Page 74 of Cruel Fate

“Nigel. I need some help.”

“Kid, I thought you’d never ask.”

Talking to Nigel Wagner smooths out some of my rough edges, and it makes me feel more in control. Zarah invited him and his wife, Helena, to the party, but he says he’ll arrange to fly over sooner. Just knowing I’ve gotten in touch with him loosens a huge ball of nerves that made their home inside my chest, and I tell him he can wait.

Nigel agrees and says he would wrap up some things and plan to spend a few months here.

His generosity makes my throat burn, and I try to say thank you.

“Don’t,” he says. “It’s not necessary. Chin up, kid. Things will be okay.”

I say goodbye, sink onto the grass, and breathe in the crisp fall air.

Going over what I know, I check them off:

Zarah and Ash are spending a lot of time together. That doesn’t bother me. In fact, I’m relieved she’s in good hands. I don’t care Stella doesn’t like him. She’s known him for a week—I’ve known him all my life. Ash would never rape a woman or beat her. On the night in question, he was at his strip club blowing off steam or checking things were running smoothly. I wouldn’t doubt if it was a little of both as Ash never had a problem mixing business and pleasure.

Richard Denton and Clayton Black are meeting behind my back. It could be nothing, but because of the way Denton and Cramer have been pressuring me, it’s smart to be wary. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. My father could have started to have problems with Denton, but he never mentioned anything to me and now I’ll never know.

Stella was snooping through Denton’s email. First, I’m impressed she managed to get in. Denton isn’t stupid. Second, I want to know what she was looking for, and what made her look in the first place. Only our conversation with Chase? Or something more? Asking would tip her off I know, and I want to keep that to myself for now.

There’s still no word about the plane crash. Now that I’ve surfaced, somewhat, from my grieving, I’ll start gaining headway there. Something has to break.

Nigel will come over from London to help me. That relieves me most of all. He’s sharp, and he’ll be able to tell me what in the hell’s been going on since the crash. Figure out why Denton and Cramer want to steer Maddox Industries in a different direction, and more importantly, how to stop them from doing it. So far, I’ve been able to remind them I’m in control and they’ve listened, but it will only last for so long. Two against one is never good odds, but two against two, now, that’s much more to my liking.

I text Ash and ask if he wants to get a drink. I don’t care when—Stella cleared the rest of my day.

He says tonight, and I reply, giving him a thumbs up. I should go back to the office. Even if Stella rearranged my schedule, there are things to do. Too many things.

I do go back to the building, but I go up to the penthouse instead.

For lunch, Lucille made bacon macaroni and cheese, my favorite, and I tuck into an enormous bowl. I haven’t eaten anything since dinner last night. I want to invite Stella to come up and eat and I pull my phone out of my pocket and type out a text, but at the last second, I decide not to. I’m putty in her hands, and I won’t be able to stop myself from asking her about Denton’s email and what she thought she was hoping to achieve. I hate I’ve been seeing her for only a few days and something is already threatening our relationship. I want it to go away.

Lucille says Zarah was here earlier, packing clothes, and I wonder if she’s moving in with Ash. I wish she would have talked to me about it first. I want her to be happy, but I don’t want to live in the penthouse by myself. I already feel too alone as it is.

I’ll ask Ash about it tonight.

I lie down to take a nap and feel guilty doing it. My father would never have wasted a Monday afternoon to sleep, but I’m overwhelmed and my brain has shut down. I miss my sister, and I miss Stella. I have a hard time falling asleep because I’m already used to her being in bed with me. She’s spoiled me in the short time we’ve been together.

I wish I didn’t know about her going through Denton’s email. I wish he hadn’t told me, and I don’t understand why he did. He didn’t demand I terminate her, and something like that is a fireable offense. Maybe he knows we’re in a relationship and wanted to spare me the task. Maybe, like me, he wants to knowwhy. Maybe she found something and he wants to keep her in his sights, make sure she doesn’t do anything with the information.

A little sleep clears my head, and I meet Ash for a drink, not feeling too terrible.

Already sitting at a small secluded table in the corner, he’s on the phone arguing with the poor unfortunate soul on the other end. I approach, and his eyes widen. He spits, “Just get it done. You don’t want me to have to handle it myself.” Jabbing at the screen, he disconnects, and he picks up his drink, his hand shaking.

He’s looking stressed out, and I wonder what he’s gotten himself into that would ruffle his feathers. The rape allegations wouldn’t bother him. Anyone who has his position and wealth is a target, but it’s not anything a good attorney can’t make go away. Hell, when I was at Columbia, a girl claimed her pregnancy belonged to me, hoping I would buy her silence. It was all a ploy to get at my family’s money, and I let her drag it out on social media. The paternity test revealed I wasn’t her baby’s father and she slunk away, embarrassed and humiliated. She never contacted me again.

“You okay?” I ask, settling into my seat.

Blackmail and lies are nothing we’ve never encountered, so maybe it’s not a woman who’s gotten him riled up. If it’s not women, it’s business.

“Yeah. I just wish people could do their fucking jobs without me having to breathe down their fucking necks every five seconds. Can’t hire good help these days.”

“Problems at your strip club?” I gesture to the waiter, and he serves me a glass of my regular. The whiskey is smooth, and it glides down my throat. I relax and ask for another before I’m done with the first.

Ash narrows his eyes. “Why would you ask that?”

I shrug. “Out of all the things that could give you trouble, seems like that’s the most logical. Booze, drugs, sex. You have it all under one roof.”

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