Page 29 of The Price of Forever

Amusement shone in his eyes though he didn’t grace me with a smile. “Doctor’s orders.”

“You probably visit him a lot.”

“Will you eat so we can leave?”

“Sure.” I grinned as I added a tiny waffle to my plate. “But now that you said that, a lot more slowly than I’d planned on.”

About an hour later, Seven and I rolled up to a towering building on Wall Street. I never made it to this part of Manhattan, so the whole neighborhood was new to me. I craned my neck to look up.

“Which floor are they on?” I asked.

“Penthouse.”

Curiosity prickled through me, though I didn’t want to admit it. Seven hopped out of the backseat of the SUV and waited for me to follow. He led the way into the building, clearing security with the flash of a badge before veering off toward a private elevator tucked into the back corner of the lobby.

“This place is pretty swanky,” I murmured as we waited at the elevator.

Seven’s dark gaze skated around the lobby. “This is where their primary residence is, as well as their business headquarters. The business currently under investigation.”

The doors opened, revealing a mirrored, gleaming box. We stepped inside, and I leaned against the railing as he hit the P button and swiped a keycard.

“I remember hearing something about an investigation.”

“You haven’t kept up with the news about them?” he asked.

“I try not to. But sometimes they make it impossible.”

He found my gaze in the reflection on the elevator wall. “The SEC has filed charges accusing them of financial fraud.”

I squinted, trying to remember what that stood for. “SEC…”

“Securities and Exchange Commission.”

“Sounds very formal.”

“It’s the governmental agency that makes sure people aren’t committing financial crimes and manipulating the market,” Seven said.

“Wow. So if the SEC is involved, they clearly must have been in some deep shit. They don’t sound like the stand-up guys you made them out to be. I thought you said you’d do anything for them?”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “I did say that. Because it’s true. The case is outrageous. Their business didn’t have any complaints against them until this came up, apparently out of thin air.”

“So what does it mean for them?”

Seven shrugged, finally looking away from me. “They’re in the process of figuring that out. There’s a trial happening this fall, to determine the consequences. They’re pretty sure there will be a hefty fine either way. But right now, the main recommendation is prison. Up to ten years.”

“Wow. My brothers the felons,” I muttered.

“The world would be worse off without their contributions and support,” he confirmed. “The amount of money they donate to help foster children alone each year would take your breath away. And that doesn’t include the multiple other areas they support.”

I cleared my throat. I supposed I couldn’t be too loudly opposed to the Fairchild Propaganda, considering I was hurtling closer to their home with every passing second. This came with the territory. “I’m sure there are many appreciative children.”

The elevator slowed. We were almost there.

“It’s helpful for you to have a more complete picture,” Seven said, this time looking over his shoulder at me. “Before you say something stupid.”

I ran my tongue along the inside of my cheek. I had thirty-five responses at the ready for that little comment, but none made the leap past my lips before the elevator doors slid open.

We had arrived at the penthouse.

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