Love Me Now (9 page)

Kenya bristled. She knew Shelly was talking about Craig and how he had used her. “I intend to get my father's money back. If he thinks that he's getting something in return then that's his problem.”

“Spoken like a true player. Don't you think he's gonna know that you're your father's daughter?”

“There're a million Whitakers out here.”

“Oh, so he's a millionaire businessman idiot now, who doesn't have sense enough to figure out that you're James Whitaker's daughter? Come on, Kenya.”

Kenya paused. Shelly was right. Trey probably had a full dossier on her the second she left his house. “You're right, so I'll just tell him the truth. He won't expect it.”

Shelly shook her head. “Girl, you'd better be careful with that revenge thing. My grandmother always said messing with people's heads was like dancing on thin ice over deep water. What will you do when this master plan of yours cracks and you fall?”

“I'll swim,” Kenya said assuredly.

“Tread, is more like it,” Shelly said.

“Whatever. Enough of that. I'm gonna do it and that's it. Okay, now about this estimate.”

“Oh, please don't tell me that you've got a master plan for that, too.”

Kenya ignored her remark as she picked up the estimate and looked at it again. “I'll get started on my half.”

“And I'll do my half and in five years' time…” Shelly began as she always did.

“We'll look back on this and laugh,” they said in unison. Kenya smiled and shook her head. She was forever pragmatic and Shelly was the perpetual optimist.

“Shall I break out in a chorus or two?” Shelly asked.

“No, please don't,” Kenya said.

“Are you sure? Let's see, I could sing ‘My Favorite Things' or ‘Tomorrow,' or an all-time favorite, ‘Over the Rainbow.'”

“None of the above,” Kenya said firmly. Shelly's voice was nice, but once she got started singing happy songs, as she called them, they'd be stuck in her head all day.

“Just asking,” Shelly joked. “For real, everything will work out, you'll see. Your mom and dad will be fine. We'll find the money to get the place rewired, and open in two months just like we planned.”

“It's not just Trey or the electrical thing. It's me. My mind has been a blank for the last two days. You've been picking up the slack for me. Maybe I'm just losing my grip. I hate to bring all this drama in here.”

“Girl, please, that's what friends are for and that's what partners do. When one is low the other takes the lead and vice versa. How many nights have you stayed up with me and my drama? So chill, you're not losing your grip. I got this for now, okay?” Shelly said. Kenya nodded. “Now here's some good news. I found a trim manufacturer in Baltimore that's going out of business.”

“That's good news?” Kenya said.

“One man's loss is another's gain. I'm headed up there now with the last of the petty cash. I hate being a vulture and picking from a carcass, but—”

“I know, but if we don't take advantage, someone else will.”

“Exactly. I'll probably be there the rest of the day, so I'll see you later this evening. How late are you staying?”

“Late,” she said. “I'm gonna get some work done.”

“Okay, see you later,” Shelly said, then left.

Kenya started thinking. Was it possible? Could she really find a way to blackmail Trey? Shelly was right, revenge was tricky. It could backfire on her. But she had to take a chance. Maybe she could start by doing the nanny thing.

She was certainly qualified. Not to be a nanny, of course, but at least to babysit. She was even certified. She had common sense and the experience of having helped raise two younger sisters. Plus she babysat for half the old neighborhood. Babysitting was the only way she could think of to get back into his house. Once there she'd figure something else out.

T
hree floors in the Mallet Building, one of the most prestigious addresses in D.C., belonged to TE Acquisitions & Associates. But what most didn't know was so did the entire building. Trey Evans, owner and CEO, made a habit of being in control of everything. Buying the building was a necessity for him. And since he had a tendency to get what he wanted, with few exceptions, he did just that.

TE was an elite investment and asset management firm. They primarily dealt with high-risk venture capital, but also had financial advisory and personal wealth management divisions. They represented individuals, professionals, entrepreneurs and companies. They handled estate planning, retirement services, securities and other services.

The offices were impressive with the three main divisions each occupying a floor. Each operated independently with Trey at the center of the well-structured organization. Everyone
eventually reported to him. Trey's offices were of course the most impressive and had a large conference room area.

Sunlight streamed in and saturated the open office space through glass-panel doors. Trey stood looking out the window. His view was breathtaking. All of Washington, D.C., lay in front of him. He sighed heavily. His job tested his resolve daily. He bought and sold, moving millions of dollars around without a second thought. The investors' faces disappeared in a morass of conquests and defeats. The latter only seldom occurred. Once, he'd allowed himself to be distracted by emotion and nearly lost everything he'd worked so hard to attain. That would never happen again. He'd learned his lesson well.

Now he masterfully manipulated lives and careers like a marionette puppeteer. He planned, maneuvered and orchestrated. He pulled the strings and irrevocably changed people's lives. He took advantage of weakness with gutsy moves that oftentimes devoured his opposition.

Some men did it for the money, others—like his father—for the power. He played the game for the challenge. It was the game Trey loved and he played it well. He was a winner and he intended to stay a winner. That meant staying focused and never wavering from the target. But he had wavered, at least momentarily, first with the would-be nanny and then with Mamma Lou. One, he could quite easily avoid, but it was the other that had left him distracted.

He had an itch and there was only one thing to do.

The woman behind the fiery eyes still haunted him. He had impulsively kissed her. But he didn't do anything on impulse. Every move he made was planned, well thought-out and deliberate. And yet, he had kissed her. Why? He knew why.

“Here's the breakdown of depreciation, industry analysis and comprehensive data on the secondary market. It's been
six months, time's up. Okay, Trey, so with all that in mind, what do you want to do with this acquisition?”

“Which acquisition?” Trey asked, turning and looking at his senior managing executive, Joshua Garfield. He had no idea what he was talking about.

“I just told you. Let me guess, you haven't heard a single word, have you?” Joshua asked.

“Every other word actually,” Trey confessed, walking back to sit behind his desk. He pulled out his red folder. Inside were his hard-copy files of every open project TE Acquisitions & Associates was currently working on.

“That can only mean one thing. There's a game on. Who is it, what company are we looking at?” Joshua asked, pumped for action. This was the part of business they both loved. Completely simpatico, Trey and Joshua were the perfect team. In all respects they were as close as brothers, although few actually knew the truth. They were half brothers with the same father. Together they planned, strategized, adjusted, forecasted and, finally, carried out their takeover. God help their target.

“I'm still considering the options. I'll let you know. Let's get Caine out of the way first,” Trey said, not completely lying. There was indeed someone he had his eye on, and as he said, he was still considering his options.

“Good enough. Okay, I'll drop the attorney legalese, here's the Cliff's Notes version. One more time for those in the back of the room,” Joshua said, smiling, reminding Trey of something their grad school economics professor always said. He pushed the prospectus across the desk to Trey.

“James Whitaker,” Joshua began reading, “previous owner of Whitaker Real Estate Investment Company. It's a small real estate investment firm and brokerage service. Basically it's a small operation, one location, high-grade computer setup, but
nothing major. They primarily invested in real estate in depressed and undervalued areas. He invested heavily and when the market collapsed he lost everything.”

Trey nodded and smiled. “He was clever, I'll give him that. I still can't believe he had the nerve to make a move like that. He didn't even tell his partner.”

“It was bold,” Joshua said. “I still think he knew exactly what he intended to do when he signed with us to be a client. He might have been a real estate broker, but he was no fool.”

“Interesting maneuver, nonetheless,” Trey said. “He might have actually poked me in the side if he'd been a bit more patient and low-key. But the main thing is that he found a weakness. One I never saw and one I never want to see again.”

“We're already covered. The crack has been sealed.”

“Permanently?” Trey asked. Joshua nodded. “Good.”

“He must have done a lot of research on you and the company to get so close,” Joshua said. Trey nodded. “So what do you want to do with it?”

Trey sighed. “How viable is the company?”

“Not too bad. Cost and asset ratios are acceptable with obvious limits, naturally. All in all it's not a bad little company. Actually the idea is a pretty good one. But, of course, that's not our main business.”

“Exactly, the only thing we make is money,” Trey said. Joshua nodded.

“So, options,” Joshua began. “Sell it, strip it, drop it into a nonsense portfolio package, or…” He paused, and Trey looked up at him with interest. Joshua smiled and continued. “We can do the same thing you did the last time someone tried to take you.”

Trey remembered well. It was the court case that had labeled him the Iceman. “Only problem is,” Joshua said, “I don't believe he has the capital.”

“Nah, tell you what, table it for the time being. Give it another month. I'll deal with it then.”

“Okay, you're up to speed,” Joshua said, closing his folder.

“What's happening with Cedric Caine?”

“Cal's latest figures are in the folder. They look good, a bit high, but it's to be expected, considering,” Joshua said, and then shook his head. “Man, I don't know about your new protégé.”

“Cal?” Trey questioned.

“Yeah, I swear I've never seen a man so excited about anything in my life. You'd think it was his whole career that was on the line.”

“He'll be okay. He just needs to settle in. It's only been a few months and this is his first big move.”

“I hope we're not setting ourselves up with him.”

“What do you mean? We'd be one of only a handful of privately held companies in this industry to launch this type of venture. Two financial institutions merging into one, the ramifications are incredible. We have to give it to him. Cal brought us a winner.”

“Where does he get all this information on Caine? Look, I know we want to set up our own fund and I agree it's the next logical step. But this is too pat.”

“He's good at what he does.”

“I hope you're right. Whatever. Speaking of which, Cedric Caine should be here in a few minutes.”

Trey nodded. “Good.”

“We're in the final stages of preparations. But to tell you the truth, I'll be glad when this deal is done. There's something about a man who's too eager to sell his family's company that worries me.”

“It's a sweet deal,” Trey said, still impressed that the perfect deal had come along at exactly the right moment.

“Too sweet if you ask me.”

“Come on, Joshua, no risk, no gain. It looks like hiring Calvin Potter was a good move after all.”

“Yeah, but looks can be deceiving.”

Trey laughed, remembering earlier that morning and the would-be nanny. “Tell me about it.” Trey glanced over to see Joshua's expression. “Come on. Don't tell me you're still skittish. We checked, double-checked and triple-checked. As far as we know, and a few things we didn't know at the beginning, Caine Enterprises is a viable business.”

Joshua nodded his agreement. “Where's he getting his intel on this?”

“Presumably the same place we get ours. He studies the market. He's a go-getter. He saw a good deal so he jumped on it and since Cal is the one who initially put the whole thing together, I think he should be in on the next meet.” Joshua nodded. “It's a good deal no matter how we stack it. There's no soft edge.”

“I agree, on paper it looks great,” Joshua said. He was all for the merger at one point. But soon after he began delving into the company, his gut feeling soured.

“But,” Trey prompted curiously, “you think we should consider pulling out?” Joshua nodded slowly. “It's the same thing Regina's been saying. But I'm not convinced. I've been looking for a deal like this for years. It's perfect, exactly what we're looking for,” Trey said.

“And it's too perfect. Maybe that's what concerns me about the whole thing. It's too pat, too effortless. Nothing handed to you is ever that easy.”

“Our job is to stay one step ahead. We need to know what our competitors know before they know it.”

“Exactly, so either he's psychic or he's getting some outside or inside help.”

“I'll tell you what, why don't you add a couple more checks to that. Better safe than sorry.”

“Agreed,” Joshua said.

“Have Cedric chill when he gets here. I'm gonna hit the nursery again.”

“Okay, that's it. What's going on with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I get the twins and the nanny distraction, but this is different, the vague expressions, complete disinterest in business. Cool I get, even detached, but, man, you're damn near mellow. What's with you, or better yet, who is she?”

“She?” Trey asked.

“Don't even think about trying to fool me. You and I go back too far for that. Women come and go. I've only ever seen you this distracted once before.”

Trey shook his head. He knew deceiving Joshua would be impossible. They were too much alike. “I'm not distracted, exactly. It's nothing really. It's just that this woman was at the house this morning. At first I thought she was the nanny I asked Kelly to hire for me, but I found out she wasn't.”

“Well, who is she, what does she want?”

“Something about her father, I think he needs a job or something.”

“Why would she go to you, at your home?”

“I don't know.”

“What's her name?”

“Kenya Whitaker,” Trey said. “I already asked for a workup on her but I think I'll—” Joshua started laughing. Trey looked at him. “What?”

“Trey, man, you really are out of it today, aren't you?” The expression on his face said it all—he was clueless. “Damn, man, what did she do to you already?”

“What?” Trey asked, knowing he'd missed something.

“Trey, you said her name is Kenya Whitaker, as in James Whitaker, Whitaker Real Estate Investment Company. It's all in the file,” he offered, pointing to the paperwork on his desk. “James and Lynette, so that would make your visitor, more likely than not, his—”

“Daughter. Interesting,” Trey said, smiling.

“What's interesting is that you didn't make the more than obvious connection sooner.”

Joshua opened his own folder and began scanning the information. “Here it is in his personal data, he has three daughters—Kenya, Asia and Sidney.”

“What does it say about them, her?”

“Kenya is the oldest, twenty-eight years old, a graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York. Currently residing in D.C., and that's all we have on her.”

“That's all?” Trey questioned.

“Trey, James and Lynette are our clients, not his daughters. We did a full workup on him and his wife. We only needed the daughters' information for insurance purposes.”

“Kenya is James's daughter. Interesting,” Trey repeated, touching his lips.

“Is that all you can say? The man tried to scam you, and then he claimed that you took advantage of him. He threatened to file a lawsuit, claimed he wasn't fully apprised of the ramifications of what he was doing. I was in the law library for two weeks preparing for that.”

“But he never filed. And now, months later, his daughter shows up on my doorstep. Yes, I'd call that very interesting.”

“Obviously she thinks she can get her father's company back.”