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When Jonah gave Dane the opportunity to work for hie to study business and hospitality ement, he’d taken up the offer Reluctant at first, he’d vowed one day to le le like his mom did just to barely survive
His mother lied to him about his real father and told him that his father died before he was born Dane should have been a Bel side of the sheets Hislady at one of the Belmont hotels One of the three jobs she worked to support his older brother—and then Dane His hty Jonah Elias Bel his child Jonah was going through a divorce at the time
So why did Dane even give a damn about Jonah?
Because when he looked Jonah in the eyes when he found out the truth and asked him point-blank why the hell he left his mother with a child to raise on her own, the words he spoke ended his refusal to forgive—or even speak to the man “I’m so sorry, Dane I didn’t know you existed If I did, I would have raised you the way I raise all my kids You’re a part of me and you deserve the best”
I didn’t know you existed Like a haunting echo, the words lingered in Dane’s mind
Dane could forgive that, but only that Not the fact that his father was a rich woe of his help, but the fact that he was genuinely sorry he didn’t know about the pregnancy
Was hisJonah because of his hard reputation in the business?
Dane’s curiosity was piqued He wondered about his other “legitis, there was so about him that made it difficult for Dane to turn his back
“You okay, Dane?” Chase, his half-brother, walked into his office “Stella said so on?”
“I’m about to find out, bro”
“I see adown the screen of his smartphone
“He’s probably trying to round us all up soon Aunt Maya called, hysterical She said she overheard hies at the hotel This ti the oncologist?”
Chase shook his head “You know I’ve been away for while, Dane I’ossip vine”
“Yeah, of course,” Dane said “This ti the brass bucket from the museum to put his wishes in”
“You mean his last wishes?”
“That’s what I’ to what Aunt Maya said, he’s putting his list in there”
“Tell me about it Do Cole and Leo know?”
“They’re at the other site I just sent them a text”
“Good”
Of all the half-brothers on his father’s side he’d come to know over the last few years, Dane felt closer to Chase, the black sheep of the family, the outsider Each of his brothers on his father’s side had different es They were all born in wedlock, except Dane
Jonah kept having kids as long as he was in a relationship
Dane paused at the door
“Settle down and have kids before it gets too late, son What are you and your brothers waiting for?” Like a haunting whisper, his father’s words swept into his mind If Dane waited until he was in his fifties or sixties, he h time to spend with his children or the woman of his dreams…
Private detective, JoJo Knight, weaved through traffic to make his way over to the Belmont Palace
“I thought you were no longer detecting,” his business partner, Travis, said “You gave that up to focus on the business, reency but you’re supposed to be focusing on the Security Syste up, JoJo You can’t mess around with that Millions of custoet Man, that thing is taking off and hitting the Web big time”
“I know…” JoJo was grateful to have his side business take off After working on so h profile clients, involving scandalous tapes, kidnapping as well as extortion attes, he’d developed an affordable security tracking device that could be hidden on persons, or kids by parents who feared for their safety He already had a tea the customer service division and product development But JoJo wasn’t really hands-on with that stuff Heproblems for his clients
“Well, you knohat they say, you can take the detective out of a job…” JoJo started
“But you can’t take the detective out of a man,” Travis finished for him