“This is a lot to take in. And you’re telling me he’s been doing this for years.” He cleared his throat and shook his head. “I’ve known John for a long time. He doesn’t seem like the kind of man to do any of this.”
“I know what many people think of him, but nobody knows him. Not like I do. All I’m asking is for you to look at the numbers. He also just started working with a new account firm Thomas & Stanley. You both run the business, but like you said, he keeps it in the green. He’s the one who hires people for the company, I know that just from talking to him, but did you ever think to trump his decision-making? Why do you think he’s wanted most of the control for so many years? I may be wrong, but I highly doubt it.”
“And if I have someone look over the numbers and you turn out to be right, what are you getting out of it?”
“Peace of mind. Revenge. A new beginning. Take your pick. That man fucked up my life.”
For the first time in a long time, I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I’d held everything in, and the possibility of John finally getting what was coming to him made me feel slightly elated.
Victor lifted his arm and looked down at his watch. “All right, son. I need to get going.”
“Do you think you’ll do something with what I’ve told you?”
He let out a sigh. “You’ve given me a lot to think about, I’ll say that much. But as of right now, I just need to let all of it sink in. I’ll give you a call before I do anything and give you a heads-up.”
I nodded in response. The relief I was expecting didn’t take over as I watched him walk out the door. I felt on edge and anxious for the next days to come. I knew he was a man of his word and he took confidentiality seriously, so I wasn’t worried that he would say anything to John. But the unknowing factor was going to plague my mind until I heard from him again.
Victor was an honest man, and I knew he loved his firm. He wouldn’t want anything like money laundering or human trafficking to give him a bad name. And even though he was skeptical, I knew he wasn’t the kind of man to assume I was wrong. He’d want to know for sure, and that’s what I was counting on.
I was alone for five minutes before Tony made his way over to me again, a smile no longer tugging at his lips.
“You all right?” he asked with concern.
I nodded. “Yeah. I’m all right.”
“That looked intense,” he stated as he nodded over to the vacant chair.
I shook my head and shrugged. “Just business.”
He narrowed his eyes at me for a moment and I knew he had thoughts flowing through his mind, even questions he wanted to ask me, but I knew he wouldn’t. I’d never done business in his place before. It wasn’t my style. This place held too many good memories for me to taint it, but it was the only location I knew was safe from prying eyes.
“Can I get you anything? You want the usual?”
“Yeah, that’d be great,” I answered with a small smile.
“Bueno,” he said. “I’ll have it sent right out.
He walked off, and I turned my head toward the window and closed my eyes. Victor’s actions after our meeting were my only chance of making things right, and I just had to try my best not to dwell on it. I did what I’d set out to do, and I needed to move past it and wait for the pin to drop.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, so I reached in and pulled it out, smirking as I looked at the name and number displayed on the screen.
My day just got a whole lot better.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Blake,” I answered.
“Hi.”
The sound of her voice instantly washed everything away, as if I’d been waiting to hear it all day. It wasn’t something that happened often, but I could definitely get used to it.
“Hi,” I answered back as my food was delivered and placed in front of me.
“Um…so…I was wondering if you’d like to get together tonight.”
I cleared my throat and took a sip of the water that arrived with my food. This was the first time in a very long time that someone had asked me out.
“I know I kind of just blurted it out there, but you said the other night that we were past friends, and I agree. I’d like for us to get to know each other better. That’s if you still want to, of course.”
I was quiet as I thought of what to say. I was impressed that she picked up the phone and called me, taking the chance that I might actually say no. I was always the one who did the initiating, but I did leave the ball in her court Monday night. And at the moment, I was all too willing for some company.
“I’ll have Carlos pick you up at seven.”
“Um…wait. Where am I going?”
I smirked. “He’ll bring you to me, princess. I’ll see you soon.”
I ended the call and began to eat my sandwich. The meeting with Victor didn’t go exactly the way I’d wanted it to, but my night sure the hell would.
Fourteen
Emmalynn