Page 86 of Thiago
“None of us did, and she wouldn’t have been if she’d listened to our warnings about Marco. Of course, he turned out to be much worse than we had anticipated.”
“Some people have to learn the hard way, but at least she’s better now,” Benicio said. “I went by India Monroe’s office, but I was told she no longer works here.”
“She found a job in Miami. Company named Bridge Tech.” He had done some digging and learned the name of the firm that had stolen her away from him.
Benicio’s eyebrows jumped higher. “I’m surprised. I always believed she enjoyed her job here. Have you started looking for her replacement yet?”
She’s irreplaceable, Thiago thought. “Not yet. I’ll give Spencer Boyden a call soon to see if they can find someone for us. In the meantime, her staff has been picking up the slack.”
Benicio nodded slowly. “What happened to your hands?”
Thiago dropped his gaze to his bruised and red knuckles. “I went to the gym this morning, and I forgot my gloves.”
“You’ve been boxing since you were a boy. You’ve never forgotten your gloves.”
“I did today,” Thiago lied.
A beat passed.
“What happened between you and India?” Benicio asked, and that’s when Thiago realized his father knew everything.
“Bruno told you?”
Benicio nodded.
“You’re upset.”
“Disappointed. You know better than to sleep with a subordinate.”
“It just happened.”
“A sneeze just happens. Sex—for months—does not just happen.”
Thiago rubbed the back of his neck. “Fair enough. I can confirm our relationship was consensual, but I may have said something... I messed up.”
“What did you do?” Benicio asked.
Thiago blew out a breath and told his father everything—minus the graphic sexual details—from the time he and India slept together, her dating other men, his ultimatum, which he swore he didn’t mean, their trip to Brazil, and their painful breakup. When he finished, he sat and waited for judgment.
“Well, you’ve been busy.”
Thiago laughed, and his father chuckled in response.
“Do you know why I never had serious relationships with women? Because I saw what happened with you and Mother and then you and Mama Rosa—how they always wanted more of your time. I love to work. I love a challenge. To me, nothing is better or more satisfying than to have a goal and smash it. I didn’t want a woman coming between me and what I loved.”
Looking off to the side, Benicio didn’t speak at first. After a few moments, he met Thiago’s gaze. “What are your fondest memories growing up?”
Thiago was confused by the question. “What do you mean?”
“Do you remember with fondness all the times I stayed away because of work, or the times I flew down to see you and your brothers in Colombia—if only for a few days? What about when I came to your kickboxing matches, or the time I arrived late to see you win the spelling bee in ninth grade? Do you remember those times?”
“I do.”
Thiago remembered all those events and the joy he’d experienced when his father was present. The day of the spelling bee was particularly vivid because Benicio had been working on a lucrative contract with a company in another time zone. He had told Thiago he wouldn’t be able to come, and he’d been disappointed but hopeful a miracle would allow his father to wrap up his business early and attend.
He had been sad during the first thirty minutes when he looked out into the audience and didn’t see his father, despite other family members being there. Then he experienced excitement when he saw his father striding down the aisle, still dressed in his suit, take the empty seat next to Mama Rosa.
“I understand the importance of spending time with family, but work is important too.”
