Page 3 of Single Greatest Threat
With nothing left to do, Shaw headed out. He avoided looking at Joesph’s closed office door and had Kayla hold his calls. Shaw climbed into his hundred-thousand-dollar car and drove slowly—like going to his judgment day—to the restaurant. He made it ten minutes early and stared at the door. As always, his dad showed up at exactly eleven. The man was as precise as the earth’s rotation. Shaw put his emotions on lockdown and endured. The food was good. That was why the place was always busy. Shaw focused on his plate rather than the conversation. His dad rattled on about family Shaw never saw. Plans were made for his mom’s birthday. Lunch only lasted an hour, and it was the longest hour of his life. Being with his dad drained the hell out of him. The guy was retired and still ran everything. For the millionth time, Shaw wondered what would happen if he walked away. He could buy a place in Malta. Live the slow life. Nothing was stopping him.
“Look. It’s Joesph with J.D.’s son.”
Shaw’s gaze shot to the door at his dad’s comment. Sure enough, someone held the door open as Dodge pushed Joesph’s wheelchair inside. A pain sliced through Shaw at the sight of Joesph’s bright smile. It was real. He was happy. Of course he was. He was with the most beautiful man on the planet. Dodge won everyone, including every man Shaw wanted.
“That’s a good sign. Maybe he’ll lure all that Rochester money our way.”
His way. Shaw fought hard not to remind his dad that the practice belonged to Shaw now. It was his money. “Maybe.” He knew it wasn’t happening. Not only had J.D. been fiercely loyal to his attorney before he passed, but their firm also represented one of J.D.’s ex-wives. Dodge would never touch them.
The bill came and Shaw paid, even though lunch had been his dad’s idea. He shouldn’t have gotten distracted.
“Joesph!”
Shaw cringed as his dad shouted, as if they were in a barn and not in the middle of a nice restaurant.
He watched Joesph look their way and his smile turn fake. Shaw couldn’t breathe. He had to get out of there before a panic attack hit. Therapy had been helping, but today wasn’t a good day. Too much was happening at once. He was under his dad’s microscope and Joesph was there with another man. It didn’t matter that man was engaged. Joesph hated Shaw, and he had been Shaw’s only real friend. Shaw had destroyed that. The room pressed in on him, choking him.
Shaw stood as Dodge pushed Joesph their way. The silverware rattled as he hit the table with his knees. His dad looked his way, irritated as always. Shaw fought a hysterical laugh at his thunderous expression, as if Shaw had embarrassed him and he hadn’t been the one shouting moments earlier. His anxietyno longer cared about being polite. He mumbled his goodbyes and headed for the door without looking back. Shaw never met Joesph or Dodge’s stare. He knew he looked like an ass, but it couldn’t be helped. For months now, Shaw’s mental health had been falling apart, and no one noticed or gave a damn. Sometimes he feared what he might do. It was time to get back to the office. He had to drown himself in work.
Chapter Two
Joesph couldn’t stop thinkingabout Shaw’s expression as he had stormed from the restaurant. He knew the look of a drowning man. Joesph saw it all the time when he looked in the mirror since getting diagnosed with MS. Something was going on with Shaw. He felt that in his bones. Joesph hated he hadn’t noticed before now. He had been trapped in his anger. Now he couldn’t think about anything else.
He kept his office door open for the rest of the day. Shaw kept his closed until right before closing time. Joesph gathered his things when Shaw disappeared. Before he got the chance to head out, Shaw was back with coffee in hand. He sat behind his desk and got back to work. Stacks of files filled his desk. Joesph had no clue what he worked on, but it was obvious he intended to stay. That was so unlike Shaw that Joesph wheeled toward his office—like the fool he was.
“Hey. I’m headed out for the night.”
Shaw looked up. His dark green eyes softened the moment they landed on Joesph. That was why he never stood a chance.
“Okay. Be careful going home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Joesph nodded. “What are you working on? Would you like some help?”
A wry smile touched Shaw’s lips. “No, thank you. You’ve spent way too many long nights here over the years. It’s my turn.”
Joesph wheeled back and forth a hair, nervously rolling in place. “All right. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Joesph headed out with his mind all over the place. Why was Shaw suddenly acting this way? Was it a ploy? Why did he have so many files dragged out? Unfortunately, it wasn’t a mystery quickly solved.
Several weeks passed. Each night, Joesph offered to stay, and Shaw declined. After the first two weeks, Joesph had secretly checked the security feed. Shaw never left his office until nearly midnight each night and was back at eight a.m. every day. He was like a man on a mission. More files appeared in his office until they stacked the walls. Six weeks in, Joesph broke.
“I’m headed out.”
“Be careful going home.” Shaw didn’t look up from the paperwork he studied.
Joesph had deliberately waited until Kayla left. He wheeled his way deeper into Shaw’s office. “Would you like some help?”
Shaw finally met his stare. “No. It’s fine. Like I’ve said a hundred times, you’ve done your time. I’ve got this.”
Joesph didn’t back down. “Seriously. What are you working on? This office is out of control.”
Shaw visibly hesitated. Finally, he sighed. “All right. Maybe you can tell me if I’m crazy.” He held up the paper he read. Joesph wheeled to his side, leaning close so he could see. Fuck, he smelled good. It wasn’t fair. Shaw pointed at a few numbers. “Okay. Look at these numbers.”
Joesph nodded. “That seems a little high for our typical fee structure.”
“Exactly.” He dragged his laptop closer. “Now look at the digital copy. The numbers that hit the bank.”
Joesph studied the two, comparing them. They weren’t the same. The numbers deposited perfectly matched what they normally charged.
“I don’t understand. Why are they different?”
