That's Not What I Wanted To Hear

(Damon's POV)

"Sir, Mr. Moore has arrived. Would you like him to come in?" Stacey asked over the phone.

"Yes." I responded.

"Very well." Her voice came through once more.

"Thank you." I placed the phone back down and waited for Justin to make his entrance. We had a few things that we needed to go over for today.

The office doors opened and he came inside. He took a seat in front of me. "It's been a minute. How are things with the new baby?" He asked.

"None of your business." I spoke coldly. "Just to be clear here Justin, you're only my accomplice here. It doesn't mean that we're on good terms. You don't get to know anything about my family."

"I understand." He nodded. "Can you at least tell me if my grandfather knows I'm still here."

"He doesn't." I answered. "He bought the whole act of having you gone. Everything seems to be going according to plan."

I may have not exactly been in my right mind when I first approached Justin, but I stood by it. We made a deal and I wasn't one to go back on my word. Besides, he had been behaving so far. Once we were done here I would make sure he didn't return until Ava was on her deathbed.

"Good." He spoke. "So do you want to share your information first or do you want me to go first?"

I pulled a file out of my desk drawer that I kept locked. "I'll go first." I proceeded to open the file and pull out the papers I had acquired.

"Do you know who it is yet?" Justin seemed a little on edge to learn the information that I had about who his real father was.

"I don't know who it is but I have a few people narrowed down. It seems that Ava would pretty much spread her legs for anyone who came from a family with money." I proceeded to inform him. "I did narrow it down to about four possibilities."

"Who?" He looked curious to learn who his potential father had been.

I passed over the documents. "William Zalenski, Cody Judd, Jacob Stiles or Trent Welch are the ones I have narrowed it down to."

He looked through all of the pictures. These men all had similar features. Dark hair and dark eyes. Ava certainly had a type that's for sure. Robert definitely fit that type as well and unfortunately he was the poor bastard she trapped.

"How did you narrow it down to these four?" Justin asked as he still focused on the photos.

"They all attended the same school as Ava and Robert. A few actually were friends with Robert." I informed him. "They also have had major sums put into your mother's bank account without any reasoning. While they are now businessmen, Ava had never had a part in Tipton Enterprises. There's no reason to send her money directly unless she is needing to be kept quiet."

"So where do we go from here? How do we figure out which one?" He passed the pictures back to me.

"I'll handle that part. She is my sister and all, all of these men are well aware of who I am. I'll just show up and ask." I responded.

"It's just that easy?" He raised a brow.

"I'm Damon fucking Tipton." I let a malicious smirk cross my lips. "I can make it that easy."

Justin nodded. "Do you have any further information or are we moving onto what I have for you?"

"This is all I have for now. Let's move on." I closed the folder and placed it back inside my desk drawer.

"I checked out the tattoo artist and apparently this serpent is a very common piece that people request from him." Justin started in on the information he had. "He says he's done more than he can count as it's just a design he has pre-made that people can choose."

"Well, that's not what I wanted to hear." The annoyance in my tone was clear.

"I know. I asked if there was anyone who stuck out on getting it. Like anyone in a suit or someone who maybe mentioned working security." Justin spoke. I was surprised he was already a step ahead, this is why I chose him. "I did offer him a decent amount of cash to go back and get me a list of everyone he has on record of getting this tattoo."

"Did he do it?" I questioned.

"He's working on it. It's been a design he's had available for a couple years. He's going to email me the list once he has it compiled." Justin answered.

"You know Justin, we could've made a great team if we had worked this well from the start." I leaned back in my chair. "It's a shame things didn't pan out that way."

"I know." Justin looked to the ground. He was trying to hide the regret on his face but I knew what was going through his head. I could tell he knew he had fucked up.

"I've been going through my list of suspects and can't think of a damn one that could have that tattoo." I sat up completely again.

"Have you considered that maybe it was someone hired by an enemy of yours?" Justin suggested. "Maybe someone on your list didn't want to get their hands dirty."

"They knew my cameras too well. It had to have been someone who's been on my property and I don't just let anyone into my home." I had considered it being someone paid but it didn't make sense to me.

"Do your cameras work with wifi?" Justin looked at me curiously again.

"Yes." I raised a brow at him. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Maybe someone hacked into your system. They could've noted down the angles that your cameras reach and how to avoid being seen." He stated.

Of course. I had been so busy that I didn't even think about that. I tried to remain calm as the anger and frustration began to resurface. "Damn it." I mumbled.

"You didn't think of that did you?" Justin.

"No." I responded through clenched teeth. I slammed my fist down on the desk. "We're back to having no fucking idea who did this then."