find out.”
“Sure thing.”
“There’s something else, but this needs to be handled with great care.”
“Okay.”
“I would like you to look into a Darcy MacBride. Namely what she’s been up to for the past fourteen years.”
“Sure. Who is she?”
How did Lucien answer that? He tried to be as vague as possible. “We lived at the same orphanage and now she’s working for me.”
“Ah, an ex. You sure you want me digging into her past? If there’s something you want to know, shouldn’t you just ask her?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Well, son, it’ll get even more complicated if she learns that you’re invading her privacy.”
Lucien knew he was right, but his need to fill in all the missing pieces so he could make sense of what had happened between them was just too strong. “I know, but could you do it anyway?”
It was the only time that Josh didn’t jump on an assignment, but he was a professional and so after a few minutes he said, “I’ll get right on it.”
“Thanks.”
Lucien felt guilty about what he was doing, but not guilty enough to not do it. Besides, she was the one at fault. He had a right to know what had happened.
Dane hated coming to the estate. He was out of blow, though, and knew where there was a stash. The irony behind the lectures on family and appearances and how Dane was a lowlife was that one of his family members, probably his uncle, snorted lines just the same as him.
He moved across the floor, hoping like hell that his grandfather wasn’t home.
The shout, when it came, was unexpected. Not to mention, not his grandfather’s. So who was in his office? He moved closer to peek through the crack in the door and caught part of the conversation.
“. . . not worth the price I’ve paid. You’d think you had a golden pussy. I’m done, but if you want to continue, you’ll learn firsthand the convenience of a rich and well-connected family.”
Dane’s gasp was audible, loud enough for his dad to turn in his direction. He didn’t stick around to have a father-son chat. He walked out the door without even bothering to get what he’d come for. The man on the phone looked like his dad, but he sure as hell didn’t act like him. And what did the voice on the phone have on him?
He always wondered why his mother, a seemingly loving parent and wife, up and left one day, never to return. He hadn’t been much more than a baby, but he had heard the story of her betrayal from his grandfather more times than he could count. He always believed she met with foul play, particularly given his grandfather used the past tense when he spoke of her.
He never thought too hard on it. In truth, he was scared. He didn’t put anything past his family. But maybe her leaving was no mystery. The man who the public knew as a charming ladies’ man seemed something quite different behind closed doors.
Dane returned home and was still unnerved by his father’s behavior from earlier. He called Lena since she was always a good distraction, and she came over. As he prepared them a drink, he heard a knock at the door followed quickly by Lena calling, “I’ll get it.” As she moved to the door and pulled it open, Dane could tell that whoever was on the other side of it put Lena on edge.
“Can I help you?”
“I need to see Dane.” He knew that voice. Heidi.
“May I ask what you want?”
“As if it is any of your business.”
Outrage made Lena’s cheeks burn, which earned her a laugh from Heidi. “Relax, I don’t want to fuck him, I just need to talk to him.”
Dane stepped into view and glared at Heidi. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I’ve got some news to share.”
“No. I told you already I’m out. It was fun for a while, but you’re going too far. I’m done. Don’t come around here anymore.”
“Coward.”
“You should be a bit more cowardly.”
Heidi dismissed his comment with a wave of her hand before she started for the door. “Whatever.
“Sure thing.”
“There’s something else, but this needs to be handled with great care.”
“Okay.”
“I would like you to look into a Darcy MacBride. Namely what she’s been up to for the past fourteen years.”
“Sure. Who is she?”
How did Lucien answer that? He tried to be as vague as possible. “We lived at the same orphanage and now she’s working for me.”
“Ah, an ex. You sure you want me digging into her past? If there’s something you want to know, shouldn’t you just ask her?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Well, son, it’ll get even more complicated if she learns that you’re invading her privacy.”
Lucien knew he was right, but his need to fill in all the missing pieces so he could make sense of what had happened between them was just too strong. “I know, but could you do it anyway?”
It was the only time that Josh didn’t jump on an assignment, but he was a professional and so after a few minutes he said, “I’ll get right on it.”
“Thanks.”
Lucien felt guilty about what he was doing, but not guilty enough to not do it. Besides, she was the one at fault. He had a right to know what had happened.
Dane hated coming to the estate. He was out of blow, though, and knew where there was a stash. The irony behind the lectures on family and appearances and how Dane was a lowlife was that one of his family members, probably his uncle, snorted lines just the same as him.
He moved across the floor, hoping like hell that his grandfather wasn’t home.
The shout, when it came, was unexpected. Not to mention, not his grandfather’s. So who was in his office? He moved closer to peek through the crack in the door and caught part of the conversation.
“. . . not worth the price I’ve paid. You’d think you had a golden pussy. I’m done, but if you want to continue, you’ll learn firsthand the convenience of a rich and well-connected family.”
Dane’s gasp was audible, loud enough for his dad to turn in his direction. He didn’t stick around to have a father-son chat. He walked out the door without even bothering to get what he’d come for. The man on the phone looked like his dad, but he sure as hell didn’t act like him. And what did the voice on the phone have on him?
He always wondered why his mother, a seemingly loving parent and wife, up and left one day, never to return. He hadn’t been much more than a baby, but he had heard the story of her betrayal from his grandfather more times than he could count. He always believed she met with foul play, particularly given his grandfather used the past tense when he spoke of her.
He never thought too hard on it. In truth, he was scared. He didn’t put anything past his family. But maybe her leaving was no mystery. The man who the public knew as a charming ladies’ man seemed something quite different behind closed doors.
Dane returned home and was still unnerved by his father’s behavior from earlier. He called Lena since she was always a good distraction, and she came over. As he prepared them a drink, he heard a knock at the door followed quickly by Lena calling, “I’ll get it.” As she moved to the door and pulled it open, Dane could tell that whoever was on the other side of it put Lena on edge.
“Can I help you?”
“I need to see Dane.” He knew that voice. Heidi.
“May I ask what you want?”
“As if it is any of your business.”
Outrage made Lena’s cheeks burn, which earned her a laugh from Heidi. “Relax, I don’t want to fuck him, I just need to talk to him.”
Dane stepped into view and glared at Heidi. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I’ve got some news to share.”
“No. I told you already I’m out. It was fun for a while, but you’re going too far. I’m done. Don’t come around here anymore.”
“Coward.”
“You should be a bit more cowardly.”
Heidi dismissed his comment with a wave of her hand before she started for the door. “Whatever.
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