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“So, when are you going to tell Nat?” Jim asked, standing in my doorway and glancing down at a portfolio in his hands.
“Tell Nat what, that her brother needs a nicotine patch now? He’s alive and well, and that’s what matters. It’s not that I don’t have the courage to tell her myself, I was just—”
“What?” Jim said, looking up from the paperwork in his hands and staring at me like I was an idiot. “No, dumb ass. How can you possibly think I give a fuck about his addiction to cigarettes? I’m referring to the information Jeff sent over last night. You know, the PI you’re still using.”
“Yeah, well, I’m working on that.”
“If you think this will play out like some fucking romance movie or something, you’re wrong. You need to sit down with her.”
“I know that. I just wanted to handle this when her brother is out of rehab and sober.”
Jim seated himself across the desk from me. “This shit can’t wait. You know this can’t wait. Stop doing undercover shit behind her back like she’s a company we’re investigating, hoping to use the element of surprise before we start getting people arrested.”
“Why must you always come at me like I’m trying to treat Natalia like she’s business?”
“Because that’s what you’re doing. You’re in this position because of it, and you continue to do this shit behind her back, not being upfront about anything. She’s a woman—your woman if you play this right—so don’t keep fucking it up.”
“I understand, but I didn’t have all the information I needed until last evening. I didn’t want to go waltzing up to the woman, who is probably itching to cut my dick off, and tell her I learned something else after investigating her mother’s death behind her back.”
Jim sat back in his chair and studied me, “When you think about it, you’re fucked either way. She’s going to be even more furious that you continued researching her.”
“So glad you’re making me feel better about this,” I answered.
“Not my job to make you feel better. It’s my job to make sure you don’t keep fucking it up, and I think I slipped on that part.”
“Jim,” I said, nervous now, “what the fuck?”
He grinned. “Love is a beautiful thing, man,” he said, “and if she loves you, she might forgive this. However, you might be right to show up with her brother gift-wrapped and sober. And speaking of which, don’t you think she should know that he’s safely off the streets and in rehab?”
“You’re seriously mind-fucking me right now. What the fuck do I do?”
“The right thing,” Jim answered, “and only you know what that is.”
I sighed. “Yeah, thinking I was doing the right thing got me into this shit storm. I think it’s obvious that my right and wrong meter is broken.”
Jim chuckled and stood up, “Seems like you’re on the right track, though, admitting to your faults and wrong choices. You can only learn and grow from there.”
“Get the fuck out of here, dude.”
“It’ll all work out, just try not to force it. Follow your heart.”
“Again, my heart fucked me the last time too.”
Jim shook his head, “Stop being a bitch.”
I chuckled, “Now, we’re getting somewhere.”
After Jim left my office, I resumed studying the file Jeff had sent over.
Why the fuck did I let Jim leave? I needed to run this shit past him. So, I called him on the intercom and asked him back in.
“Some of us are trying to run empires and shit, you know? What do you need?” he asked, stepping back into my office.
“Check this shit out,” I said, feeling more comfortable investigating hard facts instead of trying to work out mental love-life situations in my head. “As you know and have reamed my ass about, I’ve done more digging on Nat’s dad. In my defense,” I said as Jim smugly raised his eyebrow at me with disapproval, “I only did so because if the bastard did murder her mom like everything seems to indicate, I wonder if he wouldn’t do the same to his kids. I mean, you should’ve seen Shane’s face when he showed up in London, Jim. He didn’t just have a black eye; the kid was brutally beaten by his father.” Jim’s demeanor softened as I continued. “It turns out, this shady bastard has been up to no good when it comes to his daughter.”
“No good, as in what?” Jim answered.
I glanced at my laptop and then at Jim. “The real estate company Nat works for has a mysterious investor that caught my attention.”
