Dirty Playboy - Alex Wolf Page 0,29
going on here.”
Uh oh.
Decker told me to lead him away from any talk about us looking into him. Deny everything. Just assure him we have his best interests at heart. My life is so much easier when I can just sit behind a desk. I wasn’t made for this kind of thing, and I do not like being put in the middle. I don’t like being asked to be deceptive. Decker should be doing this right now, not me.
Be an adult. You sound like a petulant child.
“I’m not sure I follow. As far as I’m aware, we handle your financial—”
He holds up a hand. “I’m just going to stop you right there and save you the time. I realize you’re just doing your job, and this is odd, me asking you here. I have my reasons. But I deal in facts, not hyperbole. So, let’s be honest with one another. Your firm is looking into companies I own. Decker has delegated this responsibility to certain people at your firm. I can name them if you like.”
Double uh oh. I also can’t imagine how he’s staying so calm as he lists everything off, nor can I imagine how he possibly knows all this.
“Abigail is looking into my sex life, which is brazen as can be, considering she’s Dexter’s fiancée and Decker has asked this of her and has told her not to discuss it with her fiancé.”
I shrink down in my seat a little, and he must see right through me. “I’m not aware of anything beyond basic due diligence…”
Wells doesn’t raise his voice, not one octave, but continues on through my sentence. “We need very clear communication about this, Ms. Patrick. I know this is not your doing, and I would never be rude to you. I hope you don’t feel uncomfortable, I simply have a message for you to deliver to Decker that might be of interest to you as well. Hence, why I requested a meeting with you. If he values my business, values his investigator, Rick Lawrence, whom you’re all too familiar with, and values his relationship with Dexter, he’ll cease what he’s doing immediately, otherwise I will escalate things. The only reason I haven’t returned my business to Bennett Cooper is because Dexter and Paisley are better than Cooper’s finance department, and because, believe it or not, I don’t want to come between him and Dexter. That being said, my patience runs thin. Business is business, and I won’t have this anymore. Be sure and tell him I will not hesitate to take aim, considering what I know about Rick Lawrence and how much he values him as an employee.”
He stares right at me, long and hard as he mentions Rick’s name. What does Rick have to do with any of this? What does he know?
A barista drops off one coffee I didn’t order, just as Wells stands up. “I’m sorry to inconvenience you, but I need to leave. Please, enjoy the coffee, and thank you for meeting with me. If Decker doesn’t deliver that message to Mr. Lawrence, I expect you to. It will not be pleasant, knowing the things I know. Have a great day.”
He walks off before I can respond. I glance down to see it’s a triple white chocolate mocha; what I always order. It’s starting to feel like I work in some kind of conspiracy theory movie, where everyone knows inside information, and I’m the character without a clue as to what’s going on. Or that Jim Carrey movie, The Truman Show, where he’s really some kind of experiment and everyone’s in on it but him.
How did he know what kind of coffee I drink?
More importantly, what about Rick? That’s still the only thing I can focus on. Is Rick in trouble? Would Wells Covington blackmail him with whatever information he has? Just to get back at Decker?
I’d be right in the middle of it.
I miss my old life.
Rick Lawrence
It’s been a few days since I totally fucked up the greatest date of my life. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Mary about it, because I’ve been so busy working outside the office. That changes tonight.
I’m on my couch, 9 pm, staring at my phone, willing my hand to pick it up and call her. That’s what I need to do. Every second that ticks by drives us farther apart.
What the hell am I going to say?
I know what I want to say, but fuck, man. These are the