Crude Heir (Billionaire Heirs #3)

Chapter 25

Derrick

The wide, two-story, Spanish-style home is nestled in the middle of nowhere, commanding the attention of anyone who comes upon it.

I lean in, glancing around Addler. “This is one hell of a place.”

Addler scans the area as we pull up in front of a solid-looking gate. “It’s what my family’s called home for three generations.”

Once again, I’m reminded that my best friend is the sole heir of his family fortune. Clearly, they’ve made the best of “old money” as people call it.

“You doing okay?” I ask.

Nicole looks into the inky darkness then turns, giving me a brave smile. “I wouldn’t say no to a hand I can hold onto.”

Obviously, she’s determined to walk on her own. I take her hand, letting her make her way slowly into the house.

“Why don’t you drop off the bags while Nicole and I head to the kitchen?” Elena suggests.

“That sounds like a good idea,” I agree.

Addler glances down the hall. “The bedrooms are upstairs,” he says, his brow furrowed in concern. “We can move a bed down to the library so Nicole can more around.”

“Please, don’t go to any trouble,” she pleads.

I appreciate his concern but shake my head, just the same. “I can help her up and down the stairs. It’s only one night anyway.”

“All right, this way.” I follow him down the hallway as the girls disappear into another part of the house.

We arrive at the room we’ll be sleeping in tonight. The heavy wooden furniture with the matching bedframe takes up a good portion of the room. The carpet is plush enough to have your feet sink in with every step. “Heaven.”

“It is that.” Addler grins. “The controls for the blackout curtains are over here on the wall.” He points to the panel in question. “You also have temperature control right beside it.”

I set the bag down on the dresser, following Addler’s lead. “Like I said, heaven.”

“There are toiletries in the cabinet, along with towels. Just let me know if there’s anything else you need.”

“This is more than enough.” I glance around at the size of the room. I can only imagine what the master bedrooms look like. “We’ll see how Nicole’s doing once she has some ice on her foot.” Not that she’s the type to complain, even if she is in pain. “If she’s good, we can go back out if you’re up to it.”

Addler ponders it for a minute. “We should leave it for tomorrow. If we show up now, it’ll probably spook the guys on-site.”

“Okay,” I reply, trying to keep disappointment out of my voice.

“Though we don’t tend to have issues on the ranch, we’re still in cartel country,” he explains.

“That didn’t even cross my mind,” I admit.

“During the day, it shouldn’t be a problem. But having a truck come in at night will put everyone on alert. The only way around it is if security calls that we’re coming. Either way, it’ll call attention to us, and you said you wanted to keep it on the down-low.”

“Yeah, I’d prefer to stay under the radar as long as possible,” I agree, understanding the concern.

“It’s settled, then. We’ll tackle this in the morning. Now come on.” He turns toward the door. “Let’s see how the girls are doing.”

* * *

Nicole

I gingerly set my foot up on the kitchen chair Elena positioned to act as a makeshift stool. “Only I would have my foot go sideways on a flat surface,” I grumble, adjusting the single-use, instant ice pack over my swollen ankle.

Elena gives a hearty chuckle, a twinkle in her eye. “Not by a long shot, sister.” She leans her forearm on the back of the chair. “But in all honesty, the wind out here can knock a girl over. You might want to wear pants tomorrow so you don’t end up giving someone an unexpected show.”

And my only pair is folded over the office chair in my bedroom, courtesy of one angry Derrick Stockton. “I didn’t pack any,” I admit sheepishly.

“Jeans should be fine. They aren’t really strict on dress code here.”

“I’m afraid all I brought with me are dresses and skirts.”

Elena sizes me up thoughtfully. “I might have something that will fit you,” she offers, her voice carrying a friendly note.

I take a deep breath, already anticipating how Derrick is going to react. I can always pair them with a long blouse over the jeans Elena lends me and see what he thinks. I’ll keep the possibility of flashing someone as a reserve. “That would be great. I think it’s the only chance I have of keeping up with everyone tomorrow.”

“I’ve got you covered.” She straightens. “Oh, I didn’t even think to ask. Would you like something to drink?” She swings her wrist back to indicate the refrigerator. “If you want something stronger, I know there’s a wine room Addler’s very proud of...um, somewhere.”

I blink at her comment about the wine cellar, I presume, being somewhere . Maybe I misunderstood what was said, but I thought she and Addler were together-together. “That’s okay, I’m not much on wine.”

“Just as well, I’m not sure if I could figure out which door leads to that room.” She gives a nervous hitch of her shoulder. “This place is still fairly new to me.”

“Water would do just fine,” I reply quickly, not knowing how to explain that I shouldn’t have alcohol, just in case.

“There’s also Coke and Diet Coke,” she says, turning toward the large, brushed steel refrigerator.

Which lightens my mood considerably. “A Diet Coke sound’s even better.”

“Here you go.” She sets a can down beside me and opens one for herself. “Mayela, Addler’s housekeeper, is off today so I made a quick guisado earlier, when we dropped off my stuff. It’s in the Crock-Pot, keeping warm for when the guys come down. There’s also plenty of rice left over from yesterday.”

The meaty scent makes my mouth water. I start up a conversation, afraid my stomach is going to rumble and embarrass me. I hadn’t even been hungry until I smelled her cooking.

“So you and Addler, it’s a fairly recent thing?” I ask, trying to sound casual. Somehow I’d feel more at ease knowing I’m not the only one still getting used to the man in her life.

“Well…” She hesitates, her lips parting for a bit before she says anything.

I sit up straighter, sensing I’ve crossed a line I didn’t know about. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”

“No, it’s fine, just a little complicated.” A blush creeps up her cheeks. “Technically, we’ve known each other since high school, but things changed when he bought the company.”

“You work for Kelly Oil & Gas, too?” I ask, delighted. “I work in the accounting department at the Houston office.”

“Oh.” She seems to relax, having found common ground. “Yes, I came in to help Bill do some cleanup.” She shakes her head. “The lady he had coding was a hot mess.”

Which explains the endless amount of re-coding Derrick and I discussed.

“Did you offer our guest a drink?” Our conversation is interrupted by Addler’s voice booming in from the doorway.

“Yes, I’m good.” I hold up my can of Diet Coke.

“We have a wine cellar,” he offers. “And I can fix something stronger if you’d prefer. We also—” He reaches into the fridge.

“No,” Derrick calls out in a protective voice from somewhere down the hall. “No alcohol for her.”

Addler raises an eyebrow, his lips forming a wry smile as he hands Derrick a beer bottle.

“Turns out,” Derrick says as he opens the bottle, “the first thing places run out of during a storm, are condoms.” His eyes twinkle mischievously.

My cheeks heat up. “Derrick,” I plead, in a harsh whisper. I press my lips together, silently praying for patience.

“And,” he continues, undeterred, “I wasn’t about to stop—”

“Derrick!” I snap, wanting to sink into the floor.

Addler chuckles, putting his arm around Elena. “Same here, with the not about to stop,” he adds with a knowing grin.

“I did wish you luck with your girl.” Derrick grins, holding out the bottle neck in a toast.

Elena, holding up her Diet Coke, chimes in, “Came to work on Friday, ended up trapped for the weekend.” She gives Addler a sharp glance out of the corner of her eyes. “And likely went home Sunday with a bun in the oven.” She holds up her Diet Coke for a mock toast. I raise my can to her, the awkwardness disappearing.

“Same,” I mouth.

“Yeah, I stopped that shit real quick.” Addler takes a drink from his beer.

Elena elbows him playfully. “I was already home,” she points out.

“You weren’t going to be there for long,” he assures her. “A de Marco belongs on the ranch.”

“You don’t even know if I’m pregnant.” Yet she chose a nonalcoholic drink as well.

“The way we were going at it—”

“Addler.” Now it’s her turn to keep her man from oversharing.

He chuckles. “It’s always been you, baby,” he says in a more serious tone. Elena dips her chin then turns to him. The look they exchange speaks to their shared history and maybe feelings that are still a little too new to define.

Tears prick behind my eyes. I glance away, blinking rapidly, as they share a kiss. To have someone who cares that much, waiting for you half their life, then suddenly claiming… I smile to myself. I guess I have some of that. My own whirlwind cupping the back of my head when he comes down for a kiss.

“Let’s get everyone fed,” Elena suggests. “Can you get some plates for us?” she asks Addler, pulling him away from the table.

“Elena says she’s been helping Bill Connors correct the coding on their invoices,” I inform Derrick, hoping to put his mind at ease. He nods, visibly relieved.

Elena opens the fridge, pulling a container out and removing the lid before putting it in the microwave. “The admin he had wasn’t coding correctly so a lot of what the guys sent up was wrong. But we’re almost done getting it all cleaned up.”

Addler nods approvingly as he pulls plates from a cabinet. “Never thought I’d be so damn grateful for someone else’s incompetence.”

By that, I assume he means it’s what brought Elena back into his life.

“So did you find anything in the coding?” I ask Elena.

“No.” She stops, spoon in the air as she’s about to serve. “Everything was wacked because the girl was choosing the wrong codes. But the documents are signed by our leads and the field tickets are signed by the field guys.”

I chew on my lip, pondering the possibilities.

“What are you thinking?” Derrick asks, looking over at me curiously.

“Well, the work Elena did might clear up a lot,” I say, distracted with the possibility of being able to finish the review before the end of the night.

“How?” he asks.

“If Elena can verify that Bill’s approvals are legitimate expenses, then I can exclude all those she coded.”

Elena puts the plate down. “Yes, he confirmed all those. I can go back and check the high-dollar invoices that were forwarded to him, just in case.”

I turn to Addler. “And I assume you trust Bill Conners?”

He nods. “With my life,” he affirms confidently.

“Think you can bring him in to help tomorrow morning?” Derrick suggests. “We have a lot of area to cover.”

“I can arrange that.” Addler pulls out his cell.

“We can set up at the table once we’re done,” Elena offers, filling another dinner plate. “That’s where I’ve been working the last few days.”

Anticipation bubbles up inside me. Having this kind of support after the boss dismissed the information I provided is empowering and terrifying at the same time. With any luck, we’ll get everything sorted out tomorrow.