Page 76 of Bobby

“Interesting. Perhaps we’ll explore that tonight. Now, quit distracting me and tell me what your team has found.”

Right, work. Focus, woman.

“As you already know, the investor accounts were where we found the initial issues. We checked the internal operations, specifically the charities to start with, plus some of the other main treasury items linked to the main Leone Holdings, and they came out clean. However, we’ve seen a few trends in the asset management sections.”

“Which area?”

“Specifically, the consultations and private equity structures. We’re still running all of them down, and it will take some time, as it’s a larger area than the others.”

He nods. “Yeah, we went to 50 percent consultants about six years ago to cut down on paying for when people weren’t needed.”

“Exactly. So it’ll take a few weeks, if not months, before we can truly narrow some things down. But the team has already flagged a few areas.”

“Show me.”

I tilt my laptop so he can see, as I chose not to print anything out this time. It would be way too much paper this go-round.

“We’re looking into this one and this one just because they seem to be repeat work. But this is the one I really think we should flag.” I open the file and put the laptop on his lap so he can read it in full. I’ve already memorized it. “‘Strategic aviation logistics consulting for executive travel infrastructure review’ keeps coming up, which is way too vague to be anything real. Everything else has very specific details.”

“What consultant is this with?”

“T.H. Aviation Logistics LLC. I looked them up and can’t find more than a mailing address to a PO box in Queens.”

“That’s interesting. Especially since we don’t have any consultants in aviation.”

I raise a brow. “You don’t? What about the helicopter ride we took?”

He shrugs as he sets the laptop back on the table with it still open. “Marco secures it through connections he knows through the famiglia. None of it is through Leone Holdings.”

“Oh.” My eyes widen as I reach for the laptop and start typing away. “Then you probably wouldn’t be sending them a consultation fee once a week from $48,000 to $72,000.”

“No,” he growls, and it gets me more than it should. A shudder rises up my spine, but for something completely inappropriate and not out of fear, which I’m sure was his intent. Not at me, but the one stealing from him.

“They also seem to transfer funds semimonthly to a Hastings Capital Trust. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

“What was that name again?” he asks, voice low.

“Hastings Capital. Ring a bell?”

“Perhaps.” His eyes narrow as he looks away for a moment before standing. “I’m sorry, Willow, but I need to cut this meeting short.”

“Oh.” I stand quickly, slightly upset that I never touched my coffee. He always has the best coffee in this place, even with all the free food that’s recently become available in the office. I half wonder if he makes it himself. “Of course. Just, um, call me later, and maybe we can get dinner or something.” The “something” being me and him in the bedroom. Or wherever else he wants to take me.

“Yes,” he says, but he’s completely distracted, and part of me worries for half a second before I shake it off. Bobby is who he is for a reason. He’s smart and focused, and able to handle a lot. If something needs to take his focus away from me for a bit, I’m not going to be some pouty girlfriend on the matter.

Besides, he has a great way of apologizing.

He goes to his desk and picks up his phone without even a kiss goodbye or a wave, and I push the hurt down. It’s a minor thing. He must have something giant on his mind right now, and I don’t want to take it away from him.

“Marco,” Bobby calls out the second I open the door, and I pass him as I exit and he walks into the office.

I give a brief smile to Alfonso, who pretends to ignore me, but I know he saw because his eyes roll just enough. Which makes me smile even more. Annoying him has become a secret pastime of mine. One I plan on never stopping.

I open the Diet Coke and grab the last chocolate-covered strawberry before heading to the couch. The house is so dead without the girls in it. I hate it so much. I want to go out, but Bobby hasn’t responded to any of my texts or calls. I even reached out to Marco, who just replied, Busy.

I shouldn’t worry about either of them, or the girls. Everyone is fine. I have to believe that. Just because I’m left alone in my place with my thoughts, thinking the worst of the worst, doesn’t mean anyone is hurt. The girls are with their father, who, despite all his flaws, wouldn’t hurt them, as it makes him look bad. Something he refuses to do. And Bobby has Marco to protect him from anything the other side of his life might try.

I have to believe all of that. But I still have a weird feeling in my stomach.