Page 6 of Nefarious
If only . . .
If only Geraldo hadn’t been so intent on a takeover, he might have granted her her freedom. She and Dane might have been a power couple—the unlikely union of two best friends who’d built an empire and fallen in love.
It was a fantasy that could never be.
Instead, they chased away boredom playing a game of cat and mouse—and neither one knew which was which.
In hindsight, she’d learned a valuable lesson—she should have cut her losses and picked one winning hand. By trying to play all sides, she’d lost Geraldo’s trust, her company, and Dane’s affections. And she no longer cared about the first.
But even though Geraldo had won that round, she was still playing a longer game, moving her chess pieces deliberately, slowly—not to mention rigging the board. She intended to even the score. If she could ignite Dane’s dormant sense of indignation, they could move to regain control of their company. And once she toppled Geraldo, she’d get Dane back.
If she ever had him.
She sighed. Dane had been drunk that night. Drunker than usual. Had it meant anything? He probably didn’t even remember half of what he’d said.
She did.
She put the business card back into her wallet, wondering if he’d kept any physical souvenirs of the night she’d lost everything.
Sophie,
It’s begun. I sat in on the first training session with Val herself. And Dane made an appearance. The two of them got into a discussion of the company that broke the speed of sound. It’s so weird seeing them together. She’s so sweet and above board. But Dane. Let’s just say his reputation does not appear unfounded. He comes and goes as he pleases, broods most of the time, and when he speaks, somehow he makes everything sound sexy—and I don’t mean his voice turns me on (though it is lovely). It’s like he’s talking about sex when he talks about finance. I can’t explain it. You’d have to hear it. And no, I’m not projecting. I heard the other interns mention it, too. I don’t know how Val stood there so calm while he made me blush.
To be honest, though, he makes me a little nervous. I didn’t expect him to be so . . . I don’t know. Dangerous? Even though that is his name, lol. One of the interns swears he smelled like booze. But he’s undeniably attractive.
Anyway, I’m not obsessing over Dane. You wanted a report, and I’m giving you one. Day one has ended. I can’t wait until tomorrow.
Sorry that your summer is so boring. I wish you were here. I haven’t managed to make any friends yet. Even my roommates keep to themselves. I know I’m not here to make friends, but still, it would be nice to have someone to talk to. Yeah, I know. I’m lucky to have been chosen and it’s only for the summer. Still. I miss you.
Love you,
Selena
Val had set up interviews in fifteen-minute intervals throughout the morning and sent the meeting invites out at the beginning of the day. She’d spoken to all these kids back when they’d applied for the program, but it had been a few months since she’d given any thought to them, and she still needed to put names to faces. And besides, she wanted a chance to play with her food.
The knock came right on time. She closed her laptop and said, “Come in.”
Selena stood in the entrance, squeezing her hands together. “Ms. Montgomery? Are you ready to see me?”
Val forced the muscles in her face into a smile. “Selena, won’t you please come in?”
Selena hesitated, and Val turned up the wattage, flashing her teeth and willing her eyes to feign sincerity. She rolled her hand toward an open chair. “Please, have a seat. I’d like to chat for a moment.”
Selena closed the door, and Val thought, “Welcome to my parlor.”
As Selena stepped slowly across the room, Val sized her up. She was almost the same age as the girl currently dangling off Geraldo’s arm somewhere near Heidelberg, but the similarities stopped there. Selena had thick brown hair falling out of a braid, large brown eyes hiding behind tortoise-shell glasses, an angelic face, and five feet of rail-thin physique. She’d dressed the part of the intern—conservative and not too flashy. In ordinary circumstances, Val might not have noticed her.
Val realized she’d steepled her hands as she assessed her prey and deliberately dropped them. She picked up a pen and began to jot a note on the legal pad before her.Selena Valencia. June 11.
“Tell me why you’re here. There must have been ample opportunity back in New York. At R&M?”
Selena had the good grace to drop her eyes to her lap. “I knew you’d bring up my dad.”
“Look. We host interns every summer in the hopes that they’ll learn something, we’ll like them, they’ll like us, and we’ll find a love connection. But realistically, a large number of our interns move on to other firms. I’m not under the illusion that you’ll return to us once you’ve earned your degree, but I’m curious to know what your intentions are. Will you be heading to work for your father in a year?”
Selena shifted in her chair, and Val wondered for a heartbeat if she’d miscalculated. She didn’t intend to send the girl running back to her dad that minute, nor did she want a vow of eternal loyalty. But in order to establish trust, she had to first display the level of mistrust Selena would have been expecting. Val took a deep breath, preparing to soften her approach, but Selena lifted her eyes and spoke.
“I know what happened at R&M, or at least I know the tabloid version of events. My father has never given me the entire story, and I’m hopeful that I won’t be punished for my connection to him. Yes, he expects me to return to work for him, but I plan to make my own decisions when the time comes.”
