Forgivable Sins (Bellandi Crime Syndicate 2)

"Sir, if you cannot control yourself then I'll have no choice but to call security, and if I feel threatened, I'll call my security as well. I can assure you; you will not find it pleasant when my husband tracks you down if I involve mine in this situation. You should take that warning very seriously, because I do not make it lightly."

He heaved a breath, standing straight even though he had no clue who my husband was. "I'll wait," he grunted, striding for the seating area.

"Wonderful." I went back to my work, ignoring the way he glowered at me as I did so.

"You seem awfully self-assured for a secretary," he commented, and I sighed before turning my attention back to him.

"I'm an Executive Assistant, not a secretary. Secretary is an outdated term that is no longer used. I could call the head of Human Resources up, if you'd like to discuss what the acceptable terms are for what Assistants do. I imagine a man like you has his own Assistant, so perhaps it would be an enlightening conversation for you," I returned with a snap that made him fight back a smile. His salt and pepper hair twinkled in the lighting when he sighed and leaned forward to drop his head into his hands.

"My wife had an affair with Mark Dobson. I want to know why Jasper doesn't keep a closer eye on his employees."

"You'll need to wait to speak with Mr. Rowe, I'm afraid. I'm not at liberty to discuss such matters with you." He fell silent, studying me intently and when Jasper escorted his client out of the office, Jasper nodded.

"Join us please," he indicated, and I sighed and pushed away from the pile of work I needed to get done.

"Right this way, Mr. Clarke," I murmured, letting him follow me into Jasper's office. As soon as we were both inside, I closed the door for privacy.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Clarke?" Jasper asked, taking his seat behind his desk. I took mine, perching on the chair that sat next to his desk and leaving Jim to claim one of the seats in front of him. My tablet in hand, I opened up my notepad and grabbed my stylus to jot down my notes quickly.

"I'd like to speak with Mark Dobson as well. I want to know why he was allowed to fuck my wife and nobody bothered to inform me!"

"Mr. Dobson is no longer an employee of Lamb & Rowe. We terminated his employment the moment Mrs. Bellandi learned of his indiscretions." I smirked at the casual way Jasper inserted my name into the conversation, a casual poke at the irate man sitting on the other side of the desk that he should remain respectful in the coming conflict.

"Mrs. Bellandi?" he asked me with an eyebrow raise.

"As in Mrs. Angelino Bellandi," I confirmed, though I hated falling back on my connection to Lino in my business hours. I also knew that anything the man did or said would eventually find its way back to Lino since everything did. I couldn't have him getting angry that I hadn't armed myself with the protection he gave in name or in the bodyguard who likely sat in a car waiting for my day to be finished. "I was the one who uncovered Mark Dobson's affair with your wife." The admission came too easily. "I run monthly checks on every employee's investments, to be sure that the time they log in matches the return we see. To be sure they continue to be the best of the best, you understand? Mr. Dobson logged a sudden increase in hours, but his numbers didn't change. So I checked the security footage to see what he was doing during the overtime hours."

Clarke swallowed, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. "And why wasn't I informed?"

"We aren't responsible for your wife's decisions, Mr. Clarke," Jasper said quietly. "We are responsible for the ethical practice of our employees, which is why Mark Dobson was fired immediately after we found the affair."

"You should still inform people of their wives affairs," Clarke protested.

"Unless we'd shown you photo evidence, which is not a pretty thing to see of one's spouse, we would run the risk of client's not believing us. It would turn ugly, and we hoped to keep the firm's name out of your marriage and divorce," Jasper explained leaning forward to place his elbows on the desk.

"If your wife isn't trustworthy, you should hire a private investigator. Not expect companies to do your dirty work for you," I snapped. "A company will always protect its own interest. You of all people should know that."

"Well this has been most unhelpful," Clarke sighed, standing. "I have a meeting with my divorce lawyer. I think you'll understand that I'll be transferring my accounts to another firm."

"I understand," Jasper said, not a hint of hesitation in his voice though I knew the loss of Clarke as a client would hurt. Jasper would recover, he always did, and the man was made of money in the meantime.

He hadn't gotten to the top of the Chicago's Most Eligible Bachelor list alongside Lino just by being handsome.

"Goodbye, Mr. Clarke." I nodded to him when he stepped out of the office without another glance our way. With a sigh, I jumped up from my seat and went back to my desk. I had more numbers to study than I even wanted to think about.

"You handled him well, Samara," Jasper said as I went. I smirked at him, because aside from a single moment of panic in the beginning, his anger and posturing hadn't intimidated me. I t

hought of how I might have reacted a few months prior and knew that healing would always be a long process.

But thanks to Lino I'd made more progress than I could have dreamed in a short time. More than I had made in months without him. The nightmares only came rarely, and I was more well-rested than I could remember being in years. Probably since the nights in school when Lino would sneak into my room and cuddle with me after his father hit him.

He was my sleep charm.

???

Lino surprised me with a date night at Angel's, and I melted at the thought of really, truly having a date with my husband. While we'd gone out a few times, it had always been casual, or business related for Lino. Angel's felt familiar, reminding me of all our lunch dates over the years where he'd brought me to the family-owned restaurant, and I wondered how many dates had passed through the same doors on his arm.

"Mr. Bellandi," the server said immediately after we took our seats, pouring fresh water into the glasses on the table. "Could I interest you in wine this evening?" Lino went about ordering wine, knowing I didn't know the first thing about it, but knowing which ones I preferred even if I couldn't keep track.