Chapter 7 #3
I look at her, half mortified that she’s even thought about how to dispose of bodies, half impressed with her idea to encase it in cement. It would probably do the trick. No one would ever find it.
Jesus Christ, what is wrong with me? Now I’m thinking about the merit of Whitney’s body disposal methods.
I’m about to tell Whitney her behavior isn’t appropriate, since she is my employee after all, when Tracy comes over and leans against her desk.
“We’re going on a little field trip,” Tracy chirps. “Seems Blake has had a change of heart about training me himself.” Then, her voice low, she whispers to Whitney, “I told you I could handle him.”
They crack up with laughter, and I shove my hands into my jeans pockets like it will somehow keep me from taking them both out back and killing them.
“For fuck’s sake,” I grumble. “Unless you want me to pawn you off on another agent, get moving, Tracy. And you,” I turn my attention to Whitney. “You may be my sister, but when we’re in this office, you’re my employee first. I won’t tolerate that kind of behavior from you.”
Whitney peers up at me innocently through her lashes. “Okay, boss,” she says, the corner of her mouth twitching as she tries not to smile. I glance over to see Tracy trying to hold her own smile back as well.
“Send off the license paperwork today,” I tell Whitney. Then, turning for the stairs, add to Tracy, “Let’s go. Now.”
Tracy follows behind me, trying her best to keep up in her heels as I make my way toward my truck.
The piece of land we’re going to look at is just outside the city, and while there’s a road leading to it, the three-hundred acres is otherwise untouched.
What I really want is to get a good idea of what the shoreline is like so we can decide whether it’s worth the investment of putting up piers, and I’m hoping we can get to it in my truck without having to do a lot of walking.
Unlocking the truck’s doors, I climb in, Tracy sliding in next to me. The smell of her perfume—citrus and something earthy—fills the cab of my truck, and I do my best to ignore the sweet scent.
Once we’re on the freeway heading out of the city, she asks, “So, what’s the deal with this land?”
“We’re looking to build a luxury subdivision,” I tell her. “It’s a three hundred acre wooded tract of land with a creek on it. We’re trying to determine the best way to optimize that acreage.”
“But you need the county to change the zoning first so you can build on it?”
“Correct.”
She angles herself toward me and asks enthusiastically, “Can I go to your meeting with them on Friday? Maybe I could help you convince them—”
“No,” I cut her off. While I don’t mind pulling her in on some of the behind-the-scenes work, I’m not letting her in on the in-person wheeling and dealing I need to do.
Not only that, but I’m very much about to bribe our local officials for this change, and she doesn’t need to be involved in that kind of bullshit.
“But I’d just observe and—”
“No,” I repeat. “Listen, I don’t mind having you help me out on the back-end, but I’m not pulling you into the politics of it. It’s too messy, and you haven’t even started your career yet.”
“So, this is about protecting me.” She says it as more of a question than a statement, and when I glance over at her, she’s looking at me with stunned curiosity on her face.
“No, it’s about protecting me.” The more people who get involved with this, the more likely word gets out about what I’m doing, and the more likely someone starts looking a little too closely at my deals.
“Of course,” she retorts, and I can practically feel the eye roll she makes over in her seat.
“Heaven forbid you consider anyone else. What was it you said earlier?” She grabs her chin like she’s thinking really hard.
“Oh, that’s right, other than your family, you ‘don’t give a fuck about anyone else’. ”
“So, you were listening.” I flash her a lazy grin.
“Of course I was,” she snaps back, that feisty attitude of her’s returning. “I’d be foolish not to. And you were foolish not to kick me out of your office if you didn’t want me to overhear.”
“Well, you’re right about one thing.” I tighten my grip on the steering wheel. “I was foolish not to kick you out. And I’m starting to think I’m foolish for bringing you with me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I reach over the center armrest to grab her thigh, then think better of it. “It means, if you don’t drop that attitude, I’ll kick you out of this truck and you can hitchhike home.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” She gapes at me.
“I would, sunshine. So, don’t test me. I’m really not in the mood.”
She lets out a huff, then crosses her arms over her chest and turns her body away from me to peer out the window.
And thank fucking God, I finally get a moment of peace.
Apparently, my threat to make her hitchhike is enough to keep her quiet the rest of the drive, because it isn’t until I pull up next to another truck that she finally says, “Is that the surveyor?”
“Yes, stay here. I’ll only be a minute.” I climb out of the truck before she can say anything about being left behind, but I can’t ignore the daggers she’s shooting into my back as I walk away from the vehicle.