Chapter 81

Book:Stanton Completely(Stanton #3) Published:2024-6-2

He swallows as he thinks and then his eyes flick to me again.
“Well, why are they wired to fuck so damn well?” he snaps.
I smile and shake my head as I stare out the window. “I don’t know, but I know it will do you over if you let it.”
His eyes stay on the road. “I’m not letting it,” he replies.
“So is that why she’s at home in your bed with her guard outside your house instead of mine?” I reply.
“She’s going crazy in that fishbowl,” he snaps.
“You think I’m not?” I reply. “All I want is my house to myself with Natasha and I currently have seven extra people staying with me and a very bad case of Jerry Springer playing out before my eyes.”
“Bridget and Abbie are looking at some apartments this afternoon,” Ben replies.
“Good,” I reply.
“Are you going with them?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No, I’m staying with you. Their guards can take them. I think Tash wants to go along.”
I frown. “I don’t like Natasha being out and about on her own without me or you with her. It makes me jumpy.”
He nods. “Me too,” he replies.
“Has there been any news on Coby Allender?” I ask. “That sick bastard makes my blood run cold.”
“I’m due to call them on any updates of the case today,” he mutters as we turn into the carpark of my office.
“Call them first thing. I want to know what’s happening.” I sigh. God, I’m just so sick of this bullshit.
He nods and we make our way to the office.
The day has been uneventful. Adrian is killing me with emails and details. He saunters into my office. “Have you put any thought into that conference in London?”
I shake my head as I open his fortieth email this morning. “No.” I don’t look up from my screen.
“You ok?” he asks and I lift my eyes to meet his.
I shrug and shake my head. “I don’t think I have ever been so shocked in my life as I am at this newest revelation. I can’t get my head around it,” I reply in a monotone.
“Me too.” He sighs. “You should have seen Natasha with your mum last night.”
I frown. “What happened?” I ask.
“We were out for dinner and Tash rang Nicholas and I was talking to him.” I smirk and he rolls his eyes at me. “Tash rang your mother to check on her and she didn’t sound too well so Natasha hauled us all to the other side of town to find her. You should have seen the hotel she was staying at. It was atrocious.”
“God.” I sigh as guilt fills me. “Transfer her some money today. It makes me sick what that bastard has done.”
“Natasha took one look at your mother and her psychologist instincts kicked in.” He shrugs. “She’s very good at her job, Joshua. You should see her in action.” He smiles softly.
“I would hate to think what could have happened,” I whisper as I hit the delete button repeatedly. “If you guys didn’t go to her when you did. Thanks for going with Tash.”
“Can you find me a male version of Natasha please?” he mutters as he sits on my desk.
I smile. “If there were any other versions of Natasha around, male or female, I would want them too,” I reply.
“Greedy bastard.” Adrian smirks. “Don’t forget we have Laura’s wedding down the coast this weekend.”
I frown. “Shit.” I blow out a breath. “Really? That’s this weekend?” I shake my head. “I don’t have the energy to go to a wedding. I hate fucking weddings.”
“Yeah, well you are. I’ve done the gifts and you and Tash are staying the night on Sean’s yacht in the bay,” he replies.
I smirk. “Murph, what would I do without you?” I ask.
He looks at me deadpan. “I hate to think.”
I swing on my chair as I look out the window, deep in thought, and Adrian puts some files away in my filing cabinet.
“Oh and you bought that house next to Willowvale. You will need to go down and sign the contracts on Thursday or Friday,” he replies.
My eyes meet his. “What’s her go? Why would she want to live next door to me?”
Adrian shakes his head as he continues filing. “I don’t know, something to do with that big cock of yours probably,” he mutters dryly as he slams a drawer shut.
I throw my pencil at him as I lean back and put my feet on my desk. “You’re an imbecile.” I sigh.
Ben walks in. “We’ve got a problem,” he snaps.
I put my head back onto my chair. “Enlighten me, Ben, on which problem this is about. The shit around here just gets better and better by the day.” I sigh as I blow out a deep breath.
“I just rang the prison and Coby Allender had a visitor on the weekend.”
Adrian frowns and stops what he is doing.
“And?” I reply.
He throws some photos onto the desk. “It’s the dude that broke into Natasha’s apartment.”
My face drops and I sit up immediately.
“I sent the security vision through to them this morning and it’s him. It’s fucking him.”