My Unexpected Love: The Beaumont Series: Next Generation

by Heidi McLaughlin

  “Mr. Weston,” I repeat quietly. Going straight to the sore spot on a sensitive subject such as this seems irresponsible. It took hundreds of years for vampires to be able to walk about freely, openly as vampires, and for the holdouts to the cause, it was never a good idea to become confrontational. This is going to take some degree of finesse.

  “Yes, Mr. James Weston. He is who you’re going to need approval from. All gaming licenses require his signature. Once you have that, we can move forward with the deal. But, until then, I can keep it pending under contract, so another buyer doesn’t swoop in.”

  I lean forward, placing my palms on top of Melody’s hands. As she meets my gaze, I whisper, “You will make sure that no one else gets this property, right Melody?”

  Under my compulsion, her eyes glaze over as she nods slowly. “I will make sure no one else gets this property.”

  “Thank you, Melody.”

  “Of course, Roman,” she mutters quietly, still under my artificial rapture.

  “I will be in touch.” I stand up, grasping the folder with the blueprints and plans in it, and shove it back under my arm. I repeat the name of the obstacle in my way over and over as I make my way toward the exit. I need to find a way to turn this Mr. Weston into an ally, instead of a vampire fearing foe. As I walk out of the casino, the various voices around me are a stark reminder that humans are vain. Each one has a price, a weakness of some kind, a social ladder they need to climb, and when someone with my power, resources, and income comes along with a proposition, they buckle at the knees, begging to do business with me. It won’t take much for me to figure out how feeble Mr. Weston is. If anything, I’m more determined now than ever to buy this property. As far as I’m concerned, Mr. Weston has no idea what he’s in for.