by Nina Lindsey
“I have ten verbal commitments now. Two more will give us a majority.”
“Hmm.” She pursed her lips. “Who’s holding out?”
“Must be that little bitch from the cat café.” Bruce huffed out his annoyance. “She emailed me…what, one or two days after she got the contract? She probably doesn’t know the first thing about real estate.”
“Her name is Ariadne Prescott,” Hunter said coldly. “She’s not going to change her mind.”
One of the lawyers, Mark, shrugged. “We can put pressure on her.”
“No.” Tension gripped Hunter’s shoulders. “No one contacts her.”
“We might not need her vote.” Juliette tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Who else is undecided, Hunter?”
“A woman who owns a new-age shop. She’s leaning toward a yes vote.” He narrowed his eyes on the projection screen. “You didn’t call this meeting to ask me about my progress on Mariposa.”
“Of course not.” Bruce stretched his lips into a smile. His phone lit up with a notification. “Just that our investors are getting a little anxious with the vote coming up.”
He picked up the phone, his brow furrowing. “What the hell is she doing here?”
He pushed the phone toward Hunter. The notification screen displayed a text from Bruce’s assistant. Sorry, but urgent! Woman here—Aria Prescott—says she needs to see you, wants to come up to the mtg. Security?
Aria? Here?
“No idea.” His voice level, he handed the phone back to his boss.
“Let her come up,” Juliette suggested, her attention on Hunter. “Maybe she wants to tell us she’s finally ready to make a deal.”
With a shrug, Bruce responded to the text. Hunter excused himself and went into the corridor. He strode toward the elevator, his heart racing.
Forget “aura cleansing.” Aria had come to New York. But why—
The elevator doors opened. He struggled for a breath. He almost didn’t recognize the polished, elegant woman walking toward him. She was dressed in a fitted navy suit, a crisp white shirt, and heels with her hair pulled back into a tight knot at the base of her neck. Little silver earrings dangled from her ears, and she was wearing makeup.
Though she was a vision of loveliness, she looked totally different from his tousled Aria with her flowing cotton dresses, jangling silver bracelets and loose, disheveled hair. As she neared, he saw that she’d even taken out the crystal stud in her nose.
What in the—
“Hello, Hunter.” She smiled, and his tension eased for a second. But it wasn’t the warm, private smile he’d gotten used to over the past couple of weeks, the smile he craved like a drug. The one inviting him to touch her. The one that said she was his.
Now she looked as if she were behind a pane of glass. Unreachable.
“Aria.” Her name tasted like a mint. He swallowed hard. “What are you doing here?”
“You said the meeting was about Oceanview, and since I have a significant stake in what happens to Mariposa Street, I wanted to speak directly to your planning committee.” She stopped in front of him, and he caught a whiff of perfume.
“Hunter.” Juliette stood at the conference room door. “We’re ready to get started. Hello, Miss Prescott. We weren’t expecting you.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t invite a Bliss Cove representative in the first place.” Squaring her shoulders, Aria walked to the conference room. “I won’t take up too much of your time, I assure you.”
Ignoring Juliette’s penetrating stare, Hunter followed Aria into the room and pulled out the chair beside his.
“Thank you, but I’ll stand.” She extended a hand to Bruce. “Mr. Sinclair? Aria Prescott, owner of the Meow and Then cat café on Mariposa Street.”
“I know who you are.” He shook her hand, his eyes turning cold.
Hunter wanted to remain standing, but he couldn’t risk visually aligning himself with Aria. He pushed his chair back and sat.
“Why don’t you tell us what you’re doing here, Miss Prescott?” A hard note edged Bruce’s voice.
“Certainly. I’d like to remind you that I have no intention of selling you my property.”
Another lawyer chuckled. “We know. Truth be told, we don’t need you to agree. Once we have a majority vote, we’ll be able to buy your property for far less than what it’s worth. So by all means, vote no. We’d appreciate your help saving money.”
Bruce laughed. Hunter fisted his hands.
“I’m sure you would.” Aria gave the lawyer a sharp smile. “Just as I would appreciate you explaining what the Venture project is.”
The lawyers stilled. A thick, ominous silence fell.
“How did you know about the Venture project?” A muscle ticked in Bruce’s jaw.
“I’d suggest you explain it to me, or I’ll just tell the other Mariposa Street owners that you have something else planned for Bliss Cove, but you refuse to be transparent. I know you think we’re a bunch of small-town hicks, but remember what happened when your last developer…” she threw Hunter a pointed look, “…came to negotiate with the town council and the Mariposa owners? He leaked the plans for the project you wanted to build at the time, and everyone hated it. So he effectively killed the whole deal. I’m sure you don’t want that to happen to Oceanview. Not at this stage in the game.”
The silence lengthened. Hunter narrowed his gaze at Juliette, searching for a hint of what the hell Aria was talking about, but she looked as clueless as he felt.
Venture project?
Suspicion lanced through him, sharp and pointed. He suddenly knew his instincts had been right. He’d just been too fucking distracted to pay closer attention.
“Miss Prescott.” A thin smile curved Mark’s mouth. “I guarantee you don’t want to threaten Imperial Properties.”
“It’s okay.” Bruce held up a hand, his attention fixed on Aria. “I appreciate gumption. I’ll tell you about the Venture project.” He punched a key on his laptop, advancing the slide to an artistic rendering of a large resort spreading over the coastline bordering Bliss Cove. “This, my dear girl, is the Venture project. Or rather, the all-inclusive Venture Resort and Spa.”
Cold ran down Hunter’s spine. “You didn’t tell me anything about a resort.”
“Or me.” Juliette folded her arms, her expression pinched.
“Of course not.” Bruce rose and approached the screen. “I wanted you both focused on your respective projects, and this would have been a distraction. But now that you’re both finalizing the details, I can tell you that I haven’t yet decided on who is going to direct the execution of the Venture Resort.”
Juliette frowned. “Why wouldn’t it be Hunter?”
“It might well be Hunter,” Bruce said. “Or it could be you.”
Her eyes widened. “Me?”
“The Venture Resort and Spa will be our biggest penetration into California—hell, the West Coast—to date,” Bruce said. “I intend to turn the execution of the project over to the person I believe will make the most effective CEO of Imperial Properties.”
What the—
Beside him, Hunter felt Aria stiffen with shock.
“You want me and Juliette to compete for CEO?” he asked.
“I want to ensure that I’m turning over my company to the right person.” Bruce pursed his lips and squinted at the screen. “Remember when you told me Oceanview was a step down from your other projects? You were right. It’s a nice little complex, but we need to think bigger for such a perfect location. Hence, our plans for a luxury resort right along the Bliss Cove coastline.”
“Also known as a cash cow.” Mark grinned.
“Why the hell didn’t you tell us about this sooner?” Juliette snapped.
Bruce lifted a hand. “Because I wanted you to focus on your jobs. And, as Miss Prescott correctly pointed out, Hunter’s predecessor fucked up the original negotiations by telling the town residents too much about our development plans. I cou
ldn’t risk that again.”
“So you deliberately kept us out of the loop?” Anger flared in Hunter’s gut.
“For your own good.” Another lawyer, Len, arched his brow. “And for confidentiality reasons.”
“After reviewing the architectural designs proposals for the Venture Resort, you will each prepare a presentation for the board of directors,” Bruce explained. “You will assemble a team of designers and contractors, work up detailed blueprints, explain your plans for zoning and permits. Whichever one of you has the best proposal, the one most aligned with Imperial’s goals, will be one step closer to CEO.”
Hunter stood so fast his chair rolled backward. He approached the screen and narrowed his gaze on the sprawling resort located right on the coastline.
“This is one of many proposed designs.” Bruce made a sweeping gesture and advanced to another set of slides. “Now that we’ve softened the residents up and proven we know how to play nice and follow the rules, we’ll hurry and get Oceanview built. They’ll learn how the increased crowds and tourism will benefit their community, and at the right time, we’ll push forward with the Venture Resort and Spa, a luxury getaway resort covering approximately seven acres of land. Our guests will be afforded stunning views of the pristine coastline, exclusive access to private beaches, swimming pools, fine dining. The best part is, we’ll still be the only player in town.”
Hunter felt Aria’s shock and dismay as if it were tangible. He didn’t dare look at her, knowing he wouldn’t be able to hide what he was feeling. And right now, he had to conceal every shred of emotion.
He pointed at the screen. “There’s a hundred-year-old boardwalk here.”
“That’s a possible location for the spa,” Bruce said. “We can tear down the boardwalk to give us more room for a promenade or perhaps rental cottages. Maybe an infinity pool. This is the kind of thing I want you and Juliette to discuss in your presentations. You’ll also need to work out the details of the private beaches along this area here.”
“The beaches are open to the public.”
“Not when you’re finished with them.” Len tapped his pen on the polished table. “The plan is to privatize some of the redwood forest, too. Our guests will want exclusive hiking and camping sites. We’ll want to advertise all the rejuvenation and wellness crap, as well as shopping a short distance walk at Oceanview Plaza.”
Hunter folded his arms. The imagined hotel was a massive horseshoe with a long drive accessible from Starfish Avenue and a parking lot not far from Mariposa Street. There were multiple buildings, manicured gardens, swimming pools, and pathways to the “private” beaches. There were restaurants, tennis courts, staff accommodations, sports facilities, and a multi-stories spa with a fitness center.
Why the fuck did they need a fitness center? All anyone had to do was walk outside and breathe the ocean air to get the best exercise of their lives.
“Is that a golf course?” Juliette jutted her chin at the design scheme.
“A golf links,” Mark corrected. “72 par, naturally.”
“You expect to get all the right permits and approval for this?” Hunter asked.
“That’s where you and Juliette have to do your work.” Bruce regarded his daughter. “We anticipate pushback from environmental activists worried about the endangered field mice or whatever, but you should be able to deal with their protests easily enough. Once the residents know about things like projected revenue and job growth, they’ll be salivating to give us their approval.”
He advanced the slide again to a drawing of the resort alongside the completed Oceanview Plaza. “Our projected completion for Oceanview is spring of next year, which means you’ll have plenty of time to charm the townsfolk into seeing the beauty of the Venture Resort. Talk it up as a rustic, eco-friendly resort that’s going to bring a crap ton of employment and revenue to the town. You’ve already earned their trust with Oceanview, so this will be a piece of cake. Tell them you’re all about what’s best for the town.”
“Funny thing is…” Hunter rested his hands on the table and leaned closer to Bruce. “I actually am about what’s best for the town.”
“Sure you are.” Bruce smiled thinly. “I expect you to get Oceanview underway before the month is out.”
“Excuse me.” Aria’s voice cut through the tension-thick air, soft but deadly. Her hands were fisted at her sides, and her eyes blazed. “I guarantee you that the Bliss Cove town council will never approve this kind of monstrosity. Have you forgotten that the Mariposa Business Association hasn’t even voted yet? Do you seriously think they’ll agree to sell their buildings to Imperial, knowing what you have planned?”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Bruce turned to face her, his brow furrowing with feigned surprise. “Are you under the delusion that you can actually tell anyone about this prior to the vote?”
Hunter stepped toward his boss, every muscle in his body tensing for a fight. Aria’s throat worked with a swallow. Her gaze flitted to Hunter. The glint of fear in her expression almost snapped his self-control.
Almost.
“Miss Prescott, we’ve taken substantial measures to keep this confidential,” Len remarked smoothly as he typed on his laptop. “No one outside of this room, including you, should have known about it. So if you would be good enough to tell us…how, exactly, did you learn of the Venture project?”
Her expression turned icy. “I don’t believe that matters at all.”
“On the contrary.” Though Bruce still had a smile plastered on his face, his voice took on a hard edge that Hunter recognized all too well. The one that warned his boss was about to attack.
Hunter put himself partway between Aria and Bruce. “What are you talking about?”
“After I received your email rejecting our offer, we did some research on you, Miss Prescott.” Bruce stepped around Hunter to take his seat again. “We found out about your father…our condolences, by the way...and the rest of your family. Your sister Aurora…Rory, isn’t it?...has quite a history with tech companies in the Bay Area. Given her projects and knowledge, we’ve little doubt that she knows all about cybersecurity.”
Aria flinched. It was quick, a blink of the eye, but Hunter saw it. He gripped the back of a chair, using everything he had not to move.
“Were you aware that breaches of a company’s cybersecurity is a crime?” Bruce continued. “An act like hacking into an email account can be a felony, or at the very least, leave one open to a civil lawsuit.”
“To say nothing of more serious incidents,” Len added. “Ransomware. Spear-phishing. Information and identify theft.”
“My sister is not a cyber-criminal.”
“We’re not accusing her of anything.” Bruce held up a hand. “But we have a team working on recent cyber intrusions at Imperial, and I assure you we won’t hesitate to prosecute those we find responsible. Since you are in possession of confidential information, which you are threatening to make public, you’re putting yourself in a very suspicious position. You don’t appear to be the type who knows the first thing about cybersecurity—” the lawyers chuckled “—but your sister does. If it turns out that she’s responsible...”
He let his voice trail off ominously and lifted his hands in a shrug.
“Your move, Miss Prescott.” The lawyer looked at Aria over the tops of his glasses. “Think very hard about what you intend to do next.”
“And whether or not you really want to fuck with us.” Bruce smiled.
“Enough.” Barely managing to keep his tone even, Hunter forced his hands to unclench and strode around the table to Aria. His blood burned. “This negotiation is—”
“No.” Aria held up a hand to stop him from getting closer. She leveled Bruce with a hard look, her mouth thinning. “You can threaten and bully me all you want, Mr. Sinclair, but you can’t scare me. You’re a fool if you think you’ll ever find evidence that my sister instigated a cybercrime. And the fact is that you still don’t control Mariposa Street. Al
l you have are a few verbal commitments, and words are cheap. People are fickle. I don’t need to tell anyone anything about your horrible hotel to get them to reject Imperial’s offer.”
Spinning on her heel, she stalked to the door.
“I won’t lose, Miss Prescott,” Bruce called after her.
“No, you won’t, Bruce.” She speared him with a glare. “You can’t lose something you never had.”
She strode out of the room, the door closing partway behind her. Hunter started after her, every cell aching with the urge to grab her up into his arms, haul her against him, promise her everything would work out. That he would fix this fucking mess.
Just before he reached for the door, the weight of stares hit him. His shoulders felt as if they were about to break. His heart was jackhammering so hard it echoed through his head.
Pulling a heavy breath into his tight lungs, he slammed the door shut and turned back to the meeting.
“Mariposa Street is ours.” He walked back to his seat, shooting Juliette a cold glance. “I’m closing the deal. I know that town. The Venture Resort is mine.”
She gave him a smile as sharp as a sickle. “Then let the games begin.”
Chapter 24
In the two days following the disastrous meeting at Imperial Properties, Aria expected her phone to flood with messages and calls from Hunter.
Instead, he sent her only one text with two words. Trust me.
Though the words burrowed into her heart, Aria deleted the message right after reading it. Before leaving for New York, she’d put a “Gone Fishing” sign on the café door and recruited Destiny to take care of the cats while she was gone, but she hadn’t told anyone—not even Rory—where she was going.
Stroking Jumbo behind the ears, she set bowls of food down for the cats and ensured all the doors were locked. She felt tight, like a piece of paper crushed into a ball, her insides knotted with the pain of keeping secrets.
Despite her bold words to Bruce Sinclair, she didn’t dare breathe a word about the Venture Resort, not with his threats hovering over her like toxic smoke. Though Rory was a cybersecurity expert who would never leave her fingerprints on anything, she still had done something illegal.