Target: A Circle of Justice Novel Read online

  “Do you really want my help?” he asked.

  “Is that a trick question?”

  “You have the goods right here.” He tapped on the folder. “And I know you have the money to expand.”

  Sighing, I averted my gaze. “I know, but money’s not enough. I need more than that.”

  “Like what?”

  I met his stare. “Someone like you.”

  “From what I can tell, you don’t need anyone’s help.”

  My lips spread into a grimace. It killed me that I couldn’t do it all on my own. “In certain matters, I don’t. But this,” I said, nodding toward the folder, “is different. I don’t have the connections you have.”

  “You’re the former First Daughter. You’d think that’d leave you with plenty of connections.”

  I scoffed. “Believe it or not, I want to work at making my company a success. I don’t want it handed to me because of my name.” I wasn’t the spoiled, former First Daughter many believed me to be.

  “What else do you do besides handle the shop?” he asked.

  “You know who my family is, Mr. Chandler. I’m either at a social function, or dealing with politics. I try to spend as much time in Charleston as I can, but sometimes it’s difficult.”

  Opening the folder up, he took one last look at the designs before closing it again. It felt like an eternity waiting for his answer. “All right,” he announced, getting to his feet. He circled around his desk and held out his hand. “We have a deal. I’ll help you.”

  I took his hand and stood, gripping it tight. My breath hitched. He was so close, his grip strong. “When do we start?” I breathed.

  Before he could speak, his receptionist’s voice came over the speaker. “Mr. Chandler?”

  “Yes?”

  “Mr. Johnson’s on the phone. He won’t be able to make the meeting tomorrow night. He asked if you can reschedule for lunchtime today.”

  “I’ll be there,” he told her, his eyes never leaving mine. “You and I will get started tonight. Pick a time and place.”

  “He’s going to help?” Lexi squealed.

  “He says he is. I’m supposed to see him tonight. I just texted him and told him to meet me at the lake house.” I’d rented a place on Lake Wylie for the rest of the summer, which included my own boat. It was better than staying in a hotel. Plus, I’d have more privacy.

  “You’re seriously meeting him in a private place?”

  I chuckled. “I don’t plan on giving him a tour of the house, Lexi. It’s safer for us this way. Now we don’t have to worry about the media taking pictures of us.” I tossed my bag onto the king size bed in the master bedroom. The walls were light green, one of my favorite colors. It also had the best view of the water.

  “True. When is he arriving?”

  “Any minute now.” A car door slammed outside. “Oh, I think he’s here.”

  “Wow. Let me know what he says, okay?”

  The doorbell rang and I hurried down the stairs. “I will. If you see my mom, tell her what’s going on. I haven’t had a chance to call her.”

  “Will do.”

  “Wish me luck.”

  She laughed. “You’re gonna need it. Just make sure you talk business before falling on his cock again.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Goodbye, Lexi.” I hung up and slipped the phone into my pocket. That night with Wade had been a lapse in judgment. It should’ve never gone that far . . . even if I wanted it.

  Taking a deep breath, I opened the door. Wade stood at the edge of the porch, peering out at the water. “Thanks for coming,” I said, grabbing his attention.

  He glanced over his shoulder, then turned around. The top buttons of his white button-down shirt were undone, and his tie was gone. My God, he was sexy. “Nice place. Is it yours?”

  “No, it’s a summer rental,” I replied, scanning the yard. “It’s beautiful though. I have the boat all ready for us, if you want to get started.”

  His brows lifted. “We’re meeting on the water?”

  “Yep, on a pontoon. Hope you don’t mind.” I walked inside and he followed me. I knew he wouldn’t be prepared for an outdoor meeting in the heat, but I had him covered. “Figured it would be the safest place from the paparazzi. Here. Put these on,” I said, tossing him a pair of black swimming trunks. I already had one of my bikinis on underneath my T-shirt and shorts. “There’s a bathroom over there.” I pointed to the bathroom door, but he made no move to go.

  As serious as could be, he unbuttoned his shirt. The man was confident, but I wasn’t about to let it sway me. “If you don’t mind,” his voice came out sexy and dangerous, “I’ll just stay here.” Keeping his gaze on mine, he dropped his shirt to the floor.

  I refused to look at his body, so I kept my eyes strictly on his. Having control around him was harder than I thought it would be, even when sober. And when he reached for his belt buckle and worked open his button and zipper, the mood between us intensified. But I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me.

  I waited for him to drop his pants and boxer briefs, then assertively walked toward him. Seeing his mouth twitch when I came to stop in front of him made me feel powerful. Bending down, I broke eye contact and picked up his clothes, making sure not to look at his naked body. Standing up, close enough for my arm to brush his stomach, I draped his shirt and pants over the back of the couch, then threw him a tiny smirk before making my way to the back door.

  Wade let out a throaty chuckle and I knew I’d affected him. Good. He wouldn’t have control of both reins in this partnership, not if I had anything to say about it.

  Once he threw on his shorts, we walked out the back and down to the pier. Wade helped me untie the boat and we both hopped on. “Sure you know how to drive one of these things?” he asked, looking sexy as hell in just the black trunks and nothing else.

  I cranked up the boat and it roared to life. “My father taught me well. We had a boat in Wyoming he used to take me on.”

  He sat down on the seat beside mine and we started on our way across the lake. It was a hot, July afternoon, and there were people everywhere. So, I found a cove that wasn’t occupied and dropped the anchor.

  Putting on my sunglasses, I moved to the front of the boat so I could sit in the sun. “How did your lunch date go?”

  Instead of staying under the canopy, he joined me at the front and sat across from me, leaning back with his hands behind his head. “Good. I bought the Carolina Cougars.”

  “Wow,” I gasped. “You must like football.”

  He shrugged. “I played in high school. Thought it’d be a good investment.”

  “Must be nice to get whatever you want.” I pulled my legs up onto the seat so I could lay back.

  “It is, but sometimes it takes work. Not every offer is a risk I want to take.”

  Lifting my sunglasses, I looked over at him. “What made you decide to take on Endless Summer?”

  Getting to his feet, he walked over to the edge of the boat. “You have potential. I know you’re willing to do whatever it takes.”

  “With that being said, what all will you need from me?”

  He looked over at me, his gaze roaming over my body. “Once you sign the contract, I’ll resume full control of the company for the next year.”

  I sat up. “How much do you plan on taking?” I felt like a bomb was about to explode.

  “Seventy percent.”

  And there it was. I’d be stupid to agree to that. Jumping to my feet, I stormed over to him, fists clenched tight. “Seventy percent? Have you lost your fucking mind?”

  He shrugged, his lips tilting into a smug smile. I wanted to smack it off his face. “Thought you wanted my help.”

  “Not if you’re gonna screw me in the ass.”

  “That’s not exactly my style. If you can’t handle seventy percent, it looks like the deal’s off.”

  “You are such an ass.” Without thinking, I pushed him off the side of the boat. For a split second, I felt
good. Then reality hit. It was as if time stopped as I held my breath, waiting for him to surface.

  Slapping a hand over my face, I squeezed my eyes shut. “Holy fucking shitballs. What the hell did I just do?” I peeked through my fingers, thinking he’d surface any minute. When he didn’t, panic rose in my chest. “Wade!” I shouted, circling around the boat. There were no bubbles in the water, nor any sign of movement.

  Pulse racing, I jumped in the water. It was so murky, I couldn’t see a thing. “Wade!” I shouted again, swimming around frantically. He was nowhere to be found. “Shit, shit, shit. Wade!”

  I started back toward the boat and began to climb up to get a better view, when Wade popped out of the water and grabbed me. My heart jumped and I yelped; he scared the hell out of me. Pinning my body against the ladder, his body pushed into mine. “Didn’t think you’d jump in,” he teased, his warm breath on my ear.

  “I thought you’d drowned!” I tried to turn around to face him, with no luck.

  Chuckling, his chest vibrated against my back. “It’s going to take a lot more than that to bring me down, sunshine.”

  I tried halfheartedly to get out of his hold, but he held me tighter. It felt good being in his arms. “The deal is off. I’m not letting you take everything,” I snapped.

  “Still the same stubborn ass you were as a kid. It always had to be your way.”

  That sounded like me. “How do you even know that?” My mother had showed me the pictures of us as kids. I still had the silvery seashell he gave me the day we moved away from Charleston. But I wasn’t about to bring that up.

  “You’d be surprised what all I remember.” His words made me tremble. “Now that I got your attention, listen up. I’ll take thirty percent for a year. After that, everything will go back to you and your partner.”

  I huffed incredulously. “Why did you say seventy then?”

  He brought his lips to my ear. “Because I knew you’d get pissed, and I wanted to see how far you’d go. I don’t like women who can be pushed around.”

  I snorted. “You’re lucky I showed restraint. Next time, I won’t be so easy on you.”

  “That sounds like a promise, not a threat.” Releasing his grip on the ladder, he moved away so I could climb back up into the boat. Once he was in, he looked down at his phone. “It’s getting late. I should probably get going before you do kill me.”

  The man was going to drive me insane.

  Wade

  By the time we got the boat secured on the dock, the sun had started to go down. We walked back up to the house and I put my clothes back on. I was glad I’d tested Brina, even if it pissed her off. I didn’t like women who couldn’t think for themselves. That seemed to be the only women I ever attracted.

  “I’ll have the contract drawn up tonight, ready for you to go over. You can stop by the office any time tomorrow,” I said, watching Brina run her hands through her golden hair.

  “Will do.” She slipped a T-shirt on over her bikini top. I wanted to touch her, to squeeze those breasts and taste them like I had before. The whole time on the boat, the wind had blown her honeysuckle scent my way. I wanted her so fucking bad.

  Grabbing my keys and phone off the foyer table, I started for the door. “See you in the morning, Brina. I’ll go over all the details then.”

  “I was thinking about ordering some pizza,” she called out. Turning around, I lifted my brows. “If you want, you can stay and go over everything tonight. That way, I can just come to your office, sign everything and be done.”

  Narrowing my gaze, I stared at her. She was a hard woman to read. The longer I stayed, the harder it would be to leave. No matter what, I had to leave.

  “Unless you don’t eat pizza,” she added. “You too good for it?”

  I set my keys and phone back down. “Order it up. I happen to love sausage, pepperoni, and mushroom.”

  She shrugged and I could see the beginning of a smile on her face. “Hey, I wasn’t sure. I know men who don’t eat it. It’s either not fancy enough, or too unhealthy.” After she called in the pizza, she poured us both a glass of white wine and we sat down on the brown leather couch in the living room.

  “Let me guess, your boyfriend is like that?” I asked. I wasn’t going to lie, I was curious about their relationship. They seemed like two, totally different people.

  Releasing a heavy sigh, she swirled her glass of wine. “He’s not my boyfriend anymore. That was over a long time ago.”

  I took a sip of wine. “Has he said anything about the pictures of us?”

  She nodded. “He flew all the way to Charleston to confront me about it.”

  A twinge of jealousy formed in my gut. “Oh yeah?”

  “After the election, he thought we’d get back together.” She looked up at me. “The truth is, I loved him, but I was never in love with him. I couldn’t give him what he needed.”

  “Which was?”

  She shrugged. “Attention. Time. I couldn’t be everywhere at once. He wanted me with him, but I wanted to be in Charleston. After everything that happened with my dad, I didn’t want to be anywhere near the capital or politics. It’s just too much.”

  “And does he understand that?”

  “I think so. That’s why I don’t date anymore. I hate having to explain myself.”

  “Looks like we have that in common.” Between running Chandler Enterprises and killing on the side, I didn’t have time for much else, other than a quick fuck here and there. Feelings never got involved.

  “Please,” she said, shaking her head incredulously. “I’ve seen pictures of you with women. You obviously have time to date.”

  I shrugged. “Just because you’ve seen me with women doesn’t mean I’m dating them.”

  “You’re such a manwhore,” she stated with a laugh. “If I wasn’t a female, I’d be able to get away with it. You’re the first man to be photographed with me since Chris, and I’m made out to be a cheating slut.”

  I finished off the rest of my wine. “Does that bother you?”

  Halfheartedly, she shrugged. “Not really. It’ll bother the shit out of me when they catch you whoring around with other women though. I’ll be perceived as the pathetic damsel you dumped. I’ve learned to be more discreet with my affairs.”

  “Have you now? How many men are we talking?”

  “That’s none of your damn business.” She gulped down the rest of her wine. “You don’t see me asking you how many women you’ve been with.”

  Jealousy flashed across her face and I smiled. “No, but I can tell you want to know. I’m sure it’s not as many as you’d like to believe.”

  She raised a hand and shook her head. “Don’t wanna know.”

  The doorbell rang and I went to the door so I could pay for the pizza. I placed it on the coffee table, and she sat down on the floor with me. It was the most normal thing I’d done in a long time.

  “You’re not the only one who got shit over those pictures,” I told her.

  Eyes wide, she stared at me in disbelief. “What do you mean?”

  I grabbed a slice of pizza. “My father was livid. He apparently thinks you’re an innocent angel.”

  She slapped a hand over her mouth and laughed, her mouth full of pizza. “Love his heart. Your father is such a sweet man. I need to see him again.”

  “I’m sure he’d like that. And when you do, can you assure him I’m not going to break your heart?”

  “Like I’d ever give it to you.” She smirked, and it made me want to kiss her even more.

  “Good,” I said. “Then we have nothing to worry about.”

  Luckily, my phone rang, drawing my attention away from her mouth. I hurried over to the foyer table and grabbed my phone. “Mr. Johnson,” I answered.

  He chuckled. “Please, call me Craig. Makes me feel young. Do you have a minute to talk?”

  I glanced over at Brina, who’d turned her attention to the pizza. “Sure.”

  “There’s going to be a
private dinner at the Ritz tomorrow night. I’m sorry for the late notice, but all the players will be there. They already know what’s going on, so I thought it’d be a good way to introduce them to their new owner.”

  “Perfect. I’ll be there.”

  “Again, it’s a private dinner, but you know how the media works. They’ll be chomping at the bit to find out who the new owner is. I can’t say they won’t be waiting outside the doors.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” I said with a chuckle. Brina got up and strolled into the kitchen, her hips swaying with each step. “Do you mind if I bring someone?” That got her attention. Her back was to me, but I could tell she was listening.

  “Of course, the dinner is at six o’clock. I’ll see you then.”

  We hung up and Brina joined me back on the couch. “Everything okay?” she asked, peering at me over the rim of her wine glass.

  I nodded. “There’s a dinner party tomorrow, so I can be announced as the new owner of the Cougars.”

  “Ah, sounds nice.” I stared at her and smiled as she sipped her wine. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Want to be my date? Figured it’d save you the humiliation of me bringing another woman. Now the media can’t call you the damsel I dumped.”

  Pursing her lips, she tapped a finger on her glass. “Fine,” she agreed, her eyes piercing through mine. “I’ll go, but only to save my reputation.”

  “Speaking of your reputation, I think it’s time we called it a night. Don’t want you getting too carried away. I know how you are when you drink too much wine.”

  Eyes wide, her cheeks turned bright red. “Hey, we were both foolish that night, asshole.”

  I laughed. “Okay, okay. I’ll give you that much.” Standing, I walked over to the table to grab my keys.

  Brina followed me to the door, her body close to mine as I opened it. “I’ll see you in the morning,” she said.