The Wolf's Mate
Page 5
Tomorrow?
“I smell fresh coffee. It would be proper to offer me a cup.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“I take it black.” She turned her head, watching him from the corner of her eye. “And hot.”
Ten minutes later, Scarlet sat at his desk, the computer booted up. Her eyes wandered the stacks of paper. “You do have a filing system, don’t you, darling?”
“Of course I do. I know where everything is. I don’t need help with the books, Scarlet.”
“Well, I’ve been hired, so you might as well make the best use of me. Let’s see the bottom line,” she said, moving through the accounting software. She pressed her hands together, as if praying, and put her index fingers to her lips. Her eyes ticked back and forth. After a few moments, she tilted her head.
“Well, ya’ll are in the black, for now. This apartment build is a real money maker. But other than this bathroom remodel, I don’t see any future prospects. Your company needs a few more big ones to really grow.”
Casper had to agree. “The widow Carstairs is out of town for a few weeks, so it’ll be a while before she gets back to us. As far as big projects, there’s a mixed use retail and office space project coming up. I’d like to bid on it. We know the developer. The alphas won’t go for it.”
Scarlet lowered her brows at him. “Why on earth not?”
“We’d be stretched thin, maybe even overextended. The apartment build was big, but not nearly as big as a couple of anchor stores and offices.” He folded his arms. “The alphas like to play it safe.”
“Well, what do they know about the construction business?” Scarlet said. “Or any kind of business, for that matter. You’ve got to take a risk once in a while.
“I can’t argue the point. But it’s likely I’d get voted down.”
She reached out, rubbing his arm. “If you had another alpha bitch at your side, maybe we could talk some sense into those women.”
Scarlet at his side, Casper thought. It might make a difference. Just because she was most of the reason the pack had fled Wyoming, that didn’t mean she was the same person. None of them were teenagers anymore. Scarlet understood the construction business well enough. Maybe he could put her to good use.
“We used to be a great team, Cass. We had a lot of good times,” Scarlet said.
Casper could only remember a catastrophe.
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Chapter Eleven
Trina’s day crashed just a few moments after waking. Bleary-eyed, she checked her e-mail while the coffee machine brewed. There was a priority message from Brittney Cass, her partner in the operation and profit production company, Penn Station Films. She clicked it open and read with growing dismay.
Trina, the company accounts have been drained. Why won’t you answer your phone? Are you in on it with Brian? I didn’t think you would do this to me!
How could the money possibly be gone? There had to be two signers to move any funds. Trina sure hadn’t signed anything. Neither had Brittney, apparently. She e-mailed back.
Britt, the money can’t be gone. Lost my phone. Please hit me back.
After she sent the message, she scrolled back through her history, her heart in her throat. She saw a message, dated a week before, from a network executive. She knew what it said, but she prayed that she had read the message wrong.
Trina Adams: Production funds for the pilot episode have been submitted to Penn Station Films account. Please keep us updated with your progress, and submit dailies as they are shot.
No, no, no! The network sent money to her production company, and that account had been drained. It couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t!
The laptop beeped, a new e-mail message. Trina saw that it was from Brittney. With trepidation, she opened the message.
Trina, checked account online, zero funds, account closed. What’s going on?
The merchandise money, the production money, her whole meager budget for the pilot, gone, all of it gone. How was that even possible? Trina checked the account online herself, and saw the same result. There had to be some mix-up, but she couldn’t follow up on a Sunday. She e-mailed Brittney back.
Brit, WTF? Have you heard from Brian?
Trina heard the coffee maker burble, and jumped up to grab a cup. She hadn’t heard from Brian since the network shit-canned the show last year. It was probably out of embarrassment, or at least she’d thought so at the time. Damn it, the man was so scammy, such a con artist. Would he have the balls to steal her money?
No, the return e-mail said. Do you think he did it?
Yes, Trina thought, even though she didn’t want to. Along with the money, Brian Truman had stolen her future.
She typed: Call you when my new phone arrives.
Trina had planned to hire Brittney as a producer-director once the project was approved. She was counting on this new show as much as Trina.
What was she going to do? Offices at the network would be closed today. She could try to get hold of her agent. If she only had a phone. This was an emergency. She’d ask Casper if she could use his. At least she kept a list of contacts on the laptop. She scribbled down Sue Meyer’s number on the post it note. She headed out, but stopped herself. Trina never even checked the mail without makeup.
In the bathroom, she hurriedly put on an acceptable face. Number in hand, she tugged her robe tighter and walked up the deck steps to the back door. Knocking, she opened the French doors. Voices drew her into the interior of the house.
To her surprise, a good-looking woman sat at Casper’s desk. Casper stood next to her. The woman was affectionately rubbing Casper’s arm.
“Whoops. Sorry to intrude.”
Casper jumped at the sound of her voice. “Trina, hey, no you weren’t interrupting anything. This is a new hire, she’s just getting a look at the books.”
The woman stood, holding out a hand. Her nails were painted red and well-manicured. Her face was lean beauty, but her blue eyes looked predatory. “I’m an old friend. Scarlet Sanders. Charmed to make your acquaintance.”
Scarlet looked the opposite of charmed, the way the corners of her mouth ticked down. “Hi, I’m Trina Adams. I’m staying in the in-law for a couple days.”
“A couple days,” Scarlet nodded. “Good.”
“What’s up?” Casper asked, shifting from foot to foot, eyes moving between the women.
“I was hoping to use your phone, if it’s okay. I need to call my agent.”
“On a Sunday?” Casper asked. He took the handset off the charger; handed it to her. “Go ahead. We won’t be much longer.”
“Thank you,” Trina said, giving Scarlet the once-over before retreating. The woman sure was dressed to the nines for an off-day office visit. And Trina was wearing her stupid bath robe. What kind of Southern Belle wore slutty shoes like that? Had her assessment of Casper been way off? Was he that fast a mover? She dialed the Los Angeles area code as she walked into the kitchen.
Voice mail picked up, of course. Trina left a message, hoping that it might get through.
“Sue, it’s Trina Adams. I’m in trouble. My tires were slashed, somebody stole my purse and my cell phone. I think Brian Truman withdrew all the money from the company. Call me back, okay?” She read the number off the phone and hung up.
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. There was nothing to do now but wait. If there was no cash for production, her pilot was shut down, her dreams of a new show over. How could she have been so stupid? Trina should have started her own damn company, opened her own damn accounts. She knew this was a back-stabbing business. It hadn’t occurred to her that the back-stabber would be a close friend.
There were so many people to call: her lawyer, Sue, Brittney, and Brian, if he would answer her call. All of it would have to wait for Monday, and hopefully her new phone. In the meanwhile, she couldn’t leave an SUV with a broken window and three flat tires in the general store parking lot.
“Thanks for letting me use the phone.” She handed it to Casper.
Casper stood up straight and took it. “No problem. Any luck?”
She shook her head. “Hopefully she picks up her messages over the weekend. In the meanwhile, I need to get dressed and get some things done.”
“I’m free all day,” Casper said. “Anything you need, just ask.”
Scarlet smirked. “Mi casa es su casa, right Cass?”
Trina wanted to glare at the woman. But she was a guest here. Hell, at this point, she was just a big mooch. Why was she so irritated by Scarlet, anyway? She’d meant it when she told Casper she couldn’t involve herself with anyone right now. Trina hadn’t expected Casper to hook up with some hottie the very next morning, though.
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Chapter Twelve
Casper went to the kitchen for more coffee. He was still reeling over Scarlet being hired. It was easy to see what the alphas were up to. They picked a woman from his past to see if their relationship would rekindle. Scheming was one of the alpha bitches’ strong suits. Of the three alphas, only Wendy was around during The Incident. His teenage tryst with Scarlet had led to a crash and burn it had taken years to get clear of. What the hell were they thinking?
Given that the company office was in the downstairs bedroom, and that he lived in a big, empty house with an in-law apartment in back, the logical thing to do would be to ask Scarlet to stay with him. And given that Scarlet was gorgeous, and that putting her in close proximity would make her that much more tempting, the alphas’ plan seemed a no-brainer to hook up an unmated alpha male.
So much for Plan A, he thought, walking back to the office.
“So who are the Castors and why do you pay them so much money?” Scarlet asked when he returned.
Casper sipped the hot java. “Concrete contractors. We had to pour a lot for the apartment build.”
“In this market, I’m sure you can find someone cheaper.”
He shook his head. “We’re too remote. We’d get a huge transport fee.”
Scarlet tapped a pen against her lips. “Okay, that makes sense. And this arborist?”
“Thorn’s the fastest guy around. We use him for harvesting, tree removal, pruning. There’s a lot of trees around here, if you hadn’t noticed.”
She smiled at him. “Well, it seems the Prudent Man is well at work here. I’ll get started on the filing Monday.”
If nothing else, Scarlet did seem to understand construction bookkeeping. “Prudent Man. That’s just a nice way of saying we’re tightwads,” Casper said.
Scarlet arched her brows. “To my knowledge, no one has ever accused a Marino of being spendy.”
“You got that right.”
“So your generosity to that poor woman is all the less understandable. It would make sense if she were sharing your bed, Cass. I won’t deny that she is attractive.”
She got that right, too. Conflicting thoughts flashed in his head. He wanted her, and he wanted her to stay; but the pack needed her to go. “It’s a long story,” he said lamely.
“I’m sure I’ll hear all about it eventually.”
Casper knew the alphas would make sure of that. His brow furrowed at a knock on the door. “When the hell did I become so popular?”
He opened the door to a tall, broad shouldered tow-head. The man was dressed in a plaid jacket and bow tie, the blue slacks not matching the rest of the ensemble.
“Yeah?” Casper asked.
“Hiya. I’m Ben.”
Casper narrowed his eyes. “Okay.”
“Sartin. Ben Sartin?” the man said, hopefully.
“I’m not buying anything.”
“Okie-dokie.” Ben scratched his head and frowned. “I’m here for the technician job?”
As soon as Casper realized Ben Sartin was here for Trina, he took a dislike to the man’s boyish looks. Reluctantly, he said, “Come on in.”
Scarlet walked out of the office, curious.
“Hiya, I’m Ben. I’m looking for Trina Adams?” He squinted, brows knotted.
She gave him a wink. “That’s certainly not me.”
Ben’s eyes dropped to the floor, face coloring. “Are you an investigator, too?”
To Casper, it seemed that Scarlet struck a pose. “Now why on earth would you imagine that I’m an investigator, sugar pie? How oddly presumptuous of you. I’ve been accused of a lot of things—rightly so for the most part, but an investigator? My word.”
Casper squinted. What was that all about?
“Perhaps so,” Ben kept his eyes on the floor, face heating even more. “Given the nature of the job, I made an assumption. Sorry.”
“You are absolutely forgiven, handsome.” Scarlet gave him a pat on the chest and returned to the office.
Given the almost purple of the man’s features, Casper was about to offer him a drink of water. After a few seconds, Ben lifted his eyes. “Am I at the right address?”
Casper frowned. “She’s getting dressed. There’s coffee in the kitchen.” Although a shot of whiskey might have been in order. He got that Scarlet had an effect on men, but this was extreme.
“Thank you.” Ben looked around, lifted his nose, and headed for the kitchen.
At the sight, Casper called his own highly sensitive nose into service. There was just a tinge of scent, but he recognized it right away. Bear. Ben Sartin was a bear-shifter. It wasn’t unusual for a shifter to be attracted to the Ripple area. The place was like a psychic watering hole. He wondered if he could use Ben to leverage Trina, when the time was right.
She picked that moment to sweep through the French doors. Casper’s heart leapt. While Trina looked just fine in a robe and slippers, she now wore a form-hugging beige dress cut well above the knees, plunging in front. Her shoes had a lot of complicated straps and a very high heel. Vivid red hair swung loose around her shoulders.
Casper watched her move, the undulation of her hips making the skirt twirl. He felt his body respond simply at the sight of her. Her eyes flashed at him; then focused on the kitchen. He heard Ben choke on his coffee. When she walked to the kitchen, Casper followed.
Ben’s eyes bugged out as he coughed, looking at Trina and pointedly looking away. If the sight of Scarlet made the big blond man nearly faint, Trina would likely give him a stroke. Especially when she flashed that high-wattage smile.
“Hi, I’m Trina.”
“Yeah, okay.” Ben cleared his throat and blinked hard. “I know you.”
“You do?”
“Everybody knows the Donut Girl,” he smiled.
Trina’s face went perfectly blank. Ben looked ready to run behind the stove and hide. Slowly, Trina raised her hands and folded them in front of her.
“Comedy gold,” she said, her face still expressionless.
“I’m Ben,” Ben managed. “Your tech.”
She walked forward, holding out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Ben.”
When they shook, Ben’s eyes glazed over and his mouth dropped open. Casper swore he could see the man break into a sweat. “Me, too.”
“I’m Casper, by the way.” Casper stood beside Trina.
Glazed eyes took him in. “Yep.”
“I’m assuming you showed up in a car, Ben. Mine’s out of commission for the time being. Would you mind running a few errands with me?”
“Yep.”
Casper hadn’t expected this turn of events. “I told you I was free all day, Trina.”
“I’m a big girl, Casper. I can take care of my own problems. Besides, you’ve got your new employee orientation. Now, I’ve got mine.” She angled her head, and Ben fell in step.
“She’s just leaving,” he said to their backs. Trina linked arms with Ben. The blond man staggered a
step. A moment later, they were out the door. Shit! He needed to keep an eye on her.
“That is one shy boy.” Scarlet peeked from the office.
Casper frowned. “He better be.”
“I believe my work here is done for the day. I’ll see you tomorrow, sugar pie.” She gave him a smile and a finger wave.
As she sashayed out the front door, Casper searched for his cell phone. His brothers had a lot to answer for. His thumbs danced out a text message.
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Chapter Thirteen
After giving Ben instructions to find a repair shop, they drove for miles in silence. Ben kept fearful eyes on the highway. Star-struck, Trina recognized. It was something she experienced frequently, something she didn’t need from her technician. She thought about breaking the ice and getting off on a better foot. There were too many negative emotions running through her thoughts.
The money for the pilot was missing, something she couldn’t clear up right away. She had to replace her possessions, her driver’s license, and probably a lot of things she hadn’t even thought of yet. Worst of all was seeing Casper with that woman. Could she be any more obvious, tarted up like that? Lined stockings, for pity’s sake.
Of course, she had done exactly the same thing. Real mature, Trina. She could tell it had the desired effect on Casper. But for this Ben guy, well, he was like a bird that had flown full speed into a window.
They found a place that could replace the tires and the glass in her SUV. From the office, she called her car insurance, filed a claim and arranged a tow. The owner said they would have to order the glass, but it should only be a day or two.
Ben remained sitting in the car, fingers idly tapping the steering wheel. His eyes shot to her when she got in, but he didn’t speak. Trina blew out her cheeks. She had to get on a better footing with the guy. Not to mention the show’s precarious financial situation.
He reached for the key, but didn’t start the engine. Without looking at her, he said, “Sorry about the Donut Girl comment.”