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“Smart. Somewhere warm. I’ll book the flights.” I glanced at the date. It was early, but her school often was with the tuition bill. “Did the bill come in?”
“Yeah.”
I heard the reluctance in her voice. I got it. We never had money growing up. But I did now, and what was mine was hers. I would always take care of her. “Send it to me. I’ve got it covered.”
“Thanks, Luc.”
“Love you, Bre. I’ve got to run.”
“Oh right, today’s the day at the new place. Hope it goes well. Try not to scare anyone.” She chuckled.
I grinned, because I’d never scared her a day in her life. She was the only one, aside from John, who knew everything about me. We said our goodbyes, and I made a note to keep an eye out for the tuition bill that would hit my inbox at some point that day. I had plenty to cover it in my personal account and would take care of it as promised.
With my focus back on business, I glanced around the sparse office, pleased with the acquisition, although it was more of a hostile takeover. The only public hitch had been the owner, Edward Cartier, who was bitter to the very end, causing a scene on the sidewalk out front as I had him escorted from the premises. It wasn’t his property anymore—it was mine, another addition to the empire I was building.
Before going out to meet my new employee, I checked my laptop for the file I knew Becca would have sent. I read over it and learned that her name was Summer Johansson, age twenty-four, a temporary hire for three months while the other employee was on maternity leave. Summer had been there for three weeks. There was no driver’s license or picture attached. Already, there were problems within human resources. Becca had flagged the issue. My staff would handle it. A report would be in my inbox by the end of the day.
I rolled back my desk chair and stood. Time to meet the temp sitting outside my office door, the one who’d arrived late to work. I opened the door, and my gaze landed on the petite blonde sitting behind the desk. She was talking on the landline while scrolling on her personal phone. I would have recognized her anywhere, with or without clothes, given her long, silky, honey-blond hair, almond-shaped warm-brown eyes, and full lips set in a classically beautiful face. And her body, although small, had curves in all the right places and had taken everything I’d had to give last night—and demanded a few things she wanted herself.
This would be interesting. I’d regretted leaving her in my hotel room before finding out more about her. Now, I had the chance to get to know her, to take her out for dinner. As she was on the phone, I waited, taking the time to study her further. Edward’s words before he was escorted out filtered through my thoughts, but I dismissed them. He was just trying to fuck with me. No way was she a spy.
“Can you confirm the transfer?” She paused as I leaned against the doorjamb. “Great, thank you.” She hung up then looked at me.
Her soft gasp and alarmed expression caused me to tread with care, knowing she might be embarrassed to learn I was her boss after the night we’d shared.
I opened my mouth to comment on what the odds were that we met again when my phone pinged. I glanced at the screen to see what the next emergency was, and I froze. It wasn’t from Becca. It was my bank.What the fuck?
A tidal wave of rage flooded me—zero balance—my accounts were wiped out. Edward wasn’t only fucking with me. He did have an ally doing his dirty work for him, and I guessed it was Summer.
She looked guilty as hell. Then there was that comment about a transfer, which she’d made on her phone, so it wasn’t business related. I narrowed my gaze on last night’s one-night stand, who had her phone clutched tightly in her hand as she fumbled to pull her purse from the middle drawer. An image of her from the night before, trailing her hand along my dresser where my laptop had been then setting the same mini backpack next to it, increasing my suspicion.
It would have been hard as hell to crack both my laptop’s password and my bank’s. But with Edward’s help, she could have had access to tech that worked on it throughout the night while I was preoccupied with her body.
Goddammit—Breanna’s tuition. Without the money in my account, I had no way to pay it, and the thought of letting my sister down gutted me.
I couldn’t take money from the business to cover it temporarily—that was illegal. No way would I give Edward that kind of ammunition, especially with his little spy nearby.
When she attempted to stand, I lunged, growling, “You’re not going anywhere.” I tensed to drag her into my office and get to the bottom of her being a plant to take down my business. It was the only thing that made sense, based on our encounter. Showing up at work was too convenient—not to mention her surprise at seeing me right after she’d finished a conversation about transferring what had to have been my money.
Becca and John entered, blocking my path just as the con artist bolted, the same small black backpack purse thrown over one shoulder. Becca’s mouth hung open, and John raised his eyebrows. I resisted pursuing her in front of our new employees, knowing there was no way she would get out of the building once security was informed.
“Making an impression with the staff already?” John chuckled. “Or does your reputation precede you?”
I grunted at his sarcasm. “Call security. Have them detain her.” I would explain everything to him later.
Becca stepped aside and got on the phone to handle the flight risk who had access to my money. I pivoted back into my office with John following on my heels. Tall and lanky, he was almost my opposite with red hair, a full beard, a wiry build, and piercing green eyes. He disarmed and intrigued, while I intimidated, but our minds worked similarly, which was why we were an effective business team.
We’d met in college. I’d been a sixteen-year-old punk who’d skipped a few grades, thanks to my eidetic memory and high IQ, something that helped me get out of the shithole where I grew up. I got accepted for a full ride, but that didn’t cover the cost of living, food, and books. He’d been two years older than me, also there on scholarship, and living among a bunch of rich pricks. We’d found common ground in our less-than-wealthy upbringings. It wasn’t long before I learned that he was involved in an illegal fighting ring he’d introduced me to shortly after we’d met. He was a bookie I used on the side to increase my earnings for the fights. From there, we clicked. And when he found himself in some trouble, I got him out of it. We’d begun in the stock market then started a financial company shortly thereafter.
“Check your bank accounts.” I grabbed my laptop and slid it into my messenger bag. I wasn’t coming back for a while. Edward’s spy and I had a few things to iron out.
“Okay.” John messed with his phone for a few seconds. “They’re fine. Why?”
So I was the sole target. “Mine are zeroed out. I think Summer Johansson, who I slept with last night, pulled a con.”
“You didn’t recognize her name?”
I ran a hand over my face in annoyance. “No. She never told me.”
