Page 50 of Wicked Titan

She exhales, reaching for the coffee. “He’s really busy. I’ll make sure he gets it.”

A few drops spill out as I move back to keep her prying fingers off the cup.

I don’t know what I’m expecting to find here, but I won’t find anything if I’m turned away already.

“Can you just tell him I’m here and let him decide for himself how busy he is?”

Her already unpleasant disposition intensifies. “And your name is?”

I hate doing it, feeling like I’m betraying my dad, but I have to figure out what’s going on. “Quinn Caine-Bennett.”

Her eyes light up for a second with recognition as she tightly grasps the receiver, bringing it to her ear. “Have a seat.”

“I’ll wait here.” I give her a curt smile as I stand, peering around, while she speaks into the phone before hanging it up with a loud thump.

“You can go up,” she says bitterly, waving me to the elevators. “Eighth floor.”

The elevator ascends painfully slow to the eighth floor before I step out, spotting another desk with a receptionist watching me.

All this just to get in to see Nathan? Even his office is a fortress.

I’m preparing for the second round of questions when her face stretches into a smile. “Quinn! It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

She stands from the desk, coming around as she pulls me in a quick embrace.

Remaining still, I hold the coffee out, scared I’m going to drip some of what’s left on her light-blue pantsuit.

Backing away, she smiles before turning and gesturing to follow her. We walk down a hallway until she stops at the last door, twisting the handle before pushing it open.

“He’ll be right in.”

I walk slowly into the office as she shuts the door behind me, flinching when it closes before I rotate to examine the office.

The gorgeous view of Knoxville captures my attention, allowing the first bit of calmness to settle over me since I’d arrived in the lobby.

Deciding to not take a chance of getting caught digging in his desk, I take a seat in front of a large wooden desk that is double the size of the one in Nathan’s home office.

Only seconds pass before the door opens, and a beaming Nathan strolls through the door.

“Hey! What an awesome surprise!” He plops down in the chair next to me, loosening his tie.

“I just wanted to bring you a coffee. Figured you’re always being so nice to me that I’d return the favor. My gift is a little less expensive though,” I joke, hoping to ease my nerves a bit because the feeling from the tranquil view has escaped me.

He leans forward, plucking the coffee off his desk as he drinks it down. “Couldn’t ask for a better gift. I’ve been in nothing but meetings all day.”

Meetings sound better than what I’d been doing today as I think to the yearbook. “I watched the librarian eat crickets today.”

He pauses mid drink, staring at me. “Is that a metaphor for something?”

“Nope. Real, live crickets.” I give him a tight smile. “But she shared with her snake.”

“Okay.” He resumes drinking his coffee, seemingly processing the info.

This was really pointless. I can’t investigate Nathan. I don’t know what I’d hoped to find, but I know I don’t want to find anything that says he was somehow involved or worse, responsible for my dad’s accident, which makes me feel guilty for my dad’s sake.

“I’m gonna head to the house.” I jump up, moving to the door as he stands.

“Quinn.”