Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Owen

I shoved the laptop away and rubbed at my tired eyes. Computer work was one of the things I hated about this job.

"Did you find anything interesting?" Nolen worked across from me on his own assignment. The local school wanted to upgrade their security system and asked our company to head the project. Nolen was in the process of looking over blueprints and ordering the equipment needed to make the school as safe as possible.

"I found a lot that's interesting. Despite Seraphina and Dennis's healthy monthly allowance, they are both hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. It would appear the two like to live the finer life but don't have the capital to support it."

Theodore Bruce wasn't stingy. He left them more than enough to live off of, but it would appear Dennis and Seraphina had decided since the man's death to go on a whirlwind of a shopping spree. They blew through so much money, likely believing that Theodore's will would fund their purchases, only to find out that wasn't the case.

Nolen whistled. "No wonder they’re contesting the will. They need the money to pay off their debts. Were they in debt before Annalee's father died?"

I shook my head. "Nope, they acquired it after he passed."

"Shit." Nolen spun back and forth on his chair. "They managed to do that much damage in two months? What the hell did they buy?"

Everything. I doubt Annalee was privy to all the changes that took place at her father's estate. Furthermore, I doubt she cared. I got the impression she didn't visit there very often.

"You name it, they bought it, but something tells me Dennis has a gambling habit. I can't be sure but the amount of money he's dropped compared to what they've purchased doesn't add up."

"That seems to be a common occurrence amongst the rich."

Not just the rich. Gambling was an addiction, but for someone who suddenly didn't have as much money as they thought they would, it would be a way for them to justify their habit. If only they could win big just one time. The sad reality was, that never happened.

"I need to find out what Annalee knows about all this. I'm just not ready to bring it up to her yet."

I glanced behind me to where Annalee sat at her desk. She had left during lunch and returned with a Wickedly Delicious bag. I forced myself to work with my back to her so that I could concentrate. Having her within my line of sight was doing me no favors.

"You think she isn't aware?"

"I think she separated herself from her stepmother and stepbrother. She had no reason to be in their lives once her father passed away. They didn't get along."

"A classic case of Cinderella."

I smirked knowing it was the same connection Annalee used when she described her relationship with them.

"Something like that."

"And where has our dear Cinderella been spending her nights?"

Now my lips turned up for a completely different reason. The memory of Annalee waking up in my arms for the second morning in a row was front and center. I’d never slept so well as I had since she graced my bed, and I wasn't a bad sleeper to begin with. But knowing her body sought mine out in the middle of the night pleased me. Getting involved with her was sure to complicate things but telling my body that was difficult. All it knew was she felt right pressed up against me.

"Don't play coy. Everyone knows she's staying with me until an apartment comes available to rent."

The place Annalee looked at was less an apartment and more an in-law's suite attached to someone's home. It had its own bedroom, bathroom, and small living area, but she would be sharing a kitchen with the owner. I knew from asking around that the owner rented it out as a way to help pay for his children's extra-curricular activities since he was a single father. I wasn't sure how I felt about Annalee moving in with a man but it wasn't my place to dictate what she did. Enough people had tried to do that for her recently. I wouldn't add to that list.

"I also know your place doesn't have a spare bedroom with a bed."

My friends were too nosy for their own good.

"Well, that won't be the case for long. Gracie has decided to move to Willow Creek and asked to stay with me until she can find a place."

And based on Annalee's search, that would take a while. Gracie would be living with me for the unforeseeable future. Knowing my sister, it was probably what she needed considering her decision to up and move was suspect to begin with.

"Wait, Gracie's coming here? Since when?"

"Since I got the call while I was driving back with Annalee. She said her lease is up this month, but knowing how impulsive my sister can be, she could show up at any moment."

All of my friends knew about Gracie. They were around when she was born. I might've been deployed but each of them was with me during that time. They watched her grow up as much as I did. There was no one who visited me as much as Gracie did, so really it shouldn't have been a surprise that given the opportunity, she wanted to move to where I was.

"Huh." There was something about Nolen's response, or lack thereof, that set me on edge.

"Why do you ask?"

Nolen suddenly busied himself with papers on his desk. "No reason. Just surprised, I guess. I'm going to run out for a coffee. Want anything?"

"No, I'm good, but make sure to ask Annalee if she wants anything."

"Will do." Nolen rushed out of the office like the dogs of hell were nipping at his heels. It was a strange sight, that was for sure.

I pulled the computer back in front of me and continued digging through Annalee's stepmother’s and stepbrother's financials. There were plenty of discrepancies, and from what I could tell, it didn't just start after Theodore's death. Some started as early as five years before that, but nothing major. Small withdrawals here or there that wouldn't add up to much independently but together were suspicious.

Theodore was a stickler about his finances. Everything was recorded. Even the cash he withdrew was marked with notes as to the purpose. But it was the random question marks over that time that stuck out. Again, nothing Theodore couldn't afford. A thousand here, two thousand there every few months. A total of twenty-eight thousand dollars over five consecutive years that Annalee's father had questioned. It made me wonder if Theodore finally confronted Seraphina about it and that led to his death. I would be checking into it more.

"How's the investigation into the finances going?" Maverick slid up next to me. He wasn't the type of boss who micromanaged his employees. Truthfully, if he could've convinced all of us to buy the business together, he probably would've. But that wasn't Maverick's style. He knew at least one of us wouldn't have been able to afford it, not with some of the responsibilities we had, so it was easier for him to start it up and essentially allow us to police ourselves.

"It's going. A few red flags that I want to check out." I gestured to the computer where Theodore's banking information was pulled up but Mav didn't bother to look. "Why, what's up? Checking in isn't your style."

"You're right, it's not. I was going to try for some small talk before I made a suggestion, but we both know I hate small talk."

I chuckled. This was the Maverick I'd known forever. He didn't pull any punches. "You're right, you don't. So again, what's up?"

Maverick looked unsure of himself and that alone made me suspicious. Maverick was never unsure of anything. He was the most confident person I knew.

Finally, he sighed. "You know I don't like to get into the middle of your personal lives. I don't give a shit what you do outside of work except as a friend. If you're happy, I'm happy."

"But?" There was definitely a but after a statement like that and something told me I wasn't going to like it. I considered Maverick a brother, and since I had all sisters, that was pretty damn special to me.

"But make sure you know what you're doing when it comes to her." Maverick nodded behind me and I didn't have to turn around to know who he was talking about. There was only one her when it came to me.

"You know it's none of your business, but have you ever known me to do something stupid?"

Maverick sighed. "No, I haven't."

“Damn right,” I bit out maybe a little too harshly. Because I wasn't impulsive. I didn't do something unless I fully thought it through. And on the rare occasion I did something out of the ordinary, I fixed it quick. My life was meticulously organized just how I liked it.

"Well." Maverick cleared his throat. "Good talk." He started to walk away but paused and said over his shoulder, "You might want to convince Annalee it's time to finish for the day. Her shoulders have been drooping more and more the last half hour."

I snapped my attention around and sure enough Mav was right. Annalee was hunched in on herself and who could blame her. Other than the brief break she took to go to the bakery, she had spent the entire day in the same spot. That took its toll on a person.

I slapped my own laptop shut and pushed the chair away from the desk. It was time to get the hell out of here and take Annalee with me. Maybe we could do something besides just sitting at the house.

Maverick was right, I needed to be sure about what I wanted with Annalee. I couldn't do that if we didn’t spend time alone together doing everyday things. Plus having her sleep in my bed every night was destroying my control, but not enough to change the circumstances.

Not yet, at least.

I needed more time before that could happen.