Secret Affairs: The End of Faking It / Her Secret Fling / The Ultimate Risk. Natalie Anderson

       CHAPTER NINE

      CARTER took a taxi to Mason. He had the files; the job was done. In theory, after this meeting, he was free to fly out. But he couldn’t bring himself to book a ticket.

      The old man had aged more in the last week than he had in the last ten years. Guilt squeezed Carter—he should have been to see him sooner. But Penny had been making daily visits with paperwork and sundry items. Even so.

      ‘I’ve got the information you need.’ He dragged out a smile and put the small packet of printouts on the dining table. ‘It’s all there. Once spotted, the pattern is pretty obvious.’

      ‘I knew I could rely on you.’ Mason sank heavily into his favourite chair.

      ‘Get in your auditors. It won’t take much to sort it out.’

      ‘He’ll have to be prosecuted.’

      ‘Yes.’ Carter nodded. ‘But I think the impact will be minimal because we caught him.’ He tried to put the best spin on it. ‘And quickly too. If anything the investors should be impressed at the efficiency of your system checks.’

      ‘It was instinct, Carter.’ Mason shook his head. ‘Just a feeling.’

      ‘Well, you’ve always had good instincts, Mason.’

      ‘And now my instinct is telling me I’ve failed.’

      ‘In what way?’ Surprised, Carter nearly spilt the coffee he was pouring.

      ‘That company is my life.’ Mason stared past him to the big painting on the wall. ‘And in the current climate it could have been swept away so quickly if this had got out of hand. It makes me wonder what’s going to be left after I’m gone. It’ll probably be bought out, the name will go. It’ll be finished.’

      Carter inhaled deeply. Mason had long been his mentor. He’d admired the dedication, the drive, the single-minded chase for success. And there had been huge success. ‘You’ve already built an amazing legacy, Mason.’

      Mason lifted his arms. ‘What is there? A house? A few paintings that will be auctioned off? Where are the memories? Where’s the warmth?’

      The unease in Carter’s chest grew. Mason’s wife had died early on in their marriage—before they’d had time to have kids. And Mason had buried his heart alongside her. As far as Carter was aware there hadn’t been another woman—totally unlike his father. Until now Carter had always respected Mason more for that. But now he wasn’t so sure—not when he was confronted with Mason’s obvious regrets. And loneliness. Another lonely person. ‘You’ve given so much to charity, Mason. You’ve helped so many people.’

      ‘Who have their own lives and families.’ Mason sighed. ‘I shouldn’t have been such a coward. I should have tried to meet someone else. But I just worked instead.’

      ‘And you’ve done great work. You’ve employed lots of people, you helped lots of people.’ That was a massive achievement.

      But personally fulfilling? Yes and no.

      ‘How’s Nick?’ Mason asked.

      Carter’s grin flashed before he even thought. ‘He’s a little dude.’

      ‘Your father is a braver man than me. I regret not having a family. I regret devoting all my life to accumulating paper.’

      ‘Hey.’ Carter leaned forward and put his hand on Mason’s arm. ‘You have me.’

      Mason said nothing for a bit, just stirred the milk in his coffee. Then he set the teaspoon to the side. ‘Is everything else at the office okay?’

      ‘Penny has it all under control.’

      ‘Told you she was an angel.’

      Carter winced through a deep sip of the burning-hot coffee. ‘Yeah.’

      A broken angel.

      He sat back in his chair and settled in for the afternoon. He’d hang with Mason. He needed the time out to think.

      Penny had been desperate for Carter to return from Mason’s—he’d gone to hand over what tricks he’d found but he’d been gone for hours and, being a complete Carter addict, she was antsy with unfulfilled need. Resenting the waste of the precious few minutes she had left. Finally he showed up, just as she was about to pack up and go to her own flat and cry.

      So she went to his apartment instead. She had no shame, no thought of saying no. They only had a night or two left, and she wanted every possible moment with him. Because she wasn’t thinking of anything beyond the present moment. She couldn’t let herself.

      He was unusually quiet as they walked into the apartment building. Maybe it hadn’t gone well.

      ‘Was Mason okay?’ She finally broke the silence.

      His shoulders jerked dismissively. ‘Pleased with getting the result.’

      Okay. He didn’t just look moody, he sounded it too. Once inside, he tossed the key on the table and turned to look at her.