Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 50561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
The phone rang as I was going over the numbers for the upcoming end of quarter and I answered absentmindedly. “Yes.”
“It’s me boss, I think I found them.” I put aside my work for now and paid attention to the voice on the other end. “Speak.”
“She didn’t go too far. They’re in Alabama. It doesn’t look like she plans to stay very long though cause they’re holed up in a hotel. What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing for now, just keep an eye on both of them.”
I’d made a few inquiries after she’d come up missing and knew that she’d taken leave from her job but hadn’t resigned. Either she didn’t fear me finding out anything too damaging or there was nothing more than the swindling of unsuspecting men to lay at her feet, but I tended to lean more towards the former.
I’d done a search on the man and found that he was nothing more than a shiftless gigolo. From what little I’d found so far, he’d never held a job of any distinction, never paid taxes as far as I could find, and yet was able to jet around at will.
It burned my ass that she’d planned on taking my money to support this asshole. What kind of man pimped out his woman to support his lifestyle? Then again she hadn’t slept with me so maybe he didn’t mind too much.
I’d already put in a call to her two ex-husbands without giving anything away. Those meetings were to take place in a few days, one after the other. Maybe the two men had learned something more after the debacle of their marriages to the pariah. Whatever the case, I was about to open Pandora’s box. They may have seen fit to let her get away with that shit but I wasn’t so inclined.
I gave my guy a few orders and hung up before going back to work. Ashley had no idea of the lengths I was going to on this and I aim to keep it that way for now. If anything came of it I may have to share, but until then this would be my little pet project. I’d already ensured that Jen hadn’t stolen any information about my business. I couldn’t forget that she’d been in and out of my place the last few months and though I never kept sensitive information lying around, there was no telling what someone like her could achieve in five minutes without supervision.
The anger wasn’t as hot as it had been a week ago. After all, I’d come out on top as far as I was concerned. Had I not met Jen I never would’ve found my Ash, never would’ve known the love and completeness I now feel. Instead of numbers and contracts, I saw family and joy when I opened my eyes in the morning. She’d brought light back into my life and that’s something I couldn’t scoff at, funny how life works.
Chapter 8
***
The call from her dad a few days later came as no surprise and I was ready with every argument I could make, not for myself, but for her. She’s a family girl; a good southern girl and I know it would break her heart if she lost them in the balance.
I showed up at their home later in the afternoon without her. She thought I was working late. I didn’t go there with hat in hand, but more like the man I am. They didn’t know me, and what they did know probably didn’t paint me in a very good light, but if things didn’t go my way, they were about to see a side of me not many have outside the boardroom.
“Thanks for coming Simon, come on in.” I followed him into the study where his wife was waiting. Her slight smile eased the tension a bit and her offer of beverage untied the knots in my stomach. Then again that was southern hospitality for you, so I couldn’t really go by that.
“Good, so, we’re all here.” He seemed nervous as he took his seat across from me but I held my peace. “We’ve given a lot of thought to what you’ve said the last time we met. I guess you can understand our hesitance towards you and our daughter. We don’t know you, other than through my sister in law. She was under the impression that you were about to offer marriage. A week later you’re telling us you’re marrying our daughter, you can see how that can be cause for alarm.”
I nodded my head for him to go on. “I guess we’re having a hard time understanding the hastiness of it all?” He said it more as a question and I sat forward to answer. This I could put their mind at ease about.