The driver was anxious. “Mixed within the roses and orchids are Kadupul flowers. They are native to Sri Lanka. They were specifically chosen for this bouquet. The flowers are so rare they are considered priceless and have already begun to die. The lifespan is very short; they live only a few hours after they are picked. Getting paid for this job depends on me delivering them alive.”
Curiosity piqued, Davis wondered. Why would Rome send my wife flowers like that? It was a huge arrangement and designed to make a statement. It took up half the space of the double doors and easily stood as tall as to his knees. He didn’t try to hide the scowl that began to appear on his face. It deepened as he bent low to inspect the arrangement. After determining there was nothing dangerous inside of them—except maybe the flowers themselves—Davis stood. He nodded for the man to pass the clipboard over to sign and then reached into his wallet to tip him.
After Davis settled up with the driver, he picked up the monstrosity of flowers and kicked the door closed with his foot. He walked toward the living room eager to bring them to Nicole and find out who the hell was this character Rome.
Nicole lay propped up on the sofa. It had only been a couple of weeks since her accident, and she was still in quite a bit of discomfort. Not only were her wrist and ribs still bothering her, so was her back. She reached over to the table for her prescription pain medication and pulled a pill out of the bottle. She popped one into her mouth and took a sip of water.
Nicole saw Davis before she heard him. He was hidden behind an enormous bouquet of pink, red, and white blooms. It was quite possibly the most massive arrangement she had ever seen. Her eyes had been so glued to the flowers that Davis’s booming voice caught her off guard. “These were just delivered to you.”
She pressed her hand to her chest. “Wow.” Nicole looked at the bouquet in awe. “I didn’t hear you come home. My. God. Davis, you didn’t have to do all of this for me. They’re beautiful.” For the first couple of weeks, he had been much more attentive and mostly worked from home until the past few days. Initially, he went into the office for a few hours, but today, he’d left early in the morning and was only now returning after 7 p.m. She supposed old habits die hard.
He sat the flowers down on a nearby table. “I didn’t buy these. They are not from me.”
She was curious to find out who they were from. “Is there a card?”
Davis plucked it from the bouquet and then walked over to Nicole. He was eager to ask her who this Rome guy was, and to hear what was on the card too. “Yeah, there is a card.” Before he handed it to her, he bent down and planted a long and hard kiss on her lips. If she needed to be reminded about who she belonged to, he would be more than happy to remind her.
His kiss left her breathless. They hadn’t had sex since before the accident. Her mind was willing but her body—not so much. Nicole was spread out on the sofa, so he sat down at the opposite end next to her feet.
She moved agonizingly slow for Davis’s liking as she took the card out of the little envelope and read it. His hard gaze was unnerving. He stared her down since she had the audacity to read the damn thing IN SILENCE.
Nicole,
Sending flowers for an extraordinary woman, as an apology, and to wish you a speedy recovery.
Rome
“Who are they from?”
She cleared her throat. “They are from the donor who is helping us build Angel House. If you want, you can toss them in the garbage.”
Davis had already been feeling uneasy; now alarm bells were ringing. “Odd. A man gives you ten million dollars, and you want to throw out his flowers?” His eyes burned holes through her. “What the hell does the card say?”
“He didn’t give me anything. He gave that money to Angel House. There is a big difference. Why are you acting like you’re jealous?”
“I’m not acting like anything. I’m a concerned husband. Will you read the damn card—out loud?”
“You’re being ridiculous. If you want to know what’s on the card, you read it.” Nicole handed it over to him.
Davis had no problem with that. His eyebrows knitted together. “Extraordinary woman? Apology? For what?”
“We had a disagreement at the meeting, and I guess the flowers are his way of saying he’s sorry.”
“Do I need to handle this Rome with a phone call or an ass-kicking?”
Nicole couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Neither. I dealt with it. He and I have one goal, and that’s to make Angel House a success.”
Without a word, Davis stood, walked over and picked up the flowers, then started to walk away.
“Where are you going?”
He looked back over his shoulder. “Where are the kids?”
“Upstairs with the babysitter. Why?”
“I’ll go get them. They’ve never been to a bonfire, have they?”
“Davis? What are you about to do?”
“I’m taking the kids outside to play in the backyard. I think they might enjoy watching daddy set these damn things on fire.”
*****
Nicole was wired. The medication she had taken earlier still had her buzzing, and it was already after midnight. She lay in bed unable to fall asleep. Good thing Davis was still working on his laptop, otherwise, her tossing and turning would have kept him awake.
He glanced over. “Can’t sleep?”
She sighed. “No, not really. I don’t know how it’s possible to be exhausted and full of energy at the same time.”
Davis had so much he needed to share with Nicole, but she was still recovering from her accident, and he hadn’t wanted to worry her. Tomorrow was going to be a very important day for him and his company. He had no idea how long he would be gone and had already asked if their date night babysitter could come back and stay until he got home, or until the kids were in bed, whichever happened first.
Davis knew he should have talked to Nicole about everything by now but wasn’t sure how to bring it up without causing a shitstorm of an argument. He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. “Is that one new?”
“What? My scarf? Yes. Jane bought it for me when I was in the hospital.” Nicole touched the satin material that she had wrapped her hair up with, then lay her head against his shoulder.
“Nicole?” Her beautiful eyes looked up at him. They were more brownish green than gray tonight.
“Hmm . . .”
Davis hesitated as if he were about to say something then changed his mind. “Tomorrow is going to be a long day, so I asked if Teena could come sit with you and the kids.” He felt it the moment her body tensed.
“You’ve started keeping later hours again. I had hoped things would change after my accident.”
“It has. This meeting is important.”
Nicole sat up. “Here we go again. Davis, every meeting is important. Every deal is important.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yes, it is.”
“I can’t do this with you right now. I’ve got to finish going over this information.”
“You are leaving me alone in this marriage. I refuse to go back to how things were before.”
“You’re not alone!” He was angry. “Please, don’t start up with that nonsense.” Davis rolled his head around his shoulders. “I will not do this with you.” If she couldn’t see how much he was devoted to her and his family, then Nicole was blind.
Nicole glared at him.
If she was already going to be pissed, he might as well put all his cards on the table. “We should think about hiring someone full time to help out with the kids. I was thinking about Teena. She has been a godsend.”
It had been nice having Teena around, but they had decided it would only be temporary until Nicole went back to work. Davis was changing the plan. “I guess you have it all figured out.” Nicole threw the covers back, got out of bed, and went into the bathroom. She couldn’t deal with Davis tonight. She just wanted to go to sleep and think of absolutely . . . nothing. N
icole opened the medicine cabinet and searched until she found it—a sleeping pill. She hoped it would send her off into la la land before she did something stupid like punch her husband in the throat.
Chapter 8
Nicole was buried underneath the mountain of covers and lost in a deep coma-like sleep. The world could have been ending, and she probably would have missed it. However, Rayna was a more powerful force than even something as significant as the ending of the world. She was one big ball of energy when she came bursting into Nicole’s bedroom. “Mom! I’m going to be late for school.”
Nicole groaned. She could barely open her eyes. The sleeping pills had left her feeling groggy—like she was walking on a cloud. “What time is it?”
Rayna stood by her head and leaned down over her. “It’s 7:20. My bus will be here in ten minutes.”
Nicole still hadn’t been able to move. Her head and limbs felt like dead weight. Her voice was hoarse. “Where’s your dad?”
“He already left for work, but Teena is here. She arrived before daddy left. C’mon, mom. Are you going to get up?”
Somehow, Nicole managed to open her eyes and push herself up. She moved the covers back and threw her legs over the side of the bed. Nicole dropped her chin down on her chest and put up one finger. “Can you give me a second?”
Rayna, wearing the striped skirt and purple button-down vest of her school uniform, tilted her head. She had never seen her mother so out of it. “We really don’t have a second. Are you okay?” She hoisted her backpack over the side of her shoulder.
“I’m fine. Just a little tired.” Nicole turned slightly and grimaced. “My ribs still hurt a little. Can you bring me my robe?”
Rayna ran over to her mother’s chair to retrieve it and quickly came back. Nicole moved slowly and put it on. The moment she stood, Rayna grabbed her by the arm. “C’mon mom!” She tried to pull Nicole out of the bedroom, but Nicole couldn’t keep up the pace. She was uncomfortable and still out of it. “Rayna! Please stop dragging me. I can’t move that fast!” Rayna froze. Nicole never screamed, so it was shocking to both of them.
Teena came bounding up the stairs. “Is everything alright, Mrs. Chatham?” Nicole pinched the bridge of her nose. Rayna’s eyes filled with tears, and Nicole felt like the worst parent on the planet. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.” She opened her arms. “I can’t bend down for a hug, but I’d sure like it if you’d give me one. I could use it.”
Rayna went into her mother’s embrace. Nicole apologized. “I love you so much. I’m so, so sorry.”
“It’s okay. Daddy said you might be a little cranky because you’re not feeling so good.”
“He said that, huh?”
Rayna let out a little laugh. “Yes.”
“Well, sometimes your father is right, but only sometimes, and don’t tell him I said so.” Nicole blew out a breath. “Let’s get you downstairs before you miss the bus.”
*****
As soon as Rayna was gone, Nicole went back to bed. She slept until noon and still couldn’t seem to shake the fog of sleep. She was in this weird space where she wasn’t asleep, but she wasn’t quite awake either. She promised herself; I will never ever, ever take those damn pills again.
When her cell phone buzzed, she had just enough energy to answer it. “Hello?”
“Nicole?”
“Yes. This is Nicole.”
“I just wanted to know if you received my flowers.”
Nicole whipped her head around as if she were looking for Davis. “Mr. Abboud?”
“My ego just took a hit.” He laughed. “I guess I didn’t make a big enough impression for you to remember what I sound like. Please call me Roman. My special friends call me Rome.”
“How did you get my personal number?”
“Ms. Lancaster gave it to me.”
“I see. I’m going to have to have a little chat with her.”
“Don’t be angry. I can be very persuasive when I want to. I hope you are feeling better. Did you get my flowers?”
Nicole’s brain wasn’t working fast enough. “The flowers. Oh, yes. I received them.”
“I’ve been waiting for you to call.”
“For what?”
“A “thank you?” I did send you flowers. I wanted to wish you well. Did you like them?”
Nicole sighed into the phone. “Mr. Abboud, thank you for the flowers, but you really shouldn’t have sent them. They were much too expensive.”
“As I said on the card, it was my peace offering and best wishes for a speedy recovery. Are you feeling better?”
Nicole was uneasy. He shouldn’t be calling her. “Yes. I am.”
“Glad to hear it. When you’re up and about, I would still like to get together for lunch.”
“I already told you that I don’t think that is a good idea.”
“Of course. Your husband wouldn’t approve.”
Nicole rubbed her forehead. “Not only would he not approve, but I also don't approve. It’s inappropriate.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way. I only wanted to show my concern.”
“Mr. Abboud . . .”
“Rome.” His voice was silky smooth, and his accent was barely there.
Nicole was getting a headache. “I think its best that I call you Mr. Abboud. Thank you so much for the flowers and the well-wishes, but please do not call this phone again. If you would like to discuss more ways you can financially benefit the Angel Foundation, contact our office. Have a great day.” Nicole hung up. The man was persistent, she would give him that, but she and Davis had enough going on that she refused to add an unnecessarily jealous husband to the mix.
Nicole was having a hard time moving around, and Rayna would be home from school in a couple of hours. She needed to be in a better mood than when she sent her off. Otherwise, Nicole wasn’t going to win any mother of the year awards. It was also after lunch, and Nicole hadn’t seen DJ since this morning. She had better take her pain medication so that she could be somewhat functional.
Chapter 9
Davis’s executive dream team, along with several high-powered lawyers, had been assembled in his conference room. They sat around the table finalizing their strategy for dealing with the US Attorney General’s office. After months of cooperation and trying to resolve their inquiries, Chatham Industries was officially under investigation for trading and arms dealing with the known terrorist group, The Liberation of Shebet.
Frustrated, Davis pushed away from the table and got up. He rubbed the back of his neck as he started to pace back and forth. “This is ridiculous. I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. How much more proof do they need to know that Chatham Industries is a victim in all of this too?”
One of his lawyers, Braylee Hinsdale-Manchetti, spoke up. “We understand how you feel, Davis, we really do, but you’ve got to calm down and trust us. Five years ago, when your personal assistant got involved with that organization, it left you vulnerable.”
His eyes blazed. “I understand that. But the fact that they tried to kill my wife, and we helped to bring down one of their cells should make me a patriot, not a goddamned traitor!”
Davis was justified in his anger, but Braylee tried to remain calm enough for the both of them. Still, it was part of her job to lay out the facts. “True, but several offshore accounts worth billions have been tied to your company and the Liberation. The FBI wants to know who put the money there and why.”
“I’ve answered those questions already. I can’t give them information I don’t have.” Davis turned his back on his team, folded his arms across his chest, and stared out of the window. “I didn’t even know those accounts existed until the FBI contacted me about them seven months ago. There aren’t any records of me making personal withdrawals or deposits into those accounts.”
Braylee tapped her pen on the mahogany table. “You’re correct. However, your PA made the transfers of money from servers in your office building. In the eyes of the law, your na
me is on the building. So, if you weren’t aware, you should have been. Because there isn’t a direct link to you personally, that is the only reason they haven’t frozen your assets . . . yet.”
“Are we any closer to finding out anything more about the cash?”
Another attorney, JP Rickets, whose area of expertise this fell under, responded. “We are getting close. There were many shell accounts and international banks used in this operation to move that sum of money around. We’ll find the origin and clear your name.”
Davis turned to face everyone. “Can anybody in this room tell me why the hell I was targeted in the first place? Initially, I thought it was for my technology, but, obviously, there is a lot more going on here that I’m not aware of.”
“We’ll get to the bottom of it—all of it.” Braylee had never been more confident. It would take a little time to unravel all the moving parts, but her team would do it.
Davis’s Chief Operating Office, Paul Williams, had been holding back but needed to inform every one of the newest developments. “I received a call from one of the members of the board. Davis, they are strongly suggesting, until these issues are resolved, that you step aside. They are afraid if the shareholders find out, it'll make the stock plummet.”
Davis couldn’t keep his anger from spilling over. He roared. “I built this company with nothing but a hundred dollars and my intellect. I bought a domain name and used my sweat and blood to build Chatham Industries to where it is today. The day I step aside, is the day I close the doors forever.”
Paul was uneasy. Not only was part of his compensation package tied to the Chatham Industries stock, but he also had a significant portion of his own money invested in the company’s stock too. “If word gets out about all of this, we may have no choice but to close the doors, and some of us might spend quite a bit of time in prison. Can you honestly say you are thinking of the good of the company?”
Davis walked back over and placed both hands on the table. He leaned in to make sure Paul and everyone else understood his position. “I’m the majority shareholder. So, let me be very clear, it’s not the company, it’s my damn company. Whoever suggested that bullshit, tell them to go fuck themselves. And if they want to walk, I’m fully prepared to buy back their shares to my company.”
Fragments of Us (A Contemporary Broken Hearts Romance) (Book Book 2) Page 5