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“One more?” Nikolas asked, emphasizing the number. “Try about a million, with the most damning of all coming from the Harley Watts email to Colton Oil.”
Nikolas had worked the email angle on his own, digging deep ever since Marlowe and Ainsley had shared his name at dinner. While Watts came up squeaky clean on any background checks, his reputation was pretty solid in some of the darker corners of the internet. The guy knew how to work a keyboard and Nikolas had found a few references to his hacking skills before he must have joined the AAG.
And then his former employer had clammed up, too, claiming she had no idea who he was.
“You know what I mean. It’s like everything about that place is an image distorted by a warped mirror. Everything looks right until you look too close.”
It was a great description and once again reinforced the way Nova’s design mind thought in images and pictures. He realized that he’d shortchanged the work by not tapping into that.
“I want you to look at something later for me,” Nikolas said.
“What is it?”
“I pulled up a bunch of details off the AAG website. A brochure in pdf form as well as a few images they have posted. You might see something I can’t.”
“Okay.”
They settled into companionable silence, just as they had for the past week, and Nikolas thought again about that baby furniture he’d looked at online. She was less than two months away from delivering the baby and they were both going to need a permanent place to stay. Marlowe had taken Nova to her doctor a few days before, and despite the length of time between her last checkup and this one, the obstetrician was pleased with her pregnancy and the baby’s development.
Things were moving along. And somewhere along the way, he’d begun to take an incredibly proprietary view toward Nova and the baby.
A view toward something more permanent.
Funny way of showing it, Slater. You haven’t even kissed the woman since last week.
But he’d wanted to.
Before he could carry that thought to its logical conclusion, the door in his outer office slammed open. Belatedly, Nikolas realized he hadn’t locked it after the food delivery arrived. He got up to deal with whomever was there.
And came face-to-face with a seething Selina Barnes Colton, who strode toward him on sky-high heels that set off a pair of killer legs.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?”
Nikolas stared down the formidable woman. She was still incredibly attractive, her marriage to a much older Payne ensuring she’d become rather rich at a young age. To all who knew him, Payne was much happier with his third wife, Genevieve, a woman who was both closer in age and temperament.
But it was Selina who’d made her mark.
“What can I do for you, Selina?”
“You can get off your ass and get my case wrapped up.”
“I’ve called you every day to keep you apprised of the progress.”
“You’ve called me every day as a CYA and I don’t appreciate it.”
Nikolas knew a ranting client when he saw one so he gave her the space to complain, waiting until she’d gotten her litany of perceived sins out. She’d nearly finished when her gaze sharpened on the entrance to Nikolas’s office. “Entertaining?”
“I have—”
He never got out “company” because Selina was already marching into the office, her voice rising several octaves as she caught sight of Nova. “Why is she here?”
“Excuse me?”
Although Nikolas knew how to placate a client, he wasn’t going to stand for anyone mistreating Nova. He was about to say as much when Selina whirled on him once more.
“What are you playing at, Slater? Who is this woman? I’ve already seen her twice this week hanging out with my stepdaughters.”
“Ex-stepdaughters, you mean?” Nikolas clarified.
