Page 38 of Tease Me (Dark Odyssey 1)

Even the best people I know never got into a firm like that.

I look at Robbie who’s already giving me that expression of suspicion.

“Father’s sick. He’s in hospital as we speak. She has an older brother and a niece. Nine years old. They all live together.” He summarizes. “Her father’s a software developer, runs his own business but hasn’t done anything all year. House has been re-mortgaged and he took out a business loan.” He quirks a brow on that last part.

Gabe’s off his call now and looking at me with interest.

I’ve seen this sort of thing many times. Anything that looks like it might be legit, most often isn’t. It all looked fine until he talked about the house being remortgaged and the business loan.

“She owes someone,” Gabe fills in.

I cut him a crude glance because I’m surprised he heard anything.

“The father owes someone,” I impart. It’s what I figure from what the intel isn’t saying and her actions over the last few days. “It’s the father, I’m guessing it’s him.” I tap the document and think about it.

Her father owes someone and she needed ten grand to pay them. I gave her twenty so she could pay her debt and not have to worry. I just threw it in for good measure.

“What should I do? Want me to get access to bank statements? We could see more,” Robbie asks.

I shake my head. I don’t want to pry too much. She’s agreed to take the job here with me. So the situation is in hand. No need to dig around deeper. Not right now. It does however make me wonder how much she owes.

Would the twenty g’s I gave her cover it? Or did she owe more?

Maybe I’d find out. It’s not important now, and not when I have her right where I want her. She owes me for the advance so I have her on that front.

“No, that’s not necessary yet. Keep eyes on her though, just in case it turns into something to worry about.”

Robbie nods and backs away.

“What the hell’s this?” Gabe asks, flicking the edge of the document in my hand.

“None of your business,” I snap.

“Prick, you like her. You wouldn’t go through all that trouble if you didn’t.”

I narrow my eyes at him and put the document in my jacket pocket. “Gabe, you’ve already pissed on the few minutes I needed to talk to you, don’t piss me off even more.”

“Come on man. I was talking to Allana, you seen the tits on that woman. I’m meeting her later.” He chuckles.

“And Mimi?”

“Meeting her after for more fucking.” He laughs now.

I roll my eyes at him. “You get on my nerves man.”

“Don’t take a moral high ground with me. Our ways are different, but we’re the same, brother. I just divide my attention between my women. You focus yours on one at a time. Look at you with this woman. You actually had her checked out and don’t think I didn’t see her contract. Your personal waitress, Nick? You just got yourself a real life fuck toy.”

I smile. Sure it looks like that, but part of it isn’t.

“Like I said, it’s none of your business. What is your business is today’s shit.”

He frowns and straightens up, resuming the tension we’d had prior to his call.

He sighs with frustration. “It’s all so fucked up.”

It sure is. Fucked up, and worrying because I know if something is hard in our world, it means there’s more at work. The Fontaines involving a guy they know to be associated with the Giordanos is big.

It suggest betrayal on Tommy’s part and I don’t want to think like that.

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