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“No,” I snapped, the word slamming between us like a gavel.
“For someone who was quick to get rid of Eleanor,” Ethan said, tilting his head with a smirk, “you sure are quick to defend her honor.”
“Because she deserves it,” I snapped back.
“I’ve seen the photos of you two online. You think that’s a smart move, Colton? Looking cozied up with the head of the PR firm hired to help you? You didn’t think for one minute that maybe seeing Stone Ranch associated with PR wouldn’t raise an eyebrow?” He tilted his head to the side, sizing me up.
Before I could answer, the sharp click-clack of heels on hardwood cut through the tension. Eleanor swept into the room like a storm brewing, each step deliberate, each movement exuding power. Gone was the casual, comfortable woman from the truck. Now, she wore a fitted black dress that hugged her curves, bright red heels that announced her presence with every step, and glasses perched on her nose like she’d been summoned to read us both to filth.
Ethan turned toward the interruption, curiosity written on his face.
Eleanor came to a stop beside me, hands firmly on her hips, her piercing gaze boring into Ethan like she could dismantle him with a glance. “Which one of you boys is catching me up to speed?”
“Stone Ranch is being sued,” Ethan started, his voice faltering. “No, I don’t know what changed her mind, but we have speculations.”
“We?” Eleanor arched a brow, her eyes darting down to me. “Speculations?”
“Ethan here,” I said dryly, “thinks the online exposure is what caused her to change her mind.” I shot him a sharp look, hoping he’d keep the bit about us looking cozied up to himself.
Eleanor laughed—a sharp, cutting sound devoid of humor. “Typical. Can’t admit maybe it was you who messed up, so you’re scrambling to pass the blame, huh?” She tilted her head, daring him to argue.
“It’s the logical explanation,” Ethan shot back, sitting straighter in his chair. “Either that, or Colton said something to piss someone off.”
“Don’t you dare put this on him,” Eleanor snapped, pointing a manicured finger at me. “Let’s be clear. It doesn’t matter whose fault it is. What matters is that the person hired to navigate these waters is failing at his job.” She leaned forward, her voice a whipcrack. “But sure, let’s split hairs while the ship sinks.”
I stayed silent, stunned as Eleanor took the fight to him. She wasn’t just holding her ground, she was bulldozing his defenses. My chest tightened. No one had ever gone to bat for me like this, stood with such confidence to fight with me.
“So,” Eleanor said, her voice cutting through my thoughts. “What’s the next step? Did you offer her anything? Try to negotiate? Or did you roll over like a coward?”
Ethan’s jaw clenched, his composure slipping. “I tried,” he said tightly.
“And failed,” Eleanor finished, her voice dripping with disdain. “Here’s what’s going to happen. First, we figure out what changed her mind and who or what got to her. It’s been months, and suddenly, she’s reversing course? Something shifted. We find out what, and we counteract it. So, get me a list of anyone who might have a vendetta against Stone Ranch.”
Ethan hesitated. “That’s…a long list.”
She leaned in, her voice low and dangerous. “Get. Me. The. Damn. List.”
Straightening, Eleanor turned her focus to me. “You,” she commanded, her tone brooking no argument. “You’re releasing a statement. On camera. Directly to the public. If this leaks before we get ahead of it, the media will have a field day, and your precious ranch will be a true PR disaster.”
She crossed her arms, surveying us both like a general assessing her troops. “I have contacts, big names who owe me big favors. I’ll pull whatever strings I have to, but I need the space to work. And don’t,” she added sharply, eyes narrowing on Ethan, “blame me or my methods for your shortcomings. Look at who just walked in and came up with a real plan while you two were too busy pointing fingers.”
She glanced at her wrist, checking an imaginary watch. “Five minutes. That’s all it took me to outpace you both. Let that sink in.”
Without another word, Eleanor turned on her heel, her hips swaying in a way that was both maddening and mesmerizing. The door slammed behind her, leaving a silence that felt louder than any argument.
Ethan blinked at me, his cheeks flushed and his confidence thoroughly shattered. “Um…what just happened?”
I allowed myself the barest hint of a smirk. “Eleanor,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “CEO of BuzzBurst Media. Don’t fuck with her.”
Chapter 33
Eleanor
ONE LEG TUCKED under the other, I perched on the chair in my room at Stone Ranch, hunched over my laptop. Four cups of coffee in. I hated coffee, but I needed something, anything, to keep me going. I wasn’t stopping until I had answers.
How dare that dumbass lawyer suggest this lawsuit was my fault? That the woman had suddenly decided to sue because of my approach? No. I refused to believe it. Call it stubbornness, call it ego—I didn’t care. Something deeper was at play here, and I wasn’t going to rest until I uncovered it.
New York City had given me a lot of connections over the years, some more dangerous than others. When you’re good at what you do, people tend to think money isn’t enough to repay you. Instead, they offer favors. Useful favors. I’d never cashed in on one before, mostly because, well…who wants to be in contact with mob bosses or corporate sharks who may or may not have bodies buried in their wake?
