Page 5 of His Obsession
But Darren and Vince know my role is much more complicated than that.
I look down again at the printout in front of me, then at Vince. “Walk me through it one more time.”
Vince exhales through his nose. “The week’s deposit was light by thirty-eight.”
“Thirty-eight hundred,” I clarify.
“Yes.”
“And you’re telling me that it’s just a timing issue.”
“Yes.” He sounds bored. “A vendor payment cleared early, so the operating cash position looked worse than it was over the weekend.”
I tap the paper once. “Last week, you said it was a deposit discrepancy.”
He hesitates. Darren stares straight ahead.
I set the paper down neatly on the desk. “If you’re going to lie to me, at least keep the story consistent.”
Vince’s face tightens. “I’m not lying.”
I nod slowly, then turn my attention to Darren. “How long has Vince been skimming?”
Darren goes pale.
Vince shoots to his feet. “That’s not what this is.”
I don’t look at him. “Darren.”
Darren swallows. “I don’t know for sure.”
I stare at him for a long moment.
He immediately drops his gaze.
“A couple months,” he says quietly. “Maybe three.”
Vince turns toward him with genuine disbelief. “What the hell are you doing?” he shouts.
I don’t raise my voice. “How much?”
Darren’s jaw tightens. “I thought it was small enough to cover until the summer bookings picked up. Then the issue with the liquor invoice happened, and the numbers got tighter. That’s when I realized.”
“How much?” I repeat.
He says nothing.
Matteo, my cousin and the enforcer in my organization, finally speaks from his place on the sofa. “Sebastian asked you a question.”
Matteo never needs to sound threatening. He has a diplomatic face and a controlled voice that gives people a false sense of security. They usually don’t realize they’re being backed into a corner until they’ve got nowhere left to go. One of the many reasons he’s useful.
Darren drags a hand over his mouth. “Eighty-two thousand.”
Vince mutters a curse.
I sit still for a moment, watching Darren try not to unravel in front of me. Eighty-two thousand isn’t enough to hurt us. That’s not the point. The point is Vince had the audacity to steal from me. If they aren’t scared shitless to take my money, I’m not living up to my reputation.
“You understand,” I say, “what happens to men who steal from me.”
