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Chapter 26
ASHER
The leaked photo made me realize I have some loose ends to tie up and they needed to be resolved immediately before anything else gets out. Thanks to Jade and her little striptease, what should have been my relaxing shower ended up being a cold one. I have business to take care of and I can’t do it with an aching erection. My mind races as I sit down at the desk in my home office and dial the private number that has come in handy on several occasions before.
“What’s going on, boss?” asks Nathan.
I wanted to place the call to the head of my security department while I was still home. Not to say I’m paranoid, but the last thing I need is for anyone to overhear and sell the job I’m about to give Nathan to the media. They’re already hot on my heels and out for blood by any means necessary. At least at home, I know for sure my line is secure, and there’s no risk of being exposed. I wouldn’t trust this task in anyone else’s hands other than Nathan’s. He’s been my right-hand man behind the scenes for a very long time.
“Well,” I begin, nervously tapping the desk. “I need you to check on something for me and, naturally, I want to keep it as private as possible. This needs to be discreet and resolved quickly.”
“Just a second, let me grab a notepad,” Nathan interrupts me. “All right, go ahead.”
I inhale and let the breath out in one slow steady stream. “Some eighteen months ago, I dated Magdalene Martez. It was a brief relationship, if you can even call it that, and she quickly moved on to my friend Heath Vanguard. The problem is, there’s a child involved named Jacob, and no matter how many times I go over the dates, the timeframe still leaves me with some doubts.”
There, finally. I got this burden off my chest to somebody else. I still need to break the news to Jade, but I need all the facts first.
“I asked Magdalene about Jacob’s paternity when I first learned of her pregnancy, but she basically blew me off and assured me that Jacob wasn’t my problem. She said Heath was going to take care of them both and I let it go.”
I hear Nathan flip the page over in his notebook and I pause for a moment to let him catch up.
“I need to know for sure,” I explain. “His paternity could derail other things going on in my life and I can’t live with the doubt any longer. If he’s my son, I want to be in his life and take care of him, but if he’s not my son, I want to know that too. The facts are important, so I need to make sure I have all of them before I possibly ruin my current relationship.”
“Leave it to me, boss,” says Nathan. “I’ll discreetly consider everything and find out Jacob’s paternity. I just need to do a surveillance and figure out their daily schedule.”
“Would it help if I get something with his DNA? Something like his hair, perhaps?” I ask. “Time is of the essence and I want to move this along as quickly as possible.”
“Sure,” says Nathan. “If you can get close enough to get his hair, that would be great. It’ll help me out tremendously since I won’t have to trail him and wait for the right opportunity. Once you get the sample, I’ll send it over to my lab connections and sort this thing out for you.”
I push my chair back from desk and stand up. “All right. As soon as I have it, I’ll let you know because I need this test to be top priority.”
“No problem. I’ve got it covered, so don’t worry about a thing. I’ll be in touch if I’m able to gather any pertinent information beforehand,” says Nathan.
“Before I let you go, I have one more favor to ask,” I say.
“Go for it. I’m all ears.”
“I take it you’ve seen the photo of me and Ms. Sinclair circulating all over the internet…”
Nathan clears his throat several times and takes a deep breath. “Yes, sir. I’ve seen it.”
“That’s a problem. There’s nothing I can do about the photo, but I want you to take whatever you need from my emergency account and make sure that no one will leak Jade’s identity. The cost is a non-factor. I don’t care if they hound me, but I want her left out of it. I’m lucky they didn’t get a clear shot of her face.”
“Like I said before, I’ve got it covered. Ms. Sinclair is in good hands and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her information from getting into the wrong hands.”
Even though I pay Nathan handsomely to be available whenever I need him, I think he deserves a bonus for all the extra work I’ve asked of him lately.
