from the guests crowded in the ballroom. At a table in the corner, Catherine Davenport Fleming was enjoying the scene so much that her laughter bounced off the walls.
“H-how?” Samuel Brooks asked.
Jeff explained, “Robin Spencer, the famous novelist who owned the inn, left it to her son, who is Mac Faraday.”
“Mr. Faraday,” Hector asked, “is the senator bothering you? Would you like me to throw him out with the garbage?”
Mac leveled his gaze on the senator. “I may not be a senator, but I certainly have the power to have you tossed out of this inn in front of all these people.”
“Robin Spencer?” Senator Palazzi ran his finger across his plump lips. A wicked grin came to his face. “I should have known the first minute I met you that you were of some relation to that rude stuck-up bitch. Thought she was too good for me—me!”
Samuel Brooks grabbed his client by the shoulders. “Senator! Calm down! Don’t say anything more. Let’s just leave.”
The senator jabbed his thumb into his own chest. “What I wouldn’t have given for an opportunity to give her a taste of what being with a real man was like by giving her a proper attitude adjustment.” He made a gesture of a backhanded slap.
“The senator is naturally upset!” His lawyer tried to block the view of the cameras. “Stop recording—now!”
Mac grabbed the senator by the front of his shirt with both hands. He felt his fingers dig into the senator’s flabby chest. While journalists closed in to get a closer view, Ben and Hector jumped in to pry Mac off him while the senator laughed.
Jeff Ingles fainted.
“I’m going to get you for what you did to Dee and Florence and all the other women you’ve been allowed to abuse at will all of these years,” Mac said in a low voice. “You’re going to pay for it. If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to make you pay.”
“She wanted it!” the senator laughed while his lawyer pulled him away. “She would have loved it!”
“We need to leave, Senator,” Samuel Brooks said. “Now! Don’t say another word.”
“Get Senator Harry Palazzi out of the inn and off of the resort grounds,” Hector order the lawyer. “Both of you! I recommend that you not come back, if you’re smart.” He went on to tell the organizer for the fundraiser, who looked like she was going to throw up. “This event is now over. Call my office on Monday and we’ll issue you a refund. We will not be hosting anymore events for your senator here at the Spencer Inn.”
The organizer was equally displeased. “We wouldn’t dream of giving the Spencer Inn any of our business.”
Ben held Mac back while they watched the senator laugh while his bodyguards and hotel security escorted him out.
Out in the hallway, Mac saw Lily Carter watching the senator being escorted out. Her eyes were wide. Mac couldn’t tell if it was disbelief at him coming unglued, or at the senator’s outburst. When the young woman’s eyes met Mac’s she broke into a run and disappeared into the crowd.
After giving Mac his second drink, the bartender tended to Jeff Ingles, who was finally coming to. After learning that none of what had happened was a dream, the manager needed to be helped to his feet and back to his office where he had his therapist on speed dial.
After the crowd dispersed, Ben shook Mac by the shoulders. “What’s wrong with you? You were supposed to be in control. You let him get to you.”
“He’s crazy,” Mac muttered. “He’s a sexual predator and homicidal maniac and his people and friends in power let him get away with abusing women. Khloe was twenty-four years old. He’s been doing this for at least twenty-four years, and I’m willing to bet he’s still preying on women. When they stand up to testify against him, he has his people kill them.”
“We’ll stop him, Mac,” Ben said. “Before, you didn’t have the power to stop him. Now you have the power and the people behind you to stop
“H-how?” Samuel Brooks asked.
Jeff explained, “Robin Spencer, the famous novelist who owned the inn, left it to her son, who is Mac Faraday.”
“Mr. Faraday,” Hector asked, “is the senator bothering you? Would you like me to throw him out with the garbage?”
Mac leveled his gaze on the senator. “I may not be a senator, but I certainly have the power to have you tossed out of this inn in front of all these people.”
“Robin Spencer?” Senator Palazzi ran his finger across his plump lips. A wicked grin came to his face. “I should have known the first minute I met you that you were of some relation to that rude stuck-up bitch. Thought she was too good for me—me!”
Samuel Brooks grabbed his client by the shoulders. “Senator! Calm down! Don’t say anything more. Let’s just leave.”
The senator jabbed his thumb into his own chest. “What I wouldn’t have given for an opportunity to give her a taste of what being with a real man was like by giving her a proper attitude adjustment.” He made a gesture of a backhanded slap.
“The senator is naturally upset!” His lawyer tried to block the view of the cameras. “Stop recording—now!”
Mac grabbed the senator by the front of his shirt with both hands. He felt his fingers dig into the senator’s flabby chest. While journalists closed in to get a closer view, Ben and Hector jumped in to pry Mac off him while the senator laughed.
Jeff Ingles fainted.
“I’m going to get you for what you did to Dee and Florence and all the other women you’ve been allowed to abuse at will all of these years,” Mac said in a low voice. “You’re going to pay for it. If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to make you pay.”
“She wanted it!” the senator laughed while his lawyer pulled him away. “She would have loved it!”
“We need to leave, Senator,” Samuel Brooks said. “Now! Don’t say another word.”
“Get Senator Harry Palazzi out of the inn and off of the resort grounds,” Hector order the lawyer. “Both of you! I recommend that you not come back, if you’re smart.” He went on to tell the organizer for the fundraiser, who looked like she was going to throw up. “This event is now over. Call my office on Monday and we’ll issue you a refund. We will not be hosting anymore events for your senator here at the Spencer Inn.”
The organizer was equally displeased. “We wouldn’t dream of giving the Spencer Inn any of our business.”
Ben held Mac back while they watched the senator laugh while his bodyguards and hotel security escorted him out.
Out in the hallway, Mac saw Lily Carter watching the senator being escorted out. Her eyes were wide. Mac couldn’t tell if it was disbelief at him coming unglued, or at the senator’s outburst. When the young woman’s eyes met Mac’s she broke into a run and disappeared into the crowd.
After giving Mac his second drink, the bartender tended to Jeff Ingles, who was finally coming to. After learning that none of what had happened was a dream, the manager needed to be helped to his feet and back to his office where he had his therapist on speed dial.
After the crowd dispersed, Ben shook Mac by the shoulders. “What’s wrong with you? You were supposed to be in control. You let him get to you.”
“He’s crazy,” Mac muttered. “He’s a sexual predator and homicidal maniac and his people and friends in power let him get away with abusing women. Khloe was twenty-four years old. He’s been doing this for at least twenty-four years, and I’m willing to bet he’s still preying on women. When they stand up to testify against him, he has his people kill them.”
“We’ll stop him, Mac,” Ben said. “Before, you didn’t have the power to stop him. Now you have the power and the people behind you to stop
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