Chapter 6
“You’re right,it’s not normal but I might be your best chance to succeed in this hunt,” I tell her, hoping that’s enough.
Lily laughs. “You think too highly of yourself. I just don’t buy it.”
Max leans back in his chair, his lips curling into a smirk. “Just tell her,” he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I mean, you know she’s having some kind of mid-life crisis at . . . what are you, honey, twenty-three?”
Lily’s eyes narrow, and she sits up straighter, her shoulders tensing. “I’m not your honey,” she says defensively, her voice sharp. “And why do you care about my age?”
Max holds up his hands in mock surrender, his eyebrows raised. “Touchy,” he mocks her, his voice filled with amusement.
I shoot him a glare, my jaw clenching. “Cut it out, Max,” I warn him, my voice low and serious. “I’m trying to seal this deal.”
Lily crosses her arms, setting them on the table and leaning over, pushing her pretty tits up and distracting the fuck out of me. I try to keep my eyes on her face, but it’s a struggle. “I get to rehash my past and maybe find my soulmate, but what do you get in exchange from this?” she asks, her voice filled with genuine curiosity.
I hesitate, not wanting to reveal too much. But the look on her face tells me that she won’t accept anything less than the truth. “I already told you. I need to avoid my family,” I say, my voice quiet. “My parents will be here soon, and they plan on staying at my place. I can’t stand to be around them for that long.”
The sisters exchange a look, their faces conveying their incredulous thoughts. I can tell that I haven’t done enough, that they need more.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I’m about to say. Not so happy about it, I tell them about my parents. My version, not Dominique’s—not that I know what my brother says about them though. How we don’t see eye to eye and having them so close to me for so long will be unproductive. It’s a vague explanation, but it’s all I can bring myself to share at the moment.
“So you just want to avoid the Mongomery clan,” Lily repeats.
My gaze locks with Lily’s as I nod. “So, can we help each other?” I ask, my voice hopeful.
Lily studies me for a moment, her lips pursed in thought. Finally, she nods, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Alright, Ethan Montgomery, you’ve got yourself a deal,” she says, extending her hand across the table. “But let’s get one thing straight: this is my mission, and I’m in charge of the playlist.”
I grin, feeling a rush of excitement at her words. I take her hand, my fingers wrapping around hers in a firm grip. “Deal,” I agree, my voice filled with enthusiasm. “But I reserve the right to introduce you to some hidden gems along the way.”
Lily’s eyes sparkle with mischief, and she leans forward, her voice dropping to a secretive whisper. “Hidden gems, you say?” she teases, her tone playful. “Now I’m really intrigued.”
Zoe narrows her gaze. “Are you sure about this?” she asks, her voice laced with concern. “I’m pretty sure that’s how my last thriller started—and they found the body of the chick in a lake.”
I sit back in my chair, my hands spread wide in a gesture of openness. “If you want, we can take you to our headquarters so you can see we’re not kidding about the company,” I offer, my voice sincere. “There, we can go through your plan and make some adjustments—driving from Boston to Arizona to New York and then Portland seems illogical.”
“Sure, but I’m not a hundred percent sure of their whereabouts, and I want to do it in order,” Lily says, her voice hesitant.
I lean forward, my elbows resting on the table, my eyes locked with Lily’s. “See, you need an expert,” I say, my voice confident, almost cocky. I can feel the energy thrumming through my veins, the thrill of the challenge ahead. “My intel will be able to get you where you need to go—with more efficiency.”
I can see the uncertainty in her eyes, the way she’s weighing the options in her mind. It’s a look I’ve seen before, in boardrooms and client meetings, and I know I need to convince her, to make her see the value in my proposition.
I reach across the table, my hand resting gently on her arm. “Lily, trust me. I know what I’m doing. With my resources and your talent, we’ll be unstoppable.”
“Fine, don’t make me regret this.”
Instead of giving her an answer, I just smile. This is such a simple task, what could go wrong? Nothing. I’ll show her that those losers are perfectly fine without her and that she deserves . . . Well, I’m not sure what but I hope she finds it along the way.