Karlee? And they didn’t fucking stalk me at my jobsite today?”
Nick’s mouth opened in surprise. He leaned his hands on his desk and glared at Rob. “What are you talking about?”
Rob started pacing. “Well, shit, she really didn’t ask your permission, did she? Did they?” Rob stopped suddenly, smirking at Nick.
“They who?”
“They, as in your wife and sister.”
“Joelle? What is this, Rob? Quit with the smug innuendos. I know you had my wife first, and I have her now. You lost. Get over it.”
Rob threw Rebecca’s manuscript on Nick’s desk. Nick glanced at it and frowned. Then he looked up at Rob, his confusion evident.
“It’s good. Intelligent, kind, well written, entertaining, and damned if I didn’t learn something from it. You tell her that for me, and encourage her to keep writing. Just keep me out of it.”
“You?”
“Yeah , me. She wants to write about me.”
Nick sat back down. His expression went from anger to astonishment. “Rebecca wants to write about you?”
“Yeah , imagine my surprise. She cornered me at Spencer’s wedding. I obviously said no.”
“And?”
“And she won’t take no for an answer. She showed up at my work today.”
“That’s... surprising. And disturbing, but it doesn’t explain why you’re here. What do you want me to do?”
Rob gave Nick a look. What didn’t he get about the situation? His sister was stalking him. He had to stop the situation before it went any further. “Stop her.”
Nick sat back and shook his head. He sighed. “It’s not like that, Rob. You don’t have sisters, or at least, you don’t have my sisters. They never listen to me. And especially, Rebecca. She’s… surprisingly not as mild-mannered as she looks. She asked me how I went about my business and wanted to know what I’d do if she or my sisters didn’t like what I did for a living. I told her to go after whatever she wanted. Business was business. That must have been it. What she was asking me about.”
“Well, obviously, this can’t happen.”
“I never dreamed she’d pick you to write about. But well, you do fit right in with her idea.”
“She offered me your money, Lassiter.”
“And you didn’t take it? Just for that reason?”
“Fuck you. I don’t need your money. You can’t buy me.”
“You know, I didn’t buy Joelle either. She said the same words to me on about a dozen occasions.”
“So?”
“So. Thought it might make you feel better. My money was nothing to her. To us.”
“What are you saying? You want me to do this? Take your money? Hang out with your sister? That’s something you want?”
“No. But she won’t listen to me. I control two things in this world, Rob: my company and my money. I don’t control my sisters. I can’t stop her.”
“Your wife agreed to this?”
Nick nodded. “So what do you want me to do? Forbid her? Yeah, that ’d get me a week on the couch. No, thanks. Joelle likes you. She forgives you for everything, and always wants me to do the same, which I say fuck no to. But there it is.”
Rob stared in surprise. He was sure Lassiter could persuade his wife and sister to stop and this would be over. He eyed Nick. “I could fuck her, you know, just to get back at you.”
Nick bristled just as Rob intended. Then he shook his head and laughed. “Good luck with that. Really, you don’t know my sister. Look, I don’t like you. But Joelle does, and she’d never let you near one of my sisters if she thought you’d do that. Rebecca’s been through some stuff lately, so please, don’t fuck with her, Rob. I mean it. I won’t interfere on her books, or her ideas; any of that is her business. But you mess with her, Rob, and I’ll fucking bury you. And don’t, not even for a moment, think that I can’t do it.”
“What more could you do to me?”
Nick shook his head. “This about Joelle? I don’t believe you. Not anymore. You’re over her. I saw you at the wedding. You don’t want her
Nick’s mouth opened in surprise. He leaned his hands on his desk and glared at Rob. “What are you talking about?”
Rob started pacing. “Well, shit, she really didn’t ask your permission, did she? Did they?” Rob stopped suddenly, smirking at Nick.
“They who?”
“They, as in your wife and sister.”
“Joelle? What is this, Rob? Quit with the smug innuendos. I know you had my wife first, and I have her now. You lost. Get over it.”
Rob threw Rebecca’s manuscript on Nick’s desk. Nick glanced at it and frowned. Then he looked up at Rob, his confusion evident.
“It’s good. Intelligent, kind, well written, entertaining, and damned if I didn’t learn something from it. You tell her that for me, and encourage her to keep writing. Just keep me out of it.”
“You?”
“Yeah , me. She wants to write about me.”
Nick sat back down. His expression went from anger to astonishment. “Rebecca wants to write about you?”
“Yeah , imagine my surprise. She cornered me at Spencer’s wedding. I obviously said no.”
“And?”
“And she won’t take no for an answer. She showed up at my work today.”
“That’s... surprising. And disturbing, but it doesn’t explain why you’re here. What do you want me to do?”
Rob gave Nick a look. What didn’t he get about the situation? His sister was stalking him. He had to stop the situation before it went any further. “Stop her.”
Nick sat back and shook his head. He sighed. “It’s not like that, Rob. You don’t have sisters, or at least, you don’t have my sisters. They never listen to me. And especially, Rebecca. She’s… surprisingly not as mild-mannered as she looks. She asked me how I went about my business and wanted to know what I’d do if she or my sisters didn’t like what I did for a living. I told her to go after whatever she wanted. Business was business. That must have been it. What she was asking me about.”
“Well, obviously, this can’t happen.”
“I never dreamed she’d pick you to write about. But well, you do fit right in with her idea.”
“She offered me your money, Lassiter.”
“And you didn’t take it? Just for that reason?”
“Fuck you. I don’t need your money. You can’t buy me.”
“You know, I didn’t buy Joelle either. She said the same words to me on about a dozen occasions.”
“So?”
“So. Thought it might make you feel better. My money was nothing to her. To us.”
“What are you saying? You want me to do this? Take your money? Hang out with your sister? That’s something you want?”
“No. But she won’t listen to me. I control two things in this world, Rob: my company and my money. I don’t control my sisters. I can’t stop her.”
“Your wife agreed to this?”
Nick nodded. “So what do you want me to do? Forbid her? Yeah, that ’d get me a week on the couch. No, thanks. Joelle likes you. She forgives you for everything, and always wants me to do the same, which I say fuck no to. But there it is.”
Rob stared in surprise. He was sure Lassiter could persuade his wife and sister to stop and this would be over. He eyed Nick. “I could fuck her, you know, just to get back at you.”
Nick bristled just as Rob intended. Then he shook his head and laughed. “Good luck with that. Really, you don’t know my sister. Look, I don’t like you. But Joelle does, and she’d never let you near one of my sisters if she thought you’d do that. Rebecca’s been through some stuff lately, so please, don’t fuck with her, Rob. I mean it. I won’t interfere on her books, or her ideas; any of that is her business. But you mess with her, Rob, and I’ll fucking bury you. And don’t, not even for a moment, think that I can’t do it.”
“What more could you do to me?”
Nick shook his head. “This about Joelle? I don’t believe you. Not anymore. You’re over her. I saw you at the wedding. You don’t want her
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