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Fuck!

He knew who he needed to speak to next.

“Hey, you got a sec?” Nate asked, sticking his head in Jack’s office hours later. The guy had spared no expense when he’d decorated it, installing a ten-by-three-foot putting green to give it the pampered executive touch he swore clients loved. The appearance of success was every bit as important as success itself. That was his friend’s philosophy.

“It’s your lucky day. I’ve got ten,” Jack said, smiling broadly.

Nate grabbed a golf club from the rack mounted on the wall and sauntered over to pick up the ball sitting next to the hole. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot. I’m all ears.” Jack pushed to his feet and strode over to stand at the opposite end of the green as Nate positioned the ball and lined up his shot.

He wasn’t a golfer but needed something to do with his hands that didn’t include using his friend’s face as a punching bag. “When you told Kennedy she’d done well for herself, what did you mean?” he asked in a deceptively neutral voice.

Jack’s shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. “Exactly that. She’s doing well with the agency. Most people will never be able to start their own business, much less make a success out of it.”

Nate shot his friend a quick look before giving the golf ball a hard tap. After traveling a straight line for a couple feet, it began to veer right, rolling to a stop inches from the hole.

“You always did suck at golf.”

Ignoring the friendly insult, Nate casually remarked, “You’ll never guess who I spoke with today.”

“Who?”

“Jacob Spencer.”

Jack’s eyes widened a fraction as a certain wariness entered his gaze. “Seriously? Wow. It’s been a while. How’s he doing?”

“He’s doing great. Did you know he’s back in New York, working for a start-up? Says he misses it here, though.” Nate walked over to the ball and sank the inch-and-a-half putt with a light tap.

“Yeah. He was a great CFO. Too bad he had to leave,” Jack said.

Nate glanced at him as he set up his next shot. “I also spoke to Carol Morton—you know, our old human resources director.”

Now Jack eyed him, brow furrowed. “Are you thinking of asking them to come back?” Then he gave a strained laugh. “Because their old positions are filled.”

“Since I wasn’t here when they left, I figured they were long overdue for an exit interview.” At his second attempt, Nate hit a hole in one, if such a thing existed in office, putting green golf.

“They both had exit interviews.”

Idly rubbing the smooth head of the club, Nate steadily regarded him. “Yeah, but not with me.”

Jack’s wariness turned to discomfort as he shifted on his feet. “Okay, so what did they say? It has to be something or you wouldn’t be here.”

Eyes narrowed at his friend, Nate straightened to his full height. “They said you forced them out. You undermined Jacob with his direct reports and staff, and you hired Will, who basically took over Carol’s duties and elbowed her out. They said they saw the writing on the wall and left before they were officially shoved out.”

They had been the only two Black executives in the company before he’d left for France, and within a year, they were both gone. After talking to Duncan, Nate knew it couldn’t have been a coincidence and it became imperative he speak to them. It had taken him two hours to track them down and get their side of the story. Something he should have done when he’d initially been told about their departure. After all, he’d interviewed and handpicked them for the positions himself.

“Wait.” Jack held up his hand, his expression one of mild shock and genuine surprise. “Are you insinuating what I think you are?” Before Nate could answer, he continued. “Because remember, I’m the guy who helped you with the exchange program. Me,” he exclaimed, stabbing his index finger against his chest. “No matter what they’re saying now, I didn’t force them out. They left on their own.”

“Then I guess it was just a coincidence that Allan’s the son of your mother’s divorce lawyer and Will’s brother just happens to own the gym you invested in six years ago?”

When Nate had interviewed Allan Randall to replace Jacob as CFO, Jack hadn’t said anything about the connection. And as for Will Mathers, their current human resources director, Nate had had nothing to do with his hiring. He’d been in France, and as far as he was concerned, the company was in capable hands. But the connections were easy to find if you were looking for them, and he’d spent the past hour doing exactly that.

“What exactly are you accusing me of? Come on. Spit it out.”

It had been a long time since Nate had seen his friend like this, his face flushed and eyes sparking angrily.

Good, because he was angry too.

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