Chapter Twenty-Four
T he next day at work, Aiden loaded up his briefcase with everything he would need to meet with executives at the bank they were looking to purchase.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come?” Jared asked.
“No need,” Aiden assured him. “I’ll have Brooke with me. Between the two of us, I’m sure we can handle it. Besides, how do you plan to go on paternity leave if you can’t trust me to do the job?”
Jared held up his hands in an I surrender gesture. “Okay, okay. I get it. But this will be our first step into private banking, and I want it to go well.”
“I understand, but you know anything unfamiliar to me Brooke can deal with. Just focus on your beautiful family. Charlie is due soon. That’s what’s important.”
Jared grinned, some of the worry bleeding out of his features. “Yeah. She’s ready for it to be done, I think. We’re both eager to meet our baby girl.”
Aiden put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “We all are,” he said, as he closed his suitcase.
“Before you go, have you given any thought to whether you’ll stay with the company after I return from leave?”
Aiden met Jared’s gaze. “I’m not sure yet. You know that working here was never my dream. I appreciate that this place is a part of Dad’s legacy, but I’m not sure it’s the right place for me. Being behind a desk and working corporate?” He shook his head.
“I can respect that. You know I appreciate you filling in.”
Aiden didn’t want his brother thinking it was a burden. “I’m more than happy to help out. I’ll tell you this, though. I’m not leaving home again. I’m done with that lifestyle and ready to settle down. I’m just not sure what I’ll do career-wise, but travel journalism is a thing of the past.”
Relief crossed Jared’s features. “Good. We all missed you. Another question. Would your decision have anything to do with Brooke?”
That was something Aiden had been wanting to discuss with his sibling. He didn’t want Jared finding out he and Brooke were trying to make a go of things by accident. His brother already sensed the deep history he and Brooke shared. The news shouldn’t come as a surprise.
“It’s as much for me as it is because of Brooke. We’ve been rehashing our past and trying to make things work. I have a lot to make up to her. A lot of trust to regain.” And he intended to do so.
Jared grinned. “I’m happy for you both. I’ve always hated seeing you two so miserable around each other. You might think you’ve hidden things from the family, but, as I’ve said, we all sensed there had been something serious between you and then a big fallout. I’m just glad it’s over.”
“Same, big brother. Same.”
Aiden left the office, meeting up with Brooke in the lobby. They took his car to the bank in Great Neck. Today was an initial meeting, a chance to introduce themselves and go over details of the bank’s financial records and day-to-day operations.
Brooke was more experienced in this sort of thing, having worked closely with Jared for years, so he let her take the lead as they met with the executives.
Watching her in action was illuminating.
She was brilliant. She spoke with confidence and asked all the right questions.
Aiden chimed in where he could, but his talents were more useful in evaluating the financial records for the bank and he had no problem acting as her second.
The meeting lasted about an hour, and when they left, they had a better insight into the bank’s business.
“I think we need to go further back than two years when checking their financials,” Aiden said as they walked to the car.
“Just to get a better idea of how they got to this point. There’s a reason this place is for sale, and the clearer the picture is, the better off we’ll be.
I’d rather cover our asses now than play catch-up later. ”
“I agree,” Brooke said.
He glanced at his watch, noting it was almost noon. “Do you want to grab lunch before we head back to work?”
“Sure. On our drive here, I saw a diner about a mile away,” Brooke said.
Aiden nodded. “Sounds good.”
The diner was easy to spot, and he pulled into the lot and parked. Once inside, the restaurant was just like any other roadside diner, from the black-and-white checkered tiles to the red vinyl booths and chrome-lined counter.
The lunchtime rush was in full force, but they managed to snag a table not far from the entrance.
Brooke took the wall seat and they each placed their briefcases on the extra chairs.
They’d decided to bring their work into the restaurant should they needed to refer to a document when discussing today’s meeting.
A waitress arrived immediately. “Can I get you two something to drink?” she asked.
“I think we’re ready to order. Aiden?” Brooke asked.
He nodded but waited for her to go first.
Brooke grinned as she ordered. “I’ll have the burger deluxe and a chocolate milkshake.”
He laughed because she did love her chocolate. “I’ll take the same burger deluxe and a Coke.”
“Got it,” the middle-aged woman said. “I’ll be back with your drinks first.” She strode away, leaving them alone.
Brooke leaned back in her seat. “Between the fair and today’s meal, I’m going to have to go to hot yoga to work off these calories.”
“I guess I’m a bad influence but from where I’m sitting, you’re perfect.”
Heat flared in her eyes. “Thank you, you charmer, you.”
He was grateful for her new, easy demeanor and how well things seemed to be going between them. They talked about the meeting and their next steps until the waitress returned with their drinks.
Brooke placed a straw in her tall glass and began to suck down her shake.
Their meals came next, and they finished their burgers quickly. Brooke patted her mouth with her napkin. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.” She slid from the booth and walked to the back of the diner where the restrooms were located.
Aiden paid the bill at the table, then glanced at his phone, checking his mail while waiting for Brooke to return. A man approached, catching Aiden’s attention, but he ignored him, focusing instead on returning an important email from one of the bank execs he’d just met.
A hand reached out and grabbed his briefcase. Aiden glanced up as the man ran for the nearby front door.
“Hey!” he shouted, drawing attention from everyone seated nearby, as he jumped up from his seat and followed the man.
A waitress crossed in front of him with a large tray in her hands and before he could catch up with the thief, the man had disappeared out the front door.
Aiden stumbled around the woman without bumping into her and by the time he rushed out of the exit, all he saw was a black SUV peeling out of the parking lot.
“Shit!” he shouted.
“Aiden? What’s wrong?” Brooke asked, rushing out the front of the diner as she asked.
He hadn’t gotten a good look at the man, and the license plate on the SUV had been covered. Once again, no proof. No evidence. Despite it all, he couldn’t let this go.
He glanced at Brooke. “We need to call the police. Someone stole my briefcase.”
Her eyes opened wide. “What?”
He nodded.
She slipped her hand into his and waited as he made the call.
Twenty minutes later, he and Brooke were crammed into the small space of the manager’s office, a police officer holding up a far wall.
The diner manager had pulled the security footage and they watched it on the computer.
The camera didn’t show Aiden’s table but it had picked up a man in a black shirt, hat pulled down low on his forehead, walking in that direction just before Aiden’s briefcase, with his laptop inside, was taken.
“He has to be the one who stole it,” Aiden muttered.
“Any outside cameras?” the police officer asked.
The manager shook his head. “No, sorry.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Can I get back out there? We have a big lunch crowd.”
The officer nodded and the man left, leaving the three of them alone in the office.
“Mr. Sterling, I’m afraid we’re not going to get much information from this.” He shut the computer. “If you want to come down to the station, we can fill out a report, but I’m not hopeful anything will come of it.”
Despite his anger and frustration, Aiden agreed. “Never mind. Thanks for coming.”
The man inclined his head. “Part of the job. I’m just sorry I couldn’t help.”
Beside him, Brooke sighed. “So frustrating!”
He squeezed her hand in silent appreciation.
Aiden might not know much, but he was sure this was tied to the article.
No doubt he was being followed, and the black SUV had to be the one that almost ran him down in the parking lot.
They were looking for the article. But what the people behind this didn’t know was that his work laptop, which was in the stolen briefcase, wasn’t the same as his personal one.
That was locked in his father’s safe in the house.
The only other copy of the article was with John and the paper.
He was too paranoid to back it up on the cloud.
Still, this move felt desperate, and that worried him. Desperation could lead people to do dangerous things.
Aiden put an arm around Brooke, holding her close, and reminded himself it wasn’t much longer. The article would be published in a few days. The optimist in him hoped all of this would be over but he was aware of the potential for revenge. At some point, he might need an alternative plan.