Page 30 of Titus

“Concerned is a mild way of putting it,” Colton said. “Titus is planning to use Catalina Veléz to get inside details about what he’s planning.”

“The fuck?” Spencer said, taking a quick sip of his drink. “The event planner?”

I nodded. “Yeah, and I’m willing to break my own rules about hiring her for all of my events just to keep her close.”

“What exactly did the man do when he entered your office this morning?” Jim chuckled. “Did he hold you at gunpoint and claim he was seeking revenge the old-fashioned way?”

The men laughed, and I normally would have joined in, but not today.

“It seems this fool is recalling an event from our past that not only pertains to Howard Mitchell’s embarrassment of his father but also seemingly involves my father as well.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “And here I was pissed at the board for being up our asses and interfering with our surgery schedules.”

“It’s not just that,” Wyatt added. “I flew in from Madrid today because I plan to carefully review all our hiring agencies and make sure no one on any team at our company is working for that idiot and attempting to take us down from the inside.”

“Jesus Christ,” Spencer looked at Jim. “Do you think we need to do an audit at Mitchell and Associates?”

Jim took a slow sip of his drink, considering it for a moment before setting the glass down. “It wouldn’t hurt,” he said evenly. “You’re thorough with that kind of thing,” he added to his VP, then looked back at me. “We’ll clean house and make sure there aren’t any moles on our end. But honestly, if these are the games Jameston wants to play, he won’t last long enough out here to regret it.”

“Men like him don’t think like you and me, hermano,” I said to Jim. “When they have nothing to lose and everything to gain?”

“They play dirty,” Colton finished for me. “And if none of us are careful, he’ll plant people in our companies to do something criminal that puts us behind bars, and not them.”

“You East Coasters really know how to bring the strippers to the party, don’t you?” Collin chimed in. “Fuck. I can see it now. Instead of Jim making the evening news for rescuing dead Christmas trees, he’ll be making the news for some fraudulent business deal.”

“That’s never going to happen,” I insisted. “Which is why I wanted to meet with you both. I think this has become more personal than business. And when ruthless assholes are out for revenge? Well, they’ll stop at nothing.”

“Do you think it’s wise to beef up our security detail?” Jim questioned me, most likely because of my tone and facial expression.

“It wouldn’t come to that if we were dealing with normal people, but I’m not sure we are,” I answered. “Maybe it’s a good idea, at least until I can get Cat on our team and working with us.”

“And the odds that my brother is going to make that game plan work are zero to none,” Colton said with a laugh.

“Why?” Spencer answered. “Because he insulted her at the event Jameston hosted for his tenants… and at his own yacht event?”

“I will tell you all why my plan will work,” I began. “Because she’s hungry for money and wants my business as badly as I need her to do this for me,” I explained, then looked at Jim. “Your wife is close with her?”

“She’s pretty good friends with all of our wives,” Jim answered. “But if you need someone to encourage her to help us, it’ll be Spencer’s wife who can get the job done.”

Spencer chuckled. “And Nat will never let you live it down that she closed a deal that you couldn’t.”

I smirked, yet something deep inside me yearned to coax Ms. Catalina Veléz into this. Why not make this an enjoyable business partnership while I used her to bury that bastard?

“Will she know you’re using her to get inside information?” Wyatt asked.

“I’m not sure I can trust her with what I know about the man she’s leasing office space from,” I said. “So, who knows. Maybe I’ll just pursue her as if I want something more than just a business arrangement?”

“Holy fuck,” Jake said, nearly choking on his scotch. “Are you sure you want to play a woman like that? Like her?”

“Please,” I rolled my eyes. “What are we going to do, break up if she finds out? We’re not in a relationship, so the only thing she loses is an employment contract with me.”

“And what if she happens to fall for you?” Jim asked. “How will you handle her discovering that you were using her and then discarding her after you finish off the man she leases from?”

“I think we’ve all taken this scenario too far,” Collin said. “How about this? I guarantee your Spanish ass can get her to work for you, yes. However, a relationship? Fucking her? Her? No. I highly doubt there will be any broken hearts in this story.”

“True,” Colton added with a laugh. “She really does seem turned off by my brother’s mere presence.”

I narrowed my eyes at the men around me. They’d just turned this into a challenge. And if these men were convinced that Catalina Veléz intended to be the first woman who only wanted a business relationship with me, I intended to prove them all wrong.