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)
My shoulders slumped, and I buried my face in my hands. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Are you and your uncle close?”
Glancing up at Matteo, I grimaced. “Not really. I always assumed he was awkward with me because he didn’t know what to do with the teenage girl, but maybe it was because he’s been robbing me blind this entire time.”
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. “We’re gonna find out what happened. No matter what your uncle pulled, you’re going to be okay.”
My voice was muffled as I mumbled, “Don’t make promises you can’t possibly keep. If Uncle Alec did what I’m starting to suspect, I will need a lawyer. And an accountant to see how much damage he did.”
He leaned back and pressed a finger under my chin. When our gazes met, he flashed me a cocky smirk. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I have a lawyer on speed dial.”
“You do?” I squeaked, wondering why a tattoo artist would need the services of an attorney so often.
Matteo chuckled. “Not for whatever reason just popped into your pretty little head. Ash is one of my club brothers.”
“Sorry.” I flashed him an apologetic smile.
“It’s okay, dolcezza. I understand why you’d be suspicious of everyone right now.”
“Maybe I’m jumping the gun, and this really all was a glitch.”
Instead of arguing with me, he jerked his chin toward my phone. “Call the bank and see what they say.”
Pulling up the nearest branch in my map app, I clicked on their phone number and waited for someone to answer. “Riverstone Bank, how may I help you?”
“Hello, this is Annika Lee. Could you look up a transaction for me and let me know why it didn’t clear?”
“Certainly, I’ll just need some information from you to verify your identity first.”
Glancing up at Matteo, I whispered, “Can you give me a second? She won’t tell me anything until I prove who I am.”
“Sure.”
After he stepped out of the tattoo booth, I gave her my birthdate, social security number, and address. Then she replied, “Okay, I’m pulling up the account now. Is this the check for $16,000 that we declined a few days ago?”
I opened the door so Matteo knew it was okay to come back inside. He gave a pointed look at the phone, so I put it in speaker mode as I said, “Yes, made payable to Cornerstone College.”
“I can confirm that it was rejected due to insufficient funds. You or the trustee listed on the account will need to deposit additional funds before we can approve this transaction.”
“I don’t understand. There should have been plenty of money in that account since there’s an annual disbursement from the trust’s investment portfolio on my birthday, which was only last month.”
“There would have been, except for the withdrawal of $50,000 last week.”
Her answer left me speechless. I knew that the bulk of my inheritance was in my brokerage account and the house—which I owned outright—but there was no reason for my uncle to have drawn down the balance on the trust’s checking account. And there was no reason for him to have pulled out that much money.
Matteo took the phone from my trembling fingers and demanded, “Print out statements for the past two years and have them waiting for Miss Lee. Someone will come in to pick them up for her today.”
He didn’t give the banker the chance to argue, jabbing his finger against the screen to end the call.
“We’re gonna get to the bottom of this,” he promised, grabbing his phone from the counter behind him.
I couldn’t hear what the other person said, but I assumed it was the guy he’d mentioned when he said, “Sorry to interrupt the festivities, but my girl needs a lawyer. You gotta come back on the earliest flight you can find.”
I was confused as to why he was calling me his girl but also impressed by the lengths his club brother would go to for him when he disconnected the call a moment later and said, “Ash will be here tomorrow at the latest. He and his new wife need to fly in from Vegas.”
“New wife?” I echoed, hoping he meant they got married sometime this year and were just enjoying a fun getaway together.
“Yeah, he got tired of dealing with his mother-in-law, so he and Nora eloped to Vegas without telling anyone.” He shook his head with a deep laugh. “I’m sure there’s gonna be hell to pay with her for that decision.”
My eyes widened. “And you’re making him come back early to face her?”
“Not making him do shit.” Tugging me to my feet, Matteo shrugged. “He could’ve told me to wait, but his nosy ass probably wants to get a look at you.”
“Me?” I asked, pointing at my chest.
“Who else would it be when I’ve never called anyone ‘my girl’ before you?”