Mr. CEO(98)

“So what happened to Samuel and Theresa? And how the f*ck could they just leave their daughter like that?”

Nathan shakes his head. “That I don't know. I spent weeks unable to sleep after I had to hold that little girl, sobbing in my lap before the cops arrived. She was so distraught she never realized, even though she'd seen me... what, by then it had to be hundreds of times. I took her home more than once, you know.”

“Why was that?”

Nathan sips at his water again, and sighs. “Peter isn't the only DeLaCoeur who has had a few affairs. Not that I blame Maggie, with the way Peter's treated her over the years. But some of those play dates or business meetings... well, Samuel was doing more than having drinks with Margaret. I doubt she knows about the faked deaths. Peter probably wouldn't have filled her in, since it would hurt her more to think Samuel died back then.”

“What do you know about them now?” I ask, sipping my water. Nathan's showing at least a little bit of guilt, and as long as I have that, I'm going to drive with it, trying to use it to the best of my advantage. My jaw aches, but the peas help some. I'm more numbed by the idea of what Samuel did to his daughter, though. “Where's he live?”

Nathan shakes his head. “After the bomb, I only saw Samuel Grammercy one more time. Peter had gotten him some top-flight fake IDs, good enough to pass anything short of the FBI, and I delivered it to him at the airport. He and Theresa were booked on a flight, but I never troubled myself to find out where. Safer and less guilty to not know.”

“Miami,” I inform him, sitting back on the lounge chair. “That's a hell of a burden to carry for the past ten years, Nathan. I have a feeling it's not your lightest, either.”

“I've seen some things,” Nathan agrees. “Your point is?”

“You said it yourself. Maybe it's time to start balancing your ledger. I know that you can't stop Peter from sending other men against Katrina. But that doesn't mean you can't help us, too.”

“Us?”

I shrug. “Regardless of if she's doing it for the right reasons or not, her cause is noble. I told her I'd help her, too. I'm asking you... whose side of this are you on?”

“Seems like an easy choice,” Nathan says after sitting still for a few minutes, watching the moon reflected in the black mirror of the pool. “On one hand, there's Peter, who's made me a rich man, a lot richer than I'd have been if I'd stayed in the Army, or if I'd gotten a job with a more legitimate employer as a real security officer. He's connected, and one of the most dangerous men along the Gulf Coast. On the other hand, I have a crazy twenty-two-year-old girl, with barely a dime to her name most likely, and my employer's son, who until just about an hour ago, I thought was more or less a spoiled little bitch.”

“Bitch, huh? I would have thought I at least rated being called a spoiled little prick, but all right,” I joke, not as offended by his words as I would have been even a week or so ago. Now, it means nothing to me. I have something more important than my ego to worry about. “It does seem like an easy choice.”

Nathan nods. “It does. So... how best can I help you guys?”

“Let me find out what Katrina wants to do, and I'll be in touch with you. Until then, I'd say just keep trying to distract Peter from finding her.”

“I can do that. Now, if you don't mind, I need some meditation and a little shut-eye. Goodnight, Jackson.”

“Goodnight. Oh, and Nathan?”

“Yes?”

“Would you mind if I joined you for tea tomorrow? I'd like to talk more about... things.”

Nathan nods and gives me half a smile. “I'd say that would be possible. But first, make sure you do your reading for your sister. I'd hate to disappoint her.”

“How'd you know about that?”

Nathan laughs. “I'm the head of security for this house. It's my job to know as much as possible. Goodnight, Jackson.”





Chapter 15





Kat





I've never been to Darcy's house since she and Jeff got married. It isn't that she never wanted me over. In fact, she's invited me multiple times. No, the reason that I've never been to this neat little two-bedroom house in the Leonidas neighborhood is that I didn't want to put Jeff in a bind. He's her husband, but also a good cop. Not that any cop can be totally clean in a town like this, and Jeff's helped out Darcy more than once, but I've never wanted to push it this far before.

So it's with no surprise that Bo, the three-year-old brown and white pit bull Darcy got as, for some reason, a baby shower gift from one of her friends, is wary of me as I stand outside the fence, waiting for Darcy to let me in.

“Hey little mama, you lookin' good enough to eat with a biscuit,” a young guy, maybe my age or maybe a little younger, says as he goes by before stopping to see if maybe he has a chance.

“Not interested,” I say. “I have a man,” I add, before letting him respond.

I’m surprised when he actually moves on, and Bo the pit bull watches the guy for a moment before turning his attention back to me. I think about the lie I just said, chuckling a little to myself. Maybe I do, or I will.

Darcy comes out just after the guy moves on, calling to Bo. “Bo... get your butt up here on the porch,” she hollers, still smiling as she walks down the short concrete walk. Bo immediately turns and runs up, wagging his tail and grinning at his mistress, begging for affection. “Okay, okay, you big puppy, you protected the house. Now, I’m going to let my friend in, and you are going to behave. This is my friend Kat that I told you about, okay?”