AllFreeNovel
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“You want me to order you something?” she asks.
“Navy knows what I like.”
Haven snorts out a laugh. “There you go, being predictable again.”
I glare at her before she heads off to my table and takes a seat. Running my hand through my hair, I signal to Swift and Loki, grabbing their attention, and they follow me toward Loki’s den. Neither says anything as I punch in the code on Loki’s safe door.
The three of us enter, Loki coffee in hand and Swift with a stern look on his face, causing his forehead to wrinkle. He knows I’m about to hit them with something as the door closes behind us, and Loki takes his position at his desk, waiting for instructions.
“What’s up, Pres? Something going on?” Swift asks.
Glancing at the cameras in Loki’s office, I spot Haven sitting at my table talking to Navy, and something shifts inside me.
I just need to know.
“Loki, I should have done this sooner. I know better. I need you to run a detailed background on Haven as fast as possible.”
Loki snorts a laugh, takes a long drink of his coffee, slams it down on the desk, then spins in his chair, opening his drawer beside his desk. He pulls out a folder and drops it to the desk beside me. “I knew you would want one done sooner or later, so I went ahead and did a trace as soon as Livvy told her to stay the night. You were a little…preoccupiedfor me to get the approval. I went to Swift, and he gave the all-clear.”
I glance at Swift, and he shrugs. “We gotta know who’s staying at our club, Pres.”
“Good move.” I fold my arms over my chest, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. “Well, what did you find?”
Loki sits back in his chair, pursing his lips. “She grew up in Florida, attended the University of Florida, and got her degree. Studied at night, learning other languages. She’s worked on and off but seems to get in trouble with the law a fair bit.” He shrugs. “I mean, her story checks out.” He tilts his head. “Why she’s so angry and aggressive, I can’t figure out. There must be trauma in her past or something for all that built-up emotion, but I can’t find it. From what Icanfind, she is who she says she is.”
A sudden wave of relief washes over me while I lean back on his desk, letting out a long breath and smiling at the thought.
Loki glances up at me and exhales. “Seems she makes you happy, Pres. I mean, at least you’re smiling.”
Exhaling, I turn to my VP. One of my closest friends in this place, I look him in the eyes. “What are your thoughts on Haven, Swift? Your opinion matters to me.”
He leans back against the wall, his foot raising to rest on it, his knee bending out as he folds his arms across his chest. “Honestly?” I tilt my head in reaction. “She’s well-versed in agriculture, right?”
“Right?” I reply, wondering where he is going with this.
His shoulders rise and fall with a small smile. “Rip’s having trouble maintaining the farm and the animals by himself. We need a farmhand, allowing Rip to concentrate on the crops. We have a woman specializing in agriculture right on our doorstep. We have a vacant loft above the barn where she could stay if you want to keep your room and hers separate. We have a solution to Rip’s time management problem and the problemyoudon’t want to admit to us.”
I jerk my head back. “What problem is that?” I blurt out.
Loki smirks, but Swift continues, “You don’t want Haven to leave. It’s why you called us in here, hoping we could find asolution when we already have one. You just gotta find your balls and ask her.”
Letting out a long exhale, I run my fingers through my hair, thinking this through. “What about Livvy?”
Swift groans, and Loki rolls his eyes. “Jesus, Pres! I know you feel like you owe it to Livvy not to hurt her, but you deserve to live a life too. And anyway, Livvy leftyou,remember? Stop punishing yourself for what happened,” Loki reassures me.
He’s right.
I know he is.
I will always feel guilty for losing Poppy.
Our marriage ended because I wasn’t on the ball, and Rico took our baby girl and then killed her.
Livvy could never look at me the same after that.
Not that I blame her.
I can’t look at me the same.
