Page 19 of Miss Treated

“Yes.” Chance had a number of people who could dig into Frank and Sophia Russo’s financial interactions.

“It would be discreet?”

“I’d make sure of it. But Chance is overseas for the next couple weeks, opening clubs in Germany and Spain. I’d prefer to wait until he’s back.” And it would give me time to keep investigating the financial reports.

“Of course. Do what you think best. And in the meantime, if you could keep Nic busy with some pieces of the audit while keeping your fraud investigation quiet, I’d appreciate it.”

Oh, boy. Easier said than done.

Chapter Eight

Dominic

My computer spreadsheet with this year’s budget stared at me on Monday morning. I wasn’t kidding when I’d told Kelsey I had to play catch-up on Saturdays and Sundays. There weren’t enough hours in all the days to do the meetings, answer emails, and oh, right, look at the damn budget for cost savings.

At least my father wasn’t “allowed” to come in over the weekends. Nope. My mother had nixed his seven-days-a-week work habit a number of years ago.

In fact, she’d love nothing more than for him to retire. The thought caused me a stab of guilt. If I was better at business, then I could take over, and my father could finally retire and spend more time with her. But I felt like they’d pinned their hopes on the wrong son. Not because I wouldn’t eventually achieve some measure of capability, but because the very idea felt like a weight chained to my neck. I hated the idea of being tethered to one person or one thing for the rest of my life, and taking over Chambers Tech would be one hell of a tether.

I smiled at the number flashing up on my cell phone, happy for the interruption. “Hello, favorite brother.”

Leo grunted in reply. “I bet you say the same to both of us.”

“Maybe, but I only mean it with one of you.”

He chuckled, a rare sound from him. Whereas my oldest brother, Gabriel, could crack a joke or two when in a good mood, Leo was overly serious. I wasn’t sure what type of Special Forces missions he’d been involved in, but he’d returned from his tours in Iraq a different man. Now he owned his own security company in Las Vegas and seldom called. Which begged the question.

“Everything okay?”

“Fine. But I’m worried about Dad. He called yesterday and asked me to come home for his birthday party this year.”

“It’s the big sixty-five.”

“Yeah, but it was him who asked, not Mom.”

“Huh.” That was strange. Dad normally couldn’t be bothered with parties or the fuss surrounding them. Especially one six weeks away.

“Yeah. Even said please. He feeling okay?”

“Far as I know.” I’d chalked up his tiredness over the last few months to the fact I was spending a lot more time with him.

“You taking over the business when he retires?”

My sigh was audible. “I think we both know I’m not cut out for this long term.” Of anyone in the family, Leo would understand, given his disdain for corporate America.

“Gabe would be good at it.”

“Yeah, but he’s stubborn, and so is Dad.” He and my father hadn’t seen eye to eye when it came to business. Gabe had wanted to make his mark on the company from the get-go. Meanwhile my father took it as an insult that my brother dared to alter anything he’d built, and refused to listen to any of his ideas. In the end, Gabe had turned down the role of COO, packed his bags, and taken a position with a rival company in London.

“I sometimes think he put you into the chief operating position in order to twist the knife with Gabe.”

If I’d actually imagined my father thought me fit for the position, I might have been offended. “Yeah, is it working? Does Gabe want the job now?”

“Doubtful. But he’s returning to California.”

Mom had mentioned this to me too. Gabe had been in London the last year on assignment for a large telecom firm. But now his daughter was in San Diego. I was certain he was moving here in order to be closer to her and not to take over Dad’s business. “Yeah, should be interesting. Are you coming home for the party next month?”

“Yeah. Probably. Guess I’ll let you get back to surfing.”