“Lady, you’re trying my patience, and I don’t have much to begin with.” Instead of heading straight on the well-lit avenue, he turned into a more dimly lit side street.
Her mouth went dry, and her nausea kicked in again for reasons beyond being pregnant.
“Took me awhile to check all my accounts and stay under the radar, but my funds are missing. Which means either you or your douchebag husband stole my money.”
She dug her heels into the sidewalk and stopped walking. “What? I didn’t even know there were accounts on that drive! I mean, if I were going to take your money, I wouldn’t still be here, would I? I’d be long gone!”
“I don’t give a fuck if it was you or your husband. It was mine and I want it back.” He still held on to her elbow and shook her hard, displaying his infamous temper, and her insides shook with fear. “Lucky for you, your boyfriend is rich. He can repay what his fucking brother stole from me.”
“I—” She didn’t have an answer to that. How could she ask Lucas to step up and pay for his brother’s sins?
“Take my number.” He slipped her a piece of paper. “You have one week, or I’ll be back, and you won’t like what happens if I have to contact you again,” he said, and she knew he meant business.
* * *
Lucas sat with Kade and Derek, having a drink before heading home for the night. All in all, things were going well. Business was on track, new development and improvements in the works, and things at home with Maxie were progressing at a pace he could more than live with. Even his asshole brother’s mess was behind them.
They’d just paid the bill when Kade’s phone rang. “Yeah, baby?”
Derek rolled his eyes, and Lucas couldn’t wait until he was on the receiving end of wanting to get home to his woman.
“What? I’ll tell him and I’ll see you soon. Love you.”
“What’s up?” Lucas asked.
Kade’s brows furrowed. “Lexie and Kendall were supposed to meet Maxie for dinner. She never showed up, and she’s not answering her phone.”
“Shit.” He grabbed his own phone from his pocket and realized he must have turned it off at some point in the afternoon. He powered on the telephone and saw Lexie had called him not once but three times. “I’m out of here.”
He called her as he made his way out of the restaurant, but she didn’t answer. He dialed again as he waited for the valet to bring his car. She didn’t pick up, and it was a long drive home, or felt like one, as he hit every traffic light on his route.
He finally reached his apartment and let himself inside. “Lexie!” he called out, walking quickly toward the bedrooms, finding her in his room, where they slept.
“I am so sick and tired of Keith’s bullshit coming back to haunt me!” She threw a pillow across the room in frustration.
He bent down and picked it up, joining her on the bed. “What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned. He propped the pillow back against the headboard. “Lexie was looking for you earlier. She thought you’d come to dinner.”
“I tried. I was on my way, actually, when our friend Vincent Bernardi showed up.”
“What?”
“Apparently those numbers on the drive were for accounts, and when he went to get his money, it was gone. Thank you, Keith.”
“Fuck.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache already forming.
“Exactly. And guess who he thinks should pay him back?” She met his gaze. “I’m just so tired of Keith coming back to haunt me. And he has no right to expect you to pay off your brother’s debts. It’s just wrong.”
Lucas shook his head. “I was wrong for thinking he’d just go away.” Anger filled him. “I’d pay him if I thought that would be the end of it. I’d do anything to protect you and you know it. I’m just afraid he’d be back for more and we’ll be in no better shape than we’re in now.” He let out a groan. “I think it’s time we did some digging into those accounts.”
“What? How?”
“I made a copy of what was on the drive.” He shrugged. “Call it habit, but I always back things up for safekeeping. I’ll send it over to Double Down Security and see what they come up with. I’ll also give them everything I can on my brother. Maybe Keith had other accounts. One way or another, we need information to take to the police. This money isn’t legal, and that’s the only way to get Bernardi off our backs for good.”
She twisted her hands and nodded.
He pulled her into a hug, inhaling her fragrant scent. “I agree. And I’m reinstating security.”
She winced at that. “I hate knowing someone’s watching my every move. But it’s better than Bernardi coming near me again.”