Balotelli-Bale Series Book #4: THE OTHER MAN PART 1

Chapter 8: Picked Up

A/n: New Chapter

"...a man with something to lose
is a vulnerable man..."

Nick's POV
I started attending board meetings when I was twelve years old. Helena would make me sit quietly and listen. As I got older she made sure I was taking notes. By the time I was eighteen, I would be expected to make presentations and participate. On some days, she would let me be the CEO for a day. She still had a leash around my neck but there's no better way to learn than to be thrown into the deep end and be left to figure things out.

Helena and I have history, bitter sweet but history nonetheless.

I don't like meetings. It's just something a man in my position has to do. I would rather be somewhere else with this beauty next to me.

This man who is supposed to be paying attention to this meeting is just as distracted as I am. He is paying attention to Keira. I don't like the way he's looking at her. I know the look because I look at her that way too. She's such a beauty. She's a sweetheart. Who wouldn't want her.

"Why don't you get me a drink?" I whispered into her ear.

"Yes." She agreed and promptly left the meeting.

I tapped my fingers on the table. "Isn't she a sight for sore eyes?"

"She is." He agreed. He's one of th investors. The other three are paying attention. "Aren't you married Nick?"

"My personal life is none of your business. But let me be clear about something. She's spoken for and you need to stay in your lane."

"It sounds like you're threatening me."

"Would you look at that! Your ears work great! So let's make sure your eyes do too. Look at her one more time and I'll gorge your eyes out with this spoon. Do you want to test my limits?"

He tucked his finger inside the collar of his shirt.

When Kei came back, he ceased all eye contact. We finished the meeting smoothly and I couldn't wait to leave the table. I almost want to hide her so that she can be my beautiful little secret.

"Nick, what's wrong?" She asked me.

What's wrong is that Helena caught Ferrer in a lie. The woman went to the hospital, scrubbed in for surgery and caught Ferrer in the middle of surgery. I don't even know how she got in there but she did. It explains the lengths she will go to just to catch me in a lie.

Now she wants to meet and if I don't show up, she is firing my ass. She wants to meet tonight. I cannot meet her tonight. She's not part of the itinerary. I want to take Kei to Cuba. We will spend the night there, hopefully, a hot spicy night. Helena isn't in the picture. My priorities are officially screwed up.

"Nothing." I answered.

"You seem irritated."

"I am. But it's nothing."

The elevator is a few floors shy of the ground floor. I want to send her home so that I can take care of some personal business. "Who is Helena?"

"What?"

"The woman who keeps calling you. Her name is Helena. Your wife's name is Margaux. So who is Helena?" She pressed a button to stop the elevator. "Most people who look at me, think I'm shallow. I hope that is not what you are thinking Mr Bale. I understand more than what people expect me to. You obviously didn't need me in any of the meetings we have had all week. You just wanted an excuse to have me in Miami. You wanted me here for reasons you won't admit."