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John whistled and shook his head. “Interesting that her file was kept out of the information we were given. What do you need from me?”
“Go through any credit history you can for her. Look into who she’s connected to, her bank accounts, any large purchases, flight arrangements. The usual.”
“You think she’s the daughter of an owner of one of the other companies we absorbed? Simon and Monroe Financial Planning comes to mind.”
She could have been working for both. I wouldn’t put it past Edward to team up with Jeffrey Simon. “It would make sense.”
“Jeffrey Simon has a deep-seated hatred for you since we undercut the bid for his business.”
I shrugged. “We paid what it was worth.”
“He didn’t see it quite the same way.” John’s brows furrowed. “This feels a lot like the old days.”
I agreed. We’d come a long way. Both of us had clawed our way out of hell and poverty to become what we were today. I gave him the breakdown of what Edward had said as he was escorted out. But his thought had merit, and I wouldn’t rule it out. Not yet. “If it is someone connected to our past that put her into play, we’ll handle it like we always have.”
John’s smile was bone-chilling. It was a side few saw behind the easygoing mask and the reason he’d pulled his weight evenly with mine as we climbed out of the sewer-like existence we’d come from.
“Take care of things here until I’m able to come back,” I said to John before directing the next task to Becca. “See what you can find out from the bank about who drained my account. I’ll go over the analysis reports tonight from our staff and call you first thing in the morning.”
John nodded then opened his laptop. It was probably better that he eased our new employees into the changes. I took in his white dress shirt and striped blue tie, which made him seem approachable. Through his years as a bookie, he’d cultivated a way to blend in, which let him establish trust and lower the defenses of his customers. It was the same thing here. He would do the heavy lifting, gaining information in a personal manner while a shark lurked beneath. My shark was always present on the exterior, something I couldn’t hide if I tried. It helped if we ever needed to play a variation of good cop, bad cop. I was better suited to handle negotiations and disgruntled staff and former owners.
“Have Becca help. I need to get to the bottom of my missing funds.” I didn’t wait for a response. Other matters took precedence, and I was more than ready to act on them.
I’d recognized a darkness that only those who’ve lived on the streets had in Summer last night, and a spark of survival instincts swam in her eyes this morning when she’d bolted from the office. If she wanted to take this fight to the street, she had no idea who she was dealing with or how ruthless I could be.
Wide-eyed employees moved out of my way, while the rest observed quietly from their desks as I went to the elevator and stabbed the button with my index finger. When the doors opened, I stepped inside and pressed the button for the ground floor.
A headache was starting from how hard I was clenching my teeth, so I willed the muscles to relax. The elevator reached its destination in no time and came to a stop. The doors opened with a swoosh. I went right rather than left as I stepped off and onto the ground floor, going toward the security office rather than the receptionist who guarded the bank of elevators. Soft light from the ceiling reflected off the marble floors as I walked by polished steel doors. I took the first turn then grasped the handle of a solid door marked “security.”
With a hard twist and push, the door swung open. I visually cased the room until I spotted Summer sitting on a chair near the main desk, her arms crossed over her chest. As soon as she saw me, she jumped to her feet, anger radiating from her small being. I didn’t take my eyes off her as I issued an order to the three guys currently in the room with us: “Get out.”
There were no questions as the guards filed out, giving me a wide berth as they moved to the back room on the other side of a large double-paned window. The door clicked shut behind me, and I moved farther inside, towering over her. That light floral scent that was uniquely hers, which I’d inhaled until I was drunk on it, filled me with fury. She raised her chin, and the slight upturn of her nose only added to the ridiculousness of the situation I’d found myself in. How could I have let this slip of a woman get past my defenses so she could wipe my accounts clean?
The business account was intact. I’d checked. But my personal accounts were in the red, threatening a return to a place I’d scraped and clawed my way out of. And Breanna, I couldn’t let her down. I wouldn’t let it happen. She would give back every penny, and I wouldn’t let her out of my sight until she did.
“What did you do with my money?” I couldn’t have kept the growl from my voice if I tried.
She shook her head, confusion swimming in her brown eyes.
I ground my teeth. She was good. I’d give her that.
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. If this is about the drinks you paid for last night, that’s on you. I didn’t ask you to spend money on me. And”—she pushed to her feet, only inches separating us—“I had no idea you’re the guy who bought the company. If I’d known, I would have stayed far away from you.”
“This has nothing to do with some paltry drinks. You conned me. How long have you and Edward been planning this? Who else are you working with?”
“You’re insane.” She jammed her index finger into my chest. “I already know I’m fired. No big deal. I’m outta here.”
My hand went around her small bicep, clamping down enough so she’d stay in place but not enough to hurt her. “You know damn well about the money, or you wouldn’t have run. And since you’re the secretary, and if you value your job—and I don’t care if you do or not because this is nonnegotiable—you’re coming with me to my other company. I’m not letting you out of my sight.” I had no idea what other plans Edward set in motion, and I wanted her close in case she’d done something to the company we had yet to discover.
“No.” She flashed her teeth while her eyes promised harm.
I was furious, despite how much my body was responding to her. The woman was too close and too addictive. But she’d stolen from me, and that wouldn’t go unpunished. “Who were you talking to on your phone? Your partner?”
She reared back her head, and a waterfall of wavy blond hair fell over her shoulders. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You were on the phone at the precise time my bank sent an alert. Who else are you working with besides Edward? Is it Jeffrey Simon?” I needed to know all the players. It could only have Edward, but it would have been foolish to assume that.
She rolled her eyes. “That’s quite an assumption just from me being on my phone. And I have no idea who that guy is. And if I stole as much money from you as you’re accusing me of, why the fuck would I show up to work today? I’d be on a plane, on my way to a beach, piña colada in hand.” She looked through the window to where the guards were sitting at the desk. “Oh, watch out, that chunky guard out there is on his phone. He must be in on it.”
