Construction Halted as Investors Run from Clearwater Heights.
The headline over the sidebar story above the fold read Local Real Estate Agent Linked to Scandal.
Already sick to his stomach, Kade skimmed the articles. In the first, he saw the names of two investors, friends, who’d been interviewed, who’d explained in detail why they’d decided to demand their money back. One implied an attorney had been consulted to represent them all in a lawsuit. Other investors had commented anonymously.
The article about Ginny was more of the same of what had been printed in Saturday’s paper. Rae’s editor, Larry, had the byline on both stories. He’d tracked down an old neighbor of Ginny’s family, who’d been quoted as saying she wasn’t surprised that the Lamonts were “into strip clubs and that sort of thing.”
“You could tell there was something not quite right about that family,” the woman had been quoted as saying. “And the girl, Ginny, always played herself off as innocent, but those are always the guiltiest ones.”
More digging on Larry’s part—or somebody’s—had revealed that all of Ginny’s parents’ businesses had been sold, and her mother was wanted for questioning in the murder investigation of one of her previous employees.
Darlene Lamont disappeared right after the murder. Investigators believe she fled the country.
And then there was the expected final line: Ginny Lamont couldn’t be reached for comment.
Kade slammed the newspaper on the kitchen table. He couldn’t prove that anything in the article was inaccurate, but it was filled with half-truths and innuendo. And once again, Larry hadn’t bothered to get Ginny’s side of the story.
Kade stood, snatched his phone and keys from the kitchen counter, and then froze.
What was he going to do, rush to Ginny’s side? Bang on the door to convince her to let him in? He’d already gone that route once.
He set the keys down. He folded the newspaper and shoved it in the rubbish bin.
He wanted to talk to his father, but he knew what Dad would do. He’d cash out of his investments—paying a hefty penalty to do so—in order to keep Kade afloat. It wouldn’t be enough, and then Dad would lose everything, too.
Kade wouldn’t let that happen.
He could call all his investors right now, tell them he and Ginny were over. He could tell them she was no longer working for him as the selling agent on the lots and assure them that he had no intention of getting involved with her again. The problem was, the words would be a lie. Because as frustrated as he was with Ginny, he loved her.
And he wasn’t sure he believed her.
Had she left him because he was causing her too much trouble? Or had she done it for his sake?
Either way, it was irrelevant. With today’s newspaper article, he doubted any of his investors would be eager to dive back in. A few of them had not only pulled out of the project, they’d sabotaged it. And those who’d been quoted in today’s article? There was no way Kade would let them back in. He certainly didn’t need friends like that. He needed people he could count on.
There was only one investor who hadn’t demanded his money back yet. Kade hadn’t reached out to Mike Sokolov, hoping the man hadn’t heard about Saturday’s article. No need to poke the bear, as it were. But now, Kade had no choice. Sokolov was his only option.
He sank into his chair and dialed.
The man answered on the second ring.
“It’s Kade Powers.”
“I was wondering when you were going to call.” Sokolov’s accent seemed stronger today.
“There’s been some drama surrounding the development.”
“I am aware,” Sokolov said. “I have just finished reading the newspaper articles on the computer. According to this, most of your investors have pulled their funding.”
If Mike did the same, the bank would surely call the loan. Kade would have to put the land on the market in order to pay back his debtors. And he’d probably declare bankruptcy anyway. “They have.”
“And your girlfriend, Ginny Lamont.” His voice was gruff and no-nonsense, as always. “Is she still in the picture?”
Kade blew out a long breath and prayed for wisdom. “She and I broke up, but it wasn’t my idea, and though she seemed pretty certain of her decision, I hope we’ll get back together.”
“You care for her.”
“She hasn’t done anything wrong, Mike. She’s a good person whose parents were monsters. I’m not one to punish a child for her parents’ crimes.”
The gruff, “Hmph” through the line didn’t raise Kade’s hopes. And then Sokolov chuckled. “My wife has not always been an asset to my business. She is not so good at keeping her opinions to herself. Sometimes, her opinions are strong. Always, they are loud. Even though she’s cost me some business, her wisdom has made me much money. I wouldn’t trade her for any business deal.”
Kade stood, paced toward the back slider on his condo, and stared out at the rain. He thought of Ginny, of everything he knew about her. Right now, being associated with her was making his life difficult. But in the long run… In the long run, a man didn’t choose who to love based on how much money she might make him or cost him.
Ginny was the woman for Kade. He’d known it for weeks, maybe ever since that first date. Every prayer he’d lifted for her, he’d felt confident that the Lord would bless their relationship. Right now, Ginny had run away, maybe for her sake, though he suspected she’d done it for his.
He didn’t know for sure. What he knew was that his decision not to continue to pursue her was a mistake. He needed to find her today, to beg her to reconsider. If he lost everything… Well, Jesus had sacrificed much more than a business for the sake of love.
Ginny was worth his business and more.
“Are you still there?” Sokolov asked.
“Yeah.” Kade ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m not done with Ginny, so if that makes you want your money back—”
“On the contrary. It makes me want to invest more. How much do you need to get construction started again?”
It took a couple of hours for Kade to settle the details with Sokolov and get the construction back on track. The rain was supposed to stop that afternoon, so they would restart work on the clubhouse the following day.
After the money had been deposited in his account, Kade called his banker, who assured him that they would not call the loan at this time. Kade wasn’t going to worry about that last remark right now. Right now, it seemed everything would work out.
That evening when Kade neared Ginny’s house, her car was in the driveway, and the door to the detached garage was open. He parked, approached the garage thinking he’d find her there, and stopped just inside the space.
Many of the boxes the two of them had painstakingly broken down on Saturday evening were open again. There were four stacks of them along one wall. He crossed to the first stack and tapped it with his finger.
Unlike Saturday, the boxes didn’t topple. Because, unlike Saturday, these boxes were full.
She was packing.
The back screen door slammed. Kade stood beside the boxes and waited.
She didn’t see him when she entered the dark space carrying a small box, the size a person would choose to pack books. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore jeans and a T-shirt. She lifted the box to rest on the top of the shortest pile, uttering a quiet oomph when she dropped it.
The box didn’t settle properly, and the boxes leaned precariously toward her.
Kade moved forward and steadied them with his palms.
She gasped, stepped back. “You scared the tar… What are you doing skulking around out here?”
He straightened the boxes so they wouldn’t topple, taking his time to rein in his anger. “Am I skulking? I thought I was coming to see the woman I loved.”
Ginny backed up a step. “Now’s not a good time.”
He made a show of looking around the garage. “I see that.”
She swiveled and headed toward the back door. Over her shoulder, she called, “Go home, Kade.”
Red hot fury rose in his middle. He followed her out of the garage and caught her in two steps. He grabbed her arm, not tight but not so loose she could pull away easily. “You’re leaving, just like that?”
She glanced his way, but her eye contact wouldn’t hold.
Raindrops landed on his arms and clothes, but he didn’t care.
“What did you think I was going to do? Of course I’m leaving.”
“You don’t have to.” He forced kindness he didn’t feel into his tone. “Listen, it’s all going to work out. Sokolov invested the difference.”
Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped, a look of… fear?
“It’s okay,” he said. “I’ve paid back all my other investors, and Sokolov and I are in this together.”
“That’s a bad idea.”
“It’s perfect. He’s made up the money that the other investors demanded back. He’s with me in this, and he supports you, too.”
“He doesn’t even know me.”
“Right, but… I mean, he supports that we’re together.”
“We’re not together.”
Kade took a breath. He wasn’t sure if he was not being clear or if she was being intentionally obtuse. “He understands how I feel about you, and, like my father, he supports me. Supports us.”
Finally, she met his eyes, and he had a flash of hope. And then she spoke. “First of all, there is no us. Second, doesn’t it seem odd that he’s willing to fund your project when everyone else is pulling out?”
“He sees the value of what I’m trying to build. He’s an investor. It makes perfect sense.”
She stared past him, eyes narrowed. Then, she shook her head. “If I were you, I’d avoid that guy. But it’s your business, not mine.”
“But that’s just it. If you’ll just—”
“You don’t need Sokolov. Just tell the rest of your investors that you and I are over. I’m sure they’ll line up to get back in on the development.”
“After the way they betrayed me in the newspaper today, you think I want those people back?” He tried to keep the frustration out of his words. “They don’t matter anymore. Sokolov—”
“I don’t trust him.”
Kade let his head fall back, let the rain cool his heating temper. He prayed for patience, for help, then faced her again. “He’s going to save the development. Clearwater Heights is going to happen, and you can stay on as the listing agent for the properties. Nothing has to change.”
She laughed, though the sound was anything but amused. “You’re kidding, right? You think everything can go back to the way it was before? Maybe if Rae’s article had been printed, but not now.”
“Look, I get that your business is going through a rough patch, but I can help—”
“I don’t want your help or your charity,” she snapped. “I can make my own way.”
He stepped back. “I’m not offering charity, Ginny. I love you. People who love each other help each other.”
“I guess that’s the problem.”
He blinked. What was she saying?
“You need to go.”
“You can’t be serious.” But the hard set to her mouth told the story. “How can you throw away—?”
“Oh, stop it.” Her words were harsh, her tone scornful. “It’s not like we’re married. We’ve been dating less than two months. It’s not that big a deal.”
Not that big…?
He released her arm.
But just before she turned away, he saw the tears that filled her eyes.
If she didn’t care, then why the tears?
Why the red-rimmed eyes, the blotchy cheeks that he was only now noticing?
She started toward her door, moving faster this time. He kept pace. “So you don’t care about me?”
She kept walking. “Not enough to weather this.”
“Then why are you in such a hurry to get rid of me?”
“Because I have packing to do.”
“Ginny, please.”
She climbed the steps to the back door and reached for the screen, but he propped his foot in front of it to keep it from opening. “I think, after everything, I deserve at least a conversation.”
She kept her gaze forward. “Get out of my way.”
He placed his hand on her back and leaned in closer. “Please?”
She rested her forehead against the door. “You need to go.” The words were void of the vehemence she’d spoken with before. He was breaking through.
He slid his hand around to her hip and, pressing his shoulder against the screen, turned to face her. He was so close, he could see the tears hovering in her eyes. Wisps of her hair had escaped the ponytail and, thanks to the moisture in the air, stuck to her face. He brushed them back.
If she didn’t care for him, she’d have stiffened at his touch. But she didn’t. She shivered.
He left his hand on her cheek and lowered his voice to nearly a whisper. “Don’t do this, Ginny.”
“You need to go.”
“Ginny, I love you.”
She sniffed, turned her head just enough to meet his eyes. “I know, and I’m sorry about that. It was a mistake. All of it. Please get out of my way.”
She might as well have slapped him.
He dropped his hands and stepped back.
She went inside and closed the door behind her.
Chapter Seventeen
Ginny snatched the blanket from the back of her sofa, wrapped it around her shoulders, and stood a few feet back from the front window.
And there was Kade, trudging through the rain to his car. He climbed in and started the engine. The lights came on, but he didn’t move.
He needed to leave before she changed her mind. He sat there, stared at the house. Maybe he was waiting for her to rush outside and stop him.
The urge was strong. She had no choice but to resist. The floodwaters were already pulling her under. It was too late for her. Kade had to save himself.
Because she’d learned something in the last twenty-four hours, something Kade knew nothing about.
The conversation she’d had with Brady Thomas the night before came back.
She’d walked to town for dinner, desperate for human companionship, but the looks she received from the few people who recognized her had sent her back home empty-handed. She’d just turned onto her street, watching the clouds roll in and trying to figure out her next move, when the chief of police’s unmarked sedan stopped on the road beside her. He rolled down his passenger window.
“I saw you in town and wanted to talk.”
“Something wrong?”
“Stay there.” He parked his car and climbed out.
She joined him beside it. “We could go back to my house.”
Brady looked at the sky. The air had cooled, and the sun was hiding behind clouds that were just rolling in. “I don’t mind getting some air. Let’s walk.”
He started down the street toward her house, and she fell into step beside him. He was a good foot taller than she was, but he walked slowly so she didn’t have to rush to keep pace. “I talked to Collier about where he got his information. He admitted to having done some digging on you but said most of what he learned came from a letter that was mailed to him anonymously.”
“What’d it say?”
“It had a list of all the businesses your parents owned and implied that you were involved with the strip clubs. There was no proof, just a lot of innuendo. But it was enough to get Larry to investigate.”
“Who would do that to me?”
“Good question.” Brady walked a few paces while the information settled. Then, he said, “One of my officers spotted the truck with the Massachusetts plates Rae called me about. It was clocked going over the speed limit, so she wrote him a ticket. I got the driver’s name.”
The red pickup truck. Right. That moment at the lake the day
before seemed like a lifetime ago. It was funny how big events in a person’s life could feel like one-way portals. That stranger at the lake had frightened her before. Everything before she’d ended things with Kade seemed irrelevant now. The only thing that mattered was getting as far from Nutfield and Kade as possible, as soon as possible, so she wouldn’t turn around to see if that portal might swing back open.
“He’s a foreman with NEB. His name is Kristopher Pavlo.”
She pushed aside thoughts of Kade. “Pavlo. Any chance that’s Russian?”
“Technically Ukrainian, but he was born in California. With a little more digging, I discovered he has ties to the Russian mob out there.”
The Russian mob. Was that who her parents had worked for?
“The Russian mob specializes in high-tech crimes—fuel fraud, insurance fraud, things like that,” Brady said, “But according to my sources, Petrovich, the guy you saw with your dad before he died, has branched out into some other things. Drug trafficking, which isn’t unusual for Russian mobsters. But also smuggling people over the border. And human trafficking.”
The words were as painful as physical blows. Her parents had worked for those people? Her own flesh and blood had been involved in such horrendous crimes?
“Rumor has it that he’s gone rogue, that he’s so far off the reservation that even the Russians in California want nothing to do with him. Russian mobsters aren’t like the guys in The Godfather. They won’t kill a man and then send flowers to his widow. I’ve never had any dealings with them, but I understand they’re ruthless. They’ll kill a man, then slaughter his whole family… and they won’t think twice about it.”
She stumbled off the road to a pretty birch tree and steadied herself against the papery white bark.
“I’m not trying to scare you, Ginny,” Brady said. “But you need to know this. Because this guy is so bad that even the official”—he made air quotes around the word—“Russian mob, if there is such a thing, won’t work with Petrovich. That’s how evil he is.”
She breathed through the nausea that rolled through her stomach.
“You’re in serious danger.”
She swallowed twice, tried to straighten, but the nausea was as real as the rest of the nightmare she was living.
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