Will changing the address be an issue?”
“No, just bring in proof of residence and an updated ID.”
She nodded. That would take some time, but she’d do it.
“How much were you planning on opening the account with?” he asked as he typed in more of her
information.
“Thirty-five thousand dollars.”
His fingers stilled over the keyboard. He nodded. “Do you have a check?”
“Yes.” With stiff motions, she unfolded Lucian’s check and flattened it on the desk. Once the
creases were smoothed, she slid it to Mr. McGregor.
Examining it, he gave her a skeptical look. After clearing his throat, he said, “Excuse me for a
moment.” Standing, he left with her check and ID.
Scout’s breath quaked in her lungs as she watched him walk away with her money. He disappeared
behind a door, and she waited. Her eyes followed the line of people behind the velvet ropes slowly
snake through the main part of the bank, one customer after another concluding their business, and
Mr. McGregor still hadn’t returned.
Finally, after what was likely ten minutes but felt like an eternity, the door opened and he came out
wearing the same smile he’d approached her with in the beginning. He sat at his desk. “Sorry about
that.”
Scout wasn’t sure what had happened, but when she turned and saw Dugan, Lucian’s chauffeur, step
through the main doors, she understood. He’d called Lucian. Great. A familiar sense of humiliation
prickled her pride. No matter how many times she begged him to leave her be, he simply couldn’t. Her
jaw tightened. She was supposed to be a goddamn adult.
Mr. McGregor typed in more information, then asked her to endorse the deposit. The crisp check
and a fancy pen slid in front of her. Scout’s hands shook as she pulled the slip close.
“Just write my name?”
“Yes. Just sign above the line there.”
“In cursive?” She didn’t know how to write or read cursive.
“Yes, please.”
Her throat was dry as she swallowed and carefully formed her letters, paying extra care to connect
them where she could, faking the best script her hand could manage.
Insecurity knit her brow as she slid the check back to him. He only glanced at the signature before
sliding it through a device and stamping the back. He then passed her a plastic card.
“This is your debit card. You’ll be able to withdraw sums up to three hundred dollars from any
automatic teller machine. All you have to do is follow the prompts.” He slid a device toward her.
“Please select a pin number between four and nine digits. You’ll want to pick something you can
remember and not share it with anyone.”
She carefully typed in 1-9-0-0, Patras’s address.
“Would you like any cash back today?”
“Um, could I have three hundred dollars, please?”
“Sure. We normally have to wait for a check to clear, but since Mr. Patras is one of our trustees and
offered to come down here himself in order to clear the funds, I don’t see a problem.”
Her teeth ground together. Was he here? Casually looking around, she caught Dugan’s gaze. He
nodded once, letting her know that, yes, Lucian was somewhere nearby. Wonderful.
“How would you like that?”
Her gaze jerked back to the banker and she forced her expression to soften. “Excuse me?”
“Would hundreds be okay, or did you want smaller bills?”
“Could you give me some smaller bills too? I’d prefer to not have anything larger than a fifty.”
Mr. McGregor nodded. “Let me go put this through and I’ll be right back with your money.”
When he left she shot Dugan a cold look that was more intended for Lucian, but he wasn’t making
his presence known at the moment. Dugan simply arched a bushy brow. The rest of his granite
expression remained unmoved.
Mr. McGregor returned. Some paperwork spewed from the printer and again he asked her to sign
after going over some policies with her.
“These are your temporary checks. Will ten be enough? You should receive your personal checks in
seven to ten business days.”
Scout nodded. She needed to get a place and get her address changed quickly, before the checks
went in the mail. Otherwise she’d have no choice but to see Lucian again sooner than she wanted to.
When they finished, she tucked her bank card and checks and the rest of the paperwork safely into
her bag and shook Mr. McGregor’s proffered hand.
“The remainder of your funds should be available in two business days, Ms. Keats. It was a pleasure
doing business with you.”
When she reached the door, Dugan was already holding it for her. “Nice to see you again, Ms.
Keats.”
“Bite me,” she grumbled as she exited the bank and came face-to-face with Lucian’s sleek black
limo. Her shoulders drooped. “Is this really necessary?”
Dugan again arched a brow, but said nothing.
“Is he in there?” she snapped.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Huffing, she pivoted without a word, marching away from the limo with no idea where she was
heading. As horns began to honk, she turned and found the limousine crawling at a snail’s pace beside
her, holding up a good deal of city traffic.