“I thought you should know she’s applying for another birth certificate. Or was trying. I stopped it of course.”
“Dammit. Why now?”
“I don’t know. You also need to know that she’s living back in Ontario.”
“What? Where?”
“I’m still checking on that. I happened to catch her as she was applying. My first thought was to shut her down quickly. I never really thought about her address. Sorry.”
“Jesus. Get me that information. I want Tarin found. I want her brought to me before she causes more problems.”
“Oh?” Cal felt sick to his stomach. This was what he’d wanted to avoid.
“I’ll straighten her out. A little time with me and she’ll start acting accordingly, doing as I ask. Find her, bring her back. I want this to end.”
“Yes sir. I’ll find her.” Long after the call had ended, he sat immobile. What if Cal found her and then HE didn’t want him around anymore? The streets were a great place to learn to look after oneself but there was no way he was going back to that way of life. The man that had saved him and had told him he was the son he’d never had but always wanted. But the truth was that nothing ever replaced blood ties.
He clicked on his computer and opened his emails. He flipped through the twenty or so that he normally got. All were from different websites where he’d registered to receive their information. He clicked to open a few more in an effort to distract himself more than anything else. The next thing he knew his monitor was displaying a blaring message that read that his computer was locked because he’d been caught performing cybercrimes and if he didn’t pay within a short period of time, the RCMP would be at his door to arrest him.
“Son-of-a-bitch.” He wanted to chuck the damn laptop across the room but managed to stop himself. Someone had sent him a ransomware virus. Standing, he kicked his chair which spun into the far corner, slamming against the bookshelf. His prized bronze statue of a bum lying on a bench, a reminder of what he wasn’t going back to, tumbled off the shelf and landed with a loud thump on the floor. “Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.”
He didn’t bother to pick it up. For the most part it would be okay but it would be marred. Everything in his life was marred by her. The only bright light had been that things hadn’t been going well with her for a while. Not that he’d shared any of that. But now he wasn’t sure where she’d gone. She could show up on her daddy’s doorstep tomorrow but he wanted to make sure that didn’t happen. That it never happened again. What if she did go home and was ready to be daddy’s girl? Or worse, bring him—the one person that could really destroy his future faster than she could.
Clenching his fists, he focused his attention on controlling the anger that had gotten him into more trouble than he cared to remember. He was not going to let it destroy his future. He reminded himself how important he was to Mr. J; without him, the man and his business would both be lost. He was the reason Mr. J was doing so well. Besides, he’d make sure he was able to acquire that other winery he wanted. There’s no way he’d get rid of him. Tarin’s return would change nothing. After a few minutes, he felt a little calmer. The first thing he needed to do was get his computer fixed, so grabbing it, he headed out the door to find a repairman.