Redeeming Her SEAL (ASSIGNMENT: Caribbean Nights Book 9) (22 page)

“Please, Jared. Listen to what I’m saying. The injunction serves no purpose other than to cut off the flow of revenue for an excursion company. It doesn’t buy you anything.”

Not that he needed to and money clearly wasn’t the issue here. But she had no clue what drove him, so she went with the most likely motivation.

Something entirely too crafty filtered through his features, and she did not like the way he nodded and slid back into his chair casually. “I’ve changed my mind. Sit down and let’s chat. It’s been a while since we’ve talked, Audra. How have you been?”

Warily, she complied but only because he’d suddenly poured on the charm and she couldn’t afford to turn her back on him. “Fine. Carly and Hannah came down last weekend, and we stayed at Duchess Island. Thank you for the room.”

She only mentioned it because she knew good and well Trish had informed him that she’d booked the reservation. And Audra was grateful. If nothing else, it had forced her into a conversation with Charlie on the beach and, please God, onto the path to a true do-over.

Jared inclined his head. “Excellent choice. I’m assuming you took advantage of the amenities. The beach is particularly spectacular at that resort, but the parasailing is the best. The views are second to none.”

Her pulse stumbled as she took in his serenely composed face, which gave nothing away. Didn’t matter. He knew she’d reconnected with Charlie. Somehow. Unease slithered along her skin.

Undeterred, she nodded. “Yes. Parasailing is one of the highlights of that area. I’m certain the guests would enjoy it if the excursion company that serviced the resort could continue offering snorkeling off the coast of Ilhota Rosa as well. The injunction is cutting into the satisfaction of your guests.”

Probably a useless tactic, but she was running out of ideas.

He shrugged. “Be that as it may, it’s a legal matter. It would be impossible for me, a mere businessman, to instruct the court to remove an injunction against something that may harm the habitat of our beloved marine life.”

Audra checked her eye roll because it would not further her cause to antagonize him. “You’re a mere businessman as much as I’m a mere dolphin aficionado. You could get the injunction removed. You filed it, after all, and besides, I have zero doubt you could influence whomever you wanted to into doing exactly what you tell them.”

His hazel eyes sought hers and held, boring into her with something so cold it seeped into her soul. “Except you.”

“Except me,” she agreed hastily.

He didn’t like that she’d wiggled out from under his thumb, and there was a part of her that couldn’t believe he’d do anything to hurt her, but she did have her suspicions about the near hit-and-run she and Rachel had endured. It had felt like a warning. The car could have easily mowed them over, but hadn’t.

“Let’s put that to the test, shall we?” He showed his teeth, and she very much feared that meant he was about to clamp down on one of her major arteries. “I’ll cancel the injunction. If you get back together with me.”

What
? But before she could tell him to go to hell, to leap up and storm out of his office, he dropped the rest of his nuclear bomb in the dead center of Audra’s chest.

“And if you don’t, I’ll ensure that Aqueous Adventures’ business license is revoked. Your choice.”

R
eefCo’s name had graced his paychecks for almost a year, but despite that, Charlie hadn’t been inside the building itself since he’d dropped by to fill out HR paperwork. It hadn’t changed. Overblown sculptures dominated the lobby, and the people dressed far too well for a nonprofit organization.

The stench of money permeated the very atmosphere, and Charlie almost turned around to see if Jared Anderson himself had snuck up behind him. Might have made this come-to-Jesus easier if they could have it out on the ground floor in full view of his employees.

But the devil was clearly occupied with other matters, which meant Charlie would have to get in to see him another way. This time, he wasn’t leaving until he crossed the finish line.

He smiled at the pretty receptionist. Pamela, according to the name plate on her long white desk. “Hi. I’m hoping you can help me.”

“Hello, there,” the brunette practically purred. “Are you lost? I’d be happy to give you directions.”

Not hard to fill in the rest of that blank.
…to my house. …to my G-spot. To the storeroom in the back where I can guarantee no one will disturb us.

“That’s kind of you. But no,” he said apologetically. “I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”

Right where he should have been a long time ago. He’d put off this confrontation for far too long. Anderson owed him some answers. Charlie would get them or peel the man’s fingernails from his nail beds without mercy. And that was because he was feeling generous since Audra had explained how her relationship with Anderson had come about. Now that he’d had time to cool off, his former friend might escape without scars. But that all depended on the nature of those answers.

“Where can I direct you then?” Pamela’s eyelashes batted so hard, it almost created a breeze.

“Get me in to see Anderson,” he said with a lift of his chin. “And I’ll owe you one.”

She frowned. “He’s very busy, given that he’s just returned from an extended trip overseas.”

Right. Audra had mentioned something about him being out of town. “It’s pretty important. Mention the name Charlie St. Croix and see if that doesn’t clear his schedule.”

It was a gamble that had never worked before. But the right one this time, obviously, as she spoke into the phone and then nodded. “He’ll see you. Go right in and take the elevator to the eighth floor.”

That had been too easy. He didn’t like it. His mind played over all the possible reasons Anderson would have agreed to this little chat without Charlie resorting to threats or waiting outside the parking garage for the obnoxious chauffeured limo the billionaire favored. Both of which he’d have done in a heartbeat.

The elevator ride was way too short to figure out the man’s angle.

Anderson leaned against his desk, arms crossed over his expensive suit, clearly intrigued enough with Charlie’s presence to not keep him waiting in the outer sanctum. “Well, well. If it isn’t the Saint. Come to crucify a few sinners?”

It was a deliberate dig, a reminder that Jared had been the first one to give him that nickname back in high school. But they’d both come a long way since then. Their friendship had splintered when Charlie joined the Navy and had gone downhill from there.

“You have it backward.” Charlie kept his tone pleasant as he faced down the man who had stolen nearly everything from him except his pride. Jared Anderson would pry that from his cold, dead fingers. “Almost all saints are martyred. And I’m not willing to lay down and die for my cause like you seem to think I should. Though I might be convinced to shed a little blood if I don’t get what I want.”

The arteries would all belong to Anderson, and he didn’t seem confused about that, despite the smile that bloomed on his smarmy face. “I’ll bite. What is it that you want?”

Charlie’s fists curled up involuntarily. The man had gall. “Really? You’re not clear on why I’m standing here in your building?”

A temper tantrum would get him nowhere, but he did like the idea of smashing one—or both—of his fists into Anderson’s vile mouth. It was a sweet bonus that he’d be fattening lips that had touched Audra. If only Charlie had realized two years ago when he’d taken Jared up on his open invitation to visit him in the Caribbean that they’d become different people, none of this would have happened. Of course he’d never have met Audra, and that didn’t sit well.

Not even a flicker of emotion flashed through the other man’s gaze. “Why don’t you spell it out for me?”

He got it now. This was a poker game. Winner takes all. If Charlie did all the talking, Anderson could keep collecting cards until he flipped over his hand, which would no doubt be laced with several aces in the hole.

He forced himself to smile. Charlie had a few aces of his own. “You’re not going to win whatever game it is that you’re playing.”

That got a laugh out of his opponent. “I assure you that I consider nothing I do a game. If you’d like to continue our discussion, I suggest you get to the point. Otherwise, I have many other pressing matters on my plate for today.”

“Fine. The injunction. Make it go away.”

“Wow. That is a popular subject today.” Anderson shook his head. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Audra. Not under my control.”

A chill slid down Charlie’s spine at the casual mention of Audra’s name. Which had not been an accident. “When did you talk to Audra?”

“Oh. Hmm.” Anderson managed to look perplexed, a feat given that his dear old friend had likely never been confused a day in his life. “I naturally assumed you knew she’d come by today, given how cozy the two of you are lately. I actually thought that was the reason you’d darkened my door.”

No wonder Jared had finally agreed to see him after all of Charlie’s failed attempts.

“Because Audra came to see you, it followed that I’d be right behind?” There was an undercurrent here that Charlie didn’t like. Neither did he like the way Anderson was leading him down this primrose path, especially when Audra’s name was being tossed around so much. And that she’d been here ahead of him without his knowledge. What else didn’t he know?

The first coil of foreboding unwound in his stomach.

Anderson shrugged. “Figured maybe you’d come to defend her honor or something equally ridiculous when she willingly chose me the first time. Just like she’s going to do the second time. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.”

Second
time?

“What the hell are you babbling about? Audra and I are finally starting to unwind all of the damage you’ve done to us over the last year.” And breathe. The fury bubbling under Charlie’s skin wouldn’t be contained so easily. But Charlie didn’t want to end up in a Freeport jail cell, so he forced himself to take several steps away from temptation. “Back off. From me, Audra, and my business.”

This man had once been his friend, a running buddy from his high school days when they both found a common interest in causing as much trouble for their fathers as possible. Montgomery St. Croix and Wallace Anderson had served on the board of the private boys’ school Charlie and Jared attended in a suburb of Baltimore. Jared had pushed him to explore boundaries, shed his sainthood, and Charlie had reveled in his rebellion. Until that day he’d walked in on his father and Naomi and then fled to the opposite coast for a place that stilled the chaos in his head.

In the Navy, he’d embraced the concept of doing the right thing. That made sense to him. Doing what he pleased made sense to Anderson, and they’d never seen eye to eye again. They’d drifted apart long before Charlie had realized it. He’d sensed it two years ago but hadn’t acted on it. Which wouldn’t happen twice.

With a pity-filled smirk, Anderson contemplated him. “You really didn’t know that she was here earlier? That is shocking, I readily admit, especially given that I offered her a chance to give our relationship another shot. She’s considering it.”

This time, it was Charlie who laughed. “Now I know you’re lying. Whatever this fantasy is that you’ve spun up in your head needs to go. Audra is mine. Finally. She should have been all along.”

“Well, that’s not what she said. I know, I was surprised too. But practically the first thing out of her mouth when she waltzed in here earlier was to tell me that our relationship meant something to her.”

“You used a golden opportunity to insinuate yourself into her life and her bed,” he growled even as he reminded himself that Audra really didn’t belong to anyone, least of all Charlie. “It’s reprehensible to take advantage of someone who had just lost the most important person in her life. Do you even realize how evil that was?”

Anderson didn’t blink. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Audra and I didn’t start sleeping together until oh, maybe two months after Isaac’s funeral. I didn’t take advantage of her. If anything, she came onto me.”

“You know I’m just going to go straight to the source.” The man’s tactics were unbelievable. And would never work, which made them also pathetic. “I’ll ask her, she’ll look at me like I’m crazy, and then we’ll have a good chuckle over it. You can’t take her away from me so easily.”

Completely unperturbed, Anderson nodded. “I do fully expect that you’ll be having a conversation with Audra very soon. I hope you’re not totally caught off guard, because I can guarantee you she’s considering my offer.”

Something flashed in Anderson’s expression, and it dawned on Charlie then. “That’s what this has been about. All along. You wanted Audra, and when you had her, you didn’t care anything about me. I stayed out of your way and ran my business. It was only when she dumped your sorry ass that you came after me.”

Jealousy. Of all things. This whole time, Charlie had been convinced Anderson’s motive here was money, and instead, he’d wanted the one thing that he couldn’t buy—Audra. The billionaire had gotten the girl the first time using all the slick charm at his disposal, no doubt, but he wouldn’t be so successful the second time.