She decided she had better check on Melanie, she’d left the girl trying to arrange an auction for the antiques at the old Kingsley Farm. When she entered the house, she found Melanie in her office pacing back and forth while speaking on the phone. She liked her take no prisoner’s approach to getting what her boss wanted. When Melanie hung up she said, “The Vanderbilt Auction Hall will host the auction, they tried to say they had no available dates for the near future but with a little persuasion they agreed to host it in two weeks’ time. They will send someone out to Kingsley Farm to gather and collect every antique and catalogue them for the auction. But they need you to make sure all personal items are removed from the antiques.” Angel nodded and said, “I’ll see to it immediately, when will they be arriving?” Melanie replied, “I’m to meet them tomorrow morning at eight.” Angel nodded and replied, “Good work Melanie, I appreciate it, thank you.”
She went out by her pool to sit a bit and called her father to give him the news. He told her he would have his mother’s staff meet them there to go through everything and pack up all personal belongings of the Kingsley’s. Angel felt weird knowing she even owned their clothing which just creeped her out. She figured she would just donate the things that the staff didn’t want for, themselves to charity.
True to his word her father met her two hours later, his father was with him and so was the McDaniel’s staff members. Her grandmother had tagged along with her, but she’d noted lately her grandmother had been talking to her grandfather more of late. She sensed reconciliation in, the near future. From the outside she would have never known this place was as huge as it was. It took them awhile, but they managed to go through everything and pack up the useless stuff.
Angel was in the office going through the desk while two of staff members were packing up the books inside when one of them went to grab another book and the whole shelf moved. Her father who had just been standing there looked at her oddly and she shrugged, she hadn’t known the room was there either. When they opened it, they found what appeared to be a secret office in what was intended to be a panic room. There was a lot of paperwork, financial information, a lot of things that didn’t make sense right off. Until Angel looked at it closer and saw the pattern. It turned out Kingsley hadn’t just been living off credit all this time he’d been living off blackmail as well. She halted her dad from picking up anything else and put through a call to the Sheriff’s office.
Twenty minutes later he showed up with several of his deputies and they began to take pictures and put things in evidence bags and box it up. One thing they’d found in the panic room had been a safe. Apparently, the Kingsley’s hadn’t had time to use the money they had swindled from Dean because it was all there for the world to see. Angel turned to the Sheriff and asked, “Will the DA return Dean’s money to him?” The Sheriff sighed and said “Being as the money is his, the DA will have to release it back to him. I’m sure by now he’s obtained a decent council who will make sure it is returned.” Angel was pretty sure Dean hadn’t retained council but, she knew a lawyer who would help him. Hannah couldn’t handle it personally but someone else at her firm would.
Hannah arrived with said council shortly after the Sheriff had left. The drive to Dean’s place took them fifteen minutes and then they had to hunt him down in the barns. When he saw them, Dean did a double take, he asked “Angel what’s going on?” She smiled and said “While cleaning out the Kingsley mansion today we found a safe that had over two million dollars inside it. The money is evidence right now but with a good lawyer I’m sure your portion could be returned to you within a weeks’ time. Which is why I brought Hannah and James with me. James is an attorney for Graham, Hill & Associates. That’s the same firm that Hannah works for; James will handle the legal angle on this for you.” Dean laughed and said, “You saw a problem and decided to fix it didn’t you?” Angel shrugged nonchalantly and waited for Dean’s response, she wasn’t surprised by it when he said, “Okay I’ll retain James as my council, but I’ll pay for his services not you.” Angel nodded and responded, “So be it.”
They were walking from the barn when a pickup came pulling in. The man who climbed from it was handsome, she’d give him that, he’d probably draw eyes everywhere he went, but there was just something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. When he walked forward and said, “Well what have we here?” He glanced at Dean and said, “I thought for sure you’d be out of business by now old friend.” Angel glanced at Dean whose jaw had tightened and listened as he said, “Well you know what they say about assumptions.”
The man’s eyes narrowed and then turned to Angel as he said, “Little darlin’ what is a girl like you doing out here with a hick like Dean?” He had no sooner said it than he’d run his finger down her arm, which she then used to drop him to his knees. As he yelped, she said “I’m no one’s little darlin’, are we clear? Mark this in your little playbook, mess with my friends, mess with my family, and I will make you wish you’d never been born. Are we clear?” that said she released him. All the while he was swearing at her loudly before he said “You’ll regret that girl, no one messes with me and gets away with it. Do you have any idea who I am?” Angel smirked at him and asked, “Do you have any idea who I am?” At his narrow eyed look she continued “I have brought the Kingsley’s down, I won’t hesitate to bring you down as well.
I am Angel Denae McDaniel, and Dean is a friend of my family. You picked the wrong man to mess with.” She’d watched first knowledge then realization sink into the man’s face; he sputtered and said “You went to a McDaniel’s to save this bloody ranch? Do you know how much work we’ve put into getting this land? You’re standing in the way of progress.” Dean shook his head sadly and said “No I’m standing in the way of you making money Seth. Money you’ll never receive now because my ranch is viable. If there are anymore, accidents I will be forced to hire armed hands and any trespassers will be shot on sight.” Angel didn’t miss a beat as she said, “I can help with that, I know plenty of ex-military.”
Seth growled angrily and said, “Neither me or Elizabeth will stand for you standing in our way Dean. You should have sold out when your sister told you to.” That said he stormed away, Angel looked at Dean and said, “You never said you had problems with the neighbors?” Dean sighed and responded “My kid sister Elizabeth hooked up with Seth two years ago. Since then, he has fed her all these stories about how great it would be to run a dude ranch and it would only take my land and his other neighbors to do it.
They ran the Dalton’s off the ranch they’d owned for a hundred years. It almost killed Henry Dalton to leave the land his father and his father before him had worked. Old Henry Dalton he raised and bred Black Angus, me I’m more into training barrel racing horses, but this place used to be known for its thoroughbreds back in my grandfather’s day. It’s why I took those mares because Kingsley grossly mistreated them beauties, and they need a place to retire for good. I guess I just hate seeing good people run off their properties because someone else decided what they wanted was more important.”
Angel nodded; she could understand that, after all Stacia had given her away for that same reason. She shared a look with Hannah who nodded she would look into, the legality of the Dalton Farm takeover and then Angel would move on from there.
When she got home the first thing, she did was pull Grant aside and tell him everything. He agreed that Seth seemed a little to desperate, he’d dig into his background and financials for her. She then called her aunt who she already seriously overworked and told her what had happened. She probably never should have because the one thing you don’t do is mess with a McDaniel’s and especially not their only grandchild and niece. Ellen was furious she promised she’d look, into any business angle that Seth had running. If he liked taking people’s homes from them, she wanted to see how he’d enjoy having his taken away as well.
She then had Justin look, into finding the Dalton’s. If she couldn’t get them their place back, maybe she could find them somewhere else just as good if not better. She then called her father and filled him in, saying her Aunt was angry that would have been mild compared to her father’s reaction.
He also asked if she remembered his friend from the islands. When she told him yes, he said “Garrett is basically a financial genius when it comes to companies. I mentioned the Kingsley holdings to him as well as some of your mother’s business interest. He said if you’d be willing for him to look everything over, he would like to look into it, all for you.
I know Ellen and Lillian have been helping but I’m thinking with this new Seth thing they’re both going to be going for blood. I just thought I’d run the idea by you.” Angel considered it and replied, “No your right it is a good idea, and I will be busy with this whole Seth thing myself so set up a meeting and let me know the time and place.
I know Grandpa Denae has me an office at his company but with things the way they are with Grandma Denae I’d rather not go there.” Hunter replied evenly “We can set you up here. We have an open office on our executive floor where mine, Father, Ellen, and Lillian are. We will have it setup with everything you need. We’ll even have two offices setup for your assistants.” Angel informed him she’d come into the office tomorrow morning after she did her rounds on the ranch. When she informed both women, they now had offices they seemed genuinely relieved.
Her father called her later that night to let her know that Garrett would be meeting her for lunch the next day. She was exhausted she had tried to accomplish so much in one day. She just wanted to relax in her Jacuzzi tub and then curl up in bed for, some much needed sleep.
Before she knew it her first day at the office was upon her. It was shortly after eight before she’d even arrived. When she made it, she found Kimberly already waiting on her. Kimberly handed her a cup of her favorite coffee which was much needed at this point then began to fill Angel in on everything that was going on with the center. All the horses had been moved to the center’s facility and Kyle and his family had been able to move into their home. Staffing interviews would begin soon, she would need to be with Kyle and Meredith when the staff members were interviewed, and their information would need to be relayed to Grant and his team.