Page 59 of My Three Rivals

Mirelle pursed her lips and glanced behind her as if she worried someone might be listening.

“No, Miss Pickett. The last owner, Mr. Pickett…”

“He almost put a stop to the distribution,” Wyatt volunteered.

My head jerked toward him. “WHAT?!”

Wyatt shrugged. “I thought you knew that. The numbers are in the books.”

My hands splayed forward over the worktable, and I struggled to catch my breath.

“The books showed that last year’s production was down because of the frost!” I choked.

“No, Miss. There was no frost. Mr. Pickett fired half the employees and reduced production. He canceled the distribution—”

I couldn’t listen to any more of this.

Stumbling back, I held up my hands as the guys moved toward me.

“It’s okay. I should have suspected,” I mumbled, but I wasn’t sure my words made sense. I could barely understand myself. “As soon as you told me… I should have picked the books back up and looked over everything.”

“Tegan,” Maverick implored me, but I was already off and running, back to the house.

Not only had Emerson performed one of the most despicable crimes in life, but he had also royally screwed over the future of the vineyard in his death.

It was like he wanted to take everyone down with him. Well, fuck Emerson. I wasn’t going down so easily.

Throwing open the back door, I let myself into the unused basement level, where Gran had kept her office. It really had been my own fault. I should have looked everything over more carefully, especially after finding out about Emerson’s side business.

He had never intended to keep the winery going. His entire retirement plan had been trafficking women. If he weren’t already dead, I would have strangled him with my bare hands.

I pulled open cabinets and drawers, yanking out all the current paperwork I could find, but it seemed as though Emerson hadn’t bothered with any of it once Will had passed. I found my father’s signature on delivery orders and inventory sheets, but nothing of Emerson’s at all.

He had some creative accountant, another criminal, no doubt, explain away the poor profit as a frost last year.

My knees failed, and I sank to the chair, trembling.

If it hadn’t been for Suncrop, I would have been dead in the water. The guys had saved me, the house, the winery, and the vineyards.

Maybe I should just give it all to them,I mused miserably, sitting back to stare blankly at the door.I was never cut out for this.

Upstairs, I heard the back door open and slam shut. They had come to comfort me. Again.

But what exactly am I bringing to this party if they’re doing everything?

Footsteps trampled down the steps, and then I was staring at the three of them in the doorway.

CHAPTER26

Maverick

She looked so small and helpless behind the overflowing desk, her black hair hanging limply around the curve of her face, shoulders slumped forward like she wanted the table to swallow her whole. My heart broke for her, but there was little I could do but offer her my hands of comfort, nearing her as she moaned quietly.

“How could I have been so stupid?” she whispered, shaking her head. “I can’t believe I didn’t see this coming! I’m not a businessperson. I’m an idiot!”

My hand fell around her shoulders, Atticus and Wyatt in tow, all of us refuting her claim in unison.

“This isn’t on you,” I told her. “This is Emerson—again.”

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