His expression hardened. “Keeping greedy people like him in check is exactly what my firm’s objective is. Did you hear about New York?” At their blank looks, he continued. “He had eight people arrested and rumor has it, he’s in a bidding war for the property next door. I hope someone’s richer than him, otherwise he’ll control that whole neighborhood.”
Chris snapped his fingers. “Is that the place with the low-end housing? He has big plans to revamp the neighborhood. No one currently residing there could afford to live there anymore.”
Ephraim turned a beseeching look on me. “I’d love to say I have altruistic goals, but it’d be a career-high if I could raise Wesley Robson’s blood pressure. That man has more money and power than he deserves.”
I contemplated my options. Do nothing or go down swinging. How much would I owe Chris and Ephraim? They had both offered to help. I could walk away at any time. But I wouldn’t. I might not have a leg to stand on, but I didn’t need to make it easy.
Wes
I stood, glaring out the window of my office. Arcadia had two cars parked in front of it. The shoe store had just as many and the pub didn’t open until the evening. What had Sam been thinking, letting that place stand?
“It would seem we have a slight problem with one of the permits.”
I spun around to face Franklin.
Unperturbed, Franklin pushed his glasses up and refocused on the documents in front of him. “It’s a minor matter, but it may push the demo date back.”
I snorted. I didn’t care. Arcadia had to evacuate in less than five weeks regardless. “You’ve taken care of all involved?”
“I have. There will be fees.”
A hazard of the business. “What’s the rest, Franklin?”
My somber assistant had been especially subdued all morning. If Franklin weren’t the best at what he did, and trustworthy, I wouldn’t have kept him on. For something to bother Franklin, it bothered me—only if it was about work.
Franklin sighed and folded his hands. “I’ve been contacted by a legal firm. Johnson, Harwood, and Crest have launched a lawsuit against Robson Industries about the unresolved sale of the Heart of Downtown Mall.”
My head spun. Unresolved sale. Sam had been planning to give it away. For a dollar. “That’s absurd.”
I’d been in danger of softening toward Mara and now she was suing me? Not seeing her for four days messed with my mind, like I was in withdrawal from her addictive taste. Her body rocked me only because of the deceptive game she was playing. Franklin’s news had reminded me of that, and tonight’s movie date with her took on new meaning.
Franklin adjusted his glasses, a tic often preceding bad news. “It is absurd. However, it might give a judge pause.”
“But it’s missing his signature.” Incredulous, I stormed back to the window. Nothing had changed at Arcadia. “How the fuck is she paying for this? She lives in a hovel.”
Franklin cleared his throat. “You’ve seen her place?”
If I told Franklin what I was doing, would the guy stay with me? Would he notify Mara? I couldn’t tell Franklin. Despite his loyalty, something about my assistant’s dismay unsettled me.
Why? My mom would fist-bump me. Then she’d interfere and ruin it. She’d become Mara’s worst nightmare. It’d be like high school on ’roids. Name-calling. Shunning, though who Mara had in her inner circle to shun her, I didn’t know. Plus, that’d be the end of enjoying Mara’s company—no. Her body. I was enjoying the sex, that was all.
Why should I care again? If I wanted the ultimate revenge, I’d spill to my mom that Mara might play me for his money. Mara was already making a move to finish what she’d started with Sam with her silly lawsuit.
I schooled my expression to one of professional calm before I spun around. “I learned everything I could about the new woman after Sam’s money.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“How do you know?” I held my breath as if I waited for a damn good reason, one that would shine a clean light on Mara.
My assistant hesitated a moment. “I don’t, but I knew Sam. He wasn’t romantically involved with anyone after his first heart attack.”
Hopes crashed and I cursed myself. I curled my lip toward Franklin. “Did you hang out, chat about your hookups?”
Franklin’s lips pursed. He shuffled the reports, arranged them neatly, and stuffed them into his briefcase. “I’ll find out everything I can about their claim and whether it’ll affect our timeline further.”
Somehow Franklin brought out the worst in me like he was Sam’s conscience lingering on earth.
“What was it?” My voice dropped low, not quite in apology. “What was it about her that captivated him?”
Standing and holding his bag, Franklin seemed to correctly read into my question. “I wish I had an answer for you. I do know that when she leased the space for Arcadia, he was delighted.” His head inclined toward the monstrosity sitting in a corner of the office. “Perhaps it was just nostalgia. Have a good day, sir.”
Left alone, I faced the pinball machine that had shown up after I’d shut down my dad’s offices. Likely Franklin’s doing.
For two seconds, I saw myself as a little kid with mussed black hair repeatedly slamming the flippers and earning replay after replay. Bright blue eyes reflecting off the glass that covered an image of a DeLorean, a teenager, and a guy with wild gray hair. The game had been released the same year I had been born. I was surprised I wasn’t named Marty instead.
Had the game even been played since the divorce? I had been in and out of Sam’s workplace, but after the way Sam had withdrawn from his role as a father, I had concentrated on learning the business.
Stupid machine. I needed to get rid of it. Give it away, like my dad had tried giving all his other property away.
Speaking of giving property away, I palmed my phone from my pocket
