Page 11 of Dirty Rival

“Advisor to my father.”

“Then you told him to go on them?” he challenges.

My lips thin. “He made the calls.”

“Did you tell him they were good moves?”

“I told him to walk away from both.”

“Why?”

“As you know, I’m sure, Summerton was a resort project in another country. The financial instability of the group investing, legal ramifications to a variety of terms, and location challenges were among my list of concerns. There were others.”

“And it ended up half-built without funding.”

“Yes.”

“And Waterbrook. Tell me about Waterbrook.”

“Waterbrook was an early development project in Casper, Wyoming, where an oil and gas boom has started, and the city is just taking shape. On paper it made sense.”

“But?”

“I disliked Max Waterbrook, the key investor in the project. It was a gut feeling. I couldn’t find the facts to support it, but I knew he was trouble. And now our project is dirt, quite literally, and he’s disappeared with the money.”

“If there’s a snake in the grass, you make sure he’s your snake.”

“Like you?” I dare.

“If you believe that, you shouldn’t have signed the papers. I don’t lie or cheat, Carrie. I’m here because there were people on that board losing big money over your father’s decisions. They sold off stock to allow the takeover. They wanted him out. They want the money he lost back, and if I were them, I’d damn sure want the same. My investors, however, just want money as fast as they can get it. None of them sought out West Enterprises on a personal mission.”

I’m angry with this assessment for about ten reasons, but he’s moved on about a second before I unleash on him. “I need to see every project you’ve touched in the time you’ve been here and your recommendations on each, along with the outcome,” he says. “How fast can I have it?”

“As fast as it takes me to email it to you. I record that data and have from the day I started to work.”

“Good. We’ll go over it together, later. After we deal with the staff. When can we hold a meeting?”

“It has to be after hours.”

“After hours it is then,” he replies. “Make it happen, and then we’ll review your track record.”

My track record.

We will review my track record.

Anger is starting to burn in my belly all over again. I stand but I can’t let him off, I can’t let him pretend this is anything but what it is. I press my hands on the desk again and look him in those baby blues. “You aren’t a hero. You’re the reason I didn’t get the chance to save the company and I would have had you not swept the stock. You’re the reason my father was pushed out.”

“Your father needed to be pushed out and you couldn’t save it until he was. Deep down, I know you already know that.”

“You really are an asshole.”

“There she is,” he says. “Samantha live and in person. Keep her here because we both need her, and you were wrong earlier. This is about you, me and the handcuffs. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t.”

“What does that even mean?”

“You came at me. You weren’t afraid. You even got something out of it. That was impressive. That earned you a chance you can use that killer instinct here, but don’t underestimate me. I’m not here to be your friend, but I’m not here to fuck you either.”

“Because you already did. You fucked me. You fucked my family. You don’t need to do it again and yet I know, I know, that in the end, I will claw and fight to save this company because I have to, because this place is all I have, and yet, you will. You will fuck me, and I just signed the contract that says I approve.” I straighten and head for the door, but the minute I reach for the knob, his big body is behind me, his hand on the knob. I’m now caged between the door and Reid Maxwell.