Dirty Deeds
Page 25
Oliver whistled. “Damn, man.”
Usually his second-in-command went with a subtle steering of the conversation. Today, Oliver dropped direct hits. Justin got it. He should pull back. He searched his brain for the right words but he could only grab on to an odd mix of misplaced anger and need.
Finn’s eyes narrowed. “You think me flying to Morocco shows a lack of interest in your concerns?”
“I think this division of labor makes it very clear that your big brother Alec isn’t taking me seriously.” Justin seized that thought. Forget that his breath stuttered in his chest and his brain raced to imprint this new image of Finn up there. He needed Alec’s position and strength right now, not Finn.
Finn’s expression didn’t change. The narrow-eyed, you-are-right-on-the-edge glare continued. “You do know I’m a partner in Drummond Enterprises, right?”
“And just how many brothers does it take to make a decision?”
“It depends on the decision.”
A smartass answer. The pretty boy didn’t slink away and call his big brother for backup. Justin hated how much he admired that.
But that didn’t mean Justin could afford to let Finn stay. He would lose his fucking mind trying to keep his hands locked at his sides and his mind on the job. “I’m betting one, in particular, is needed, and he didn’t bother to come here. He sent you instead.”
Finn glanced over at Oliver as he nodded in Justin’s direction. “You work with him every day?”
“For four years.”
“You need a raise.”
That wasn’t wrong. Justin had handpicked Oliver. Stolen the Oxford-schooled son of some guy with a big title and an even bigger house away from another charity and never looked back. Justin knew people found him difficult. He barked because sometimes he had to, but Oliver never flinched.
He looked from Oliver to Finn. Finn was taller by a few inches. He had a more muscled build than Oliver’s slighter frame. Right now they were all smiles with each other and teaming up, and that ticked Justin off even more.
He put his hands on the back of his chair. Wrapped his fingers around the top and dug his fingernails into the faux leather cushion. “I don’t have time for this.”
“Why don’t you explain what the ‘this’ is. Feel free to use small words if you think I won’t understand full sentences.” Finn shook his head. “Or I can get back on a plane and get the hell out of here, if you prefer. Report back to Griff and Alec—the brothers you seem to admire more than me—that this mission can’t be salvaged and it’s time to move on.”
The fucker. “You’d do that? Sacrifice these people and ride on your private plane back to your fancy house.”
Finn’s arms dropped to his sides and he moved closer to the edge on his side of the desk. “Is the way I traveled here an issue for you, too?”
“Some of the people out there are refugees, all are desperate. They don’t have anything.”
“I’m aware of that.”
Justin’s grip on the chair made his palms ache but he didn’t ease up. “Then you should also know they’ve been taking turns storming that big fence four hundred meters away, hoping Spain will grant them asylum.”
“I’m also aware of the political history of Ceuta.”
From a damn book or the news. It was not the same thing and Justin knew that. “Did you take a class in prep school?”
Finn shifted his weight and all emotion left his face except for a stark anger that radiated off him. “You might want to remember I’m your boss.”
Of course he went there. Justin refused to be intimidated. “Bullshit.”
Oliver winced. “Actually…”
“You might not like it but I am the Drummond brother who is here. You have my attention and only my attention, and that’s waning.” Finn pounded his fist against the desk as he talked. Nothing in the stiffness of his shoulders or sharp crack of his voice suggested he was young or inexperienced or out of his league. He spoke and the air seeped out of the tent.
Tension pummeled Justin from every corner. But this was about self-preservation. He just needed to keep focused on the work and get through this pissing match. “For how long?”
“Days. Weeks.” Finn shrugged. “It depends on the scope of the issue and how quickly and efficiently we can resolve it.”
No fucking way. “There are no big, fancy hotels here. No one to serve you.”
“Wow.”
Justin heard the warning in Oliver’s voice but headed straight to the question he wanted answered. “What do you think you’ll be doing here exactly?”
Finn actually rolled his eyes. “Listening to your unending bitching, apparently.”
Score another one for the pretty boy. “This isn’t a playground.”
“You really need to work on your attitude.”
“You didn’t hire me for my attitude.” Finn didn’t hire him at all. Finn had been fresh out of college, dating a pretty blond woman and looking like he’d rolled out of a clothing ad when Justin had been hired. “And, believe it or not, I’m not interested in impressing you.”
“Good because you suck at it.”
Oliver laughed as he rocked back on his heels. “Come on. You have to admire his spirit.”
Justin kept his attention centered on Finn. “Look, fine. You’re the one here representing the company. I get that. Alec and I can work that disagreement out later, but—”
“No.”
What the fuck? “Excuse me?”
“Running to my big brother is the one thing guaranteed to piss me off. I would advise against that.”
Justin wasn’t used to having people try to back him down. He was the one who issued orders and they were followed without question. “You’re kidding, right?”
“As enjoyable as this is, I do have groundwork to do.” When Justin opened his mouth, Finn just continued talking. Spoke right over him. “I’m going to visit with the head of the Moroccan security forces for the area. Then I’ll head over to that twenty-foot-high fence, go across and speak with the head of the Spanish civil guard, then go talk with the Mayor-President of Ceuta.”
That sounded like the travel schedule of your average billionaire pissant. Now this was more like the entitled crap Justin expected. “That’s a lot of schmoozing. Why?”
“Diplomacy.” When voices grew louder outside the tent, Finn glanced behind him then leaned in closer to Justin. “Because me being here could be seen as politically problematic, and if I stay on one side of the fence without paying my respects to the other, I could touch off an international incident.”
Smart. Made sense. Kind of pissed Justin off that Finn understood the realities of what was happening here because it meant he really did intend to linger. “You mean you could create bad press for your billion-dollar company.”
“I mean for all of us. Drummond Charities feeds, houses, and attempts to relocate the very people trying to storm the gate. If we piss off Morocco, we’ll have to leave and possibly abandon the people here without any options. If we piss off Spain, we’ll never help people relocate across the border.”
Justin looked at Oliver and saw him fight off a smile. Finn sure did know the right things to say to impress. For now, Justin conceded the point. “Okay. You’ve proven you’ve read the news.”
“I’ll pay my respects then be back for our meeting,” Finn said as he stepped back from the desk. “Maybe your mood will improve by then.”
Oliver snorted. “Doubtful.”
Finn stepped outside then. He didn’t say goodbye or ask for a guide.
Something tugged at Justin to follow. He got as far as the tent flap and stopped. Watched Finn nod to his driver over the roof of the car then slide into the front seat.
“That went well,” Oliver said as he watched the car take off again.
“He’s going to get kidnapped and Alec will blame me.”
“He does hit a nerve with you, doesn’t he?” Oliver glanced over at Justin. “He actually seems
decent but, damn, you do become more of an asshole than usual around him.”
“I don’t have the time to babysit pretty boys.”
Oliver nodded. “I agree this is going to be awkward.”
The tone, all haughty and half amused. Justin knew to be wary. “What does that mean?”
“How long before you tell him you slept with his big brother?”
The words slammed into Justin like a kick to the gut. As if he needed the reminder. “That was years ago and it was just sex….What is with that look?”
“Remember how last year we took that mandatory three-day holiday in Barcelona?”
Justin’s stomach dropped. “Yeah.”
“Do you also remember that you got drunk and told me why you slept with Alec Drummond?” Oliver held up a hand. “I’m going to stop you before you try to lie to me, because I do, and the answer was Finn Drummond.”
Justin’s mind went blank. He said the only word he could form at the moment. “Shit.”
“Yeah.” Oliver nodded. “This is going to be an interesting visit.”
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