The Billionaire's Deception (The Blank Check Series Book 5)

by Jeannette Winters

  “Yes, but not for Roy and Mabel. He’s going to go after their property. I had no idea how much of that mountain that they owned. Their property triples what Potters Peak is on. He wants to make a luxury lodge with a rustic atmosphere.” Ethan just stared at her. “I tried telling him all the reasons why that place wasn’t for him, but instead it just seemed to make him want it even more.”

  “What did you tell him Kollette?” he asked

  “Mostly about how I felt when I was there. Welcomed, and relaxed and…happy.”

  “I can’t picture that being enough for a businessman to decide to make such a purchase There has to be more to it.”

  “I’m not sure what else there could be. It isn’t like there is any financial documents to back up his decision. But once he has his mind set on something, there’s no talking him out of it. He’s going to acquire that property and there’s nothing we can do to prevent it.”

  “Why do you think that?” Ethan asked.

  Kollette said, “I might carry the Sommers last name, but I don’t have access to the family money. I do have enough to help them get a good lawyer, but even that won’t be enough. And from what I’ve seen, the Potters are not the fighting kind. And my father will send people to do the negotiating for him. Let’s just say, they aren’t always the nicest people.”

  “Are you saying they will hurt the Potters?” Ethan asked, his jaw tense.

  “No. Not physically. But there are other ways of intimidation that is not physical. They are very good at putting pressure on to pressure someone into agreeing to what they normally wouldn’t.”

  “And how do you feel about this?” he asked in a serious tone.

  She closed her eyes for a second, fighting back the tears. Kollette felt sick even talking about it. “Angry. Hurt. And really worried about the Potters. That place is so much more to them than what I could make my father understand. He thinks that throwing money at them will make it all better. It won’t. I saw how they were there. They might be able to move and start again, but it won’t ever be the same. Not for them and not for any of…us… who visit.”

  She lost the battle. A solitary tear rolled down her cheek. She brushed it away and opened her eyes to see Ethan looking at her.

  “Kollette, I have a very important question for you,” he said. She nodded. Ethan asked, “What would you do if there was a way to stop that from happening?”

  “I’d be thrilled. Happy for the Potters. They deserve to keep their home.”

  “And what about your father?” he asked.

  “I couldn’t go against him. He’s my father. But if the Potters find a way and they can, then I’m happy. I just…I can’t be in the middle. Does that make sense? Even though I disagree with my father, I still love him. He’s a good man.”

  “Okay, that’s what I needed to know,” he said.

  She looked at him puzzled. “Why did you ask?”

  “Kollette, sometimes not knowing is the best thing.”

  “Isn’t that what got us in trouble in the first place?” she asked.

  “This is different. Trust me.”

  “That’s what my father said about the Potters. He said for me to trust him, that they will be okay.” Kollette sighed and added, “You know he wasn’t always like this. I mean he obviously took his business seriously or he wouldn’t be so successful at it, but I mean he wasn’t so forceful in getting what he wants. When my step-mother died, it was like the best part of him died too. And even though he still has me and Connor, all he does now is work. It’s…kind of sad.”

  “Loss can do that to people. And I know plenty of people who are like that even without losing someone. It’s hard sometimes to see there is something other than work. I’ve fallen into that trap myself.”

  Kollette still didn’t know what he did for work, but she could see Ethan driving himself hard. “I never noticed it until I stayed at the Potters, but being there for several days opened my eyes up that I was starting to follow in his footstep. The only thing I was doing each day was searching for a way to prove my worth, gain another promotion, and for what? They were just titles. Of course the title of being unemployed isn’t one that I want either,” she declared.

  “Take your time. Think about what you want to do. You don’t need a job; you need something that makes you feel fulfilled at the end of the day.”

  “And hopefully it pays too, because the world functions on money.”

  Ethan replied, “Not if you ask the Potters.”

  “Oh wouldn’t it be nice if we could live like that?”

  “I thought you said you couldn’t live without being connected to the world?” he asked.

  She laughed. “Okay, so I’d like a few luxuries. But there are plenty I can do without. Lobster dinner might not be one of them,” she laughed.

  “Well at least that’s something I know I can provide for you.”

  “It’s a great start,” she said.

  A lot better than I expected.

  “What do you say I pick you up at six,” he said.

  “You’re leaving already?” Kollette asked.

  “I have a few things I need to take care of. Besides, it’ll give you time to put those flowers in water,” he teased.

  She’d forgotten that they were still on her lap. “I think I can manage that task by six.”

  “I’ll see you tonight,” he said leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek.

  As he left her alone sitting on the balcony, she leaned back on the rocker.

  Don’t get too happy. The rug can still be pulled out from beneath me. Just like last time.

  8

  “I know I handle the contracts Ethan, but this is not the type of business we’re in,” Seth stated.

  “It’s just a formality.” Ethan knew the Potters would never take his money, so he had to do something.

  “A legal and binding one,” Seth reminded him. “I’m not even sure why anyone would agree to sign a document to put a lien on the property when there isn’t actually one. Would you care to enlighten me on it a bit more?”

  “There’s this company that wants their property.”

  “It’s the Potters decision if they want to sell or not. There’s no need for you to go to these lengths,” Seth stated.

  “This company has the money to make it happen.”

  He heard Seth sigh. “And you’re willing to stick your neck out to prevent it? Why is that?”

  “They’re good people Seth. They’ve been…good to me when I needed them.”

  “So you feel like you owe them. Then give them the money they need to battle this out themselves,” Seth suggested.

  “That’s not the Potters. They won’t be prepared for how ugly this can get.” I will be. “The only way for the Potters not to be forced to sell, is for a lien to be put on the property so anyone interested, would need to deal with me.” It sounded very easy to Ethan. He’d never do anything to hurt the Potters, and once the threat was over and Ralph Sommers realized he wasn’t going to win, the lien would be dismissed.

  “I understand what you’re saying, but you’re going up against a company, not an individual, correct?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Ethan replied. Even though it was owned by Ralph, he’d be using the company for backing.

  “Then you would need the lien to be just as powerful,” Seth said.

  “You mean put it under Lawson Steel?”

  “It’s your best defense in order to discourage another company. However, I’m not sure you’re going to get the backing from everyone on this.”

  “You just said it’s my best bet.”

  “I did, but you’re not giving any facts for us to make our decision. We as a company would need to fight this, not just you. Which means we should all know why we’re fighting,” Seth stated.

  If this conversation was taking place in person, Seth might regret those words. “A bit hypocritical don’t you think? I mean look what happened with Sheen. No one seems to know the
details about what went down. Well maybe Dean Henderson does, but I mean no one in our family. And when I ask, do you know what I get?” Ethan snarled, “I’m told to trust you. So how about you, showing me some of the same fucking trust right now.”

  Ethan hadn’t meant for this call to go down that road. Hell, it was something he never wanted to say. Maybe it needed to be said, because all this dancing around the truth only built walls. Covering up things is what had gotten their ancestors in the mess they were in.

  Damn it. Now I’m trying to do exactly what I didn’t like done to me.

  “Seth, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “No. I’m the one who is sorry. I was so busy trying to keep things quiet, that I forgot that you guys have my back. What happened with Sheen started off…personal. But working with Sal, I found it wasn’t going to be as easy as showing up and beating his ass.”

  “What do you mean by personal? Was it an attack on the company?” Ethan asked.

  “No. It was how he treated Charlene. The way he looked at her, made me want to rip his throat out,” Seth snarled.

  He wasn’t used to hearing his brother quite so…pissed. Seth never lost his cool. Guess we all have our breaking point. Messing with Charlene is his. Ethan actually felt better knowing it wasn’t over something stupid, at least not in Ethan’s eyes. Others may view it differently. Just like they would my request.

  But there was still a missing piece. A question he needed answered. “What did the Hendersons have to do with it?” he asked.

  “Sal found a connection between Sheen and Bennett Stone. It was long before Stone married their sister Zoey. But to ensure Sheen didn’t try to retaliate for us refusing to do business with his criminal ass, Bennett Stone and Sal decided to…handle it.”

  “When you say ‘handle it’, what exactly does that mean?” Ethan asked.

  “The truth, I don’t know. And before you ask, the Hendersons don’t either. Sal is hired to protect this family. Let’s just say he earned his money and more. And the less we know about what was said, probably the better.”

  In case we’re ever asked, we don’t have to lie.

  “Thank you.”

  “For what?” Seth asked.

  “Telling me. I don’t want there to be...issues between us.”

  “I should’ve handled it differently. Guess that’s why I gave you the advice I did. I don’t want you making the same mistakes I did,” Seth stated

  This wasn’t the same type of situation, at least not by the sounds of it. “I respect that. But the person I’m trying to block isn’t a piece of shit. Actually he’s a well respected businessman.”

  Seth asked, “Then why are you trying to handle it this way, instead of talking to him directly? Unless you’ve done that already and it failed.”

  “Damn it Seth.”

  “What did I say?”

  “Something fucking logical.” I just don’t want to do it. It wasn’t because he was afraid of Ralph Sommers, but more like what he might say to him, that Kollette might not approve of.

  “So you’re going to talk to the guy?” Seth asked.

  There was one little problem. How was he going to do that when he was with Kollette? There was no way he could let her know what he was doing. If she did, she’d want to accompany him. Somehow that wouldn’t have the same impact as Ethan showing up alone, one business giant talking to another. Not that he wished he didn’t ask Kollette to dinner, but it meant a delay on something that was extremely time sensitive. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to cancel on Kollette either. He wasn’t a gambling man, but if he was, he wasn’t sure the odds were in his favor right now.

  “I’m going to try talking to him. But if it doesn’t work, and he is moving forward with his plan, do I have your backing on mine?” Ethan asked.

  “You do. Just remember, I’m only one of five you need to convince.”

  “I know. Let’s hope I don’t have to go that route,” Ethan said. “Right now, I have to get ready for dinner.”

  “A date?” Seth asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Someone new?” he asked.

  “I met her two weeks ago.” He wasn’t about to tell Seth that she was the daughter of the issue at hand. If he did, this conversation would go downhill quickly. And that backing he said he’d give me, would vanish. “So if you don’t mind, I don’t want to keep the young lady waiting.”

  “Have fun. And let me know what happens after you have your meeting,” Seth said.

  “I will be in contact in a day or two. Thanks again.”

  “That’s what family is for,” he said.

  Yeah. If only Kollette could do this with hers.

  After getting off the phone, Ethan decided to make one more call. This would determine what he was going to tell Kollette.

  “Hello, Mr. Sommers office, may I help you?”

  “Yes, I’d like to speak to Mr. Sommers.”

  “Is he expecting your call?” she asked.

  “No. Please tell him Ethan Lawson, from Lawson Steel, is calling.” This might be personal, but he needed to throw some of the family weight around. He wasn’t even sure Ralph knew the Lawson name.

  “Could you hold please while I check if he is available?”

  “Certainly.” If he didn’t accept the call, Ethan was going to show up unannounced at his office. And if that didn’t work, hell, he might need to call Connor for help. That was one of the last things he wanted to do. If he did, most likely it would get back to Kollette.

  “Mr. Lawson, what can I do for you?” Ralph said as he came on the line.

  “Mr. Sommers, I was hoping you and I could sit down and discuss some business.”

  “What type of business?” he asked.

  “I’d rather talk about it in person if you don’t mind,” Ethan said.

  “And if I do?” Ralph asked.

  “I’m hoping that you’re curious enough to agree.” He was playing on Ralph’s curiosity. Once again, another gamble.

  “Want to meet for dinner?” Ralph asked.

  “Yes. Tomorrow night.” Ethan gave him the name of a restaurant in Miami. Of course that meant flying back there in the morning. If it worked out, it’d be worth it.

  “And if tomorrow isn’t good for me?”

  “Then I guess you’ll have to keep wondering what I wanted to discuss.”

  “Mr. Lawson, I know the reputation of your family. That is the only reason why I’m agreeing to meet with you. But I’m a very busy man, and I hope you’re not wasting my time.”

  “Trust me Mr. Sommers, you want to hear what I have to say. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Ethan ended the call.

  He needed to get Ralph out of his mind right now, otherwise Kollette would know something was distracting him. He didn’t want her thinking it had anything to do with her. Looking at his watch, it was time to go pick her up.

  If she finds out what I’m doing, this won’t just be our first date, it’ll be our last.

  Kollette was enjoying the lobster, but Ethan seemed to be miles away. This was his idea, not hers. He shouldn’t have asked her if he really didn’t want to go. She was fine with eating in the hotel restaurant or ordering room service. But he’d gotten her hopes up that tonight was going to be…a date.

  “Did you want dessert?” Ethan asked.

  “No thank you,” she replied.

  “I know it won’t be as good as Mabel’s, but they have chocolate cake.”

  “I’m fine, thank you,” she said flatly.

  Ethan waved the waitress away and then looked back at her. “Kollette, is something wrong?”

  “You tell me. You hardly spoke at all during dinner. And don’t say it’s because the lobster was so good, even though it was. It’s like you…didn’t really want to be here…with me.” It even hurt to utter the words, but she told herself she was going to be honest with Ethan going forward. Even when it sucked doing so.

  He reached across the table and took her hand in hi
s. “I’m sorry Kollette. I really do want to be here with you. It’s just…I guess I’ve been a bit distracted.”

  “You think? It was like I ate dinner alone.” She wasn’t being very understanding. There could be a very reasonable explanation for his lack of participation this evening. In a softer tone she asked, “Is there something you want to talk about?”

  He shrugged but replied, “I’ve been thinking about the Potters.”

  That was reasonable. She’d been doing that most of the day as well. “I knew when I told you about my father’s plan, you’d be…upset. But you needed to know. I was thinking maybe I should go there and tell them myself, you know, so they know what’s coming.”

  “I wouldn’t do that just yet,” Ethan said.

  “Why? The longer I wait, the more likely they’ll learn from someone working for my father. Won’t that be more…traumatic?” Really, there was no good way to deliver the news. The results were going to be the same. But if it was her, she’d rather hear it from a friend. “Actually, now that I think about it, maybe it would be better coming from you?”

  “Me? Why is that?” he asked.

  “Because they love and trust you.” It was that simple. Of course, asking him to do it might look like she was taking the coward’s way out as well. “I will go with you if you want, but you have a closer connection with them.”

  “I agree. I should be the one to tell them. Although I appreciate your offer to come, it might be better if I do it alone. I’m thinking I will leave tomorrow to start working on that.”

  Tomorrow?

  That meant all they had was tonight, and here she was, questioning if he wanted to be here, when she should be enjoying their time. Forcing a smile she said, “How good do you think that cake is?”

  Ethan grinned, “It’s chocolate. How bad can it be?” He called the waitress over and ordered one piece with two forks.

  She was glad they stayed for dessert. This time they didn’t sit quietly either. They laughed and teased each other. Even argued about who got the last bite. Kollette won, which she totally expected. But the game wasn’t the same without a bet on the line.

  When they got back to her hotel, he walked her to the door, like a gentlemen. But she wasn’t ready to say goodnight. Especially if he was leaving tomorrow.