Chapter 8 Kellin #2
Brody is deeply involved with his father’s work, and after the conversation I witnessed yesterday—Maeve’s scowl, Brody’s insistence—I’d be willing to bet she’s not completely naive about what Declan is planning in the coming weeks.
I need to tap into Maeve’s head and find out what she knows.
Until then, I’ll work with the information I already have.
And that includes the obvious fact that she’s proud of her hotel. As she should be. It’s beautiful, elegant, and popular. As I follow her through every hall, on every floor, her excitement draws me in.
The more distance we put between us and the first floor, with its reminders of extra security and mystery penthouse guests, the more she relaxes.
By the time we walk the perimeter of the sprawling rooftop oasis, she’s practically glowing.
“I worked closely with the architect on designing this space.” She talks with her hands, using animated gestures as she points out different facets for my examination.
“Lounge chairs, an infinity pool, plants, hedges for privacy, and two postmodern water fountains, all set against the backdrop of Santa Monica, the City of Angels only twenty minutes away.”
“It’s just as gorgeous as the rest of the hotel.”
She beams, and something in my chest catches.
When she directs all that glow at me, it feels like the first sunny day after a brutal winter.
“Thank you. I wanted to model the hotel off some of my other favorites scattered around the city, and the architect was able to help us blend different styles to create an aesthetic that has both old world charm and entirely modern comforts.”
Before she can share more about the intentionality that went into the hotel’s design, her phone rings.
Lenora’s voice blasts through the speaker, just loud enough for me to hear. “Maeve, you’re needed downstairs.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Beneath Maeve’s low, steady volume, alarm pulses. “Is everything all right?”
A pause before Lenora responds. “Minor emergency.”
“Be right there.” Maeve sighs and tucks her phone away. “Kellin, please forgive me. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
She disappears down the elevator, leaving me to stare at the empty space on the roof.
I intended to treat this time with her as an opportunity to plot my next move. Instead, I allowed her to suck me into her excited gushing about furniture and wallpaper designs.
I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who loved their job as much as she loves this damn hotel, and that passion intoxicates me. I can’t help but wonder how much of that passion carries over into the bedroom.
Lust swirls through my blood, inky tendrils toasting every inch of me.
Fuck.
I’m desperate for a distraction.
I find a quiet spot in the corner of the rooftop behind a giant fern to check my phone.
A text from Rory with a progress update. Thanks to the USB drive I slipped into the computer, he managed to get his hacking software onto the hotel’s private network.
Now he can extract some data from the back end, which is perfect.
Due to the time crunch, I need to explore every potential avenue for information on Doyle’s whereabouts, no matter how unlikely.
I type a quick reply.
Find anything yet?
He responds within a minute.
Their files are pretty well encrypted, but I should crack it soon. Maybe as early as tonight.
Excellent.
We’re finally getting somewhere.
That’s headway into one avenue of intel. Now I have to get another one started.
I hit the elevator to head down to the lobby, and just my luck, Maeve hops back on at the fifth floor.
“Kellin!” Her tight smile appears frazzled. “I’m so sorry about that. Should we continue our tour?”
I smirk. “Is there any corner or cubby of the hotel we’ve left unexplored? Maybe I’m missing an original sculpture by a local artist in the women’s bathroom?”
The tease works.
She laughs and brushes a loose strand of hair off her face. “I suppose you’ve seen most of it.”
Time to push. “Great. And now that you’ve shown me the public-facing perfection, I need to see the guts.
” Since we’re alone in the elevator, I invade her space.
“For a deal of this magnitude, my people will require full financials. P&L statements, balance sheets, cash flow for the last five years. I need to see your ADR, your vendor contracts, and your debt service schedule. I need everything.”
Maeve retreats, raising a hand as if to ward me off before pressing her fingers to her chest beneath her breasts. “I think it’s a little too early for that, don’t you? We just started discussions last night.”
“Business is business.” The elevator doors open, so I jab the button to give us another moment of privacy. “When will be the right time? Next week? Next month? Zenith won’t wait forever.”
I have no idea if all that documentation will provide any insight into where Declan’s holding Doyle. I just hope I stumble on a record of him somewhere. Or one of my other investigational gambits pays off.
Maeve flounders. “I thought we would at least wait a—”
“Look, Maeve.” I crowd her space again, forcing her into the elevator wall.
The similarity to last night isn’t lost on me.
“I want to be fair, but you’ve got to understand my perspective.
My entire company would be backing this.
If we don’t hammer out a tentative deal by next week, I’ll have to move on. ”
Her lips thin as she frowns up at me, but she keeps quiet.
When the elevator doors open again with a quiet ding, I back out into the lobby. “It’s up to you. You know where to find me.”
Spinning, I head out of the hotel without another word.
Now, all I can do is wait and see if she takes the bait.