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  She circled the information with her finger and jotted a reminder for herself to check in on the pilot’s flight plan the next morning; just to be sure they were on their way. It was certainly not the time for Zach to play the fool and mess up all of Mr. Thorn’s weekend plans.

  Just then, the old man walked into the office. His second born son, Robin, stepped in behind him. John Thorn surprised Aurora as he bellowed his greeting to her.

  “Well, good morning, Precious!” He beamed as he watched Aurora’s usual reaction to his favorite pet name for her. Though a common term of endearment in the ‘Deep South,’ it reminded her of her grandfather and she always blushed when Thorn Sr. called her that. Robin cringed at what he always thought was inappropriate terminology.

  “Good morning, Mr. G. How are you feeling today?”

  “I’m feeling as fit as a fiddle, darlin’. How’s the packing comin’?”

  “I think I’ve got it under control. DeMarco’s will be here tomorrow to pack and ship the antiques and artwork, and I’ve got your papers and pen collection as well as your desk things. The PC’s been backed up too, so Jerome will be able to set up your new one just like this one was. And they all promise that it will all be done by the time you get back from Bermuda next week.”

  “Amazing, as usual. Are my boys gonna be on time?”

  “I just checked the database and... ummm.” Aurora paused for a moment so she could choose the right words. Thorn caught it and turned to look directly at her.

  “Yes?”

  “Well, Will is...”

  “I’m not worried about him. He’d rather die than be late. Where’s Zach?”

  “Well, sir... He’s in Las Vegas,” she finally blurted out. “But they’ll be on their way first thing in the morning.”

  John laughed heartily at the revelation.

  “I’ll give it to that boy Zach; he sure knows how to enjoy life.”

  “A little too much, if you ask me,” Robin interjected sarcastically.

  “Well, I didn’t hear anyone do any such thing, son.” He turned back to Aurora and continued speaking as if Robin had said nothing at all. “Be sure to keep a tab on that. Will you?”

  “Sure thing, Mr. G. Was there anything else that you wanted me to send down to the Keys with Gerald, sir?”

  “Hmmm,” he replied, looking around the space in which he had steered his company from for the past thirty five years. “Ah, yes. Be sure to pack those up carefully and give them to him as well. I want them hung just so on the wall in the study.”

  He was pointing at a collection of framed photographs that had been taken over the years with distinctive people. Celebrities, city and government officials, there were at least two for each year the company had been in existence.

  Aurora sighed softly.

  “Sure thing, Mr. G. I’ll get right on it.”

  Robin snickered at the comment and immediately got his father’s attention.

  “What is it, son? Did she say something funny? Or do you know something the rest of us don’t and are keeping a secret from us? If you are, you might as well give it up.”

  “It’s nothing, Dad. Never mind me,” he replied, a little flushed in the face.

  “So, are you ready for the trip, Aurora?”

  “She’s coming with us? I didn’t know that. Why would she need to come with us?” Robin was immediately suspicious of the old man’s intentions for bringing his secretary along on what he had considered would be a family outing.

  “I know that my decision to take Aurora with me might not please everyone in attendance, but I want to be sure that I have someone along that I know I can trust to be unbiased; someone who doesn’t have an agenda going on other than mine.”

  Robin nodded, but it was obvious the man was offended by his father’s insinuations. Mr. Thorn caught the look on his face and quickly retorted, “It’s nothing personal, Robin. To be honest, if you had any motives at all apart from number crunching, I’d be proud of you.”

  Aurora inwardly winced. That was harsh, and wouldn’t help Robin’s already-not-great opinion of her. I don’t have time to stand around and ponder the state of Robin’s mind, she thought as she wheeled and made for the door. Have to be at the airport far too early as it is! I need to get a move on and get some sleep.

  Chapter Two

  The airport at Falcon Field was deserted when Aurora jumped down from the Expedition that Gerald was driving. The rear seats and cargo area of the huge SUV was all but filled with boxes of Mr. Thorn’s personal effects that were to be taken to Florida and she was grateful that all she had with her was her laptop bag and a carry-on suitcase. Gerald wheeled the bag around the car and passed the handle to her.

  “Oh thanks, G!” Aurora chirped. Gerald winced at the sound, and that made her laugh. “I guess it’s a bit too early for you still. Haven’t had your coffee yet, have you?”

  The bulky thirty-something-year-old man shook his head regretfully. She checked her Breitling wristwatch, and then looked back at him, smiling.

  “Then it’s a good thing that we’ve got the time. There’s an amazing coffee bar in the departure lounge. Come on!”

  An hour later, Aurora stood outside the terminal building waving goodbye to the good-natured driver. He had opted to drive from Alpharetta to Savannah, where Thorn 2 was being serviced instead of waiting around for the plane to get back in a day or two. With the work due to be completed late that night, he’d figured that if he met the pilot there, they could just head straight for the Keys. Jonathan, one of the company pilots, had been grateful for the suggestion.

  When he was out of sight, she turned around and walked back into the building. It was too cold inside, so she found herself huddled closely to the coffee bar counter ordering another one of their ‘bowls’ of cappuccino. While she stirred the hot liquid with a cinnamon stick, Aurora checked her hand-held. Keeping track of so many people at once wasn’t something she had to do every day and even though she was good at staying organized, it was still a challenge. It seemed everyone was on their way; Thorn Sr. had just left the house in Stone Mountain and he was scheduled to pick up Robin in about ten minutes on his way to the airport. Will was still in Caracas at a final meeting, but his departure was still planned for 2 .p.m. local time. And then there was Zach. Oh, dear God, Zach. Fitz, Thorn 4’s pilot, had made an entry in his takeoff log ten minutes before. Aurora felt that it was a message especially for her. It seems he’d had to bodily carry Zach from the hotel room at Caesar’s Palace and put him on the airplane. She shook her head in dismay.

  “Time to call in some reinforcements,” she said.

  By the time they all boarded Thorn 1, Aurora was confident that all the proverbial ducks were in a row as it related to their Bermuda trip. The house was staffed and ready for their arrival, the cars had been cleaned and fueled and the formal dining room had been set up as a sort of conference room-cum-office for the retreaters, should they actually decide to get any work done. Reservations for golf in the mornings, light, refined entertainment in the evenings and dinner at some of the island’s best eateries at night were all confirmed. She smiled to herself as she handed her luggage to the stewardess and took her seat beside her boss.

  “Why so pleased with yourself, Precious? You look like the cat that caught the canary.”

  “I sort of did, but it would be unfair to say that I didn’t have ample help with the catching.”

  She shared the story of Fitz’s log entry and her telephone call to Rebecca, Robin’s assistant and he laughed heartily.

  “It’s one of the qualities I spotted in you from the time we had our first conversation, Aurora. I knew you were the type of person who could get things done and done well. The kind who recognizes and utilizes all the resources available to her. I mean, take Rebecca for instance; she’s a hard working girl who suddenly found herself without much to do this morning with Robin out of the office. It was a good call getting her involved.”

  “It just seemed
like good common sense to me, Mr. G. No big deal, really.”

  “But that is exactly what I’m saying. Not too many of the people coming up these days have any common sense. Since you joined us, there’ve been a lot of times that you’ve worked with me when I felt that if you hadn’t done or said what you did, in that way you always do, a lot of bad decisions could have been made and even more great opportunities lost.”

  She blushed deeply.

  “Though I appreciate your confidence in me, I have to point out that you are the brains behind this operation, Mr. Thorn. Over the years, it was in fact your work that made the business what it is today. The rest of us,” she said as she waved her hand dismissively, “we’re just the task-force, the infantry. We’d be nowhere, literally marching in circles, without you at the helm.” Aurora choked up a little then continued. “In truth, sir, I don’t know what’s going to happen to us when you leave for Florida.”

  “My word, Aurora, you just illustrated my point. Without you around, I’d surely forget that I am a bona fide genius, now wouldn’t I?” He laughed at his own joke as he often did then turned to her and said, “I don’t want you to worry about that, Precious. I’m sure Hardee already spoke to you about your role in the new Thorn Engineering. I’d never give an employee that kind of carte blanche; you’d literally have to burn the place down before they could fire you. But I know that if anyone can handle the responsibility and understand the weight of that, it’s you, Aurora. I also know that whatever I reveal this weekend about my succession and the future of the company will cause some discontent, but I’m sure the only person who will accept it wholeheartedly and ensure that everything is done just as I want it to is you. That’s why I brought you along.”

  She nodded her understanding, but said nothing in response.

  “My sons are not easy people to deal with on their own, but when you get the three of them in one room, it’s like sitting in a nuclear war zone. You haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Will as yet, but you did meet Zach once and I know you’ve heard a lot of stories. That and the conference calls we’ve had should have given you a fair enough picture of who they are by now. The only thing I will remind you is to watch yourself around Zach. I know you’re aware of his womanizing and playboy tendencies, but trust me when I tell you this, Aurora, he’s ruined many an Atlanta debutante in his past and it’s the main reason why he’s stationed all the way in Hong Kong.”

  “Yes, Mr. Thorn,” she replied, a wicked smile playing on her lips. She remembered the one time she had met Zach. The way he’d held her hand as he shook it, those piercing blue-gray eyes. A shiver ran through her. Secretly, she couldn’t wait to see him again.

  Just then Stewart, their pilot, came over the intercom to advise them of an imminent take off and request the flight attendants to ensure that the passengers and cabin were prepared for departure. There was a little bit of activity in the luxurious compartment before everything was ready and the jet took to the sky. About two hours later, they were cruising over Hamilton and the long weekend had begun. And boy, was it going to be a long one. Exhaustion was already threatening to set in and they had yet to land.

  Chapter Three

  Hamilton, Bermuda

  While the limo had whisked John away, Aurora had stayed behind at the hangar to sort through the luggage and send off everything that needed to follow the Thorn’s to their estate in one of the panel vans. The old man had thought nothing of it. She was known to be very thorough and he appreciated the fact that she wouldn’t be comfortable leaving the airport until Thorn 3 had arrived from Caracas with Will that evening. They were all in good hands.

  After sending off a still drunk and sleeping – but incredibly gorgeous – Zach Thorn, Aurora had thought that a shower and a meal were in order. She’d jumped into the red Audi R8 Spyder she had chosen from the Hamilton fleet and driven over to check into her reserved rooms at Carraway Club, a nearby hotel.

  ***

  Carraway Club,

  Hamilton, Bermuda

  Aurora pulled the silk camisole impatiently over her head and threw it to the ground before she stepped eagerly into the shower and plunged under the generous stream of hot water. It was as if she had been waiting a year for the relief of the hot water running over her body and all the misery of her long day had already started to melt away. She carefully shampooed her curly brown hair, taking in the luxurious scent of white tea and vanilla as the cares of the day and the flight washed away and circled the drain.

  I wish it were all that simple, she thought as she heard the phone ringing in the bedroom. She frowned. The possibilities of what that call could be about were endless.

  In response, she pushed the shower enclosure door open slightly and toggled the remote on the wall to turn the volume up on the stereo. Instantly, Lindsay Sterling’s violin was playing loud enough to drown out the annoying sound.

  As the song came to an end, the feel of the soft, plush towel on her body was comforting as she wrapped it around her and stepped from the shower. She turned the music back down and stood in front of the mirror, brushing out her brown curls. The only thing she wanted to do now was lie down on the bed and watch the afternoon news. She glanced at the time displayed on the stereo. It was five minutes past five, so she pinned her damp hair up and went into the bedroom to turn the television on. Aurora was immediately floored. She stood motionless, staring at the picture on the screen as the anchor spoke.

  “Earlier this evening we aired a breaking story. A warrant was issued in Hong Kong last night for Zach Thorn, Junior Vice President of the illustrious Thorn Engineering and son of billionaire John Thorn. The Hong Kong police have announced they learned this morning that Mr. Thorn has fled the country, most likely bound for the United States. Mr. Thorn has been charged with industrial espionage and stands accused of selling misinformation to Xaoping Exports, a company poised to take over Tsang Wei Electronics, one of Thorn Engineering’s biggest competitors. It is alleged that Zach Thorn was trying to derail the negotiations in order to prevent Xaoping from attaining a position within the region where they would have the resources to absorb smaller holdings such as Thorn. High ranking police officials in Hong Kong have announced their intentions to pursue Mr. Thorn’s extradition to face the charges placed against him. They also stated that they intend to work with local law enforcement and the State Attorney to build an air tight case before taking any decisive action in the matter. Let’s go live now to Cindy Jameson at the Alpharetta courthouse.”

  “Oh, my God!” was all she could say before picking up the phone to call her boss. There was no way she could wait for Will’s arrival now; Mr. G. would need her at the estate immediately.

  ***

  Thorn Estate,

  Hamilton, Bermuda.

  Aurora inched the nose of the Audi slowly through the crowd of photographers and news crews that had gathered outside the gates of the affluent Thorn Estate. Of course the house was so far set back that there was nothing the media could possibly see, but still she noticed a few photographers perched in the trees along the perimeter with cameras and what looked like telephoto lenses. When she got to the gate, she pressed the call button on the intercom and a voice replied almost immediately.

  “Wait for the security personnel to arrive at the gate, Miss Aldridge. They will open up and secure it behind you.”

  In a few seconds, two heavily armed Robocop-looking men, dressed all in black, appeared in front of her. One readied his firearm while the other punched in a code and the gate started to slide open. Aurora drove through it cautiously, glancing in her rear view mirror to see the two guards flanking the gate until it came to a complete close behind her. She sped up down the driveway and pulled up outside the house. Thomas, the Thorns’ butler, was waiting and he opened the car door for her.

  “They’ve been eagerly expecting you, Miss Aldridge.”

  “Thank you, Thomas,” Aurora replied. “It’s always good to know where we stand in matters like these.”<
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  He nodded and stepped aside so she could pass him and make her way up the stairs to the front door.

  “Do you have any luggage with you?”

  “No, Thomas. I didn’t presume that I would be staying at Thorn Estate, considering the present uproar. I had already checked in at The Carraway to wait for Master Will’s arrival this evening, so I left my things there for the moment. I feel it might be a stronger position if their support team remains on the outside for now. You know how the media can be.”

  “Very well, ma’am.”

  Liz was waiting at the front door for her and she could tell from the expression on the woman’s face that the atmosphere in the household was laden.

  “Welcome, Miss Aldridge.”

  “Thank you, Liz.”

  “Follow me, then.”

  Liz led the way into the mansion’s formidable foyer. It was just as Aurora had remembered. The high domed ceiling with its gilded chandelier and opulent, round, Queen Anne center table. Even the overbearing floral arrangement in the Ming dynasty vase on it seemed frozen in time from her only visit to the island six years prior. She smiled and turned to Liz.

  “Some things never change, do they?”

  As she stood there, being vaulted back in time, she heard a gasp and turned toward the drawing room door. There he stood, Zach Thorn, looking just as he did so many years ago and Aurora could do nothing but hold her breath. They stood eying each other for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. Instinctively she held out her hand to him and he walked toward her and took it in his, studying her face as if she were a vision that might melt away.

  “I wasn’t sure that you’d want to get involved with this.”

  “Why would you think that, Zach? I’m here to help; it’s what I do.”

  “Yes, it is. It’s quite a pickle I’ve gotten myself into and if I was another man, I would be sitting in a Hong Kong jail wondering where it all went wrong.”