“Thanks for coming here today,” McKenna addressed the entire room after Luke took his seat beside Cole. “I know most of you probably know who I am, and I hope by the end of this meeting, I can erase some of the fear I see in your eyes.”
Uncomfortable laughter rattled through the room.
Behind McKenna, on the projector screen, was an enlarged image of the front page article from the Dallas Morning News.
“As many of you know, I’m here doing an exclusive on Club Destiny, and before you panic any more than you already have, I want to tell you that your anonymity is my first and foremost priority. I will, in no way, offer any names in any of my articles on this club.”
Tag might’ve imagined it, but he thought he heard several sighs of relief.
“However, from where I stand, I’m not the enemy that you need to watch out for.” McKenna pointed behind her to the screen. “Most of you have probably already read the article and understand the intentions of Stephen Crawford and Susan Toulmin, which is why we have invited each of you here today.
“You’ll notice amongst you there are several familiar faces not in attendance today. If you stop and think about who is not here, you will also note where you normally see those people.”
Tag held his breath, waiting for McKenna to get to the point.
“I’ve learned in recent days exactly how far Luke and Logan McCoy will go to protect the members of their club. And this may upset you at first, but if you think long and hard on their reasoning, you’ll understand that their methods have always been in your best interest.
“Each one of you is considered a full member of Club Destiny.” McKenna paused, and Tag waited to see if anyone would say anything. When they didn’t, she continued. “What does that mean? Well, it means that you have full access to the entire club while some members are restricted to certain areas, including the private wing.
“This may seem a little underhanded if you think about it, but again, every decision that Luke and Logan have made was in your best interest. Due to the nature of the club and certain activities that go on, each new member is put on a probation period in which they are observed, and more importantly, trust is established. That means that not every member you see within these walls is allowed to venture into the club.”
McKenna emphasized the last words, referring mainly to the real Club Destiny, which not many people even knew about. Every person in that room had at one time or another been to the other club, although they probably hadn’t thought anything of it at the time.
“The two people that you see on the screen behind me were never granted full membership.” McKenna smiled, “Now I’m going to tell you why I am here today, and why you’re hearing this from me and not from the owners.”
This was the part Tag worried about. McKenna did a fine job providing the backstory per se, but this was the point where it was going to get a little touchy.
“Most of you have been worried about how much Susan Toulmin knows. If you’ve ever interacted with her in any capacity, then you’ve worried your name may be on this mysterious list she keeps referring to. Well, it very well may be. It may very well be on Stephen Crawford’s list.
“Thanks to CISS, Luke and Logan have compiled their own list of people in attendance at one or more of the nightly events in which Stephen or Susan were present. Don’t worry; there is no video evidence of any of this as far as we know. Your visits are captured via the security codes that you enter upon entry and exit to this floor. That also doesn’t mean that every one of you is on that list. It does mean it’s a possibility, and Luke and Logan wanted you to be aware of what was going on. That is why your presence was insisted upon.”
McKenna stopped once again, this time when her eyes met his, he smiled. She was doing a phenomenal job. She hadn’t wanted to be the bearer of bad news, but she agreed because she wanted to assure everyone that she was not the enemy. Tag respected her for that.
“Now I’ll tell you why we brought you here today. It wasn’t just to inform you of the growing concern, which most of you already knew about. It’s to ask for your help, but let me preface this by saying you are in no way expected to react or agree to anything we suggest. In fact, we are open to your suggestions as well.”
Tag stood, knowing it was his turn to address the room. As much as he wished McKenna could keep talking because she was doing such a remarkable job, he wasn’t about to let her take the brunt of what they were about to unleash on them.
“Many of you know me, mainly because my face has been all over the news as it relates to Club Destiny and the current lawsuit against Ms. Susan Toulmin. For those who do not, my name is Tag Murphy, and I am Club Destiny’s legal counsel. My job is to represent the best interest of this club and, therefore, of its members.