal with this.”

I nod. “So I can go home?”

He looks at me strangely. “Yes, I told Rhys when I spoke to him that we could continue to protect both of you if you wanted to travel together.”

I want to vent to Jim about being left behind against my will, but I know better. Rhys made his preference clear, so there’s nothing to discuss. Instead, I take a deep breath and offer Jim a cappuccino. He agrees, and while I make it, he stands and spreads the contents of his folder across the breakfast bar. It’s a series of documents and screenshots I barely understand at first glance. But one name stands out on every single one—JP Allerton.

“This is what Alan Frasier had on your half-brother,” Jim says as I hand him his drink. “It’s not pretty.”

I pick up one of the pages, scanning the details. It’s a payment ledger listing bribes to various officials, some connected to zoning boards, others tied to environmental regulations. The amounts make my head spin. “He’s bribing people to sign off on illegal operations?” I ask.

“Not just that,” Jim says. He flips to another page. “He’s been falsifying reports to cover up safety violations in several of the Allerton mines. A few of them have serious structural issues. They could collapse and kill people if they aren’t fixed.”

I stare at him, my chest tightening. “He wouldn’t. JP’s an ass, but he wouldn’t risk lives and the future of Allerton Mining.”

Jim’s expression doesn’t waver. “His name is all over the documents. But your father’s isn’t.”

My heart feels like lead. “No, my father is smarter than that. If he even knows what’s going on here.”

“We’ve confirmed through multiple sources that JP’s the one pulling the strings on these actions, and your father isn’t aware. Which means he’s getting away with it.” Jim points to an incident report. “Two workers were injured last month in a mine outside Reno. The company buried it, from what we can tell. JP’s been doing everything he can to make it look like he’s the only one capable of running the business. But if anything bad gets out, he’ll likely blame your father and force the board’s hand.”

The room tilts, and I grip the edge of the counter, trying to steady myself. “This is what Alan figured out and why he was fired?”

“There’s one more thing. In verifying the information, we found plans for the Waldorf winery.” He pushes a stack of papers at me.

My ears perk up. This hits close to home.

“It looks like JP’s planning to acquire that land, then rip out grapevines and replace them with a different crop—cannabis.”

I stare at Jim. He must be joking. “Why would he do that? Cooper brought that up at a family dinner ages ago, and Dad was clear that he didn’t want to get into that business.”

“JP was discussing this with Cooper just last week. The Waldorfs are desperate. Your marriage to Cooper would have made it a partnership. They would have retained control, and your family would never have realized how broke they are. But without the marriage, it’ll be a hostile takeover, with Cooper working for JP.”

“I still don’t understand why my family would even buy the vineyard. The Sacramento land at least makes sense.”

“It’s the land here too. The revenue per acre for wine grapes is approximately eighty-five hundred dollars, and the revenue per acre for vegetables is twenty-four thousand dollars. The estimated revenue for cannabis per acre is eight-point-two million dollars, or one hundred times greater than wine grapes.”

“This doesn’t make sense. My father isn’t interested in anything more than land for our logistics team in Sacramento. It was supposed to be a place where they could gather raw materials to be sorted and then sent easily by rail or water.”

“The Waldorfs spend more than they make and are in significant debt,” Jim says. “They’re going to be forced to sell very soon, and the contract for the purchase of the Sacramento land indicates that JP has the first right of refusal on any property they sell in the future.”

I shake my head. “What is JP doing? My dad would probably love to own the Waldorf winery, even just to rub it in their faces. But he would keep it as a vineyard and just slap our name on the bottles. My dad is very anti-drug and would never want to own a cannabis farm. How can JP think this is a good idea? Especially going behind my father’s back?”

“I can’t say. But this is what we’ve pieced together.”

“What should I do with this?” I ask, looking down at the damning evidence. “I’m not exactly on great terms with my family right now.”

Jim shrugs. “That’s up to you. But if you want my advice, get ahead of it. Your brother’s playing dirty, and if you let him keep going, he’ll destroy your family’s legacy and a hell of a lot of lives in the process.”

He gathers the papers and returns them to the folder. “But you do have time to consider your options. JP can’t do anything until the sale of the land in Sacramento goes through. That’s the first domino in his plan.”

And just like that, Jim is gone, leaving behind an empty mug, a pile of evidence, and a choice I don’t know how to make.

I return to the living room and sink into the couch, staring at the papers in front of me. JP’s actions aren’t just reckless. They’re criminal, and if I confront him, he’ll turn it all on me. I know him. And despite what it looks like to Jim, for all I know, my father is waist deep in this mess.

I look out the window and watch the breeze shuffle the Aspen leaves. Then I turn to where my mugs sit on the counter. The glaze is ready and waiting for me to finish what I started. I must decide how long I’m going to stay. But I can’t leave if I don’t get this done.

Twenty minutes later, I’m set up and beginning my process in the studio. The rhythmic motion of dipping the mugs into glaze usually calms me, but today, it feels hollow. These mugs are my life now—simple, deliberate, mine. I’ve spent years building this independence, step by careful step. If I send this information to Alexis, she’ll want me standing by her side. Walking back into the Allerton world, even for her, feels like handing over the separation I’ve created.

The folder Jim left now sits on the counter, accusing me from the corner of my vision. Every time I glance at it, my stomach twists. JP’s name is scrawled across every page inside, a glaring reminder of just how far he’s willing to go and how far our father has pushed him. Pushed all of us.

I need to talk this out with the only person who would understand. Well, the one who’s talking to me at least.

Me: Call me when you can talk. I’ve got something.

When Alexis doesn’t immediately return my text, I figure she’s in the office, so I go back to what I was doing. I work for several hours and finally get done with the interior glaze, the hard part. I set the final mug aside and wash my hands, letting the cool water soothe the heat creeping up my neck. When my phone buzzes on the counter, I snatch it up like a lifeline. It’s Alexis.

“Hey,” I say, my voice heavy with relief.

“Hey yourself,” Alexis says, her tone cautious. “You okay? You seemed off when you texted. We’ve already talked once today.”

I glance at the pile of papers and sigh. “I wanted your opinion on something.”

“If it’s whether it’s time to come home, the answer is yes.” She snickers, and I hear a door shutting on her end. She’s probably in her office, the only place she can have a private conversation. Our father made sure HR was tucked into the most inconvenient corner of the building, far from the “real work” as he calls it.

“Remember when I told you about running into Alan Frasier and how he was supposed to email me more information?”

“Yes. But then I didn’t think anything ever came of that. Did you finally get a message from him?”

“No, but right before Rhys and I left to come here, a thumb drive was dropped off at my studio. When I told Rhys about it, he suggested I give it to his security company. He said they could open it and deal with any trojan horses or viruses. So in the whole whirlwind of relocating here, Rhys passed the drive on to Jim Adelson at Clear Security. I’d kind of forgotten about it, but then Jim came to see me today and brought what he’d discovered with him.”

“Did it have anything?”

“Nothing like malware, but it had documents that explain why JP fired and crushed Alan.”

“What are they?”

Sitting on the edge of my workbench, I take a deep breath. “JP’s been bribing people—zoning boards, regulators. He’s falsifying safety reports and covering up violations, and he seems to be keeping it from Dad while also setting it up to look like Dad’s fault if anything comes to light. He’s putting lives in danger and risking our reputation.”

There’s a beat of silence, then Alexis inhales sharply. “Jesus, Jade. Are you sure? I mean, I’d love it if Dad got a bit of comeuppance for all of his assholery, but clearly JP is no better. He’s going to drive the whole company into the ground. And we’re putting lives at risk?”

“It’s all there—payments, reports, everything. And yeah, two workers were already injured at a mine in Nevada, and JP buried it. If Dad finds out, he’ll either bury it himself or twist it into leverage to push JP into something worse. And that’s not all.”

“It’s not?”

“JP has positioned the company to buy Waldorf Vineyards.”

“Right. They’ve talked about that over dinner. The purchaser of the land in Sacramento has a first right to buy any land Waldorf sells for the next fifty years.”

“Apparently, the Waldorfs are in bad financial shape, so that may happen sooner rather than later. And JP is still working with Cooper to convert the land from wine grapes to cannabis since it’s much more profitable. I have proof that he’s moving forward with the idea, even after Dad said no.”

Alexis scoffs. “If JP converts Waldorf Vineyards to cannabis, it’s not a clear road to profit. We’ll lose the Department of Defense contracts we have for raw diamonds and some minerals. Those are the biggest contracts we have. So then all of our income will be dependent on a crop in an area that has water issues and is prone to large fires.”

“This is a mess,” I muse.

The line goes quiet. Alexis has always been the one who doesn’t react right away but weighs every angle before speaking. Finally, she says, “So what do you want to do?”

“That’s the problem,” I admit. “I don’t know. I don’t want to go to Dad. He’ll just twist it into another game, another way to pit us against each other. But if I sit on this, people could get hurt. JP’s already put lives at risk.”

“Then we don’t go to Dad,” Alexis says firmly. “And really, who’s to say he isn’t directing JP to do this? We take this higher.”

“To whom?” I ask, shaking my head. “The board? They’re all Dad’s lackeys. None of them will move against JP without his blessing.”

“We have to find a way to make Dad listen,” Alexis says firmly. “JP’s recklessness could ruin us. If this gets out, the lawsuits alone could sink the company. We have to show Dad this is about survival.”

“And what? Hand the company to someone else to fix it?” I ask bitterly. “You know that’s what Dad will do. He’d rather let a stranger run Allerton Mining than admit one of us could do it better.”

“Not if we show him a superior option,” Alexis says, her tone softening. “Look, I know you don’t want to come back into the fold. I get it. But you know this business as well as I do—better, probably. And if we play this right, we can make him see that I’m the one who should be running things.”

I hesitate, turning her words over in my mind. She’s right. Alexis is the best choice to take over when Dad decides to step down. She’s smart, level-headed, and knows how to deal with Dad’s manipulations without getting sucked in. If anyone can save the company from itself, it’s her. But she’s a woman, and she’s pregnant. Dad will be difficult to convince.

It’s also not just about Alexis. It’s about me too. About what it means to step back into the Allerton family war zone, even just long enough to help her take the reins.

“You really think we can pull this off?” I ask quietly.

“If we work together,” Alexis says. “JP’s making a mess of things, and Dad could very well be involved. We just need to make sure he sees me as the solution.”

I nod. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

“Good,” she says. “Start by sending me everything Jim gave you. I’ll build a case. And Jade?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” she says softly. “For trusting me with this.”

I hang up, feeling a strange mix of hope and dread. Alexis has always been the one I trust, but this means at least temporarily stepping back into the world I thought I’d left behind, the one I swore I’d never let control me again.

For Alexis, I’ll risk it. I’ll risk the life I’ve built for the chance to fix what’s broken in our family. Hell, the life that seemed possible for me even a week ago has crumbled. I don’t have much left to lose. But as I stare at the papers Jim left, a gnawing doubt grows in my chest. In the Allerton world, nothing stays fixed for long.