Page 89 of Heist

“Gotta keep him out of jail first,” Austin said with a wink.

When he was gone, Patrick turned to Austin. “You ready to get out of here, baby girl?”

She nodded. “How long before you have to go back to California?”

“I fly out in the morning. David’s coming into town.”

Austin’s smile was wide. “I’m so glad he’s doing better. He scared us all for a bit.”

Patrick nodded as he remembered his friend and mentor’s cancer diagnosis. He’d beaten it though and was on the verge of being able to come back to the helm of Eastman Enterprises. When he did, Patrick would gladly step aside and be his right-hand man again.

Patrick signed the check for their meal and stood with Austin. When they stepped outside, a small group of reporters accosted them. Austin repeatedly said no comment as they walked to the waiting car. When he opened the door, she leaned in and whispered. “I’m going to get a cab, or they’ll all follow us to the hotel. At least this way they have to split up.”

Patrick frowned, but Austin was already stepping away. “I’ll call you next week, Mr. Sutton,” she said loud enough for reporters to hear. Patrick shook his head and slid into the backseat. He watched in the rear window as Austin slipped into one of the many cabs parked in the waiting zone. His phone buzzed as his car pulled away.

I’ll be at your hotel in an hour. Just going to give them some time to lose interest.

It was the smart thing to do, but he’d had plans for the car ride home that involved her having him for dessert. He would just have to remind her who was in charge when she showed up at his room.

• • •

Austin and Patrick sat snuggled on the couch watching TV together three hours later. He’d forced her to her knees the second she’d stepped through his door, but now they were done playing and just enjoying each other’s company.

“I realized today that I don’t actually know that much about you,” she said. Her head was resting in his lap and she had stretched her legs over the arm of the couch.

He smiled down at her. “What would you like to know?”

“Anything you’re willing to tell me.”

Patrick chuckled. “I’m willing to tell you anything, baby girl. I just need to know what you’re looking for. I don’t want to just bore you with my life story.”

“Why the fascination with the pumpkin diamond?”

He winced. “You don’t want to start with something easy like my favorite movie or something?”

Austin laughed. “Nope.”

He sighed and trailed a finger along her jawline. “It was my mom’s diamond. That’s the only reason dad got that one. She was obsessed with Halloween. Holls and I were always dressed in crazy costumes that she made for us when we were kids and she decorated the entire house, inside and out. She had followed the history of the pumpkin for years. One day, dad brought it home. I don’t know if he stole it or bought it legally to be honest, but it thrilled mom.”

Austin felt her eyes begin to water, knowing how his mother died.

“When mom died, I wanted to take the diamond with me, but dad wouldn’t let me have it. He was just pissed that I was leaving and accusing him of having her killed. When I started working with David on lab produced diamonds, I started trying to duplicate the pumpkin as best I could. I haven’t gotten it right yet.”

Austin shifted on his lap to get into a more comfortable position. “You will. I believe in you.”

Patrick smiled. “Thanks baby girl. A lot of people believe in you too, you know.”

She closed her eyes, still not wanting to discuss this. “How did you get into business with David?” she asked, hoping to divert his attention.

His face lit up and she knew it worked. He clearly loved David. “I’m an investor at heart. I took my trust fund the day I was old enough and started investing it. I made some smart choices, and it wasn’t long before I had an impressive portfolio. I started investing in upstarts that were either in direct competition with my father or who had the potential to be with the right guidance. I met David at a tech convention where he was touting an improved way to produce diamonds in a lab.”

He paused, running a hand through his hair. “You sure you want to hear all of this? I can ramble.”

Austin nodded. “Yes, please. I think it’s all very fascinating.”

“OK. So, David has way more money than I do. That was even more true back when I met him. I think he saw me as someone he could take under his wing. That’s really David in a nutshell, always looking for people to teach and help. But I was intrigued by what he was doing with lab produced diamonds, and he was impressed with my portfolio enough to offer me a job. I didn’t really need one, but I took it because I wanted to work with him. I guess the rest is history. When he comes back to run his company, I’ll still work with him but we’re talking about branching out and trying to bring other lab producers into the fold to form a giant coalition.”

Austin didn’t completely follow everything he was saying but knew it was important to him, so she listened intently. “That all sounds really amazing.”

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