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“Well, Abe here was up for a position at Reece and White as an intern in the forensic accounting department,” Rohan mentioned. “Perhaps we should have him do a little more digging and see what he comes up with before we move forward?”
“You wanted to be a forensic accountant?” Wilder asked. “I’m sorry you didn’t get the internship.”
“Oh, I did,” Abraham replied before looking away.
“Whydidn’t you take it?” Wilder asked, desperately needing to know the answer.Please tell me he didn’t give up an amazing opportunity… for me.Of course he didn’t, not for that reason.Yet there was a tiny piece deep inside that wanted it to be for him.
“My uncle thought it best to work with Rohan… it being my first job in the AQ.”
The look in Abe’s eye told the truth, and it wasn’t what had fallen from his lips. Wilder held the beta’s stare, his stomach fluttering with the realization.
“No other reason?” Wilder asked, his tone low.
Abe’s eyes widened, but he shook his head. “No. No other reason.”
A scent came Wilder’s way—warm honey. He remembered the same scent when they’d shared their unfinished moment of intimacy. He closed his eyes for a second and inhaled before reopening them to a red-faced Abraham.
“It might be the best idea to have Abe continue to look into the matter before we proceed further,” Wilder said to his brother. “Do a bit of the leg work and confirm the suspicions.”
Vaughn eyed him. “How do we manage that?”
“Keep him up here—he can use this conference room,” Wilder replied. “Get him access to the digitized files and see if he can find where the money is going.”
“What do we tell Hardwick? We can’t just yank a clerk out of his office and not expect questions,” Rohan stated, glancing Abe’s way.
“Tell him you have a special project you need him for,” Wilder said. “He already assumes Abe’s a nepotism hire. He’d likely not think anything of it.” Wilder eyed an even redder-faced Abe. “Does that work for you?”
“I’d be working… up here?”
“Could he access the files from home? That might be safer,” Rohan offered, glancing at Abe. “We tell everyone he's very ill and that might better explain his absence.”
“No, I want to stay on top of this,” Vaughn mentioned. “It has to be here. If Hardwick’s stealing from us, I want to nail that bastard.”
“Finally, something we agree on,” Wilder mentioned to Vaughn, his gaze on Abe.
Vaughn chuckled. “Indeed.”
“You okay with that?” Rohan asked Abraham. There was a hesitant tone to his voice, and Wilder suddenly wondered if his best friend knew what they’d done. He lifted his chin, eyeing Rohan for a few seconds, but sensed nothing more.
Abe wavered a moment, but finally nodded. “I can handle that.”
“Good,” Wilder said, rising. “You start after lunch.” He grinned. “You look famished. Want to join me for a meal?”
Wilder ignored a glare from Rohan.Conceivably he does know. Not that I really care at this juncture.He was too far in to worry.
Abe met his gaze, hunger there that had nothing to do with food. “I should probably stay here and get started.”
“We’ll need to set everything up, so I need a list… and I’d like a chance to pick your brain about Hardwick. His schedule. What kind of boss he is.”
Abraham turned to Rohan, who only shrugged.
“I guess I could eat,” Abe finally replied.
Wilder smiled widely, excitement spreading through him. His smile grew wide. “Good.”
* * *
Sittingacross from Wilder in a restaurant he’d never have been able to afford on his paycheck wasn’t how he’d seen his day going. The maître d’ and the servers all seemed to recognize Wilder by sight and had moved with haste to show them to a fairly isolated table toward the back. Lovely stained-glass panels and large ferns created a sense of seclusion in a packed dining room. Large windows at the front gave the space a bright, airy atmosphere.
