he had given her the basics that would get her to New York to start the process of vetting her, Nick wasn’t supposed to talk about anything except the weather and football. Two things Danny was sure wouldn’t accidentally tip them into talking about the estate.
That was good, sound logic. And normally Nick would be totally onboard with it. Instead, he was gobsmacked. Leni Long was the first woman he’d been overwhelmingly attracted to in a decade. But it was more than that. Something about her clicked with him. And that was so odd he couldn’t shake the feeling.
Telling himself that was absurd, he walked down the sidewalk and jumped into the passenger seat of the SUV.
Behind the steering wheel, Jace MacDonald, owner of Around the World Security, said, “Where’s the girl?”
“She wants a day to investigate us.”
Jace shook his head, then shifted to face Nick, the gun beneath his black leather jacket visible when he turned. “It’s going to be difficult to keep an eye on her here. Even for twenty-four hours.” He motioned outside. “Not only are the houses and businesses spaced in such a way that an extra person sticks out like a sore thumb, but so do cars. You should have seen the people sniffing around the SUV while you were in the diner. A strange vehicle parked on a street where everybody knows everybody else’s car? That’s like a neon sign.”
“I don’t care. You heard what Danny said. That woman is worth more money than the gross national products of several small countries combined. If the wrong people find out, she’ll be a target.”
“Yeah, of banks that want to compete for her business.” Jace snickered. “You do realize Danny’s keeping you from an excellent opportunity to convince her to keep her share of the estate with you?”
Nick peeked at him. “You’re not allowed to pitch your company either.”
Jace raised his hands in disgust. “Got the same sermon you did.”
“Then you know the problem with the will. After a few charitable bequests, Mark divides the remainder of his estate between his first child and any subsequent heirs. A good lawyer could argue that that gives Mark’s first child half, with the other half split between the other two kids. Danny wants to be the one to explain it to Elenore.”
Jace sniffed. “How the hell can pitching our companies’ services affect that stupid clause?”
“He just wants to be sure we don’t accidentally say something we shouldn’t.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Jace growled.
Nick totally understood his frustration, but he didn’t want to do anything that could make trouble for Danny. “Look, you knew Mark. He was a good guy. Nine chances out of ten, he wanted that estate distributed equally among his heirs. I’m sure Danny has a plan to get all three of Mark’s kids on board with that. That’s why he doesn’t want us talking to her. Muddying the waters.”
“Right.” Jace pulled the gear shift out of Park and headed toward the interstate. “There isn’t a hotel or even a bed and breakfast in this town. I’ll drive you up the highway until we find one, then I have to get back here to figure out a way to hide myself and this boat of an SUV we rented so I can watch her tonight.”
Nick winced. “Sorry. I couldn’t talk her into leaving today.”
“Not to worry. I’ll deal with it. How are you going to handle the fact that she wanted time to check you out?” He laughed. “What’s she going to find when she does a search on you?”
Nick faced the window. “Nothing.”
“You’re sure? The guy they call the New Wolf of Wall Street doesn’t have a skeleton?”
Nick said, “No skeleton,” but he lied. He’d talked his only brother into going out on a night when the roads were icy. A former Navy SEAL, he counted on himself to be one of the best drivers in unusual situations. But a combination of icy roads and other cars had bested him that night, and his only sibling had been killed.
But that was five years ago, and he didn’t think the story even popped up in internet searches anymore.
“Come on. Nobody meets a guy like Hinton without a story.”
“I did.”
That part was true. He’d met Mark Hinton in Dubai. They’d gambled. They’d skydived. They’d talked money. Especially investment strategy. In Nick’s world, there was nothing special about any of that. After Mark decided to trust Kourakis Money Management with most of his fortune, they’d had meetings on his yachts or while fishing in the Florida Keys. They drank tequila, talked about his financial goals and even about the kids who were now Mark’s heirs. Though never while Mark was sober. Powerful men didn’t admit weakness or failures without a nudge. Mark’s nudge was alcohol. With enough tequila, Mark would talk about his kids—without mentioning their names—and Nick would nurse his regret and sorrow over his brother’s death. That was why Mark was comfortable with Nick. Even with a thirty-year age difference, they understood each other. Understood mistakes. Understood regret.
Even now, it trickled from his subconscious to the front of his brain. He’d been too confident, cocky even. His brother hadn’t wanted to go out that night. His parents hadn’t wanted them to go. But he’d been so sure—
He was always so sure.
After Joe’s death, he’d had to stop jet-setting, return to New York and take over the family business.
But he was still the same guy deep down inside. Instead of taking risks on the slopes or in the sky, he played with money.
And no one beat him.
Ever.
He’d gotten so good at what he did that he liked it. Until he recalled the reason why he was the “New Wolf.” Even now, the grief of losing his brother sent guilt oozing through him.
He didn’t understand what had happened to him in that diner that he’d forgotten Joe, forgotten his guilt and laughed with someone he barely knew. But when they returned to New York, he’d be focused again, diligent. If he was going to lose even part of the Hinton money when the estate was settled and one or two of the heirs decided to hire new money management, he’d have to find big investors to replace it.
He would not let his parents down twice.
Leni’s mom only worked until two o’clock, but Leni’s shift didn’t end until three. Having evaded her questions about Nick Kourakis, taking Nick’s warnings seriously about the complications of people finding out she might be an heiress, Leni raced home and found her parents in the kitchen.
“Hey.”
Sitting at the center island, her dad looked up from his newspaper.
Her mom glanced over from the stove. “Hey. Finally going to tell us what the guy in the overcoat wanted?”
Leni forced a smile. Denise and Jake Long had adopted her when she was in the gangly stage for a little girl. No longer an adorable infant or cute toddler, with a bit of a history of being difficult
