Page 9 of Single Greatest Threat
Yeah. Joesph knew that. Shaw Sr. would never relinquish full control.
Shaw’s knuckles turned white on the steering wheel, proving how that constant meddling and lecturing bothered him. “While I could press charges without Dad onboard, who knows what he would do if he feels like I’ve gone around him?” He tossed Joesph a look. “Really. I don’t want to do this alone.”
“Okay.” He wouldn’t make Shaw beg. They both knew how Shaw’s dad could be. He liked Joesph, but that was only because Joesph had let them use him eighteen hours a day for years. They were probably the reason he was sick. Shaw was the best fucking lawyer Joesph had ever seen in his life. His IQ and ability to charm a jury were off the charts. He was amazing. Yet Shaw would never be good enough for his dad. Joesph couldn’t imagine.
“You know I’ve got your back.”
At his statement, Shaw flashed him a blinding smile that stole Joesph’s breath.
Joesph focused on his food to protect his sanity. The omelet was gone before Joesph realized it. He drank his coffee. It was halfway gone before the truth struck him. They had always been comfortable. Sitting in silence with Shaw was peaceful. He liked it. Joesph supposed he had always known he liked Shaw’s company even when they did nothing at all, but he had never looked too closely. His relationship with Shaw was a raw spot he tried not to pick at. Shaw Sr’s house came into view, giving Joesph something else to focus on. The stucco house sat on a hill overlooking the ocean. It wasn’t as big or as nice as where Dodge lived, but still way more than Joesph would ever have. Not that he could navigate the stairs anyhow.
“You closed the office for the entire day for this. Do you expect your dad will be difficult?”
Shaw chuckled as he steered into the driveway. “Dad is always difficult. But in this case, I didn’t want Kayla getting arrested at the office with clients watching. Plus, I have no idea how I’ll replace her. Honestly, if she had just asked for more money, I probably would’ve given it to her just so I wouldn’t have to find someone new. It’s the betrayal I can’t stomach.”
Joesph nodded. That would matter a great deal to Shaw. While Shaw had stomped on Joesph’s heart, he had never lied. He never claimed they were more than friends or made promises.Shaw’s entire business model was built on integrity. Their office kept some of the biggest criminals on the east coast out of prison. Shaw had to be loyal to hold on to that clientele.
“We’ll go in through the garage to avoid the front steps.”
Joesph nodded. He planned to cane his way around, but Shaw was out of the car and dragging out Joesph’s wheelchair before Joesph had time to offer to be less of a burden. Once Joesph was settled, he twisted and met Shaw’s stare. “You’ve got this. I saw the evidence too. If you need me to jump in, just let me know.”
A sad-looking smile touched Shaw’s lips. “Okay.”
Joesph hated the way Shaw obviously dreaded seeing his own father. He would give anything to see his again. Joesph got it, though. Their dads were nothing alike. They passed two workers on the way inside. One looked to be doing laundry. The other was kitchen staff. It was hard for Joesph to wrap his mind around growing up this way. Shaw never hesitated to cook or clean. Joesph had no clue how Shaw had turned out the way he had. While the guy was still spoiled, he didn’t expect others to do everything for him. Joesph wondered if he would ever do anything for himself if he had been raised in the same wealth. Maybe he would have turned out to be a piece of shit. At least he would be a shitty person without a hundred thousand dollars in college loans and almost as much in medical bills. Joesph took a breath. He couldn’t think about that.
They found Shaw Sr. in the dining room. He looked surprised to see them. It was obvious Shaw hadn’t called ahead. “What are you doing here? Who’s at the office?”
Joesph stayed silent. He let Shaw handle everything.
“I closed for the day so we could come and discuss something with you.”
Senior looked between them. “I can’t believe you green-lit this laziness, Joesph. Now Shaw is always useless, but you’ve never let me down.”
Fuck. The rage was real. Shaw looked closed, but unfazed. Thankfully, Shaw didn’t give Joesph time to speak and ruin his life. “Yes. I’m the disappointment. Anyhow, I found something unfortunate while going through some paperwork.” He pulled out a chair and sat. “It seems Kayla has been skimming off every transaction for years. I haven’t made it through every file yet and it’s already up to nearly six figures.”
Senior’s dark green eyes—so much like his son’s—slid from Shaw to Joesph and back again. “Joesph, please wait in the kitchen.”
Joesph didn’t hesitate to back his chair away and find his way to the kitchen. The tone had left no room for argument, but Joesph pretended to struggle a bit so Shaw could have time to stop him if he wanted Joesph to stay. Shaw didn’t speak up, so Joesph left them alone.
He wheeled his way inside the kitchen and was immediately met with overly helpful staff. They offered coffee and homemade donuts, but Joesph didn’t have time to answer before Shaw was there. His expression was colder than Joesph had ever seen. He took control of Joesph’s chair before Joesph had time to ask a single thing. Joesph let it happen. He had questions, but he kept his mouth shut until they were a good five miles from Shaw’s dad’s house. Joesph had never seen Shaw so thunderous.
“I’m guessing that didn’t go well.”
Shaw had one hand on the wheel and the other propping up his head. His elbow was braced on the door. He looked ready to blow. “You could say that.”
Joesph tried to be quiet. Silence wasn’t quite so comfortable anymore. “Okay. Well. I’m here whenever you want to talk.”
Shaw suddenly veered off the road and into the parking lot of a closed night club. He put the car in park. “It seems my dad has always known about Kayla.”
That one threw Joesph. “Okay. What?”
Shaw looked his way. Joesph saw the fire inside that Shaw tried to keep at bay. “She takes money. He turns a blind eye. She doesn’t tell my mom about their affair.”
Holy hell. Joesph was flabbergasted. He was beyond speechless. All he could do was stare at Shaw and try his damnedest to process. Shaw’s openly downward spiral was what rescuedJoesph. He had to save him. “Tell me what to do. How can I help? Let’s fix it.” Joesph was just that guy. They knew the problem now. He could help Shaw face it head on.
Shaw’s hands rose and fell. “I just—”
Joesph got it. “Okay. Get out and let me drive.”
