"She should be spoiled, son. I hope you realize what a fine beauty you have here. She's got a good head on her shoulders, a great company to inherit, and beauty like no other. You know a lot of these girls just try to get with you for your money, but you don't have to worry about that with this one." Daniel pointed to me with his fork as he spoke. Chris just sat back, annoyed with his father as if this were some kind of antic he did often.
"I know that, Dad. That's why I asked Lisa to move in with me, and she agreed."This fucking snake.
"What?" Dad and Daniel both asked at the same time.
"She did?" Daniel sounded so surprised.
"That's great news!" Dad exclaimed, a bit too overly-enthusiastic about it.
"Are you sure it doesn't seem rushed? I know you guys are due to wed in a year's time, but you don't have to rush this quickly. You could wait until you've dated at least six months." Daniel was oddly being a voice of reason. I couldn't quite decide if he was a creep or if he was a genuinely concerned father.
"I am sure if she didn't want to move in she would have told me no, Dad. Lisa definitely likes to speak her mind."
"That she does," Dad agreed, shaking his head almost disappointedly.
"Good. Maybe she can talk some sense into you from time to time." Daniel smirked at me, giving me a little wink. It sent an odd feeling down my spine.
"Doubtful," Chris retorted, poking his food a bit too aggressively with his fork. "I would like for you guys to come and visit us. Come see how Lisa has settled in with me at home."
"What a great idea!" Dad agreed happily.
"Yes, I'll swing by tomorrow in the morning. We can all have breakfast." Daniel gave a curt nod of agreement.
It seemed as if I was going to have to make it look like I lived there and come very early in the morning tomorrow. I didn’t know what Chris was playing at with this lie, but I knew it wasn’t good.I couldn't wait to be away from him again.
Dad finally got to talk business after that, so by the time lunch ended, he sported a smug smirk. They were completing the merger between the companies once Chris and I married. Little do they know there won't be a marriage, or at least I hope not. Davis and I were going to meet with his friend Derek when I got back. He had apparently hit a dead end, but had an idea that involved me.
I guess we would see what it was.
13: The Plan
Davis' P.O.V.
"Okay, so what do you need her for?" I asked Derek, holding Lisa's hand under the table. I had placed her on the inside of the booth so that she was squeezed between me and the wall.
"I am hoping, if Lisa is willing, that she can find the information we need. She has access to areas that I just can't get into. If she can dig around and find what we're looking for, then we'll be golden."
"No way. It's too dangerous. She doesn't need another lie or pretense to keep up around her dad. This will only make things harder for her." I was fuming at the thought of Lisa being hurt if he caught her snooping somewhere she wasn't supposed to be.
"I won't get hurt. I snoop at my dad's office in the building often. He's pretty bad about keeping important things lying around. What exactly am I looking for?" Lisa leaned forward, resting her bent elbows over the glossy wooden surface of the table. Derek smiled at her response, looking at me as if to dare me to say a word.
"You're looking for his ledger, his book of contacts. Any cops, judges, mafia heads, or anything of the sort. He probably keeps it hidden and locked away somewhere. I would venture to say he keeps it at home, or perhaps a safe in his office. Have you ever seen such a book?"
"No, I haven't, but I haven't exactly been looking for it. I'll start searching more whenever I'm home with him, or left alone in his office. What do I do if I find it? Do I take it?"
"No!" Derek and I both said in unison, coming off too stern.
"You can't take it, otherwise he'd know we had it," I explained more calmly.
"You would take pictures of as many pages as you can, and send them to me. Be careful to put the book back exactly where you found it. We'll take the next steps from there. Do you think you can handle that?" Derek asked her, keeping those serious eyes locked with hers. It surprised me the way Lisa seemed unbothered by Derek's intimidating gaze.
"Yeah, I'm sure I can handle it. It seems simple enough."For your sake, I hope it is.
"Perfect, then we'll be in touch," Derek said, getting up from the table. He had never been much for goodbyes, leaving once we handled business.
I turned to Lisa, ready to get her out of here. I hate bringing her anywhere dangerous. There was a panic creeping in me, one I know too well. It was the memory of that night that caused me to worry any time I walked by a shady guy with a girl on my arm.
“Ready to go?”
