Going Down Hard (Billionaire Bad Boys 3)

“Mr. West, Evan Mann. Is this a good time to talk?

“It is.”

“I did some digging, although to be honest with you, it didn’t take much. Spencer Storms doesn’t bother to cover his tracks.”

Derek narrowed his gaze. “What did you find?”

“Your boy likes to scam women. Left a trail of broken hearts and empty wallets wherever he went. And the women were all too happy to talk about him and what he stole from them.”

“Interesting.”

“Now, back home, that’s another story. And since I can’t believe he only behaves that way abroad, I’m guessing he covers his tracks better in the United States. That’s what I’ve got for you so far. In a nutshell. Details to follow in a report. Want me to keep digging?” he asked, speaking in his gravelly voice.

Derek picked up a pen and tapped it against the desk. “Keep looking. And thanks.”

Derek leaned back in thought. Something was bothering him about Cassie’s brother, but he couldn’t put his finger on what. So he pushed it aside, knowing it would come to him when the time was right.

He shut down his desktop just as Lucas walked into the room.

“Hey,” Derek said, bracing his hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair. “Long fucking day.”

“No kidding.” Lucas dropped into the chair across from Derek’s desk. “When technology works, it’s brilliant. When it fails…”

“Epic pain in the ass.” Derek grinned. “Well, it’s all sorted out now. So. Are you ready to get married?”

It was Lucas’s turn to push back and brace his hands behind his head in a relaxed, happy state. “I can’t wait.”

“Good. I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you.” Lucas grinned.

“So I just heard from the PI.”

“Really. What’d he find?”

Derek filled Lucas in on Spencer’s history of fleecing women. “I feel like there should be warning bells going off, but I can’t figure out what I’m missing.”

Lucas grunted. “You’ll figure it out. Do you know what you’re hoping to find?”

“Damned if I know. Right now I’m just following my gut. But if I can find anything that becomes an issue with him running the company, even better.”

“So you can take over?” Lucas leaned forward in his chair.

“Maybe.” Or so Cassie could.

Derek knew how much that opportunity meant to her. How badly she wanted to save her grandfather’s company and make him proud. The better he got to know her, the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted that for her too.

Lucas studied him. “You’re softening. Because of Cassie.”

“Maybe I am.”

“She’s good for you, then. I like seeing you happy,” his friend said.

“Can’t say I mind it myself.” Derek’s phone buzzed with a text message.

Miss me? It was Cassie.

Always, he wrote back. Which, he was surprised to realize, was true.