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“There were quite a few others who applied for the position, and most of them have more experience than you, but when I discovered you were Robert MacKenzie’s daughter, I moved you to the top of the list”
“You know my father?” She couldn’t hide her surprise
“Everyone who’s anyone knoho your father is,” he replied “I know people who have invested in your father’s Trinity Fund and have made a handsome profit Very i the fund to my own portfolio No one plays the market like your father does He seeht invest lady”
Olivia wasn’t given time to respond He’d alreadywith our clients With that s Oh yes, they’ll be as dazzled by you as I aushed “And I have several powerful clients Xavier will guide you Now then, what questions do you have forme here at one, so this will have to be a quick lunch”
“Did the SEC investigate when—”
He interrupted “No, the SEC will never investigate me,” he boasted “I’m protected there”
“You’re protected? How?”
“I have a friend, and he has assured me”
Her eyes widened “You have a friend at the Securities and Exchange Commission?”
Color crept up his neck His eyes darted to the left, then to the right Was he checking toto the conversation?
He leaned into the table and lowered his voice “I don’t have any worries there As I just said, I won’t be investigated, and since you’re going to be working closely with me, I don’t want you to be concerned”
Working closely with hie
“About this friend” she began
“Nointo her eyes now He was staring at her chest The longer he stared, the ers several ti to remain composed and professional, decided to ask a question about the investments he’d made
Jorguson was slick; she’d give hiave her any satisfactory answers
The topic eventually returned to the SEC “Who is your contact?” she asked, wondering if he would tell her He was so sht She also wanted hial, and she thought it was odd that he hadn’t offered any such affirmation
“Why do you want to know? That’s confidential information”
He was staring at her chest again She folded her napkin, smiled at Terry the waiter when he placed her iced tea in front of her, and handed him her menu
“I won’t be staying for lunch”
The waiter hesitated, then took her uson, and walked away
Olivia was disheartened The salary at Jorguson Investood, but it had taken less than five minutes to know she couldn’t work for this man
What a waste of tiht And money She could have worn one of her old suits, but she’d wanted to stand out, so she bought a new dress It was expensive, too She loved the fit and the color, a deep eh V-neck, so there was no need to wear a necklace Dias, which were so tiny you could barely see the sparkle, and a watch were her only jewelry She wore her hair down around her shoulders and had taken the ti iron
Olivia looked at Jorguson The degenerate was still staring at her chest And for this she had curled her hair?
“This isn’t going to work,” she said
She tried to stand Jorguson suddenly bolted upright, grabbed the top of her dress, and ripped it apart The silkher collarbone and part of her black bra
Appalled, she slapped Jorguson’s hands away “What do you think—”
“Are you wearing a wire? You are, aren’t you? That’s why you asked ation stalled, sweetheart It’s not going anywhere The FBI’s been afterI know for a fact they’re following o after successful entrepreneurs I’m an honest businessman,” he shouted into her chest “Nohere’s the damn wire? I know it’s in there somewhere”
Olivia was so shocked by his behavior, she bounced between disbelief and outrage She shoved his hands away, pulled her top together, and said, “If you try to touch ret it”
He tried again, and she retaliated She heard a crunching sound when she punched hiood deal of satisfaction It was short-lived A giant of a man with a thick neck and bald head appeared out of nowhere He earing a tailored black suit, but he looked like a thug He was at the other end of the terrace and heading toward her As Jorguson was screa to the bigat Olivia with the other
“Martin, see what she did to et her”
Get her? Was he twelve? Olivia could feel her face turning red She kept her attention centered on the bodyguard as she juun He hadn’t reached for it, though, and was glancing around to see how
She was in trouble, all right She thought about taking off one of her stiletto heels and using that as a weapon, but she decided she could dofrom the doorith a cell phone to his ear She hoped he was calling the police
“Do you have a per to make her voice sound as mean as possible Nohy, in God’s name, had she asked that? What did she care if he had a per her hand inside her purse to get to her pepper spray She couldn’t find it and realized then that, when she’d changed purses, she’d left the spray at hoood it would do her there
The thug na closer The ured she was on her own The other diners were already beginning to scatter She stepped back from the table, dropped her purse into the chair, and waited for the man to reach her If he touched her, she’d kick hio for his knee or his midsection
Jorguson, holding his bloody nose, was backing away but still pointing at her and shouting “How dare you touchto be sorry I know people ill hurt you You don’t hit et aith it Don’t you knoho I am and what I can do? One phone call is all it will take,” he screamed “You’re a dead woman, Olivia MacKenzie Do you hear me? A dead woman”
Of course she’d heard hiht everyone within a ten-block area had heard hih, and that was probably why he was becoeous with his threats