Page 33 of Savage Suit

“No, but—”

“Would you have wanted those charges on your record for the rest of your life?”

“No, but—”

“Exactly. Might I remind you—the repairs would’ve been unnecessary if you’d been sober?”

“Sober?” he scoffed. “I wasn’t drinking and driving. I smoked a fucking joint.”

“A damn strong one.”

“Weed and alcohol aren’t in the same category. You can get addicted to booze. That doesn’t happen with Mary Jane.”

I managed not to cringe at his slang and refused to get into the cannabis versus alcohol debate with him again. “You’re lucky you didn’t kill yourself or someone else. So, I’ll ask you again: What the hell do you want? I’m a remarkably busy man, and I don’t have the time to act like your end goal isn’t money or a favor from me.”

“Fine. I want a job.”

At his announcement, I narrowed my eyes, searching for signs that he was high or had hit his head or anything that might explain his foray into responsibility. “You can find one. There are always positions open in Manhattan.”

“At our company, jackass,” he told me with no small degree of resentment.

Once more, I stared at him, lost for words.

“Well, your company,” he amended dryly, “since you’re the majority shareholder. I’ve always been good at math. I can put my talents to use in the finance department. Since Nick is CFO, you wouldn’t have to see my handsome mug daily. I’m sure you’ll like that.”

I let the comment slide. “You’re a borderline weed addict and alcoholic,” I said, my tone brooking no room for a counter. “You fill your days with stupid shit and jump from woman to woman. I recall you saying you’re proud to be rich and jobless. So, please tell me, what’s changed?”

“That’s all true, but I want to change,” Nathaniel said, his tone as earnest as his look. “Last month’s incident put things into perspective, and…” He trailed off and glanced away.

Worrying about what he’d say next, I tensed.

He paused and drew in a deep breath. “And I got that girl pregnant,” he blurted, barely meeting my gaze. “She wants to keep it, and I don’t want to be a deadbeat dad, so I’m trying to get my shit together.”

In moments, a range of emotions slid through me. Concern. Nathaniel wasn’t ready for fatherhood. Outrage. He went from woman to woman, so covering his cock was a no-brainer to me. Shock. He’d been stupid enough to get trapped. Most of all, worry. An innocent child would have parents with dangerous lifestyles. “Jesus Christ.”

Logically, one of his women turning up pregnant had been bound to happen with how Nathaniel lived, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. Still, I was. I couldn’t picture the man before me responsible for a helpless human being. He could barely care for himself.

“What do you mean by ‘that girl’?”

He drew his brows together. “The one I borrowed the Ferrari for,” he responded. “Alessia. Her best friend was too fucking demanding, so I called Alessia to talk. We met at Tiffany’s the next day, then went to lunch for a long heart-to-heart. We patched things up and decided to give it another shot. For the baby.”

I played purposely dumb. “Where does Tiffany live?”

Nate scowled at me. “Tiffany and Co., jackass,” he said tightly, thrusting his fingers through his hair. “Alessia was already pregnant. When I saw her earlier today, she said she’s seven weeks along.”

“Get a DNA test,” I stated flatly.

He shook his head. “I’ve put Alessia through enough. She’s a good girl, and I refuse to insult her by implying she’s been unfaithful to me.”

“I’ll arrange it.”

“No.” A muscle ticked in his jaw before he leaned closer. “She was a virgin,” he whispered. “We dated for three entire months before she allowed me into her bed. Three months ago, I was her first when she did,” he reiterated. “I’ve never slept with a girl who hadn’t had sex before, especially an almost thirty-year-old, but there was a lot of blood, and there was pain, leaving no doubt about her honesty.”

Not only was Nathaniel irresponsible, but he was a stupid motherfucker. Admittedly, I’d never had a virgin before, so I didn’t know much about what had happened, but my brother’s story didn’t add up. Instinct told me this Alessia had played my brother for a goddamn fool.

“Let me get this straight. You dumped her best friend, who you dumped Alessia for, to get back with her after you got her pregnant?”

“I thought I dumped Karol. In the week we were together, I spent more on her than I have in the six months I’ve known Alessia. But she told Karol about her pregnancy before she told me. Knowing Alessia carried my child, Karol morphed into a demanding harridan and left when she discovered Alessia’s pregnancy.”