\[Rosco’s POV\]
Nadia stares at me with a look of hurt in her eyes, but it quickly disappears, and a mischievous gleam replaces it.
“Have you still not forgiven me?” She pouts just as her father comes to join us.
“Welcome, Rosco,” he booms, grabbing my hand and shaking it. “I do apologize for the sudden call, but it seems that my team is incompetent with the ledgers, and I needed someone who was capable. I do hope I didn’t cause you too much trouble.”
Trouble. Ha. He sure as hell did cause me trouble. I just returned from this place, and here I was only two days later. How the hell were his people capable of such a major fuckup in a few days' time?
“Were you doing an audit?” I ask, not bothering to hint at whether or not I was annoyed. “The ledgers were in full order when I left.”
“We were,” he confirms. “And I found that there were some misplaced funds. I’m not sure if you missed it or if this is recent, but..."
“I didn’t miss anything, Harold,” I snap. “Anyway, could we please get going?”
The sooner I finished with these ledgers, the sooner I could return to Denali. I was sure she was seething with anger over waking up to find me gone. So much for any headway I may have made. I was really going to have to pull all the stops when I returned. Oh well, I was enjoying the chase.
“So eager to get to work,” Harold chuckles. “You’ve had a long flight. I’m sure you’d like to rest a bit and get a bite to eat. We can start tomorrow if you…”
“I don’t,” I snap. “I’d like to go ahead and handle this problem.”
I didn’t give a damn if I came across as being rude. Even if I wasn’t already pissed over having to return here while Denali was back home, I wouldn’t want to stick around long due to Nadia’s presence.
Seeming to understand this, the woman herself gives me a look of hurt, but I simply ignore it.
“Sorry about him,” Charlie chuckles when Harold’s expression shifts. “He’s missing his pretty wife.”
“Wife?” Nadia hisses, her eyes growing wide. "You... you have a wife?”
“I do,” I confirm. “Is that a problem?”
“No,” she responds immediately. “Not at all.”
Despite her words, it is clear from the way her lips twitch into a frown that she does, but I expected as much. After the stunt she pulled a few years ago, I knew that she had her eyes on me.
“Now, could we please head into the company?” I push. “We’re wasting time here.”
“Of course,” Harold responds. “Follow me. My driver is waiting for us.”
Nodding, I allow him to lead me to a sleek black car and then climb inside while Nadia climbs into the other side.
“What are you doing?” I demand, when she slams her door and the car begins to move, “What about…”
“They’ll be taking the other car,” she responds. Do you really not want to be around me that much?”
Frowning, I take her in while wondering if she has short-term memory loss. There was no fucking way she forgot every fucking thing she did back then.
“I’ve apologized many times,” she sighs. “And I was young and dumb then.”
“Young?” I repeat, raising a brow. “Do you truly think that is a good excuse? Even a child would know better than drugging someone and attempting to force them into a marriage with a scandal. If it wasn’t for the fact that I woke up before your scheme could be complete, I’d be left with that mar on my image. You’re lucky I haven’t fucking publicly shamed you.”
As I speak, images of that time begin to roll back from the party, to how fucking out of control I felt when I was slipped that drug, to Nadia’s screams beneath me as I fucked her senseless. I was like an animal then, and I could have killed her. I could only hope that she learned her lesson after that.
“Why are you so cruel to me?” She whines. “You and I used to be so close.”
“We were never close,” I counter. “Please stop speaking to me. You’re only pissing me off by trying so desperately to try to cling to me.”
At my words, Nadia’s expression falls even more, but she doesn’t bother trying to say anything more. I could only hope that she would have some dignity and stay away from me for the rest of my stay here to avoid any scandals or misunderstandings. However, things never truly go as they’re meant to.
When we arrive at our destination, there are reporters scattered about, and the fucking minute I step out of the car and Nadia follows behind, she clings to me and kisses my cheek.
“Did you do this?” I hiss, beginning to pull her toward the large building in front of me.
“And if I did?” She giggles, releasing me once we are inside. “I made it clear back then that you could only be mine, and if I have to get you by despicable means, then I’m more than willing.”
Giving her a glare, I prepare to unleash my pint-up anger, but stop as Harold and Charlie come to join us.
“Did we interrupt something?” Charlie asks, looking from me to Nadia. “We could…”
“Break every fucking one of those reporters cameras,” I growl. “And make sure they don’t have any backup footage.”
"Rosco!" Harold gasps. “What in the world are you thinking? You know that this is normal when big names are announced to be coming. Why in the world would you…”
“Because your daughter is trying to ruin my marriage,” I snap, cutting him off. “Now break every fucking camera before I break them myself!”
Finished speaking, I turn and make my way to the accounting office, where I know the files are kept and ready to be reviewed. When I sit, I pull out my phone and stare at the screen, and before I can stop myself, I’m finding Denali’s number, which I programmed before leaving, and clicking dial.
Leaning back in my chair, I wait as the phone rings once, twice, three times, and then finally it is answered.
“Hello?”
Her voice is like a breath of fresh air in my ear after dealing with Nadia, and I find myself wishing that I could see her face.
“Hello?” She repeats when I don’t speak. “Who is it?”
“It’s me,” I respond, feeling a twinge of annoyance that she didn’t have my number in her phone. “Rosco.”
“Rosco?”
I don’t miss the hint of annoyance in her voice, and I’m sure that she is making an adorable expression to go along with it.
“How did you get my number?”
“I’m your husband,” I chuckle. “How could I not have it?”
As I speak, the door in front of me opens, and Nadia scrolls in and makes her way toward me.
“We weren’t finished!” She snaps, hopping up on my desk. “And I’m not going to let you leave until you discuss us.”