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“You’re telling me that she managed to sell off Reli’s inheritance? Anything she could, she got rid of?” I say through clenched teeth. “How the fuck did we miss this?” Where is all the money she’s got?
“The bitch has to have someone working for her. There’s no way that she’d be able to pull this off if she hadn’t,” Cage inputs and Cohen nods in agreement.
“Find out who. There has to be a trail; follow the fucking money.”
There’s a knock at the door. “What?” I yell.
The door pushes open and Reli stands in the doorway with a raised brow. “Bad day?” She crosses her arms over her chest and stares at me.
Fuck. I scrub my hands across my face. “Sorry, baby girl.”
“What’s going on?” she asks, not moving from her place in the doorway.
My brothers get to their feet and walk toward Reli, all of them giving her a kiss on her cheek before they leave the office.
“Give him hell,” Cage comments with a smile and she pushes his arm as she smiles.
Once they’ve left the room, Reli closes the door behind her and comes to stand beside me, her ass against the desk. “What’s going on, John?”
I sigh. I didn’t really want to tell her about this shit. She’s been through enough and she’s finally starting to live her life. The last thing I want is for her to spiral backwards.
“Don’t even think about lying to me, John.” There’s steel to her tone. I’m so
fucking proud of her; she’s really blossomed since she’s been away from that bitch Talia.
“Baby girl…”
She shakes her head. “I’m not a child,” she begins, the hurt flashing through her eyes. “I’m not breakable, I'm a hell of a lot tougher than that. We’re in a relationship John, that means communication and if you’re keeping things from me, it means I can’t trust you.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Like you have told me everything?” I can’t help the snarl, I hate that she thinks she can’t trust me. I’m doing this for her benefit, not my own. She doesn’t say anything, just waits. “I didn’t want to upset you.”
Her eyes soften. “It won’t upset me, no matter what it is. The only thing that hurts is knowing that you’re keeping something from me and John, it’s different from what I’m doing. You’re not telling me things that have to do with me.”
“The day that Talia was arrested, she let slip who she had planned to sell you too. His name is James Haversham. He’s a big player in the city; he’s into everything illegal and he wants you,” I tell her honestly and her face pales but she nods. “We’re trying to make sure that you’re safe and he can’t get to you.”
She nods. “Okay, so I’ll be extra vigilant and make sure that I’m never alone.”
I close my eyes and send a silent prayer that I fell in love with a strong woman. Fuck. She’s amazing. “Thank you.” My voice is hoarse and full of emotion.
“What else?”
“Talia stole more than six point three million dollars from you,” I tell her and watch her closely for a reaction.
“I don’t care. She’s out of my life, and as long as it stays that way, I’m good. She could have stolen all the money and left me poor but John, I wouldn’t have cared. All I ever wanted was to be free of her and I am.”
I nod, proud of her and her mindset. “I tell you what she sold and if you want them back, we’ll get them for you. She sold the beach house in Santa Barbara. Along with selling most of your dad’s vintage car collection.”
“I’m not into cars, so I don’t mind about those. I just hope that they’ve gone to good homes,” she says quietly.
“What about the beach house?” I ask and that’s when I see the tear slowly fall down her face, it’s followed by another and then another. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
She angrily swipes the tears away. “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry over her again. The beach house was my dad’s wedding present to my mom. Dad told me that Mom loved the beach. Santa Barbara is one of my favorite places in the world.”
I’ll have Zeke look into purchasing it.
“I’m sorry, baby girl.” I pull her into my arms and sit her on my lap. “That’s everything,” I tell her and hope that she’ll tell me what has gotten her preoccupied lately.
It takes her a while, but she finally starts talking. “You asked me what I wanted to do with the house that Talia lived in. I can’t live there again. It holds too many memories, too many nightmares.”
