Page 1 of Save Me
1.Ronan
If the dictionary included pictures, Henry Wolf’s smug face would be right next to the definition of a prick.
If Satan were searching for a human host to possess, he would look no further than the evil specimen seated next to me, humming along like a fucking pioneer woman at a washboard on a sunny spring day.
If we were on a sinking ship with only one lifeboat, this motherfucker would shove past women and children to?—
“You’re quiet.” Henry interrupts my brooding.
“I’m always quiet.” I deftly maneuver our golf cart past the small army of staff unloading linens from a delivery truck, my foot crushing the pedal.
Okay, so maybe Henry wouldn’t strong-arm children—Abbi would never marry a guy like that. But he is a Grade A douchebag. And maybe I am unusually quiet, but it’s because I’m struggling to keep my cool about the bomb he just dropped on me.
He is intent on destroying Sloane’s life.
How long has he been planning this? If he’s talking about eminent domain, then it’s clear this is not an overnight grudge he’s indulging. He had to have set wheels in motion months ago, and he has the right people in his pocket to make it happen.
There’s no doubt it’ll happen because Henry Wolf always gets what he wants.
My hands hurt. Probably because I’m choking the steering wheel. I ease up on my grip and force indifference into my tone. “These big plans for Mermaid Beach … what do they look like?” I didn’t have a chance to ask before. He took a call and directed me to drive back to the hotel with a dismissive wave of his hand, like I’m Jeeves, his chauffeur.
“New harborfront, definitely. The one here is dated and lackluster.”
I frown. “You want to put in a newharborfront, right next door?”
“Hell no, not there.” His chuckle is condescending. “We’ll tear down the docks and replace them with a new system. Build a new boardwalk, widen the road, add dozens of restaurants and shops. Make it a true destination for people visiting. It’ll bring millions in revenue. The chains are dying to get in, especially now that the hotel is here.”
“And there’s space for all that?” I ask, but the uneasy tingle along my spine tells me I know where he’ll find the space.
“There will be once all those shacks are gone.”
Shacks like the Sea Witch, he means. Fuck me. He’snot just after her home. He wants her business too. “Eminent domain can’t be used for private corporation land grabs.” I don’t know much, but I know that.
A smug smile answers me. “I’m not after the land, just the atmosphere that’ll draw in more people’s wallets, and I’ve spent many months and millions with my architects, designing exactly what people want.”
Sloane doesn’t want it. “So you’re not after that?” I jut my chin toward her property.
“I was,” he admits. “Seemed smart to have it for future expansion. But a new road will work too.”
“A new road,” I repeat. Henry’s going to tear down and pave over Sloane’s entire life. That’s his big plan.
“An access point for the hotel. We’ll benefit from that. When we revitalize the harbor and the boardwalk, congestion will only get worse. The local planners agree, and they’re willing to do just about anything to please me.”
“I’ll bet,” I force out. All hail to the great and powerful Oz.
“With all that space, they’re pushing the idea of a public beach and conservation area, but I’m not keen on having that so close to my hotel. We’ll see.” He shakes his head. “Sloane Parker would have been smart to take my offer. It was a hell of a lot more generous than what she’ll get with this new deal.”
“Clearly, she didn’t want the money.”
“And now, she’ll have no choice. The Mermaid Beach council and I are unveiling the design on Friday. It’s going to modernize this entire town. I’m sure the meeting is in your schedule.”
“Can’t wait.” Archie has stuffed my calendar like a piñata at a five-year-old’s birthday party. It’s ready to burst. But that’s not my concern now. My stomach stirs with nausea. “A lot of locals live and work around here. Do you think they’ll have a problem with you coming in and blowing everything up?”
“Of course they will. People don’t like change,” Henry scoffs. “Locals tried stopping Wolf Cove too, and now look at them. All the shops in nearby towns have quadrupled their seasonal business. They’re building two new strips for stores and a supermarket. The growth has only started too. Wait until the ski runs are completed. A lot of those people complaining are also the first ones in line to benefit.” He scrolls through his phone screen as he murmurs, “Nothing stays the same forever. The sooner people figure that out, the better.”
“Sloane’s not gonna benefit from this. Short of a fat bank account she’s not interested in. This is a dick move, even for you.” I can’t help the bitterness in my tone.
There’s a long pause, and then …
