Page 40 of Hate On
His gaze slid to the Montrose side of the table.
Was it Julianna’s imagination or did his gaze linger on Roman overlong?
Then he was looking at her and her father briefly before continuing. “And I expect you put into consideration the value of the mines. When I estimate the worth of my company’s new tech and those mines…your two bidstogetheraren’t enough.” He shook his head, looking the faintest bit disgruntled.
“You do realize that the returns in mining are diminishing, don’t you, Edgar?” Michael said, waving a hand as if nothing Edgar had said meant much of anything. “The figures get smaller every single year.”
“Not that much smaller,” the other man said, shaking his head.
“My concern is more about the technology,” Charles said, lightly brushing Julianna’s hand when she would have spoken. “Tech has a way of catching up on a universal level. Others will make the same discovery your team has—it could be that my people are already on the trail.” His smile grew sly. “We were just a few months behind you on the software enhancements your people developed with ground-penetrating radar, you know. We werethisclose.”
“I’m well aware.” Edgar chuckled. “You’ve got some sharp people, Charles.” He glanced over at Michael and nodded. “You as well, Michael. Keep in mind, though. You both signed non-compete contracts that barred any sort of reverse engineering using what your team might have discovered while they had the prototype in their possession. It’s not that I don’t trust you boys. We go back a long, long time. Our friendship even predates this silly thirty-year squabble the two of you have going.” His smile went sly as he slanted a look directly at Charles. “As to tech catching up on a universal level, I think we’ve got a few years yet before anybody catches up. I’ve got a secret weapon, you might say.”
Julianna had no doubt as to what that secret weapon was.
Edgar’s youngest son was something of a savant—if she remembered right. William had graduated from college at the age of fifteen and had gone to work for his father immediately out of school. Some of his first developments had stunned gemologists who had been in the field for decades.
“Look, I’m not a hugely motivated seller at the moment,” Edgar continued. “I won’t sell for pennies when I know the value of what I have to offer.”
“We hardly offeredpennies,” Michael scoffed.
“Compared to what I’m offering you? It’s pennies.” Edgar waved a dismissive hand. He checked his watch, then heaved out a sigh. “I’m going to have to cut this short. I’m flying out later today. The family and I have a vacation coming up. After that, I’ve got some business in Asia.” He paused, then added, “Once that’s over, I’ll start shopping around for a new buyer.”
Rising, he glanced around, looking from Michael to Charles.
“Maybe use the time to…get creative. Think of something and do better on those bids. I like you both, as you well know. I’d like to…keep my mines in the family, so to speak. I’d rather not see some faceless conglomerate swallow them up. If one of you were to take them over, I know my men and women at the mines would be treated fairly. That’s as important to me as the sale itself.”
* * *
Roman spentthe entire meeting ignoring her.
He didn’t once look her way.
Julianna wanted to pretend it didn’t bother her, but it did and as he left with his father, all without even a glance in her direction, she swallowed back the disappointment.
“Darling, can I offer some advice?” her father said softly.
She glanced over at him, fighting the blush that tried to rise to her cheeks.
“Of course. But when have you ever asked?” she teased.
“Let it go.” He nodded toward the now-empty door. “Whatever you think was there…just let it go. The Montrose men are…bullish in their stubbornness, not to mention sore losers. They can hold a grudge until Kingdom come, and then some.”
Julianna thought of how Roman had acted in the elevator, and this time, as the blush rose to stain her cheeks, she couldn’t fight it any longer. Turning away from her father, she reached for her now-tepid cup of coffee and asked, “Do you think there’s something going on with us?”
“A blind man can see it…which means sooner or later, Michael will see it, too,” he said. His voice was gentle, not at all upset.
That surprised Julianna. Turning back to him, head cocked, she asked, “Hypothetically speaking, if something was going on between us, what would you do?”
“Hypothetically speaking?” He crooked a grin at her and shook his head. Rising from his seat, he came to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Hypothetically, and in truth as well, I want something more out of life for you than a man who nurses a grudge, something more than a man whose familyraisedhim to nurse a grudge.” He chucked her under the chin the way he used to when she was little. “Would it make you feel better if were to tell you I forbid it?”
“Since when did forbidding me to do anything everwork?” she asked lightly. Then she managed to force a laugh and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. “You worry too much, Daddy. Relax. I want to be happy, too. Okay?”
* * *
The conversationwith her father had been…unexpected.
For whatever reason, it seemed that her father wasn’t dead set against Roman, or even against the Montrose family in general.