Page 24 of Cold as Stone
I press my ear against the wall, straining to make out the voices. That’s when I hear it. A woman.
Turning, I peep through the hole and am surprised to see a woman in her early-–forties with warm brown skin and natural curls which are pulled back in a neat bun. She’s wearing an expensive suit and carrying a sleek leather briefcase.
“You must be Ms. Bright,” Lee says, his posture shifting subtly.
“Josie, please. Ms. Bright makes me sound like I’m teaching kindergarten.”
“Lee Armstrong,” he introduces himself then the others at the table.
She sets her briefcase on the table. “I’ve reviewed the initial documents you sent. You’ve got a serious situation on your hands.”
“Very,” Stone agrees. “Lee was just briefing us on Summit’s political moves.”
Josie opens her briefcase, pulling out a folder. “That tracks with their MO in other communities. They establish a presence, then use money to push through zoning changes that benefit their projects and harm existing residents.”
I frown, pressing closer to the wall. People are being pushed out of their homes? The thought makes my stomach churn with anger. This is my town, my people. How is this not splashed across the front page of the newspaper? And why is the MC involved?
“Can we stop them?” Duck asks.
“That depends on a number of factors,” she says, spreading out several documents. “I need to understand what evidence we can gather, how organized the community response is, and whether we can find a legal angle to challenge their operations.”
Their voices drop, forcing me to return to the pipe, straining to hear.
“… Summit’s changing tactics,” Lee says, his voice carrying better than the others. “They’ve been trying to push residents out by making their lives difficult—cutting utilities, creating code violations, blocking road access. But now they’re going legitimate. Or at least, pretending to.”
The casual cruelty of it hits me like a physical blow. These aren’t just numbers on a development plan—these are real people’s lives being destroyed. My anger builds with each detail, and I find myself leaning forward, desperate to hear more.
“What do you mean?” Josie asks.
“They’ve got three candidates running for city council,” Lee explains. “All of whom are positioned as ‘concerned citizens’ who want to ‘revitalize’ Stoneheart.”
Duck’s gravelly voice comes through next. “Revitalize is just code for ‘push out the poor folk.’”
“Exactly,” Lee agrees. “But it gets worse. We’ve got sources who say Summit’s already greasing palms on the current council. That’s why they’re getting all their permits pushed through while everyone else is stuck in red tape hell.”
I shift, trying to hear better as Axel mentions something about a construction company and someone named Poppy.
“The Bennett Construction situation was just the beginning,” Axel says, his tone gruff. “Now they’re sending out rezoning questionnaires to residents, making it sound like they’re gathering community input, when really they’re just identifying which neighborhoods to target next.”
The conversations continue, and I can hardly believe what I’m hearing. If the club is correct, that means there’s a corrupt organization operating out of our town.
But for what purpose?
I jump as warm breath brushes against the shell of my ear, Lee’s voice a low rumble that sends goosebumps racing down my arms.
“Find what you’re looking for?”
I spin, startled, and suddenly we’re face-to-face, our noses almost touching. My heart hammers against my ribs as I take in his piercing gaze, the way his jaw is set with barely controlled tension. I try to step back but my foot catches on a box of stock behind me, and I stumble.
Lee’s hands shoot out, gripping my hips to steady me, his fingers strong and sure against the curve of my waist. My palms flatten against his chest automatically, and I can feel the solid thud ofhis heart underneath the material of his shirt, beating just as fast as mine.
“I—” I start, but there’s no good excuse for being caught with my ear literally to the wall.
“Save it.” His voice is low, not angry but not exactly thrilled either. “You want to know what’s going on.”
I nod, watching him sigh.
“Here’s the short version, Summit Development isn’t just buying up properties around town. They’re funded by cartel money. We believe they’re using construction and development as a front to laundering cash and are setting up smuggling routes through the old mining tunnels.”
