Read Online Sweet Fortune by Jayne Ann Krentz - Free Book Online Page B

Vincent growled.
    Jessie turned to Elizabeth. “I'll tell you something, kid, you definitely deserve first place, and if for some reason Eric Jerkface actually wins, we'll all know it was because he was the teacher's pet and got by on his looks and charm alone.”
    Hatch reached for the last slice of pizza. “You haven't even seen Jerkface's project.”
    “Doesn't matter. Elizabeth's is tons better.”
    Hatch smiled slightly. “I get the impression that once you choose a side, you stick to it, come hell or high water. Is that right, Jessie?”
    “Jessie is nothing if not loyal.” Vincent eyed his eldest daughter with a severe glare. “Sometimes to a fault.”
    “I don't see it as a fault,” Hatch said. “I've always considered loyalty an extremely valuable commodity.”
    “Just another business commodity you can buy or sell, right, Hatch?” Jessie inquired coolly.
    Hatch deliberately wrapped his fingers around his glass of water. It was better than wrapping them around Jessie's throat, he told himself philosophically.
     
    Half an hour later Vincent stalked back into his office and threw himself down into the big leather chair behind the desk. He leveled a blunt finger at Hatch.
    “This problem with Jessie,” Vincent announced, “is all your fault.”
    “My fault?”
    “Damn right. If you hadn't fired her when you first came on board, she'd still be working here at Benedict Fasteners instead of running around investigating weirdo cults.”
    “Come off it, Vincent. You were so grateful to me the day I fired her that you bought me a drink, remember? She was a loose cannon here at Benedict. Hell, she was wreaking havoc downstairs in personnel. If she'd stayed, your whole organization would have been in a shambles by now.”
    “It wasn't that bad.”
    “Oh, yes it was,” Hatch shot back. “The department heads were up in arms. The word was out. Want a few extra days of sick leave? See Jessie in personnel and give her a good sob story. She'll arrange things. Want a long weekend? See Jessie in personnel and tell her your grandmother died again. Jessie will fix things up for you. Think you got overlooked for promotion because your boss secretly hates your guts? See Jessie in personnel. She'll be on your side.”
    Vincent winced. “Damn. It was getting out of hand, wasn't it?”
    “Yeah. And nobody dared call her to heel because she was the boss's daughter. How long do you think that could have gone on before every last shred of corporate discipline disintegrated, Benedict?”
    Vincent held up his hand. “You're right. She was a loose cannon around here. But that doesn't change the fact that if she were still working here at Benedict she wouldn't be dealing with cults.”
    Hatch went to the window and stood thinking quietly for a few minutes. “Maybe you're panicking over nothing.”
    “I am not panicking. I am seriously concerned. And what's this ‘me’ business? You're just as panicked as I am. I saw the way your jaw dropped when she exploded her little bombshell about starting an investigation. First time I've ever seen you looking like you'd been caught off-guard, Hatch. I'd have gotten a good laugh out of it if we'd been talking about anything else except Jessie's damn-fool cult-busting project.”
    “All right, maybe you…maybe we are seriously concerned over nothing.” Hatch swung around to face him. “Look, the worst that can happen is that Jessie manages to locate the headquarters of this DEL crowd and asks to see Susan Attwood. Or maybe she'll try to talk to the leader, the one they call Bright.”
    “So?”
    “So, think about it logically, Vincent. How would you react? More than likely Jessie will be politely told to mind her own business and that will be the end of things. She's not a threat to anyone, and whoever's running the show at Dawn's Early Light will know that. They'll treat her like an annoying reporter and just stonewall her.”
    Vincent gave that some thought. “You're