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“No, thanks,” Grant said, uncomfortable with the situation.

“Suit yourself.” The man cut another piece of steak and popped it into his mouth. “So, you find yourself a little short on cash.”

“I need a short-term infusion, yes. I’ll be in a position to repay it in a few months.”

“That’s confident. It’s a lot of money. You sound pretty certain.”

Grant lifted his chin. “I am. This situation is…temporary.”

The man rolled his tongue against his cheek before he snapped it against his teeth. “Hmm.”

Grant narrowed his eyes at him, not willing to back down. He needed to show strength in the negotiation no matter how uncomfortable it made him. “Can you get the money or not?”

“Oh, I can get the money.” He grinned at Grant, but there was something eerie about his smile. “I can make all your problems disappear.”

The statement was as ominous as it was tempting. But he refused to show his anxiety with the solution. He flicked his eyebrows up. “I assume you have some terms. A contract.”

The man gave him that evil grin again. “Boys,” he said, his eyes never leaving Grant, “tell Mr. Harrington how we handle contracts around here.”

Laughs erupted from the men surrounding them. Grant’s instincts screamed at him about the danger of the path he was about to take. Yet his desperation and the heavy weight of Harrington Global’s future pressed down around him, silencing the alarms.

“We don’t do paperwork. No lawyers, no signatures, no paper trails. Just a handshake and an understanding…an understanding that I give you the money, and you pay me back on time.”

The man flicked his eyebrows up. “And if you don’t? Well, I take it from you…piece by piece. Not from your company or yourbank account, but from you personally, Mr. Harrington. From you, personally.”

Malone leaned closer, his eyes glinting in the dim light. “You know, Mr. Harrington, people who break deals with me find themselves…in challenging circumstances.” He paused, allowing the words to simmer between them before he offered a low laugh.

The threat hung clearly in the air. Grant swallowed hard, his heart thundering in his chest. This may be the only way to protect his legacy, but the threat to his family…to him…pressed down around him.

“So, what do you say, Mr. Harrington? Do we have a deal?” The man held his hand out toward Grant.

Grant eyed it, his mind sorting the risks one last time. Before he could finalize his decision, his phone rang. The ringtone sliced through the tension, startling him.

He slid it from his pocket, his heart stopping as he saw Julia’s name.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Malone, but this is my wife.”

The man smirked at him. “Well, then, you’d better take it.”

Grant bobbed his head as he rose from the booth and strode a few steps away as he answered, leaving his decision hanging in the balance. “Julia? What’s going on? Are you okay?” There was a desperate edge to his questions.

“Grant…” His stomach twisted at the sound of her voice: shaky, frightened, upset.

“Julia? What is it?”

“It’s Kyle.”

The way she choked out his name made his heart drop. Something had happened. And it wasn’t good.

CHAPTER 22

JULIA

Julia’s world tilted on its axis as she stared at the scene. Kyle, bound and unconscious, brought a wave of nausea over her. With his head slumped it was impossible to tell if he was still breathing or if she was too late.

A quiet voice whispered. “I’m requesting police and paramedics.”

She was about to answer him as she rushed to Kyle to assess his condition, but another noise stopped her. She snapped her gaze toward it, scanning the shadows for something as she stood frozen.