Perhaps it wasn’t karma kicking him in the ass for being a twat while he was growing up and staying that way well into his twenties.

Maybe he got off on the pain.

He put Bernadette out of his head and was about to make a call when she showed at his door again ten minutes later.

“Goin’ out to get coffee, want one?” she asked.

“Got a meet with Hawk in half an hour, I’ll be gone before you get back, so no,” he answered.

“Feel like springin’ for coffee for me and all the boys?” she pushed. “It’ll be a write off. Not to mention team building.”

He sighed and did what he did a lot with Bernadette because apparently he did get off on the pain.

“Hit petty cash.”

“Gotcha,” she muttered, grinning and swinging back out only to twirl around in the hall and catch his gaze again. “Oh, yeah, and that Ralphie guy said the painting is from some woman named Olivia Shade.”

Nick went still.

Bernie kept talking.

“So, totally a sales call. You don’t know any Olivia Shade.”

“What was the gallery again?” he asked, his voice so low it seemed it made no noise.

Apparently, it didn’t.

“Come again?” she asked.

“The gallery,” he bit out. “What’s the name?”

Her head twitched. “Do you know an Olivia Shade?”

Nick leveled his eyes on her.

“No,” he stated firmly, her eyes flared and he knew she took his meaning which finally reminded him of why he’d hired her. “Now tell me the name of the fucking gallery.”

“It’s called Art,” Bernadette answered. “That one downtown. Close to Larimer Square.”

“Thanks,” he replied, turning to his laptop.

She disappeared from the door.

Nick found Art’s website and the number. He called it.

“Art, Ralphie speaking,” a man answered.

“Ralphie…” Fuck…was an adult male seriously allowing himself to be called that name? “This is Nick Sebring. My assistant—”

“Well thank goodness, Mr. Sebring,” Ralphie interrupted. “I’m so glad you called. You must have this piece. It’s fabulous and dying for a new home. Ms. Shade seemed rather taken with it for you. Though, it’s large and part of our service includes delivery and installation. So I’ve got my calendar open right here and if we can—”

“Tonight, five thirty,” Nick declared.

“Oh…well, let me see. I can—”

“Tonight,” Nick said. “Five thirty.”

There was a brief pause before, “Of course, Mr. Sebring. Tonight. Five thirty.”

“Right, do you need my address?”

“If you don’t mind.”

Nick gave it to him. Then Nick exchanged only the briefest of pleasantries before he hung up on him.

After that, he ignored the tight in his chest and went to his meeting.

* * * * *

5:57 – That Evening

“I see Ms. Shade has an eye,” Ralphie stated.