Page 92 of Perfect Together
She shrugged. “I wanted to get this over with.”
Sam grasped Nicole’s hand as they walked into the luxury building. Ignoring the mirrors surrounding her, she headed straight for the bank of elevators.
“Still want to do this?” he asked.
She didn’t answer right away, waiting until they were in the elevator, the doors closing behind them. “No,” she said, as the elevator took them skyward to the penthouse. “But I have to. It’s the right thing to do.”
“I admire that about you,” he said.
She leaned against the wall and treated him to a forced smile. “Thank you.”
The doors opened wide, and her father, dressed in what had to be a thousand-dollar suit, greeted her in the apartment doorway.
“The doorman called up,” he said, answering her unasked question. “To what do I owe this early-morning visit?”
No hello. No warm welcome. No hug. For the love of—
“Can we come in?” Nicole asked. “I don’t think you want your neighbors overhearing what I have to say,” she continued, unperturbed by the greeting or lack of.
Her father stepped aside, and Sam followed Nicole past him into the apartment. A glance revealed that the floors were marble, the walls were adorned with thick crown moldings, top and bottom, and the decor oozed wealth. Sam didn’t like it here worth a damn.
He noted her father hadn’t batted an eyelash at Sam’s presence, nor had he introduced himself. Just because they were wealthy self-righteous pricks didn’t mean he had to be. His mother had raised him better.
“Sam Marsden,” he said, extending his hand toward the other man.
“Sorry.” Nicole blushed, embarrassed. “Paul Farnsworth, this is Detective Sam Marsden. Sam, this is my father.”
“Nice to meet you, Detective.” The older man took his hand in a firm grip. “So to what do I owe this visit?”
Nicole drew a deep breath. “Is everything okay with your business?”
He narrowed his gaze. “Why would you be asking?”
She pressed her lips together, and he was floored by how difficult she obviously found it to shake her father’s world in light of how cold the man acted toward her. Didn’t every kid deserve love and affection from their parents?
Shedeserved love and affection, Sam thought, and damn if he didn’t want to be the one to give it to her. It was all he could do not to reach out and pull her against him, supporting her completely. The only thing stopping him was the fact that she didn’t need the distraction any show of affection would provide. So he kept a respectful distance even though it just about killed him, as he realized his feelings for her were growing exponentially with every minute that passed.
“Would it surprise you to know that your partner is in bed with the Russian mob?” Nicole asked her father. “And before you ask how I could accuse him of such a thing, you should know I overheard him discussing it with Andre, your accountant.” She went on to explain what she’d overheard and when, along with the resulting threats to both Tyler and herself.
Sam kept an eye on her father. His training taught him what to look for, and the older man’s expression never registered shock, surprise, anger, or anything else he knew she’d expected over her accusations.
“You already know!” Nicole exclaimed, proving what Sam already knew.
She was smart. Savvy. And one hell of a strong woman to have been raised by this cold, unfeeling man and still come out the warm, sweet woman he loved.
Loved?
Shit. This was not the time for revelations, he thought, breaking into a cold sweat.
“I didn’t know specifics, but I suspected something was wrong when I noticed the books were off. That and Robert’s been acting strangely, clearly nervous and hiding things. I hired a forensic accountant to look into things.” He straightened his tie. “You said Tyler knows too?”
Nicole nodded. “I suggest you talk to him. The police are aware as well, and that’s why I’m here. I wanted to give you a heads-up before they pay you a visit.”
He sent her an appreciative look, which was as much emotion as Sam suspected the man was capable of, Sam thought in disgust.
He’d never treat his child like a business associate or inconvenience, which was exactly what this man was doing to his daughter. And she accepted it, clearly used to the dynamic. Sam wasn’t, and his stomach churned. He wasn’t sure if it was because he’d just thought about the idea of how he’d handle a kid of his own, something he’d never contemplated even in passing before, or because the notion settled in his heart. And stayed there.
“Well, I’m certainly not going to jail because Robert’s gotten reckless and greedy.” He straightened his tie. “However, I did not know anything about what you heard or that he’d let those animals loose on you.”