4. The Great Wall
CHAPTER 4
The Great Wall
Henry
I shut off the water, stepped out of the shower, and grabbed a towel off the rack on the way out of the bathroom. This place was coming along just fine. Who knew? Maybe after all this was over, I could make a home here and restore the Cavalier Hotel to its former glory; the way it had been when I was little. But first, I needed to get Nikki’s money. She needed to be out of my life, the sooner the better. I rubbed the palm of my hand on my cheek, feeling the clean-shaven skin. Bankers liked that sort of thing, and I needed them to like me. They were my last hope.
I donned a white, collared shirt and dress pants. Running a hand through my hair to comb it back, I sat on the bed and ignored the empty feeling in my stomach. Yesterday, after Nikki had left, the hotel had gone eerily quiet. My heart sank as I watched her leave. Heck, my entire world sank all over again, just as it had the first time she left me ten years ago.
She had changed her name and her clothes, but it was her. I’d been so distracted by all that long blonde hair and her tight jeans I hadn’t recognized her out on the construction site. Not until I had her in my arms again, clinging to me as she’d done that day in the tunnels. Dammit. Why was she back? Why now?
No, she wasn’t back, and to make sure it stayed that way, I needed to find two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I stood and headed for the door. The hotel would be all mine soon, and then I could continue digging to find the tunnel and reclaim what my uncle stole from me. I let the anger churning in my stomach remind me why I’d returned. After all these years, my uncle thought he’d won, sitting in the mayor’s office as if he owned this town. But this war wasn’t over. I wasn’t the gullible, stupid kid he’d easily manipulated. Jonathan Cavalier would pay for everything he did to my family.
When I reached the grand staircase, the lobby was a hive of activity. What the hell was going on? I glared at the white sheets, which hung like a clothesline down the middle of the room, starting at the top of the stairs and going all the way to the front door.
“Nikki,” I muttered.
Hipolita Morrow, the girl who left when I needed her most, was dead to me.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she said in a too-bubbly, too-happy tone for this early in the day.
I stomped toward the sound of her voice, but the sheets were in the way. I yanked at them until I found my way out of the maze.
“What is all this?” I asked when she met me at the bottom of the stairs.
“The Great Wall of China. What does it look like?” She pointed at it and then gestured to the rest of the lobby. She wore tight yoga pants and a cute ponytail. Even out of her designer clothes, she looked …
“How did you get in? I changed the padlocks yesterday.” I swatted at the linens.
She leaned in and whispered in my ear, jiggling a set of keys in my face. “I’m a thief, remember?” She stepped back and continued in her normal voice. “Anyway, the wall will serve as a divider. That’s your side, and this is mine. I figured you’d want the side with the bar since you already claimed it.”
I gripped her arm. “You agreed to sell me your half. Why are you back?”
“The agreement still stands. You have forty-eight hours to get me my money.” She glanced at her watch. “Well, it’s thirty-three hours now.”
“You will get your money.” I met her gaze.
“And when you do, I will move out. But if you don’t…” She gave me a one-shoulder shrug.
“Ms. Swift, what should we do with the couch?” one of my guys asked.
“Oh, darling, thank you. Is it all cleaned up already?” Nikki ran her hand over the red velvet.
“Why are you not at the site?” I shoved my sofa away from her reach. The wooden legs scratched the lobby floor.
“Well, Russ asked us if we could assist Ms. Swift.” He smiled, as if it were an honor to be helping her.
“Relax, darling. You’ll have them back in time to start work on the road. Two hours tops. They’re just doing some light cleaning.” She placed her hand on my chest.
I peeled her hand off me before she noticed how her presence affected me. She suppressed a smile, biting her lower lip. She thought she’d won. But I still had an ace up my sleeve. I was Henry Cavalier. This was my fucking town.
“Russ,” I called out for my foreman.
“Yeah, boss.” Russ came in with a coffee table.
“Right over here.” Nikki pointed toward the window facing the street. “You’re a genius. I could kiss you right now.”
Russ turned bright red. No doubt imagining what that kiss might feel like. “We just gave it a good cleaning. The secret is lemon oil.” He set the table next to the sofa and wiped off the top.
“Russ, I’m going to the bank.” I raised my voice to break Nikki’s spell, or whatever it was she had Russ under. “Get the guys back to work.”
“Yeah, boss. We’re almost done here.” He nodded in my direction.
“Thanks.” I turned around and headed for the door, slapping the sheets out of the way.
Outside, the hot air did nothing to calm my mood. Sweat made my shirt stick to my back before I even reached my truck. At this hour, driving through the construction site was the best way to avoid traffic. I couldn’t be late to this appointment.
“Well, it’s thirty-three hours now.” Nikki’s voice played in my head.
I gripped the steering wheel. Just like before, in one day, she’d turned my entire life upside down and made a fool of me. Not this time. I parked the truck in front of the bank and ran up the stone steps. At the door, Bill, the security guard, waved at me through the glass and then turned the key.
“Hey there, Henry. Mr. Paredes is waiting for you in his office. Go on in.” He patted me on the back.
“Good morning.” I offered him a quick nod on my way in.
The place had that usual old-building, musty smell. I strode past the tellers. Wide pillars supported the high ceilings, deflecting the sunlight to gleam on the marble floors. I smiled at the details of the design. This building was another one of my great-grandfather’s contributions to this town.
“Good morning, Henry.” Mr. Paredes, the bank manager, stood to greet me. “You’re right on time. Sit down. How can I help you?”
“Did you get a chance to review my application? I need capital to restore the Cavalier Hotel.”
He nodded. “Yes. My wife says everyone in town is talking about the work you’ve done so far. They’re excited to see the hotel restored. Your father would be so proud.”
We both looked down. I swallowed the lump in my throat. Fifteen years had gone by since Dad was murdered, and it still hurt the same way it had the day the paramedics came to take him from our house.
“I hope so,” I whispered.
“Listen, Henry. Your father was a good friend of mine, which is why I agreed to fast-track your application. Why I agreed to meet with you before bank hours. But the truth is, I can’t just give out money to people I know. There’s a process. Requirements. The property valuation will take a few more days. What’s the hurry?”
“You’re declining my application?” I leaned back on my seat.
“Of course not. I just can’t fast-track it like you wanted.” His features softened, and a smile spread across his face. “I hear there’s a lady in town who is more than willing to invest in your project. Have you considered her?”
Nikki had already gotten to him. This had nothing to do with financials or friendship. No doubt she’d already fed him some sob story about why she was here.
“Have you met her?” I asked.
“Yes. Last night. The wife and I were out for a stroll and ran into Ms. Swift. She’s lovely, and I think she should be given an opportunity to join our community. Don’t you agree?”
I shook my head. He had no idea who she really was. Would he believe me if I told him? I doubted it .
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Paredes.”
“Any time, Henry. You’ll be all right.” He stood and shook my hand.
I nodded and left. I’d placed all my hopes on getting a loan from the bank. Now I was at Nikki’s mercy. Goddammit . It didn’t take a genius to see she’d changed her mind about selling me her half of the hotel. What happened yesterday? I didn’t buy her bullshit story to Mr. Paredes about wanting to be part of this community. She didn’t need the Cavalier Hotel for that. What did she really want?
Back at the hotel, I parked near the wreckage. Nikki’s car was still in the ditch. Getting it out was on my to-do list for today, but first I had to deal with the Great Wall. I rolled up my sleeves and stomped to the front door and the loud music booming in the lobby. It was a Spanish song with an upbeat tune and sexy undertones, just like Hipolita, or Nikki.
I leaned on the threshold and admired the work she’d done with the place. Amazing what twenty construction workers and a very determined and demanding woman could do in two hours’ time. The place smelled of Pine-Sol and looked impeccable. At least her side of the wall did. Why hadn’t I thought to bring in the guys to help me out? Instead, I’d spent days removing debris and broken furniture on my own. Had I done it as punishment? As if the state of this place was my fault. It wasn’t. I hadn’t left the way she had. I was sent away against my will.
Nikki stood behind what used to be the hotel reception desk. She’d set it up like a butler’s pantry, complete with an espresso machine. I smiled at the back of her as she danced to the beat, pouring a healthy dose of chocolate syrup in her milk.
When we were kids, Mom would let us go in the kitchen and make hot chocolate. Even when it was a hundred degrees out, we’d sit in the garden and sip our drinks. We were only ten then, but it hadn’t taken long for her to become my first crush, my first love, and years later, my first kiss. How did she not recognize me? Had I changed so much? I rubbed the dull pain in my chest. Of course I had. Dad’s death had changed everything, including me and this town.
“Finally, you’re staring at me like a proper creep.” She sauntered toward me with two cups in her hands. “Mocha? You look like a mocha kind of guy.”
Dad’s death had changed me, but not her. “No thanks. I prefer my coffee black.” I headed for the stairs.
“Henry. We need to talk, darling. Join me.”
My name on her lips froze me in place. I turned around, and she gestured for me to take a seat on the sofa.
Keeping my gaze on her, I closed the space between us. “The wall needs to come down.”
“Why?” She smiled and sipped her hot chocolate or mocha.
“I get it. You got me by the balls. You turned Mr. Paredes against me, my guys. I get it. We either work together, or we don’t work at all. Is that right?”
She cleared her throat, and small creases appeared between her brows. Was she expecting me to put up a bigger fight? “I’m willing to wait until tomorrow. Technically, you still have time to come up with the money.”
“You know that’s not going to happen. You’ll block me. But the fact that you’re willing to wait tells me you want my trust.”
She shrugged, looking in her mug.
“You want my trust? Tell me why you’re here. And remember I’ll know if you’re lying.” I sat next to her. The sofa was still damp, but the coolness felt good.
“It’s such a long story I don’t even know where to start.” She flashed me a bright, blinding smile before she ducked her gaze.
I was starting to think her act wasn’t an act, or maybe she’d done it for so long she didn’t realize she was doing it. “You could start with your real name.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it, her gaze trained on me. The fear in her expression made me want to hold her. But would she let me? Or would she run away again? She braced her arm on the back of the sofa. Her eyes shifted toward the window in front of us and the massive sinkhole taking up the street. Was it possible her life was a massive wreck, just like mine?
“Don’t make me say it.” She turned to me.
A warm current spread through me, and I sank deeper into the sofa. She remembered me. In my head, the words from when we first met rang loud and clear. “I promise I won’t laugh at your name. Cross my heart and hope to die,” I’d said before I drew a cross on my chest with two fingers. Even then, she hated her name.
“Hipolita Morrow.” Nikki tucked her feet under her and leaned on the armrest.
“Was that so hard?” I braced my elbows on my thighs, covering my smile.
“You have no idea.” Her blue eyes pierced through my heart.
“Why are you here? Why the new name?”
“I made a promise to my sister.” She glanced at her hands, her thumb tracing the lines on her palm. That playful way of hers all gone. “Fifteen years ago, she was imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit.”
“Are you sure?” I sat back.
“I’m sure.” She shot to her feet, eyes blazing. She was telling the truth or at least what she believed to be the truth.
“Are you here to, what? Help her escape?” I stood.
The pain, the longing, they were written all over her face. Maybe Hipolita hadn’t changed after all. She was just better at hiding her suffering than I was.
“No. To clear her name. She doesn’t want her freedom. She wants everyone to know she didn’t do it.”
After all these years, Lisa Morrow was innocent? The details of that night were a blur in my head. I’d just turned eleven. Lisa had been eighteen when they found her over Dad’s body, claiming someone had killed him. But all the evidence proved she’d done it—her fingerprints on the body, the weapon, her DNA under his fingernails…all the blood.
Could that be possible? Could it be possible that the woman they’d put in jail for Dad’s murder all those years ago was innocent?
Hipolita’s sister was innocent?