Hammered: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Hard n' Dirty Book 5)

by Alexis Alvarez

  “Yes. I interviewed you a few months ago—”

  “On the casino expansion project. I remember.” He sniffs, then turns back to Dane. “Your methods of interviewing and writing are certainly… progressive.” His voice makes it clear what he thinks of me. “Danton, you’d do well to watch out.” He laughs, but it’s not a humorous sound. “Although I hardly need to tell you the aphorism about keeping friends close.”

  “Excuse me?” My smile fades.

  “Oh, hon, you know what I mean.” His eyes are cold, watery. Like an Atlantic Ocean graveyard.

  “I’m afraid I don’t.” My stomach churns. “And it’s Talia Carlsson. Not hon.”

  “Let’s just say that journalistic ethics are an important field, don’t you agree?”

  His wife gives him a look. “We should get going. Dane. Tell your uncle we’re pulling for him. Wishes and prayers, of course.”

  “Of course.” Dane nods, his voice even.

  “And we look forward to seeing you at the next city council meeting.” Michael raises his eyebrows. “We’ll be discussing city zoning—but heck, you know that already. And maybe you and I can spend a few minutes chatting about my election campaign.” He smiles and grabs Dane’s hand. But his words sound more like a threat than a suggestion.

  Dane’s voice is cool. “I look forward to it.”

  “Good, good.”

  The man presses Dane’s hand once again, and the woman gives another air kiss. “Danton Carter Junior, you’re always welcome at our home. Don’t be a stranger.”

  And then they’re gone.

  But I’m still here. With new comprehension. And embarrassment. And anger.

  He looks at me, wary. He knows I know. He’s waiting for it.

  “So you’re Danton Carter.”

  He nods. “Yes.”

  “Not the founder, but a relative?”

  “Danton Senior, who founded the company, is my uncle. He’s dying. Before he went into hospice, he made me interim CEO. Instead of his son.”

  “And you’re running the company now?” I can’t keep the disbelief out of my voice. “Not just a construction foreman. Or a PR rep.”

  “I’m not just construction foreman.” He pauses. “I’m the interim CEO.”

  “You’re the interim CEO.” I repeat it back, dumbly. Processing.

  “The board opted to keep it quiet for now, until”—he takes a breath—“until we know what’s going to happen with my uncle. And until this project is finished.”

  “I’m sorry about your uncle.” My voice is stiff. I don’t want to stop this train of anger for sympathy, but I can’t help it. “That’s really sad.” I don’t sound like I care, but part of me honestly does.

  “Thank you.”

  “Were you close?”

  He shakes his head. “We’re not close at all. Hadn’t really spoken personally in years.” At the question on my face, he adds, “But he chose me because he thought I’d do a good job. Better than Art.”

  “He’s in... hospice?”

  He nods, and I see that there are dark circles under his eyes. “With his wife and daughter. He asked Art to stay here and keep an eye on things. And me, he wants me to focus on making sure the company thrives.”

  “His son’s not with him.” It’s hard to fathom. If it were me, I’d let everything else rot to be with my family.

  “They are a complicated family.” He takes a breath, looking at me. “Art feels that he’s doing his father’s duty, here. They weren’t especially close emotionally, either. At this point, Danton Senior isn’t... communicative.” He swallows and a tendon jerks in his neck.

  “I don’t understand why his own son doesn’t have his name, and you do.” It’s probably not the most appropriate question, but I blurt it out anyway.

  He shakes his head. “My father and my uncle Danton were business partners before Dad died. They started Danton Carter Construction together. My father idolized Danton when they were younger, so when I was born, he named me after him. I’m not officially Danton Junior on paper. But people call me that.” He swallows.

  “When were you going to tell me?” My voice sounds like it’s coming from a well. I swallow hard to clear my mind.

  “I didn’t set out to trick you.”

  “Really? Because from this vantage point, it seems like you did.” I sit back down, but on the edge of my seat. Knees pressed together. Trembling.

  He sits too, anything but relaxed. “It’s complicated.”

  I grab my water glass and gulp its contents. Fight for composure. “If it’s a long story, I have time.” I make my voice sarcastic.

  His voice rises. “When you first showed up at the site? I didn’t owe you anything.”

  “Okay.” I put up a hand. “How about at the club? At my office? Or when we fucked?” I touch my cheek. “That would have been a good time.”

  He crosses his arms. “This has nothing to do with that night. That’s separate.”

  “I don’t feel like it is.” I’m so angry I want to punch something.

  He sighs. “I wanted to get a read on you first. See what you were all about.”

  “That’s crap.” My voice rises. “Dishonest.”

  “I didn’t want to hurt you. But I had to think of the company, too—”

  “Oh, that’s the way to run a company, is it? Keep the identity of the interim CEO a secret for a while until you get a read on people? That’s just awesome, Dane. Danton. Whatever.”

  “I’m still Dane. Always been Dane.” A muscle twitches in his jaw. “Troy was my middle name. So Dane Troy is still me.”

  “Not to me. What was your point? Why? Why trick me? Were you just hoping to get me into bed?” I raise my eyebrows. “That's a lot of work for a fuck.”

  “I didn’t lie to you just to get you into bed. I got you into bed because you wanted me as much as I wanted you,” he snaps. “Can you deny that?”

  I can’t. But I’m still so angry I’m fuming. “It was dishonest. You know about all of what I do, all of it. And you kept your life a secret.”

  “You didn’t seem to mind last night when I was licking your—”

  “Stop.” I raise my voice. “You lied to me and that’s a total douche move.” I frown. “Did you lie about Harvard, too?”

  “No. I went to Harvard. Actually, ah, got my mechanical engineering degree there.”

  “Engineering degree?” I spit the words. “Seriously? You said you got tired of it. Moved on.”

  “Well, technically, after I got the degree, yeah, I was tired of it. And moved on.” He regards me warily. “I know it was not fair to—”

  “You deceived me.” I’m so angry I’m shaking. “You fed me misinformation and let me think untrue things about you. So I wouldn’t figure out that you were the interim CEO. Did you sleep with me and flirt with me just to throw me off my game?”

  “No.”

  “Because it won’t work. I’m still going to focus on my job.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “That’s a little too late,” I snap. “I can’t trust you. God, Dane. Danton.” I shudder.

  He reaches out to touch me and I scowl. “No.”

  “So where does that leave us?” He steeples his hands. His eyes are dark. Intense. I can’t read his expression.

  “I want to go home. I’ll call an Uber. I don’t want to be with you right now.” I grab my purse off the back of my chair and stand up.

  “I’ll drive you, Talia.”

  “No. I would like to be alone.”

  “Then I’ll wait with you.”

  “What part of alone is complicated to understand?” I walk to the lobby. I can’t even look at him right now, because seeing his face makes apparent not just his own duplicity, but my own willing blindness, my eagerness to look the other way, even when I knew better.

  “Why does it feel like I’m always leaving you in a lobby?”

  He follows me. I can feel his body heat behind me before he moves up, but th
is time, I just want to get away.

  “Good question.” I dig my phone out of my purse and stab at the app I need. “Maybe you can meditate on it later.”

  “Talia, I think you’re overreacting.” But he can’t meet my eyes. I know he must be feeling guilty as hell. Good. He should. Asshole.

  “What you think, right now, is not my highest concern. Do you mind? I need to…” I wave at my phone. “Okay?”

  He steps back. “I’m sorry.”

  We wait in silence for my driver. I steal glances from time to time, my heart breaking in my chest. The whole thing is so messed up and stupid, and I’m so angry that I care this much. And worst of all, I feel so dumb that I didn’t realize who he was. And I’m the journalist! God, he must think I’m so stupid. I think I’m stupid.

  By the time my car arrives, a mid-size navy SUV, I’m near tears with unhappiness. But I jerk my head and look at him before leaving. “It’s been... an interesting evening.” I swallow.

  “Talia, please don’t go like this.”

  But he doesn’t reach out to touch me, at least. He can tell that it’s not welcome.

  “Your fault entirely.” I hitch my purse higher on my shoulder. It’s cool in the restaurant, and my skin is smooth. Outside, where it’s humid, the purse will immediately stick to me and chafe, I’m sure, but in here the leather strap slides, glossy, on my skin.

  I try not to think of his hands on my body. Because even now when I’m so angry, I still want him. And I’m pissed, not in a small part, because this revelation has ruined what was going to be, by all of my calculations, probably the best sex of my life. Asshole.

  “Can I call you?” His voice is low. “I’d like, when you calm down to discuss—”

  “Not unless it’s to apologize and to discuss how you’re going to listen to me about the Moorish Crane. I mean, now that it’s clear you’ve been the one all along who’s got the power to make decisions. That you were the one I needed to talk to this whole time. I mean, if you can stop laughing first, at how funny it all is to you. That I’m a journalist, and I couldn’t even figure out who to talk to at Danton.” I shake my head in self-disgust.

  “It’s not funny. I’m not laughing, and I don’t feel good about this.”

  “Then are you going to help me with the crane situation?” I put my hands on my hips and glare at him.

  He steps back and makes a noise, a sort of huffing sound. “Talia, I’m not going to change anything in the construction schedule or how we’re doing things. I’m sorry about the birds, but that's not going to happen.” He put up his hands. “It’s not even my call at this point. I answer to the Board of Directors.”

  “How ethical of you.” I scoff.

  “Ethical? Yeah, I think it is.” His voice holds a challenge.

  “How?” I glower. “Danton. To kill off birds just to make a profit?”

  “Are you joking with me?” He steps forward, eyes narrowed. “It’s ethical because I’m putting the needs of my employees—many of whom are poor locals—as first priority. Because I give a shit about their continued health care and benefits. Salary. Their families. Because I care about bringing jobs to the community. That’s how it’s ethical, Talia.”

  “Oh, it’s jobs you care about? I thought it was just lining your pocket.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “Well, it’s not fair to come into a community and tear up pristine land that’s been enjoyed for decades, and call it progressive and altruistic.”

  “I told you—”

  “Danton Construction does not have the most awesome reputation for ethics.”

  “Apparently, neither do you.” He snaps.

  I suck in a breath. “What?”

  He shrugs. “Michael seems to think you have a little bit of a dark side yourself.”

  “Michael can go fuck himself.”

  “Talia—”

  “Save it.” My driver is out front. “Sleep well.”

  As I get into the car, and the air freshener, something that’s one step away from vomitorious in the way the fake vanilla mixes with the odor of new car and AC, wafts over me, I see him standing there. Watching. And my emotions are all over the place as we drive away.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Talia

  “He’s a total assdouche.” Lem hands me a shot.

  “I’m not going to drown my sorrow in alcohol. That’s trite.” It’s a week later, and I’m still livid about Dane’s deception. And hurt. Lem, as always, is here to help, but this time it will need more than a friend bond to fix what’s broken.

  “Also, effective. Watch and learn.” She tosses back her shot. “Look! See how happy I now am? It’s a cliché because it actually works.”

  “Shut up.” I roll my eyes.

  “If you don’t drink it, I’m gonna have to. Is that what this world is coming to?”

  I push the shot glass and the amber liquid tilts back and forth, waves in a tiny ocean.

  “I don’t even like this. Donate it to some cute guy and tell him it’s a freebie. Meet someone new and exciting. That guy, maybe.” I glance around the bar and point to the cutest option, a yuppie with a tie and a short haircut, who looks like he belongs on Wall Street.

  “I don’t need to meet anyone. I, ah—” She turns pink.

  “What?” I pounce. “Is it that guy, Bae?”

  “Well, yeah.” She nods. “We’re dating.”

  “Real dating? Not just, you know? Fucking?”

  “We’re exclusive.”

  “Already?”

  She shrugs. “When you know, you know.” A smile spreads across her face, and she giggles, like a kid with a new toy. Her whole face is lit up. “He really gets me. And he’s so smart and fun and sexy. And nice.”

  “Wow.” I sip my water. “So what sorrows do you possibly need to drown?”

  “None. Shots also enhance joy. Dual action.”

  “That sounds like an ad for some kind of engine thing, like a new carburetor.”

  She ignores that. “So Dane is Danton Carter. Wow. He looks nothing like his uncle. Thank God.”

  I scowl at her. “He could have told me so many times. What a dirty jerk.”

  “Secrets.” She nods. “Toxic to a relationship.”

  I blink at that. “We don’t have a relationship. It was just one night of sex. But the lies are what will totally ensure we never get anywhere.”

  “I’m sorry.” She gives me a side hug. “I really am.”

  “Thanks.” I lean my head into her shoulder. “Why did he have to turn out to be this way?”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to double down on the crane situation.”

  “Because of spite, or because you want to?”

  “I’m sorry; do you not care about the cranes, after all?” My voice is snappy.

  “Of course I care. I volunteer with that ass Mark as much as you do. But just don’t do this because you’re angry. Do it for the right reasons.”

  “Which would be?”

  “I don’t know. You’re getting mad. Don’t get mad.”

  “I don’t like having my motives questioned.”

  “You’re my friend. You want me to be honest, right?” She pauses. “Just, if you proceed with the crane stuff, and really push it, make sure it’s because you’d do it no matter what. That’s all.”

  “Well, I would.” I cross my legs and swing one foot, irritated. “Of course.”

  “Well, then. That’s good. Go for it.”

  “It’s just not okay that some big company comes waltzing into town, hides info and lies, acts all awesome by hiring a lot of locals as construction crew, and then proceeds to rip up gorgeous forest and swamp land under the guise of benevolence.”

  I sip the water again and put the glass down harder than I intend. A few people, including the bartender, glance over for a second before going back to their worlds.

  “I don’t think any company works under the guise of benevolenc
e.” She frowns.

  “You know what I mean. He’s all holier than thou to me. And it pisses me off.”

  “I can tell.” She sips my discarded shot. “Is this going be awkward because you hate him now, and I’m dating his best friend?”

  “Bae’s his best friend?”

  She gives me a cautious look. “Uh, yeah.”

  “Oh.” I consider this. “Yes, but we’re also best friends, so we can figure out awkward.”

  “I mean, I might see him socially sometimes. And you can’t hate me.”

  “Okay, I won’t. But you have to promise to think he’s a dick.” I bite my lip. I feel a surge of guilt, because he isn’t just a dick, not entirely. And I like him, despite everything. I’m just so mad about the lies and the fact that he’s on the other side of an ethical issue. Why do I have to meet a hot, fun guy… and have him turn out to be the one man I can’t have?

  “Oh, Talia.” She squeezes me again. “You know I love you.”

  “You too.”

  ***

  “Hey, Tally.” Marty leans in for a a brief hug and I feel his thin shoulder bones under my hands before he pulls away. “Sit down. I got us both lattes.”

  He drums his fingers on the laminated tabletop like he’s playing piano. He’s small, like the size of a teenager, and his haircut makes him look like some kind of pixie, even though he’s got eye-wrinkles and the start of gray at his temples.

  “It was supposed to be my treat. And dinner, at that.” I sit down and sip my drink. “It’s good.”

  “So’s this.” He wiggles his eyebrows and pulls a folder out of his case.

  I lean in, lower my voice. “What did you find?”

  “The CEO, the current one, is in Europe in a high-end hospice, and his wife is with him. He convinced the board to select his nephew—”

  “As interim CEO. I know.” I sigh. “Danton Carter Junior. The person I know as Dane. Ugh.”

  “Well.” He snorts. “I guess you don’t need me after all.”

  “No, tell me the rest of it. I don’t know the other things.”

  “So it’s interesting. Danton Carter Junior, your Dane”—he flips a page—“took over just two months ago. There were disagreements but the board voted him in narrowly. Some dissent.” My chest feels warm to hear Dane called ‘mine.’ Although he’s a stupid jerk.