Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 31778 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 159(@200wpm)___ 127(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31778 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 159(@200wpm)___ 127(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
The other person started talking, but I couldn’t hear their side of the conversation. I took the opportunity to study my girl a little more, but I didn’t get much of a chance before she gasped and went rigid. “What do you mean it bounced?”
They said something, and she shook her head. “That’s impossible. Did you call the bank to verify the check?”
She listened again, all color draining from her face. “I’ll…um…I’ll get back to you. Um, how long do I have before you won’t hold my classes?” Her eyes closed, and her head drooped forward. “Okay. Thank you,” she whispered, her voice steeped in despair and confusion.
When she hung up, she sat in silence for a minute, her eyes glued to her phone.
“What’s going on, Annika?”
Her head lifted and swiveled so that our gazes collided. “I…um…I paid my tuition for college in the fall, and…it didn’t go through. I don’t–I don’t understand. The money is there. I don’t know what’s happening.”
“Relax, dolcezza,” I murmured. “I can help. We’ll figure this out.”
3
ANNIKA
Matteo was sexier than any man deserved to be. Even after the shock I’d gotten during that phone call, I was having a hard time ignoring my attraction to him. Which I had a feeling most women would understand because of how hot he was.
He was tall with lean muscles and a butt that looked great in his jeans. His short hair was inky black and matched the chinstrap beard on his brutally masculine face. His bright-blue eyes had an intensity that made me want to squirm…but in a good way.
With the black tattoos on both of his arms and the leather vest that announced to the world that he was a member of the Hounds of Hellfire, there was no denying Matteo had a dangerous vibe. But he was a tattoo artist, not a lawyer or banker.
His offer was kind, but it didn’t make any more sense than what I’d just been told by the person from my college’s business office.
“How can you help? This has to be a glitch at the bank. There was no reason for my check to have bounced.”
I didn’t like talking about how much my parents had left me when they died. I would’ve gladly given it all back to just have a little more time with them, but they had ensured that I had more than enough to do anything I wanted with my life. If I wanted to skip college and tour the world, I could travel until I was old and gray…and there would still be money left for my retirement. Between my dad’s investments, my childhood home, and their rather large life insurance policies, I had more money than I knew what to do with.
“Do you use your bank’s app?”
“Yeah, but that’s not going to help solve this problem because my trust doesn’t show up there. Only my personal account, and the check for my tuition wasn’t written on it,” I explained, my brows drawing together. “It’s never been an issue before because my uncle just transferred over whatever I needed.”
Matteo crossed his arms over his chest, drawing my attention to the full tattoo sleeves on both of them. “Your uncle?”
My words came out in a rush as I tried to come up with a reason for the mix-up at the bank. “I only turned eighteen last month, so he handled everything for me as my guardian until now. The investment accounts, checking…everything related to the trust. He said it was gonna take a little while for all of the paperwork to transfer everything into my name, but I didn’t think there would be an issue with me writing a check for tuition since it was specified in my trust, and I’m listed on the account. Maybe it’s just because of the amount, and he still needs to sign off on it.”
“Could be,” he conceded, sounding unconvinced.
I shook my head. “No, that can’t be right because the woman from the college said it came back as insufficient funds.”
“Only one reason that happens, and it sounds like there’s only one person who can be responsible for it if your uncle has been managing the trust for you until you were old enough to take care of it yourself.”
My stomach was in knots. “My dad arranged all the details in his will. Down to Uncle Alec moving into our house so that I didn’t have to be uprooted in the middle of high school.”
“I hate to break it to you, dolcezza, but it shouldn’t take the bank an entire month to move shit into your name.” He interlaced our fingers and gave my hand a comforting squeeze.
“You think my uncle lied to me?” I asked.
He heaved a deep sigh and nodded. “Yeah, and if the money isn’t in that account, that’s probably why he’s been slow with the paperwork. Odds are good that he wanted to hide it from you as long as he could.”