All the while thinking he was making me pay my dues.
But now I knew the truth.
He’d been keeping me on the outside so I didn’t discover his criminal empire. So I didn’t blow the lucrative operation he’d set up.
That gutted me. And I was ashamed of how unaware of it all I’d been.
I’d let my need for validation blind me to what was going on right in front of my face.
It was humiliating.
So I deserved to lose the company. I deserved to take the blame for destroying the family legacy.
Dad did the bad deeds, and I’d made my peace with that now, but it was my own ignorance and lack of critical thinking that made me an accomplice to it.
Each time we met with the feds like this, I was reminded of how little I really knew.
“We’re talking about almost a million acres of wilderness,” I interjected. I was sick of hearing them drone on about all the things we were doing wrong.
“All of which are privately owned,” Chloe added, jumping on my statement. “And our records, as well as the information you’ve shared today, show that we have been completely cooperative and transparent with you.”
Agent Portnoy sneered, as if her statement was ridiculous.
I clenched my fists. I truly despised that fucker. With every fiber of my being. He’d spent a year investigating, each attempt fruitless, until the Gagnons had handed my dad to him on a silver platter.
The Gagnons had made the FBI look like chumps. Parker Harding, who was now engaged to Pascal Gagnon, had single-handedly put it all together and exposed my father. That probably rubbed these G-men the wrong way, but tough shit.
And since the beginning, they’d been little help. We could handle ourselves. These out-of-town suits had no idea what they were dealing with.
To everyone else in this room, Chloe was cool and composed.
But from the tic of her jaw, the way she smoothed her hair, and her shallow breaths, it was obvious to me that she was stressed. Even as she kept her expression neutral, her body was tense. I had the perfect remedy for that, not that she’d even let me touch her. And not that I would want to. Nope, way too messy. I was better off accepting that the bad blood ran way too deep for anything other than basic civility.
Chloe offered a smile, the tension showing a little more than I’m sure she’d like. “While we will, of course, help in any way we can, our understanding is that since Mitchell Hebert was arrested and prosecuted, there is no ongoing investigation.”
Portnoy shook his head. “No, ma’am. That is not quite accurate.”
Beside me, Chloe stiffened.
That’s it. That fucker was officially marked for death. No one ma’amed her, especially in the building she owned, and lived.
“We believe the conspiracy extends far beyond Mr. Hebert. Especially after the assault of Hugo Barrett.”
One of our lawyers, a middle-aged guy on the other end of the table, piped up. “The local police investigated that. I didn’t think the FBI concerned itself with assault and battery cases.”
“Given that we believe it’s connected to the larger-scale illegal activity, it’s no longer purely a local concern.”
Aw, fuck. Now I’d be dragged back into all of this. Not that I didn’t feel awful about what had happened to Hugo Barrett—he was a good kid—but random acts of violence did not a drug conspiracy make.
“Mr. Barrett is stable, but in a coma. And local law enforcement has handed over their files. From what we’ve gleaned, he was here meeting with Mr. Hebert”—he nodded at me—“one week before his assault. Is that right?” The agent’s expression was filled with suspicion, as if he really believed I had something to hide.
“Yes. As the regional representative from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, he is our liaison. We met to review plans for the designated protected areas,” I replied calmly. I would not let this mid-level bureaucrat enrage me.
“For the bats,” he said, his tone dubious.
“Yes. For the northern long-eared bat. We’ve worked with DFW for decades. We meet quarterly and review plans, and they conduct site visits several times per year. We have also opened up our land to scientists and students to study the bat habitats and life cycle to aid future conservation efforts.”
“And this meeting was in regard to your company’s bat obligations?”
This was getting absurd. My blood was heating, but I breathed deep and willed myself to keep a level head. “I’ve made official statements to both local and federal law enforcement regarding this,” I grumbled. “And yes, we met to discuss our plans and the protection of the dedicated area.”
“What about David Bertrand?”
“We worked with him for ages, probably more than ten years,” I explained. “But he retired last year, and Barrett took over.” I scratched my beard. “But you know all this.”
Portnoy raised one eyebrow and scribbled in his notepad. I was getting sick of listening to them talk without saying much of anything.
Thankfully, our overpriced legal team was feeling the same way.
“My client has done nothing but cooperate,” Jessica interjected, or was that one Elizabeth? She was in her forties, with a short, dark bob and thick glasses.
Either way, she was not to be fucked with.
She held up a thick binder. “Thousands of documents have been turned over, and we’ve allowed unprecedented physical access. Without search warrants, I may add. And you have interviewed every employee, including Mr. Hebert, here, several times.”
Wearing a snide expression, Portnoy regarded her from across the table. “Of course, but you must realize the position we’re in.”
“And you need to realize the position I’m in,” Chloe said. She’d been mostly silent so far, letting her lawyers talk for her, but her voice was clear and strong. “As a new buyer, having made an eight-figure investment and looking to revitalize the local economy. Surely you understand what I’m trying to accomplish?”
