“Got it. We’ll be on standby, ready to step in if needed. You just need to give the signal.”
Isaiah wasn’t someone who dragged his feet, and I appreciated that characteristic in my informant. I was more than capable of handling things myself, but it never hurt to have backup. I’d made the right choice in giving him the position. No regrets.
I sighed, pocketing my phone, and stepping away from the mirror. The unease lingered, but I pushed it aside in order to concentrate on the task at hand. All the warnings in the world were useless if you weren’t focused.
Grabbing my wallet and briefcase, I strode down the stairs, the polished wood gleaming beneath my feet. My footsteps echoed through the hallway. Our entire world was crashing down around us, but one thing was certain, our staff were fucking top notch. The estate was immaculate.
Bryce was waiting for me in the foyer, his attention glued to his phone. He glanced up as I approached, and surprise flickered across his face. “What the hell is going on with you?” He frowned, eyes flicking over my face.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this meeting with Maximus.” My voice came out a little lower and more intense than I intended. “I already don’t trust the guy, but on top of that, something seems off.”
Bryce went somber. “If it feels sketchy, we’ll end the meeting immediately. Remember, Maximus is coming to our territory for this meeting. If he tries anything, he’ll be declaring war, which isn’t smart. Honestly, I doubt Maximus is that arrogant or stupid to pull any shit.”
I nodded, gripping the handle of my briefcase tightly. “I know. But either way, I’m on edge.”
“Let’s just see how it plays out.” The reassurance in his tone had me wondering if I was overthinking it all.
We climbed into Bryce’s sleek black sports car, the warmth of the leather seats seeping through my suit. The engine purred to life, and Bryce pulled away from the house.
When he turned left out of the estate drive, I cast him a sidelong frown. “Why are you going this way? It’s much quicker to turn to the right.”
“I set up the meeting in town at the steakhouse. The staff blocked off the back room for the meeting, so we won’t be interrupted by the blue hairs ordering their early-bird specials.”
“Why not just meet at Keller Enterprises’ main office?” My gaze was fixed on the passing scenery as we made our way into the downtown area.
Bryce tapped his fingers against the wheel to the beat of the rock song playing through the speakers. “I just thought it’d be smarter to meet on neutral ground. Give Maximus the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he genuinely wants to cut a good business deal with us.”
“Right.” It made sense, but meeting outside our office might make Maximus think he had the upper hand. Only time would tell. I just wish Bryce hadn’t sprung it on me. I’d already pulled an employee up this week for pulling the same crap. Granted, a meeting place wasn’t the same as selling a factory, but even so, Bryce was lucky he was my friend.
When we turned onto Main Street, I caught sight of Liza’s office. A cluster of people had gathered outside the entrance.
“What the fuck is wrong with these people?” I muttered, my stomach tightening.
“Looks like they’re camping out or something,” Bryce observed. “Want me to pull over?”
“Yeah.” I checked the time on the dashboard. We had a few minutes to spare. It would be enough for me to handle the situation.
As Bryce parked the car, I took a deep breath and tried to lower my blood pressure. The crowd casually chatted like they were sitting at a backyard barbecue, seemingly oblivious to their trespassing on private property.
Stepping out of the car, the tension made my skin tight as I approached the crowd strewn across the lawn in front of the office building. “Do you have business here?” I called out, trying to maintain some semblance of politeness. “From the looks of things, this business isn’t open.”
A woman, looking ludicrous in an enormous sun hat, looked up at me from her lawn chair, her lips curling into a coy smile that made me roll my eyes. “We’re just waiting for someone.”
I stifled a snort. Waiting? More like stalking. Who the fuck did this woman think she was? She looked like she was lounging at the beach.
Even though they were all loitering, I decided to give them a chance. “This is private property. You can’t just hang around here.”
One of the men in the crowd shifted his weight uneasily, recognizing me. He pointed and yelled out, “Holy shit! It’s the omega’s mate.”
His words shocked me. Liza had always been referred to asmymate, and now I was hers. It was odd to be on the opposite side of things. Liza would get a kick out of that. A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth as I tried not to laugh, but I kept my expression stern.
“All right.” I held up my hand. “You have two choices: either leave on your own, or deal with the police. Your call.”
The crowd grumbled like displeased children, their gazes darting between each other and me. Slowly, they began todisperse, casting wary glances over their shoulders as they slinked away. I overheard the beach lady calling me a hard ass.
What a bitch.
I stood my ground, arms crossed beneath my chest, keeping a watchful eye on every retreating figure. The streets cleared slowly, and even though I had somewhere to be, I refused to get back into Bryce’s car until they were gone.
