Chapter 4
I knew Vivian was lying,but seeing her flustered turned me on more than it should have. In this public arena, where I should mingle with people to boost my new bamboo wine, I was more enthralled by her sudden appearance than anything else.
Something was obviously wrong with me. Perhaps because I’d been working nonstop for months trying to complete the campaign for CheckMate. My mind and body weren’t functioning properly. But if I were to admit, I hadn’t been myself since laying eyes on her.
I’d always been drawn to mysteries, and Vivian was exactly that—a uniquely shaped box wrapped with an enticing dark velvet fabric. What treasures was she hiding?
In the Navy, I’d been tasked with dangerous operations that required my investigative skills to complete the missions. With my experience, I should also know when to abandon a mission, especially when it wasn’t safe or beneficial to me. And yet here I was, still trying to unravel a truth that could hurt me.
She rejected you, asshole. Move on.
No woman had ever rejected me. When I wanted a woman, I always got her. So yeah, I wanted to know why. When I had asked her if she was seeing someone, she said no. If there was no other man, then why didn’t she want to go on a date with me?
“It would have been a no as well.” She looked at me. “I’m not ready to date, Arrow.”
Now that was a truth I could accept. I saw it in her brown eyes. But there was also something else there. Pain? Sorrow? Fear?
“Let me know when you’re ready.”
“There are a lot of beautiful women over there who are waiting for you.” She gestured to the group of women who had surrounded me since I’d arrived. My ex stood with her social media friends.
The first time I met Vivian was at the Krazee Tavern, where she had demonstrated her martial arts skills with precision. I was intrigued and asked for a duel. That was when I got my first no.
“But they can’t kick my ass the way you can.”
She laughed, and it was a pure and beautiful sound that made me smile.
“And that ability attracts you?” Curiosity bloomed in her eyes.
“Damn right. I’m a man intrigued by a challenge.”
She changed the subject and gestured to the wine bottles on the table. “Why bamboo?”
“Why not? It’s different and profitable. Unlike grapes, bamboo is versatile. It can be made into furniture, build homes, create materials for clothing, eaten as food, and made into drinks, not to mention used for medicine, which Forrestis an expert at.” I held up a bottle. “When I see something extraordinary, I go all in studying it. Unravel it. Make it mine.”
Her lips opened slightly as though she was releasing a slight gasp. Her eyes connected to mine. The topaz in her iris shifted to a darker shade. What was she thinking?
“Sounds very methodical. Like a business transaction that would garner you profits.”
She was partially right. That was a proven business practice that made me successful. But why did her comment rub me the wrong way?
“Vivian?”
A man with short dark hair interrupted us, and I immediately didn’t like him. I recognized him as the Tai Lok representative I hadn’t met yet.
“Calvin,” Vivian said with hope in her voice.
Okay, I HATE him.Why didn’t she react to me the same way?
He stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulders, surveying her like he had every right to. “You look amazing. It’s been so long.”
I wanted to push his hands off her, but that would make me look stupid, irrational, and out of character. Definitely out of character. I needed to be the Arrow Holt who ran a successful wine empire to ensure my bamboo wine made it to the second round of the competition.
I was here for clues involving The Trogyn, not to fight over a woman. It irked me that, for a moment, I’d forgotten why I was at the convention.
What the fuck had gotten into me?
How did they know each other anyway? Was he the reason she didn’t want to go on a date with me?
Something uncomfortable stirred in my gut. She wasn’t mine yet. I had no claim to her to do anything.
“I’m Arrow Holt.” I offered my hand. “Tai Lok is an exceptional wine.”
He shook my hand with firmness. “Calvin Wong. Yours is fabulous. My boss has been raving about it.”
Calvin stood a couple of inches shorter than me, but he was built. He had a good posture that conveyed confidence and sharp eyes that told me he couldn’t be trusted.
He looked at me, then at Vivian. “You also know Vivian?”
“We have mutual friends,” I said.
Vivian looked at Calvin with a serious expression. “Do you have a minute? I’d like to speak to you privately, please.”
Irrational jealousy surged into me. He was the reason she was at the convention. Why?
My strategy to give her time and space had shifted. On a battlefield, a methodical plan ensured victory. I wouldn’t stand around while an enemy posed a potential threat to what was mine.
“Arrow!” Remi waved me over. The look on his face showed me he had pertinent information regarding our reason for this wine expo.
I turned to Calvin. “Good luck tonight.” My gaze slid over to Vivian. “See you soon.”
It was a promise.
As I walked toward Remi, I scanned the growing crowd of wealthy men and women from around the world who received VIP tickets to this special event. They’d vote for the wine label that would head to Monaco, where it would be showcased at the Monte Carlo Hotel Resort. This was a hangout place for elite members of The Trogyn, a dangerous crime organization that had become a threat to me and my friends.
“Is that Vivian?” Remi asked.
Remington wore a dark suit that resembled mine. Ever since he’d been with Audri, joy oozed from him. His short dark hair had grown a bit long, but those sharp blue eyes remained the same as when I’d met him all those years ago. He had masterminded the WaterFyre Rising game back when we’d been teens, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be part of it. My life could”ve gone horribly wrong if it hadn’t been for my friends. I’d probably be serving several life sentences.
“Yeah, that’s Vivian,” I said, not wanting to speak any more about her right now. “Hostingthis event at La Luna was an excellent idea.” I glanced around and lowered my voice. “Cameras working? Anyone look suspicious?”
He smirked. “All set. There are people in attendance I don’t recognize.”
“Who?”
“People who have more money than us.”
Though my friends and I were prominent figures in the business arena, we knew there were others wealthier than us with their own circle of powerful acquaintances.
“Let’s go check them out.”