Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
ORION
“You can’t afford it,” I said, feeling a little better than I had earlier. Her beautiful face was the perfect distraction from my shitty day.
Elena didn’t even bother looking away when she rolled her eyes at me. Sexy. Challenging. Like a secret dare only I understood. I admired the brave gesture. Most people would surrender and agree to everything I demanded, especially given the situation. She damaged my car, so I had the upper hand here.
The more I studied Elena, the more she fascinated me. Caution and suspicion gleamed in her brown eyes. If I were her, I’d do the same thing. She had smashed into my precious car, and her salary couldn’t cover it. She knew this, and yet she hadn’t run away. That intrigued me the most.
Her luscious lips formed a defiant pout. She was a beautiful woman trying to contain the fire within her. From my experience, a passionate person got things done properly.
I’d seen when her car slammed into mine. The camera from my car, the cameras from the street, and the ones on the building had all showed up on my feed. Normally I used my parking spot in the garage, but it would have cost me a few more minutes, and time had been scarce today. So when I saw this open spot, I pulled in. The conference room was just through the set of doors. Promptness was my forte, as it should be with people who ran multiple empires.
“Why don’t you stop playing games and just tell me?” Irritation coated her voice.
I enjoyed the gorgeous view more than I expected.
“I don’t have time for games.”
The first time I’d seen her was at the Mount Centauri Museum, when I revealed my identity to Arrow, Remington, Grayson, Royce, and Forrest—the WaterFyre Rising boys. The second time was at Aimee and Kaylee’s stuffed animal debut.
“Stop being an arrogant ass,” she said without blinking.
I wondered if she’d hold a grudge against me.
“Just because I want to take my time doesn’t make me arrogant, Elena.” I liked the way her name sounded on my lips. “Why don’t you want to hear my proposal?”
She pushed herself off the metal pole and flicked me an annoyed look. “It’s probably wrapped in thorns. Not interested. What’s the damage?”
“Do you know how much my car cost?”
“Why do you people spend so much money on a car?”
“Why not? I work hard for my money. I like beautiful things.”
She pulled out her phone, glanced at it, and muttered. “Shit.”
Anxiety strained her face as she tossed the phone back into her purse.
“A businessman like you should know that time is precious and costly. What’s your proposal?”
I pushed myself off the hood and gestured to the scratches and dents. My finger traced the silver paint left from her car. “To pay for this dent here would require your annual salary. Mind you, there are more scratches over here.”
The offer swimming in my head also surprised me. After hearing the story surrounding The Condor, I needed someone in this city to help me find answers. This was Elena’s turf. She could assist me, help me see things I might’ve missed.
When she didn’t take off after hitting my car, she became the perfect candidate. She possessed a character trait required to work with me. Elena Sanchez demonstrated she had an integrity that many people in the media lacked these days.
I’d encountered numerous respected journalists and trusted none of them. I could still be wrong about Elena, but I’d give her the benefit of the doubt. Besides, this was my opportunity to resolve an attraction I’d felt when I saw her at the museum.
I didn’t have time for relationships. My concentration was on finding who had murdered my mentor.
Elena Sanchez intrigued me not only from what I’d witnessed on the recording, but from the way she made my heart race. There had only been one woman who’d done that, but she was no longer on this Earth.
You need to get laid.
That was probably true, but time had been scarce for that too.
Would she agree to help if she knew the reason for the proposal? Probably not.
She seemed agitated, so I’d give her the short version. Once she agreed, I could make adjustments.
“I need help that requires extensive research around Providence. You live and work here. I’d appreciate your perspective.”
She arched an elegant eyebrow. “What kind of research?”
“The kind that takes down bad people regardless of who they are.”
Her face brightened, lighting up something within me.
“Why me?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Because you report the truth, even if it costs your career.”
She flicked me a curious gaze, studying me for far too long. “How did you know about that?”
“Work with me and I’ll tell you.”
“Why does it sound too good to be true?” she countered.
“You’re overthinking it.” I studied her reaction.
She gave me a half-laugh. “I’m certainly not.” She jerked her chin toward my car. “That stunning beast of a car cost more than most mansions. I fear your proposal might lead me to my demise.”
I laughed. “You have an interesting imagination.”
“No, I’m being practical. You’re a rich guy who can pull all kinds of strings. I work in the media and I’ve seen, heard, and witnessed countless things requested—no, demanded— by privileged people like you. Frankly, I don’t trust them.”
Such admirable honesty.
“You believe I’m untrustworthy because of my wealth? That’s prejudice, isn’t it?”
There goes the sexy eye roll . Fucking hell.
“I didn’t say that.” She scoffed. “But what you just did was twist my words into some retort that makes you seem glamorous while I look like a jerk.”
Was I trying to do that? No.
Would she believe me? Probably not.
“I guess a journalist suspects people the same way the people suspect a journalist.”
“What do you mean?”
“No one trusts the media. They can twist things to suit their agenda.” I stepped closer. “You know I’m right.”
A privileged family had tried to pay her off for not reporting about their son’s rape of two college girls. Elena was the witness who had stumbled on him with the two intoxicated girls. When she refused, the family threatened to destroy her career. Not only did she report it, she also discovered evidence to help the police. However, her career suffered. That family owned a share of the news station, and she’d been demoted ever since, only reporting on a smaller scale and focusing on Uncover the Truth.
Her elegant eyebrow arched. “Why me?”
“You’re a seasoned journalist who can do what I need done efficiently.”
“But there are others out there who are better.”
“I’d say ‘better’ is a subjective adjective, wouldn’t you agree? For example, Robert Banks from Channel Five News is respected and revered. And yet he just admitted to fraud, among other things. Kelly Connelly is a beautiful andexperienced anchor. The City of Providence loves her, and yet she took someone’s hard work as her own.”
Elena’s mouth dropped open. “How do you know that? That’s confidential.”
I lifted a shoulder. “I’m good at research too.”
Intrigue glimmered in her eyes.
“I’ll give you fifty-thousand dollars for a two-week trial.”
“What?” Her eyes widened.
“That wouldn’t even cover the paint job for my car.”
She ran a hand through her hair, stress reappearing on her face.
“And after the two weeks, if you decide to stay to finish the project, you’ll get three hundred thousand dollars.”
Her jaw dropped. “You’re kidding!”
“I don’t kid around with important things like this.”
Her eyes sparkled. “What’s the timeline for the project’s completion?”
“Probably three to four months, with some wiggle room to adjust for unexpected events.”
“I have a full-time job.”
“Make your own time. Work whenever you can. I’ll have a secured drive where you can upload and share information with me. I’ll provide everything you need. You won’t need to spend any money.”
She looked at me for a moment, took out her phone, glanced at it, sighed, and dropped it back into her purse. What was she worried about?
Looking nervous, she asked, “If I agree to help you now, is it possible to get an advance?”
“That could be arranged. But why?”
I didn’t know why I asked. She didn’t need to tell me, but I got a sense that something was bothering her.
“To buy my mother something for her retirement gift.”
“I can wire it right now. We start next Monday.”
“Okay. Do you need me to fill out some forms?”
“We can do that later.”
She took out her phone, showed me her bank account number, and smiled. “Here you go.”