Chapter Ten
Jake
Ichecked in at theFour Seasons Hotel into one of their best suites until I figured out what my steps would be. I didn't want to commit to an apartment, not even to one of the condos we owned. Bottom line, I was not planning on staying in Boston that long. I was going to tell Danielle to continue the search for a CEO.
The next morning, I went to the office at seven o’clock on the dot. I needed to catch up with everything right away. My team back in New York didn't appear surprised by my decision. In fact, Ben seemed to be very excited about the prospect of leading the company for a couple months. This was his chance to prove himself. I’d have daily calls with them, and I’d talk to our biggest customers myself, even though that meant even longer work hours than I was used to. It didn't matter. I was in Boston to work and make sure Grandfather was healthy and got back on his feet as soon as possible, nothing else.
And to keep Natalie safe,a voice chimed in my mind.
Jesus, I had to stop obsessing over her. She'd repeatedly insisted she was fine, but all my instincts told me she'd only done so to appease me. I knew the signs. She'd tried to smile, but it faltered, she couldn't even muster the energy to tease me, and she'd turned completely pale when she saw the letter at her home. Recognizing the handwriting had been enough to throw her off.
Whatever it was between her and that jackass, it wasn't fine.
My driver stopped in front of the building’s big entrance. Betty was in charge of hiring drivers for me wherever I went. So far, I had no complaints about Cal and tipped him well.
Stepping out of the car, I took in the structure. It had been years since I’d stepped inside Whitley Advertising. It was in downtown Boston, near City Hall. I recognized the steakhouse next to the entrance; it had been here thirteen years ago too.
Gabe and Cade were meeting me here. Gabe was the most up-to-date with everything that went on at Whitley Advertising, and Cade had advised my grandfather and the team as well a couple times.
Whitley Advertising was a force in its industry, but the bigger you were, the faster you failed, and the more dire the cash flow problems could get even from a minor miscalculation. I hadn't had the chance to review the company's books, but I already had an inkling of what I'd find there. I always started with the books. Numbers didn't lie. Sometimes people tried to cover up their mistakes, but I knew how to dig deep and uncover everything.
My brothers were already waiting for me at the entrance.
"Ha, told you we'd manage to get here before him," Gabe said.
"Yeah, but you woke me up at the crack of dawn," Cade said, sipping his coffee. He'd always had an unhealthy addiction to it, even before taking over The Boston Coffee Expert.
“When do you usually start your day? Is it nine?”
“Yes,” Cade exclaimed proudly. “It’s my golden rule. No one’s allowed to bother me earlier. Present company excluded.”
How the hell did he get anything done if he only started work at nine?
“We’re honored,” Gabe said dryly before clapping my shoulder. "Welcome to Whitley Advertising, brother. Would you like a tour first, or do you remember where things are?"
"I want to take a look at the books," I said.
Cade jerked his head back. "Dude, you can't come storming in. You need to meet and greet the team, introduce yourself, stuff like that."