Page 48 of His Little Secret in Discretion
His gaze cut away, sharp as glass. “She’s out for the afternoon.”
I smirked. “You? Giving your PA the day off? The same man who terrifies staff for walking in sixty seconds late?”
“Don’t start.”
“But I already have.” I leaned back, stretching. “Face it: you’re going soft.”
His eyes narrowed into knives. “And you’re going broke. Porter Industries has three pending lawsuits, two foreign contracts on the brink of collapse, and a PR nightmare because you couldn’t keep your dick away. One leaked photo, Blaine. One. And already the press is salivating.”
“Don’t get your panties in a twist.” I rolled my eyes, ignoring the way his eyebrows turned upward. “The lawsuits are probablyfrom Maxwell and some other sorry bastard who felt cheated out of a deal. I have a strong feeling that the foreign contracts on the brink of collapse have to do with our good friend Masahiko lighting a fire under our asses to close a deal. And despite what you think of yourself, I am New York’s most eligible and charming bachelor. Why I haven’t been cast onThe Bacheloris anyone’s guess, but this is typical Blaine weekend activities.”
Killian stared at me like he was debating murder or throwing me out. Maybe both.
“Sometimes I wonder if your brain is made entirely of bad decisions,” he muttered.
I grinned. “It got me this far. Can’t be all bad.”
“Tonight. Seven o’clock. You’re meeting new investors. You will be there, you will be presentable, and you will keep your dick in your pants for two uninterrupted hours.”
I spread my hands, innocent. “No promises.”
His jaw ticked. “I’m serious, Blaine.”
I leaned back in the chair, lacing my hands behind my head with a sigh. “You know, for someone who isn’t my father, you sure nag like him.”
Killian didn’t even blink. “If I were your father, I’d have cut you off and changed my name by now.”
“Touché.”
He slid a folder across the desk without another word. I stared at it like it might bite before reluctantly sitting up and cracking it open. Investor names, hobbies, talking points, what we needed from each.
I glanced up at him. Poised, collected… but distracted. It’d been years since he fed me a cheat sheet. Usually, his motto was,Pull your head out of your ass and do the research yourself.
I scoffed, flipping a page. “God, you really are going soft, aren’t you?”
Killian didn’t flinch. “You’ve been sloppy. I’m tired of cleaning up after you.”
“You say that like you don’t love it.”
“I don’t.”
“You do.”
“I really don’t.” His glare cut across the desk like a knife.
I smirked, closing the folder halfway. “You’ve never spoon-fed me info this willingly. What’s the catch?”
“One of the men you’ll be meeting… is a wildcard. Dirty money, ties with Lockwood. The only reason he’s relevant is because Calvin trusts him. Goes byFelix Drummond.”
“Name sounds familiar.”
“He’s sitting on cash. Used to dabble in private debt acquisition. Now, he just cleans messes for a price.”
I nodded slowly, rolling the name around in my head.Felix Drummond. Couldn’t place the face, but the name left a bitter taste in my mouth. Probably because Calvin had him on a leash.
Killian’s voice cut in again, crisp. “You don’t need to engage with him directly. Just don’t piss him off. Calvin trusts him, and we need him to trust us more.”
I looked back down at the folder, suddenly less amused. “You sure about this?”
