26. Conflict of Interest
Blake
Seth passes me the remote for the toy inside Madison when we get out of the car at the restaurant. I smirk. He needs to focus on the new client, but I can focus on Madison. While toys aren’t my thing, punishment is. And watching her hold back her orgasm will be enjoyable.
Though making her come in front of this particular client might not be the best idea. I’ll have to wait and read the room.
Stiner Enterprises. Our history with their family is tangled.
“What did you learn this morning about the client?” I ask Madison in a low voice as I lead her to the dining room we’ve reserved. The restaurant has white tablecloths draped over the tables, and the waitstaff is dressed in black slacks with white shirts and ties.
“Stiner Enterprises was the brainchild of William Hartfield and his wife Emily Stiner. It’s still a family-owned business. When they retired ten years ago, they left it in the hands of their eldest, Gloria Hartfield. Gloria and her daughter Elizabeth Hartfield are meeting with us today. They have multiple subsidiaries. Their headquarters are here in New York.” She turns her gaze to me. “Do you want their financial data, or perhaps the current number of employees in each division?”
I chuck her under her chin. She always impresses me with how quick her mind is. “That will do for now. What isn’t in the file is that Elizabeth and Seth dated in college. Long before we decided to be with the same girl. She’s only his baggage. However, Gloria hoped Elizabeth would snag Cooper.”
“Why?” Her eyes are confused. “Seth is amazing.”
“New money.” I make a low grunt because it doesn’t matter to me. Back then we didn’t have much, but Noah kept making it grow. “Cooper is from old money. It would have been a coup for Gloria to have the power that comes with the Graham name and fortune.”
Madison stops walking for a moment, but I give her a slight tug to keep moving. “But if she really loved Seth?—?”
“Love wasn’t a factor in her decision.” I scoff. Most women interested in us rarely want love. Our power, our money, they crave it. “It was probably a move to get closer to Cooper. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Neither woman is very... romantic about alliances, especially when it comes to business. Besides, Coop was with Leighton and didn’t even look at another woman during that time.”
“Leighton?” Madison says softly.
I pull out a chair for Madison. “College girlfriend. Picked out by Mommy and Daddy Graham. Rich as Midas and way too full of herself. But Coop fell for her.”
She looks down at her lap and seems lost in thought. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything about Elizabeth or Leighton. Most women don’t like to hear about previous lovers. We try to make it a rule not to talk about our past partners.
But those two almost tore us apart, and I have no idea how Elizabeth will react to Madison, especially if Coop decides to act like her boyfriend. Fucker. I don’t want Madison caught off guard.
Before I can say anything, not that I know what to say, Seth walks in with Gloria and Elizabeth.
“You remember Blake Wagner.” Seth gestures to me.
“Pleasure to see you again.” I step forward and shake Gloria’s hand before turning and taking Elizabeth’s. She’s just as petite and pretty as she was in college. Her dark brown hair and huge brown eyes make her seem like a lost soul in need of rescue. That’s an illusion that getting to know her shatters.
“This is our assistant, Madison Harris.” Seth holds his hand out to Madison. Both women nod in her direction.
Gloria is in her fifties but still looks young. Her dark hair is pulled back in a bun, and her dark eyes don’t miss a thing. She’s taller than her daughter and holds herself like royalty.
“A pleasure to meet you.” Madison gives them a smile.
“We’re just waiting for Noah and Cooper to join us, but why don’t we all have a seat?” Seth gestures to the round table where Madison is already seated.
I sit next to her and Seth sits on my other side. Gloria sits on the opposite side of Seth, leaving a chair on either side of her. Elizabeth takes the seat between her mother and Seth. I was leery of taking this meeting.
Elizabeth was the reason Leighton tried to tear us apart. Or at least, part of the reason. Leighton was a spoiled, rich girl and didn’t understand why Cooper would choose to be friends with people like us.
“How have you been, Seth?” Gloria sits up straight in her chair.
“Busy with work. Building a company takes a lot of time, as you well know.” Seth gives her an acknowledging nod. Her parents may have started Stiner, but Gloria is the one with the vision who took it to the next level. She never took her late husband’s name and never remarried. As far as I can tell, she got what she wanted from him. A child to take over her company.
“Elizabeth has been taking on more responsibility at work lately.” Gloria unfolds the cloth napkin and lays it across her lap. “It seems like young people like yourselves don’t have time to find dates these days.”
“Mother,” Elizabeth whispers harshly before self-consciously smiling at Seth.
“I don’t see why it would be a secret you haven’t found time to acquire a partner for the benefit this weekend.” Gloria rubs her huge gemmed ring on her right hand as her sharp gaze meets Seth’s. “I saw that Morrigan Technology Group has a table. I assume, unlike Elizabeth, you already have dates?”
I stiffen in my seat. Is this why they were so eager to meet with us now?
“Not yet,” Seth says with a slight wince that only I would notice. It’s barely a twitch of his eye, but I’ve known him forever.
“You and Elizabeth should go together. Save yourself the stress of finding someone to bring. And the two of you can catch up on old times.” Gloria smiles like she’s made everything better.
Seth inhales before he turns to Elizabeth. “Of course, it would be lovely to catch up if you want to attend with me.”
“I’d like that.” Elizabeth gives him a smile that seems soft. It’s all fake. My money is on Elizabeth and her mother concocting this entire conversation before coming to lunch.
Madison’s hand slides into mine under the table. I squeeze hers. This isn’t easy for either of us to watch. But Madison doesn’t know all the history here.
While she seems like a blushing, sweet woman, Elizabeth is a manipulative bitch when she sets her sights on something, or rather, someone. Seth was up-and-coming when they were dating. Now, he’s made it. We all have. He’s worth a lot more to Gloria and Elizabeth now than when he was in college.
“Wonderful.” Gloria clasps her hands together. “Now we have that settled.”
Maybe that makes it okay in Gloria’s book to be with new money. If that new money is still connected to old money like Cooper’s family.
“Sorry we’re late.” Noah walks into the room and glances at all of us. His brows furrow when he meets my gaze and then looks at Madison. Her face is pale and her smile is fixed. I squeeze her hand under the table again to reassure her. We’re still hers. All of us.
Seth stands. “You remember Elizabeth, and this is her mother Gloria.”
Noah’s smile tightens and he nods. “Of course, lovely to see both of you.”
When Coop steps into the room, Elizabeth blushes. He nods at Elizabeth before taking Gloria’s hand and brushing his lips over her knuckles. “Gloria, a pleasure, as always.”
“How are your parents, Cooper?” Gloria gives him a smile as he rounds the table and takes the seat next to Madison.
“Vacationing in some far-off destination this time of year.” His hand takes Madison’s other hand beneath the table. “But we’re not here to talk about my parents. We’re here to discuss your business and what our company can do for yours.”
He purposely looks to Seth to get the ball rolling. I don’t blame him. These women used Seth to get to him before. Coop was against this meeting. It doesn’t matter how much the project could bring in. To him, dealing with these women isn’t worth it.
The rest of us disagreed, but what if they’re after more than a solid cybersecurity company? What if they’re still after Cooper, or even Seth?
The connections we could make if we won them as a client would be invaluable. Where Stiner goes, a lot of companies will follow.
Seth nods, and the server comes in with drinks for everyone. “We were surprised when Stiner contacted us. We thought you were happy with Addison Group.”
Gloria waves in front of her face delicately, like she’s getting rid of a foul smell. “They’ve been decent, but Stiner prefers to work with the best. And everyone says you are the best.”
That must eat away at the woman. The fact that Seth and Cooper rejected her daughter and still made it big. Bigger than anyone could imagine back then. They didn’t realize that the four of us together were unstoppable.
Seth talks about what we can do for them as a business, drawing their attention. When the salads arrive, I squeeze Madison’s hand before releasing it. Every now and then, I need to interject some information, especially when Gloria has a question.
Our lunch follows, and by the time we finish our meals, we’ve laid the groundwork for what we can do for Stiner.
“I have to admit, I’m impressed with how far you gentlemen have come.” Gloria doesn’t really relax, but she lets herself smile a little. “When Elizabeth told me who she was dating in college, I was opposed to the match. It seems I underestimated you.”
Seth makes a noncommittal noise. “Water under the bridge.”
Is it? I definitely want to dig into Seth’s thought process on this whole thing, but not here, and definitely not now.
“Excuse me, gentlemen.” Gloria’s eyes flit to Madison, who she’s largely ignored for the past hour. “And lady. Elizabeth, will you join me? We’ll be back in a moment.”
The two women stand, and Elizabeth gives us all that somewhat-shy smile before they leave. I refrain from rolling my eyes. Nothing about that woman is shy. It’s all conniving and scheming.
“Thoughts?” Seth asks when the door closes behind them.
“You know my feelings about it.” Coop leans back and toys with Madison’s hair, making a shiver work through her.
“Did you have to agree to take Elizabeth to the benefit?” I ask, watching Madison wince.
“You did what?” Coop leans forward to meet Seth’s eyes. “She tried to fuck us all up, and you want to reward that bitch?”
Madison’s eyes grow wide as she looks between Seth and Coop and their stare down.
“Financially speaking, this is a good business move. Winning Stiner will bring in some of the other big names in the industry.” Noah leans back as if all this means nothing. His focus during college was on his studies. The drama the women brought made him uncomfortable, but he stayed out of it.
“We need dates.” Seth shrugs, but his gaze moves to meet Madison’s. “Elizabeth is nothing more than a means to an end. It pleases Gloria for me to take her, but she means absolutely nothing to me.”
Madison’s cheeks flush with color. That leaves me to find a date for this stupid benefit. The benefit isn’t stupid. It’s for a great cause, but having to find a date makes me feel ill.
“She’s a fucking snake.” Coop’s fingers play with the silk scarf around Madison’s neck. “Business is one thing. Fine, taking on Stiner as a client is a good thing, but dating her fucking daughter again? That’s messed up, Seth.”
“I’m not dating her.” Seth raises an eyebrow. “It’s one benefit.”
“Where she’ll do everything in her power to dig her hooks into you.” Coop shakes his head. “You know this. She nearly destroyed you before. Nearly destroyed us.”
Madison’s face pales. Noah’s lips tighten. Before Seth can say anything, the door opens, and the ladies return. We all stand.
“Thank you for lunch.” Gloria walks to Seth with her hand extended. “It was a pleasure to see you again. I hope to see more of you in the future.”
We all shake hands with Gloria and Elizabeth. Elizabeth stops in front of Seth last.
“I still have your number. I can text you about Saturday.” She’s practically batting her lashes at him.
He doesn’t smile but nods his head in acknowledgment. “That sounds good. Since all of us are attending, it might be better if we meet there.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widen and she glances at her mother, who gives her a slight nod. “Or you could pick me up on the way? I’d hate to arrive alone. Mother can’t attend. She’s out of town on business.”
A snake wiggling into our lives. Fuck.
“Of course.” Seth almost reaches for Madison, but he stops himself.
Coop wraps his arm around Madison’s waist. “We can’t wait.”
Gloria sweeps her discerning gaze over Madison now that Coop has claimed her. “I’m sorry I’ll miss it.”