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“So, cupcake,” Smoke drawled. “What do you think of the building?”
“It has potential.”
He arched a brow. “What’s that really mean?”
“Truth?”
“Truth.”
“The truth is the club is going to have to spend a small fortune updating all the systems and fixing the damage I can see, and I’ve barely done a walk through, let alone a full inspection.”
“We’re prepared for that.”
“Yeah?” I asked. “Because it looks to me like it would’ve been cheaper to buy a plot of land and build from scratch versus having to fix all the problems in a building that wasn’t taken care of in the first place.”
“Aside from the HVAC, what other problems are you seeing?”
“The walls and ceilings have water stains. I’m guessing it’s either a leaky pipe that was never fixed properly or the roof has been patched and the patch failed during one of the many infamous Texas rainstorms. Water has nowhere to go except down and the path of least resistance. And the mold. There’s definitely a lot of mold.”
“The inspection came back clean of any mold.”
“Look at the wood around the base of the desk,” I announced. “Now look up near the water marks from the leak. This building has mold.”
“Fuck,” Smoke muttered.
“Whoever did your inspection hosed you,” I said. “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.”
His jaw clenched. “Motherfucker.”
“Real estate is a wild business,” I said. “A lot of people cut corners and the so-called experts aren’t even doing their due diligence.”
“I’ll talk to Prez,” Smoke gritted out. “See how he wants to handle it.”
The way he said handle made me think Smoke meant violence. I didn’t like the anger rolling off him in waves, and I instantly took a step back.
His expression immediately cleared, and his mouth softened. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I croaked.
“I’m sorry.”
I shook my head. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”
“Did I scare you?”
“Yes.”
“Then I have a reason to be sorry.”
My shoulders slumped. “You went from zero to fist-clenching in just a few seconds, and I…”
“You don’t have to explain.” He exhaled in frustration. “We’re out of our league here. With real estate, I mean.”
“We all make mistakes.”
“Yeah, but some mistakes are easier to rectify than others. And this mistake will cost a lot of money.” He paused. “I shouldn’t be telling you about our business.”
“My lips are sealed. I won’t say a word.”
