Unwilling Pawn by Measha Stone

Chapter 15

Christian

It was three in the afternoon when I finally stepped into Andrew Carnegie’s office in the loop. Before getting on the plane in a few hours with Amelia, there was one last issue to resolve. Her inheritance.

I found the attorney’s office easily enough and had the two men with me sit out in the hall. An entourage wasn’t necessary for this. After a few signatures, it should be handled.

“Mr. Kaczmarek?” The bright eyed, perky, twenty-something girl sitting at the front desk stood up as I walked into the office.

“Yes.” I glanced around at the bustling office. This wasn’t a small firm; dozens of offices lined each side of the hallway. The office took up half the floor.

“Sorry.” She blushed and lowered her lids. “I recognized you from Konrad Dudek’s boat party a few weeks ago.”

“Oh, you know Konrad?” Andrew Carnegie was Dudek’s choice of attorney, it wouldn’t be surprising that his brother used the same firm. It was a bit strange that the receptionist had been invited to his anniversary party, though.

“Yeah, I’m friends with his wife.”

That made sense. Konrad had chosen a young bride for his fourth attempt down the aisle.

“Is Andrew Carnegie ready for me?” I asked, moving on. After this meeting, I still needed to get across town and pick up Amelia. I wouldn’t entrust transporting her to the airstrip to anyone other than myself. Even after the wedding, and the small interactions we’d had afterward, I didn’t trust that she wouldn’t bolt at the first opportunity.

“Yes.” She picked up the phone and called back to another office. “They are set up for you. Just down this hall to the left, it’s the large boardroom. You’ll see it.” She smiled at me again, before grabbing the ringing telephone.

I made my way down the hall to the meeting room as she described. Most of the wall was made up of windows, making it easy enough to find. To my surprise, Kacper Dudek was standing with a middle-aged man, pudgy around the middle and thinning hair on top. I assumed he was the attorney.

They stopped talking as soon as I stepped inside. Dudek rightfully blanched at seeing me.

“Christian,” Kacper said putting up his hands and stepping backward, welding himself behind Mr. Carnegie. “I know I’ve been avoiding you.”

“You have been, yes.” I nodded. “More importantly, you’ve been avoiding your daughter.”

He swallowed.

“Mr. Kaczmarek, I think we can sort this all out in a few minutes.” Mr. Carnegie gestured to the chair nearest me along the elongated oval meeting table. Dudek scrambled to the other side, sitting down as far from me as possible.

Did the stupid man really think an office table would keep me from getting my hands on him?

“You missed your daughter’s wedding.” I tugged the cuff of my shirt from beneath my suit jacket.

Dudek sighed. “I know. But if I’d been there…” His words trailed off. “Sebastian isn’t going away quietly. He’s madder than hell that I let you have her.”

“Once we have all the papers signed, you’ll have your money to pay him back; he’ll go away then.” Unless whatever his problem with the Russians was had gotten bigger and out of control. “You should have just come to me if he was giving you problems.”

The man looked ready to cry. “It’s not just him.”

“What did you do?” A chill ran through my veins.

“Nothing,” he defended. “I did my part. I did exactly what I was supposed to do. None of this is my doing.” He slammed both palms onto the table.

“Kacper, no more.” Mr. Carnegie shut him down with a sharp glance. “Let’s get these all signed and then you’re done with all of this. The money transfers will take place, and you can go on that long vacation you wanted.”

Mr. Carnegie shoved a stack of papers toward me. “These are all the transactions that will be taking place. If you’ll just sign these, I’ll have them started and before you leave all the money will change hands.”

“Does Amelia know? Does she know about the money?” Kacper asked me as I plucked my pen from my inside pocket.

“I haven’t told her anything.” I scribbled my name on the bottom of the first page after reviewing it quickly. These forms had all been sent over to me the day before for review.

“I’d like to come see her—”

“No.” I continued to sign. “You will leave her alone.”

“I want to explain why I wasn’t there.”

“You want to tell her that you were too chicken shit to come out of hiding because you owed a slimy asshole like Sebastian Gorecki too much money? You want to tell her you all but sold her to me?” I signed the last page and flipped it all back over, shoving it back to the attorney.

“I’ll get the transfers started.” Carnegie took the papers and left us in the room. Now that he had my money, Kacper rolled his shoulders back, firming up his posture.

“He can still come at me. Even when I pay him back, he can still hurt my reputation, ruin everything I’ve built over the last twenty-two years.”

“What is it you want?” I leaned back in the chair.

“I want your protection. You’re married to my daughter, that makes us family.” He pointed a finger at me. I glared at his hand until he lowered it back to the table. “You protect family. Amelia wouldn’t want anything to happen to me.”

“Has there ever been a time in her life that you didn’t use her as a shield or a prop?” I got to my feet, buttoned my jacket. “Amelia is safe. That’s what matters to me. You’re a grown man who made his own choices.”

“Let me see her.”

“We’re leaving for New York tonight.” I made a show of checking my watch. “She can call you once we arrive, if you’ll actually take her call, that is.”

His shoulders dropped again. “I thought it was you calling.”

“You’re lucky you showed for this meeting. I was about to have my men hunt you down.” I pressed my hands into the table and leaned over in his direction. “Remember this, Kacper, I don’t need you. I have everything I want now. You mean nothing to me or my family. I’ll be sure Sebastian doesn’t kill you. But that’s the only protection you get from me. If you start making moves that put you in danger, it will be for you to figure out. I won’t come back here to help. And if anything you do puts Amelia in danger, I’ll kill you myself.”

The color drained from his face.

“All right, gentlemen.” Mr. Carnegie came back into the room, kicking the door shut with his foot. “Everything’s been transferred to the places it needs to go. Mr. Dudek has the ten million being handled discreetly through the avenues we discussed. Amelia’s inheritance from her mother has been transferred to the Kaczmarek account you specified; future payments will also be deposited into that account.”

“Future payments?” I stopped him. I hadn’t noticed anything about more money coming in.

“Yes.” Carnegie glanced toward Dudek who sank into his chair. “The inheritance continues to receive payments annually.”

“From who?” None of this was in the papers. I would have seen it. My attorney would have pointed it out.

“Unfortunately, I’m not sure. It’s been a blind transfer every year for the last twenty-two years.” Carnegie handed me an envelope. “Your copy of all the papers and transfer information.” He dropped a smaller envelope in front of Dudek. “The deposit from the trust has been made into your account. It’s a one-time transaction, you’ll receive nothing else after this.”

Dudek nodded and slid the envelope toward him.

“So, someone has been paying into the inheritance? Is it her mother’s family?” As far as I was aware her mother came from old money. Old investments that kept each generation afloat, and thanks to the markets, increased their worth every year.

“I honestly don’t know, Mr. Kaczmarek,”

“You. Tell me.” I pointed to Dudek.

He shrugged. “I…I don’t know either.”

He was lying.

“I think we’ve finished everything we needed to do.” Carnegie clapped his hands and rubbed his palms together. A sure sign he wanted me gone.

I grabbed the envelope from the table. “Don’t go into hiding.” I pointed at Dudek.

“Tell Amelia…” The words died away on his tongue. He shook his head and got up from the table, tucking his little envelope into his back pocket. “Just keep her safe.”

“As long as she’s away from you, I think that shouldn’t be too difficult to do.”

I gave the attorney a nod, then left the office. The receptionist waved her fingers at me as I passed her desk.

“Let’s go.” My men fell into step with me as we headed to the elevator. “I want eyes put on Dudek. I want him watched at all times from now on. I don’t trust him.”

I stepped into the elevator, they followed.

“We’ll get it taken care of. Darek called while you were in there. The plane’s ready whenever you are.”

“Good. Let’s get home, get my wife, and get the fuck out of Chicago.”