Page 63 of Sapphire Sunset

Lois Penry cleared her throat in a manner suggesting she’djust done some quick calculations around Connor’s severance promise and fundshad come up short.

He ignored her. He was taking a risk, and he knew it.

Nobody would accept the offer, he was sure.

He was right.

Nobody moved. Nobody stood up. Nobody looked away when helooked into their eyes.

He summarized the situation for them as best as he could,felt the energy of the room soften as they listened intently. He emphasizedthey were in a media war over the hotel’s name, and no one should speak to thepress. But they should also feel free to speak to him about any concern, nomatter how big or small. And right now, what he needed from them most washonest and candid situation reports about their various departments. He emphasizedagain that it was a new day. That he and his uncle had not been on speaking terms,and he said diplomatic and slightly veiled things indicating his awareness ofhis uncle’s abusive tendencies. By the end of his speech, he had them all inthe palm of his hand.

After an initial moment of hesitation, they started to goaround the table in the same order in which they introduced themselves. Connorsuddenly realized he should be taking notes, and that he didn’t have a pen. Hewas about to rise and look for one when suddenly a pad of hotel stationery anda pen hit the table in front of him, and he looked up to see Logan had brought themto him. With a bowed head and a chastened expression.

Connor was surprised. And maybe a little touched.

A little.

The reports seemed candid. They were certainly detailed. Nosign of the spin he’d feared, maybe thanks to the candor with which he’d startedthe meeting.

Together with this information and the financial disclosureshe’d been given back at the law office, it was clear the hotel hadn’t been indire straits before the raid. It looked like Rodney’s hideous criminal schemewas entirely for personal profit and that before the bomb blast of the FBIraid, Sapphire Cove had been functioning fairly well.

After he thanked them all and commanded them back to battlestations, he expected them to hurry from the room. Instead, they lined up toeach shake his hand.

There was one person who hadn’t lined up, however. Logan. Hewas standing against the far wall, hands shoved in his pockets, staring glumlyat the floor.

Once everyone departed, they were alone together for thefirst time in five years.

Logan stayed standing.

Connor took his seat again, studying Logan.

Logan studied the floor.

“So what was that about an old saying in the Marines?”Connor asked.

Logan’s smile was bitter. “I guess you enjoyed that part.”

“A little,” Connor lied. He’d really, really, really enjoyedthat part.

“I guess I overstepped.”

“A little.”

Logan lifted his gaze to Connor’s. “And I guess I shouldquit.”

Connor’s anger had him sitting forward suddenly. He hadn’tbeen expecting this, but a mature part of his brain was telling him heshouldn’t be upset about it. Should welcome it, even. But no way. No way wasLogan walking out of this exchange this easily.

“Well, that’s convenient,” Connor said.

“You know, Connor, maybe you should decide what it is youactually want.”

“What I want? Okay. What I want is to turn the clock backtwenty-four hours to a time when a provision in a trust I didn’t know aboutsuddenly demanded I walk away from a life I built for myself and take the reinsof this place for a whole year or else it gets sold to an outside company.That’s what I want, Logan Murdoch.”

“I meant with me, Connor. What do you want with me? You wantme to leave as punishment for the fact that I was either in on this thing orshould have known about it? Or do you want me to stay so you can make memiserable over a five-year-old kiss?”

“A five-year-old kiss?” Connor shot to his feet before hecould stop himself, blood rushing to his face. The evidence of his anger didn’tdeter Logan, however. The guy was approaching him slowly, matching him almoststep for step, a solid wall of defiance and so many other hard things Connorwanted to squeeze and touch and do other things to that made him hate himself.“A five-year-old kiss? You think that’s why I’m pissed at you?”

“Of course it is. You don’t think I’m really involved inthis and still standing here, do you? Hell, if I was guilty, I wouldn’t stickaround to get arrested later. I’d be off in Mexico spending my blackmailmoney.”

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