“But, Mags, you don’t look like your usual self,” I say.
“Where’s Vince?” Charlie asks.
She closes her eyes and shakes her head. At least now we know who’s the source of her problems. Charlie and I give each other a look. He’s shaking his leg, which means he’s ready to bash Vince’s head in for whatever he may have done.
“Let’s just get down to business. Have you guys ordered?” Maggie asks.
“Not yet.” I take Charlie’s hand under the table. I want him to stay calm. We can discuss what kind of jerk Vince is at home while Maggie sleeps in the guest room downstairs.
Charlie waves our waitress to the table. We order, and Charlie asks her to put a rush on it. Exhausted or not, Maggie’s brain is sharp. Before we’re halfway through dinner we have a key and contingency plan in place.
Then Vince unexpectedly shows up. Maggie’s eyes water as she watches him like a deer trapped in headlights. He appears stunned by her physical condition as they hug. I wonder what in the world has been going on between them.
“Don’t say anything, babe,” I whisper to Charlie.
“I won’t,” he mutters, but he’s clearly not happy about keeping quiet.
I stand to give Vince a hug, and Charlie shakes his hand. Regardless of how frail Maggie looks, it appears Vince can’t resist her sex appeal. He continuously massages her shoulder as I fill him in on the entire scheme. Like Charlie, he’s hesitant but not resistant.
***
Belmont Lord
Forty-eight hours ago…
Belmont met with Matt Silver in an office on Columbus near Randolph. It was neutral ground. Herald Doe, Belmont’s right-hand man, accompanied him. Matthew had two colleagues with him. The fact that neither side greeted the other indicated that the meeting wouldn’t be cordial. They sat around a small table. There were no secretaries or coffee or muffins.
“You’d better make damn sure you want to take it there before you take it there,” Matt said.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Belmont said.
Matt sniffed disdainfully. “This morning, I offered Voyager a bonus on top of our initial offer.”
“Great, because I’m not offering them a penny more than my initial bid,” Belmont said.
The men stared daggers at each other. Belmont noticed how old Matt looked, but they were nearly the same age. Perhaps doing the bidding of a dirty bastard like Holden Reece put those extra lines on Matt’s face. Holden didn’t mind getting blood on his hands in order to grab the next dollar. Belmont had never backed down from a tussle with a man like Holden Reece, but the last time he had been forced to take it this far, he wasn’t married. He had to be careful and read the clues to see just how far he could get with option one. Option two would knock Reece Holdings out of existence, and Belmont would only be that ruthless if Daisy’s safety was at stake.
“Where did you get your information?” Matt asked.
“You’re assuming I’m the one who dug up your dirt?”
“I heard about your tactics, Jack. You’ve gotten away with it by hiding behind your daddy’s name.”
Belmont clenched his teeth. “My father’s dead.”
“I think you want to join him.”
Belmont narrowed his eyes and held his composure. “If that’s how you want to play it, then one of us just might.”
“That would be too bad for your wife. Didn’t she lose her brother? I heard he was playing in a busy street and got run over by a car. He must’ve forgotten to look both ways.”
Belmont stared daggers at his opponents. He hoped his expression conveyed to all what he refused to say. Matt had just made the mistake of jabbing an angry bear with a spear. There would be no absolution from that moment forward. If Matt were an intuitive man, then he would’ve seen his demise in Belmont’s stone-cold expression.
Matt broke eye contact with Belmont to glance nervously at his partner. “Listen, Jack, this doesn’t have to get ugly. Give us twenty-four hours, and we’ll let you know what we’re going to do next.”
Belmont shook his head. “No need. You’ve convinced me. I’m out.” He stood, and Herald, who looked thoroughly confused, did likewise.
Matt also appeared astonished. “You’re backing out of the bidding?”
“I am,” Belmont said.
Matt stood. There was distrust in his eyes, and there should have been. Belmont had found his next big project: the destruction of Matthew Silver and Reece Holdings. Belmont held out his hand to shake on it.
“That’s it?” Matt asked.
“That’s it.”
Matt chuckled. “Then I’ll be expecting to hear from Voyager.”
Belmont nodded. “You will.” Belmont seethed as he and Herald walked down the hallway. Before they walked into a crowded elevator, Belmont said, “We’re going Grey.”
Herald nodded. He knew exactly what that meant. “When?”
“Immediately.”
“I’ll get on it.”
They parted ways on the ground floor. Belmont exited the rear of the building to meet his car, but it was nowhere in sight. His cell phone dinged before he could call the driver. The message read, “Traffic control instructed me to park in Level P6. The car will be waiting by the elevators.”
Belmont grumbled and headed back inside. Before he entered the elevator, he caught sight of Matt and his team leaving through the front revolving doors. Belmont remembered that Daisy was supposed to fly to Paris that afternoon. He wanted to see her first, perhaps delay her a bit. Belmont shuffled through his contacts as he walked out the elevator.
Someone grabbed him from behind and shook him. It took Belmont a second to realize he was actually being attacked, then he head-butted his assailant in the face. The guy shrieked, but Belmont didn’t see the second assailant, who landed a punch on his jaw.
Belmont stumbled a bit, but he recovered and threw an uppercut at the masked man. The man stepped back as if he knew that would be Belmont’s next move. Belmont followed up with a straight punch, catching the guy in the jaw. The attacker stumbled backward. Just as Belmont was going for the disabling blow, he got hit in the eye, hard. He saw white. He felt a prick in his neck and collapsed.
One of his attackers cried, “Fuck. I think he broke my nose!”
Belmont was about to say something, but everything turned black.
***
Z.L. Arkadie
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About The Author, Z.L. Arkadie
Born and raised in Southern California, I consider myself a sensual and emotional writer of real contemporary romance. I write to make you feel whatever's on the page and tell stories of contemporary women who have no idea how to conform to the rules of conventionality. That's my brand. I have a BA in Broadcast Journalism and an MA in Communications Studies from California State University, Los Angeles. I've read scripts, providing coverage for production companies and screenwriting contests. I have been writing fiction steadily and honing my craft for a very, very long time.
Know Her, Love Her: Daisy & Belmont, Book ONE (LOVE in the USA 4) Page 14
