Chapter 54
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
The Gulfstream climbed steadily over the Atlantic as I stared out the window at a blanket of clouds stretching endlessly beneath us. Ordinarily, I would’ve appreciated the view, but today I couldn’t focus on anything for more than a few seconds.
My mind kept returning to Titus, who had been in federal detention for four days now. Though I’d been kept busy with my team and moving back into our office on Melrose, Titus was never out of my mind.
Jim sat across from me and had been reviewing documents on his tablet while Spencer sat farther down the cabin.
The aircraft had been quiet since we took off. It was easy to see that both men were in executive mode, and I’m sure it wasn’t solely about finding things related to Titus’s case. Jim ran a global company, and I’m sure stepping away from it was never really an option for that man either.
That thought made me wonder who was standing in for Titus while he was detained and during the investigations.
I finally lowered my coffee and looked at Jim. “Have you heard anything?”
Jim glanced up. “You’ll need to be more specific.”
“You know what I mean.”
His expression softened. “Titus?”
I nodded.
He set his tablet aside. “Unfortunately, no.”
The answer hit harder than I’d expected. “Damn. Still nothing?”
“Nothing useful,” he shrugged, standing up and walking over to pour himself a glass of bourbon. “Care for a drink?” he said with a sympathetic grin.
“I’m good with coffee, thanks,” I smiled.
“Wyatt and Colton were finally granted permission to visit him today,” Jim said, sitting on the long couch, reclining and obviously taking a break from numbers for half a minute.
“They’re only just now allowing his family to visit him?”
Jim nodded. “Federal detention isn’t designed around convenience.”
“Which means?”
“Which means that after four days, somebody decided to trust that he wouldn’t disappear.”
The way he said it told me that Jim was just as frustrated as I was with all of this.
“They’ve spent the last several days working through attorneys, so they’ve managed to ensure he’s doing okay in there at least.”
I rubbed my forehead for the millionth time since all this started. “And they still don’t know anything?”
“Not enough.” Jim leaned back in his seat. “The government isn’t exactly sharing its entire strategy.”
“What about Titus? What does he know about everything that’s happening?”
“He only knows as much as his attorneys can tell him,” Jim said, taking another sip.
Poor Titus was probably sitting in that place with fewer answers than the rest of us.
“Do you really think he’s okay?”
Jim studied me for a moment. “I think he’s seriously pissed off.”
I grinned in response. “I’m sure that’s true.”
“I know the man’s frustrated,” Jim said, staring into his drink, “and I think he’s trying to figure out who caused this.”
“Who’s standing in his place while he’s in there?” I asked. “I mean, I know you’re both business associates and own properties together, so I would assume you know.”
He nodded. “Sebastian Aster is managing the company so Colton and Wyatt can continue working as Titus planned,” Jim answered. “The Aster and Hawk families have always been close. Old man Aster was never crooked, though. A brutal man, yes. He still is, but he was never crooked like Herbert.”
“Strange that they were friends then,” I said.
Jim’s lips twisted. “East Coast billionaires have always been the odd ones, in my opinion,” he smirked. “So, it doesn’t surprise me they would maintain a friendship and look the other way when they knew one was up to no good.”
I laughed. “The rivalry between you East Coast and West Coast elites,” I took a sip of coffee.
“I imagine you enjoyed planning events for each coast, trying to outdo the other?”
I laughed. “The demands were pretty high, that’s for sure, and the East Coast elites definitely looked down their noses at the West Coast.”
Jim laughed into his bourbon. “I imagine they would, since hiding on the other side of the country is their safest bet in business.”
“Do you believe Sebastian’s father knew anything about this… about what Herbert did?” I asked, unintentionally killing the humorous moment.
“No,” Jim shook his head. “We’ve already spoken with him, and it appears Herbert kept the darker side of things quiet in those circles.”
“Makes sense,” I said.
“The Aster family is a very prominent elite family that has dominated the East Coast ever since it was ripe for the taking. It was quite a shock to everyone who knew them when they moved to the West Coast, but with their children out here and a slight change of heart about what’s important in life, they determined the West Coast was worth their time. ”
“And Titus? He moved out here from the East Coast, too?”
I knew it had nothing to do with what we were facing when we landed overseas, but it was nice to change the subject and learn more about Titus from his friends. Things I never really cared about until I finally let the man in.
“He still owns a couple of houses over there, but he’s mainly on the West Coast now.”
“What made him move out this way?”
Jim smirked, “Believing the coast was his to claim.”
“And then he met you?” I arched an eyebrow with a smile.
“And then he met me,” Jim nodded. “He decided it would be a safer bet to work alongside me rather than against me.”
“Smart man,” I smiled, knowing this was Jim’s territory when it came to how these men ruled their worlds.
“Very,” Jim said, standing up and walking back to where he had been working.
“Will this affect your company? If Titus and his company—”
“No,” Jim said. “It could hurt my reputation if he’s found guilty, but no. Herbert Hawk’s bullshit has nothing to do with what my father built or what I continue to grow.”
“If he’s found guilty?”
Jim smiled over at me. “Relax, Cat,” he said, pulling open his laptop. “If I believed he were guilty, we wouldn’t be traveling to Madrid right now.”
“True,” I said, relaxing some.
“I will say that I’m certain Titus would be very interested to know where we’re headed today, though.”
“What if Senor Valdéz doesn’t know anything?”
Jim didn’t hesitate. “Then we keep digging.”
“And what if they hate him as they did his father?”
“I can’t imagine why they would. Men don’t necessarily run on emotion when they’re running global businesses…
not normally. It’s mainly about facts and reputation.
Herbert Hawk made a horrible name for himself, but Titus has never been anything but respected for bringing his company to where it is today. ”
“How difficult do you think it’s going to be to get through to them?”
“Again, if they believe he knew what his father did and that he kept it all buried while benefiting from it, their opinions of Titus will not be good.”
“It’s why we must somehow prove Titus didn’t know.”
Jim glanced over at me and smiled. “I know you’ve only recently seen the real Titus, and you can only trust your experiences,” he said, “but since I’ve known the man, I can tell you he is a man of his word. If he says he didn’t know about any of it, he didn’t know.”
The look on Jim’s face told me all I needed to know. Admittedly, I did feel a little foolish trying to act like I’d known Titus for years and that he was innocent, when all I knew about him was that he was a true romantic at heart and that I was important to him.
I had no fucking idea how the man was in business, but Jim did. And I knew Jim, and he never gave high opinions like that unless they were earned.
“That’s what makes today important,” Jim said.
“I understand that.”
His expression became serious. “More important than I think you realize. The government already believes Herbert Hawk created those structures. They don’t need help proving that.”
My stomach tightened.
“What they need is proof that Titus knew they existed.”
I sighed, having no idea how we were going to prove that he didn’t.
“If the Valdéz family can help us understand where this started…” Jim continued, “or who pushed it forward, we have a better starting point for finding more answers.”
The gates to the Valdéz estate opened before our vehicle reached them. The estate spread across the countryside outside Madrid, framed by olive groves and rolling hills that seemed to stretch on forever.
I sat quietly in the backseat as the main residence came into view. The place was enormous, not in the way luxury hotels were enormous, or in the way billionaires built modern compounds overlooking the ocean.
This place always felt older and more established. The sort of wealth that had existed long before anyone thought to measure success by private jets and skyscrapers.
This place had been home to Amelia and me for most of our lives, despite the family owning homes in various locations. Of all their residences, this was where they spent most of their time.
Jim glanced out the window. “They’ve kept it remarkably unchanged.”
“You’ve been here before?” I asked him.
Jim smiled. “I accompanied my father once on a business trip that brought us here.”
“Of course you did,” I smiled, knowing Jim Mitchell had grown up wealthy.
The Hawks had built an empire. The Valdéz family had inherited one. These men had all taken different roads in life that led to the same destination.
The Mercedes stopped beneath a covered stone entrance where several staff members waited outside. The moment the car door opened, I understood this wasn’t going to be a casual conversation.
A man in his seventies descended the front steps. I only hoped he had fond memories of me as a child. I forgot how intimidating he looked, and I didn’t have my mother here to hide behind anymore.
He had silver hair and a perfect posture, wearing his usual bespoke suit and carrying an air that made people instinctively pay attention.
His eyes moved past me and straight to Jim. “James Mitchell.”
Jim stepped from the vehicle. “Mr. Estrada,” Jim acknowledged the head butler for the family.