Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 65054 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65054 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“Just spit it out,” I tell him.
“The Newark shipment missed its window,” he finally admits.
I let his words settle a moment. A delayed shipment has the potential to be disastrous. It can stall all our other processes for days, even weeks. This is not something I want to deal with right now.
“Did it even go through customs?” I ask.
“Not yet,” he answers shortly. “It’s disappeared from the logs. No one can find it. A shipment like that doesn’t just go missing.”
“I’m well aware,” I answer through clenched teeth. “Who knew the route?”
“Too many people for us to find conclusive answers without an extensive investigation,” he answers warily. “I’ve got the time if you want me to focus on it, but I’m worried it’s the beginning of bigger problems.”
I nod, and consider this for a second.
“Sniff around, but definitely find the root of the issue if you can. I agree, this could spiral into something worse, so trust your gut.”
Rafe leans forward. “If Calderone’s involved somehow, he’s braver than either of us have given him credit for. It might be time to send him a little message.”
“Brave is not a word anyone would use to describe Enzo,” I mutter. “He’s stupid and arrogant. But if we strike without being a hundred percent certain he was involved, we leave ourselves exposed. That’s the last thing I want.”
He nods. “Understood.”
Just then, there’s a knock at the door. Rafe looks toward it.
“Is that your assistant?” he asks.
I shrug. “I don’t have x-ray vision, Rafe, you tell me.”
“Bold choice for her to knock when you’re in a meeting.”
“She’s been keeping me on a schedule,” I tell him truthfully. “She’s managed me better in three days than any of my assistants did over the last year.”
He narrows his eyes and studies me thoughtfully. I call to Sofia to come in, and she opens the door carefully. She steps inside with a folder pressed to her chest and stops short when she sees Rafe.
“I can come back,” she says carefully. “You didn’t have a meeting on your schedule.”
I gesture toward Rafe. “This is Rafael Santoro,” I say. “He’s been my closest friend for two decades, and he does some business for me. He’s also incredibly rude, so don’t take it personally if he never says hello.”
“I resent that,” Rafe answers with a smirk.
“Did you say hello to my assistant?” I ask him.
He looks down guiltily. “Hello, assistant,” he mutters.
“Sofia,” she corrects firmly.
“Oh, I like this one,” he tells me.
“What is it?” I ask Sofia.
“The Callahan closing packet,” she answers efficiently. “Legal sent the updated version, but page forty-two still references the old entity name. I flagged it and sent it back before printing the rest.”
Rafe’s brows lift. I hold out my hand and she crosses the room to give me the folder. Her expression is calm, but her fingertips are ink-smudged. She must have been fighting with the printer again.
“You caught this before Legal did?” I ask.
“I caught it before you signed it.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“No,” she says. “But that’s what matters.”
Rafe stifles a chuckle.
Sofia glances at him with a look that’s not altogether friendly.
“You’ll get used to him,” I promise. “He’s around a lot.”
“Shall I pad your calendar by a few minutes in case your meetings with him run long?” she asks, ignoring him completely.
“Yes,” Rafe answers at the same time I say, “That’s not necessary.”
Rafe looks delighted. “You’re an observant one.”
Sofia’s gaze flicks back to me. There is something almost amused in her face, but she tucks it away.
“I’ll be at my desk if you need anything else.”
When the door closes behind her, Rafe looks at me for several seconds.
“Shut up,” I tell him.
“I didn’t say anything at all,” he says with a smirk.
“Maybe not verbally, but your face is saying a hell of a lot.”
“She’s good at what she does,” he answers, throwing his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “Nothing wrong with that.”
“She is,” I agree.
“She’s also not bad to look at.”
I let out a deep sigh and try to decide the best way to navigate this conversation.
“Her looks are irrelevant,” I finally tell him.
“For now.” He shrugs. “Though I’d suggest you try to keep it that way unless you want a scandal on your hands.”
“I think it’s time for you to go,” I tell him.
He gets up and casually strolls out without another word.
I open the folder and look at page forty-two. Sofia is right. Legal missed the entity name. So did the analyst who reviewed it before Legal. So did the senior associate who sent it up with his initials on the approval line.
“Her looks are irrelevant,” I mutter to myself.
She’s a good assistant, and that’s all that matters to me. I hired her because she’s good with details and keeps a cool head in a crisis.
It takes days for us to locate the missing shipment, and when we do, it’s been ransacked. Calderone doesn’t take credit for it, but that means fuck all. He’s always playing chess. He’ll come out of the woodwork to take credit if he feels the time is right.