Chapter Four
“I will gladly cast my vote for you to become the next leader if you grant me all the city contracts.”
James stared at the owner of the largest construction company in Kaneera City. Timothy Bens was on the Veilstone’s Board of Directors, and would be one of the people that voted for the next leader of the Coalition.
“A bribe,” James said flatly.
Bens shrugged. “More like a business transaction. You know my company is the best in the city, so it should be nothing for you to give me future contracts.”
James sat back in his desk chair and interlocked his fingers, letting them rest on his stomach.
His gaze narrowed. “It is something that you think I would trade favors for your vote. The Coalition works for all of us, not individually. If I agreed to your offer, I’d be working for you, and not the betterment of the Coalition. ”
The only sign of frustration on Bens’s face was the tightening of his lips and the anger in his eyes. “If you don’t cooperate, Sessions gets my vote.”
“Landry Sessions doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground, and he will implode decades of careful structure which provided growth and monetary gains for all of us,” James ground out, his voice ice cold.
“You would be part of the blame when, not if, the Coalition falls under his leadership. I don’t think that’s the way you want things to go. ”
“I’ll convince others to—”
“Stop,” James interrupted. He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his desk. “Coercion doesn’t work on me. I don’t, and won’t, cater to cowards trying to sabotage the Coalition. A leader’s job is to all, not to an individual’s greed.”
“How dare you!”
“How dare you,” James countered. Then he pointed to the bookcase behind him. “You’ve been recorded. Every word you said will be accounted for during the next meeting.”
Bens jumped to his feet. “Is blackmail what you think a leader should do?”
“Gaslighting isn’t a good look on you, and it doesn’t work on me.
” James slowly rose and brushed imaginary lint from his suit coat.
“I’m not going to tell you who to vote for.
I’m not going to blackmail you at all. The surveillance is simply for when others try to do it to me.
As a council member, I expect you to uphold the Coalition’s bylaws.
To cast a vote for who we are as a society, not for your personal purse strings. ”
Bens glared at him, but he didn’t say anything. Truthfully, what could he say?
James raised an eyebrow. “You know where the door is.”
The elder man turned and stomped out. The construction mogul would have to be watched carefully. One rotten apple could kill the whole crop, and James refused to let that happen. He had plans for expanding the Coalition’s reach, and he’d be damned if Landry Sessions would collapse his ideas.
Glancing at his watch, he realized the meeting with Timothy Bens made him late for retrieving Kleya. He shot her a quick text and locked up his office. His administration assistant had already left for the day.
As he exited the elevator in the underground parking structure, all his nerve endings tingled, and his sixth sense told him something wasn’t right.
He paused, glancing around, and heard the scraping of a shoe off to his right.
Making a quick decision, he hurried to one of the large load-bearing cylindrical pillars and pulled the gun from the shoulder holster under his suit coat.
He waited, listening. Hand steady. Shit like this didn’t scare him, because whoever was stalking him was no match against his laser focus and determination.
No way would he allow someone to get the drop on him.
The minutes ticked by, and he heard the soft tread edging closer on his left.
He waited, having infinite patience. Allowing the person to come to him.
The garage wasn’t open to the public, but it didn’t mean someone couldn’t sneak in.
Or had help. Was the mystery person a hired gun?
Someone he knew? It was hard to believe this sneak attack was random given the state of the near empty garage.
He waited, letting the person come to him.
Then, suddenly, something rolled toward the elevators and James recognized it immediately as a flash bomb.
He ducked his head and closed his eyes just as it exploded.
The bang made his ears ring, preventing him from tracking where the assailant moved by sound.
Luckily, he still had his eyesight and moved quickly to put space between himself and the asshole.
Only a few cars were still parked, so he kept to the shadows.
The crack of a gun relayed over the ringing in his ears, the bullet going wide, and he returned fire.
As his hearing slowly returned, he heard the thud of a shoe and ducked as he spun, pulling the trigger.
A masculine grunt sounded, letting him know he hit the asshole’s body somewhere.
James took off after the would-be assassin, but by the time he made it over to the area, all he saw was blood on the concrete ground.
He spun around, checking every possible nook and cranny.
The man had disappeared.
Just in case, he did a perimeter sweep and saw blood leading to the staircase.
He opened the door and waited, making sure he wasn’t going to get his brains splattered all over the place.
Everything was quiet, but more importantly, the tingling jolt to his senses was gone. He was alone in the parking garage.
“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath, as he made his way back to his car.
He hesitated, wondering if there was a bomb somewhere on the damn thing.
Although he wasn’t afraid of death, he didn’t want to meet it too soon.
Opening his phone, he placed a call to his assistant.
“Jason, get someone to inspect my car for a bomb.”
“A bomb?”
“Yeah, I was ambushed tonight in the garage. I’m not chancing it.”
“I’m on it.”
James disconnected the call and then dialed Kleya.
“Hello?” she greeted.
“I’m going to be late. My car might be compromised.”
She was silent for a moment. “Does that mean what I think it means?”
“It does,” he affirmed. “I’ll have to call for one of my company cars to come—”
“I’ll pick you up,” she offered.
“I thought you didn’t have a car.”
“I don’t. I’ll see you in twenty minutes or so.”
He hung up, confused.
****
Kleya pulled up to Veilstone Tower in the back of her rideshare and watched as James left the building and headed toward the car. He slid into the seat next to her.
“Uber? Really?”
“Like you stated, I don’t own a car.”
The driver pulled back into traffic but kept throwing quick glances at them. James didn’t talk and his silence was a little unnerving.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
He glanced at the driver. “Not here.”
“All right. Do you still want to go out and eat?”
“Of course.”
The rest of the trip was in silence, and not too long later, they were dropped off at a very expensive restaurant.
The valet opened her door but before he could help her exit the car, James was there.
He took hold of her hand and then placed it in the crook of his elbow as they entered the intimate bistro.
Her fiancé looked devastatingly handsome in his dark blue suit.
He didn’t wear a tie. Instead, the two buttons at his throat were undone.
They didn’t even need to say their names.
The hostess immediately bid them to follow her.
Gazes followed them, recognition dawning on their faces, and she knew this would be her life going forward.
Kleya had no doubt that James would ascend to lead the Coalition, and she would be standing right beside him.
They were escorted to a private room. A chandelier softly illuminated the area in warm light, contrasting with dark Wainscotting on the wall. Delicate Flora Danica dinnerware lay on the table. The hostess handed them gold embossed menus.
“A bottle of Domaine Leflaive Les Folatieres please. 2022.”
“Very good, sir.” The server nodded her head and then left them alone.
Kleya leaned closer. “What happened this evening?”
“Someone took a pot shot at me in the garage.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“Coward thew a flashbang at me,” he continued. “I injured him, but the bastard got away. I figured I should err on the side of caution and have my car checked for a bomb.”
“A bomb!” Fear for him filled her. “Oh, my God.”
The server came back so they stopped talking long enough for her to pour each a glass. They placed their order for dinner, and then the server collected the menus and left them once again.
“Do you want to break the engagement?”
She blinked. “What? No. Why would you ask that?”
“I just told you someone wants me dead,” he replied. “Thought you might get scared.”
“You thought I’d abandon you because I might be scared?”
“It is a logical assessment.”
She didn’t say anything for a long moment, but she looked him directly in the eye, to make sure he saw her resolve. “I won’t abandon you. You wanted a partnership, as do I, so I will be by your side through thick and thin.”
Despite what had happened, he seemed cool, calm and collected, and it made her realize he was a man who always held himself together. Panic wasn’t in his vocabulary. Something like a bomb in his car or someone shooting at him, wasn’t going to crack that veneer of strength and character.
He leaned forward on his elbows. “I want to make it perfectly clear that our future together will be based on respect and loyalty. Not romance and not love. Those are fantasy emotions.”
Part of her was disappointed by his words, but she understood the bigger picture. Acknowledged that this was not a love match.
“Respect is important to me,” she stated, choosing her words carefully. “My loyalty is without hesitation. Many marriages have been based on less, so I agree with what you’ve said.”
He nodded his head once, sealing their destiny.