The Accidental Mistress (27 page)

"It's true." Zuri narrowed her eyes on him.
"Have you met with the Montague's? Christophe and Elliot
Montague?"

"I wouldn't meet with anyone Zuri without
talking to you first. You know that." He walked back around his
desk and sat. "I don't think this is a solid business plan
girls."

"It’s a good plan," Zuri said.

"Here me out. How do you plan to turn enough
profit and pay all debts in five years to buy the Oasis for it's
value plus interest. Where is the business strategy to support this
deal? No. No, my recommendation is you stop this immediately. Save
at least part of your investment before you get in deeper." He
opened a folder. He removed two sheets of paper and handed one to
Zuri and Joi. They exchanged looks. "I've already drafted a better
proposal. Not for the Montague's but for the bank. Since your
father isn't able, I can handle the negotiations for you. This is a
way to settle all debts. Of course you will have to relinquish more
of your assets. If you sell the Lagoon..."

"Sell the Lagoon!" Joi gasped.

"It will generate enough cash flow to
protect the plantation."

"Our debts exceed the value
of the Lagoon and the Oasis. Is that what you're saying? Because
that's not what the bank has said." Zuri felt the urge to shred the
contract on the spot. But she kept her anger in check. She couldn't
help but feel rage from the calculating look in Detrick's eyes. "Is
this the kind of advice you gave my
père
? No wonder we're in the trouble
we're in."

"I think you should consider how you speak
to me... I was friends with your father before you were born."

Zuri shot up from her seat. "Then why are
you lying?"

Detrick’s
brows lowered. "
Qu'est-ce que
c'est
?
"

"Don't play innocent Detrick. We saw him. We
saw Elliot Montague here. Why didn't you mention your little
visit?"

Detrick waved her off,
stacking the papers in the folder and closing it. "That will be
enough. I'm calling your mother; I will only act on hers and
père’s
wishes. Things
have gotten out of hand if you dare accuse me of something
improper."

"Don't you dare!" Joi snapped. She tossed
the contract sheet back at Detrick and it floated to the desk.
"Answer the question, Zuri asked you. Why were you meeting with
Elliot?"

"He met with me, I had hoped to spare Zuri
the shame of his accusations."

"Accusations?" Zuri scoffed. "What
accusations?"

"That you are trying to make deals with
Montague by sleeping with the CEO, Christophe Montague." he
sneered.

Zuri blinked at Detrick
shocked. "I
—
"

"You are doing more harm than good, to your
family's reputation as well as your own. It's time this whole thing
is settled before your foolish ways puts your father in the
grave."

The blow of Detrick's words hit Zuri hard.
She nearly sat because of the pressure in her chest.

"I will not negotiate this deal without your
father's consent and once he learns the truth about how you
negotiated this deal I don't believe he will want a Montague
merger."

"You bastard," Joi snapped. "You're
fired!"

"Joi, let's go." Zuri said. She headed for
the door.

Joi stood. "I didn't want
to believe it. You betrayed,
père
. Didn’t you?"

"Of course not," Detrick huffed.

"It's true. I see it. Look at him, Zuri, how
he sweats. He's guilty."

"That's it, girls. I want you to leave."

Zuri sucked down a breath. Shame made her
face hot and her throat tight. She just wanted out of the office.
She felt the need to breathe air different than the one shared with
Detrick Chevalier. But Joi's anger wouldn't let it end there. Zuri
could see her sister's hands clench into fists, and her nostrils
flare. She touched her arm to pull her away but Joi shrugged off
her touch.

"Elliot Montague is a liar, and a con-man.
He isn't even the true dealmaker at Montague. And for the record,
Zuri did nothing wrong. Don’t you dare spread that nasty
rumor!"

Detrick just stared at them both.

"Joi, let's go," Zuri whispered.

Finally, Joi did walk out. Zuri cast one
final look at Detrick. "I don't know how you and Elliot are
connected but I will find out. I'm on to you. Stay away from my
mother."

Detrick’s brows rose, making his eyes
stretch. She hadn't connected her mother to this, but his reaction
gave her pause. There was a shadow of guilt and anger that sparked
the mention of Nanette. It made her sick. Did this have something
to do with her mother? "Joi's right. You're fired."

She turned and left.

***

Christophe double tapped his middle finger
on the touch pad of his laptop. He frowned and swiped his finger
across the flat surface to scroll to the next page, then the next.
Releasing a deep breath, he dropped back onto the large pillow in
his wicker chair and stared at the screen. Eventually he reached
for his phone and dialed his attorney.

"Davis here."

"It's Christophe."

"Did you get my email?"

"Tell me what I'm looking at."

"Three years ago, Elliot invested the money
from his trust account into a business deal. A resort called
Antillean Martinique. It was a small establishment owned by a
French Business man by the name of Daniel Turaif. His investment
manager in the deal was Detrick Chevalier."

"I think he's the attorney for the
Baptiste," Christophe said.

"Yes, according to what I received from his
office, he's the attorney and financial advisor of Claude Baptiste
acting on behalf of Zuri Baptiste. It appears he has many talents.
I knew the name sounded familiar. That’s why I started
digging."

"What happened with Elliot and this
resort?"

"He invested a good chunk of his money from
what I gather. He tried to buy it from Turaif. From what I can
tell, he was hustled; Turaif sold the place from under him to
Claude Baptiste. Elliot tried to fight the sale, but the French
Republic approved it, not recognizing his capital investment as
binding because the proper documents weren't filed. The politics of
the island favored the business deal between the Martinican’s."

"I don't remember ever seeing this deal. Did
he involve Montague?"

"You voted down any expansion deals in the
French Caribbean in 2007. Besides I advised Elliot against the
Antillean from the beginning. I think after it all went bust, he
didn't want to come to you and tell you about his screw up."

"And the new deal on the table that Elliot
wants approved, does this Detrick Chevalier get something out of
it?"

"Yes, for some reason Elliot trusts him. The
original deal with the bank gives Chevalier ten percent ownership
and stock options with Montague. It makes sense if you consider the
politics on how Elliot lost the deal with Turaif. To deal with a
Martinician guarantee’s the sale. I made some calls. Elliot's
accounts are empty. He's broke. He liquidated his assets and stocks
for the Antillean deal. He hasn't recovered."

Christophe knew his cousin couldn't manage
his affairs. The news that his mother gave Elliot access to the
money in his trust was definitely unexpected. If the trust was
depleted, he suspected that Elliot was only released a marginal
amount as a test, and even Elliot doesn't know that the well isn't
dry. It would explain Elliot's desperation, and now with the
Baptiste attorney in the mix, it spelled trouble. Did Elliot think
he could come down here and kick back on Montague's dime?

"There's more." Davis voice cut through his
thoughts.

"Great, what else?"

"I have to warn you. I've had a call from
your mother. She's asking about the Oasis. She says Elliot called
her with some concerns over a new deal you are cutting him out
of."

Christophe’s jaw clenched. "You direct all
calls from my mother to me. I need to speak with Zuri Baptiste. I
think I have an idea what Elliot was up to. I'm not sure how much
of this she knows."

"Would you like me to proceed with this
merger as stated in the contract? Have you read it? There's a
clause here that the Baptiste are allowed to buy the Oasis back
after five years, with only ten percent interest. And I don't
believe it represents fair market value. Montague assumes a lot of
the risk if the capital investment needed to fund the remodeling
since the hurricane isn't at the very least recouped. I suggest you
pass on the merger."

Christophe would never sign his name to the
deal Zuri drafted. He hesitated for a moment. He'd given her his
word, and if Elliot caused her family's misfortune, then it felt
right to correct the wrong. "Give her what she wants, and wave the
interest. I'll explain it to the board."

He heard his attorney sigh and knew he had
other objections, but Christophe's word was law. "Very well,
Christophe. I'll call you on Monday."

"Thanks, Davis."

When he ended the call, he closed his eyes
with a deep frown. He exhaled. Elliot had royally fucked everything
up. Now he'd have to explain to Zuri why. What would she think of
him when she learned the truth as he suspected?" He rose from the
chair and walked toward the open veranda. His hands eased in his
pockets. He watched the rainfall. Before he did anything he needed
to see Elliot. Something told him, his cousin hadn't left
Martinique's shores.

***

"That bastard!" Zuri said slamming her hand
against the steering wheel. She had to ease off the gas. The rain
and slick roads caused the car to veer twice.

"You were right, Zuri," Joi
mumbled, her voice weak and unsure. "I could see it on his face. He
betrayed
père.
I
don't know how, but he did. I should have been more
careful."

"It's not your fault. I think Detrick
brought Montague here. He started all of this."

"How, or better yet, why
would he?
Père
has
trusted him for years. Why now?"

"I don't know, but I think I know who can
tell us."

"Who?"

"
Mère
, we need to talk to her, and
now."

***

Elliot answered the door but when he saw
Christophe he immediately tried to shut it. Christophe forced it
open with his open palms. His cousin stumbled back. They glared for
a moment before Elliot walked off. Christophe closed the door and
turned to find Elliot packing two suitcases on his bed.

"Leaving?"

"You told me to go."

"Two days ago."

"I'm leaving. What difference does it
make?"

"Not until you answer some questions."

Elliot ignored him. He turned to the closet
to collect the remainder of his things.

"Why did you want the Oasis?"

"I told you. It’s a good deal."

"It's more than that."

"I don't know what you're talking
about."

"Are you gambling again?"

Elliot's hand froze. He didn't face
Christophe. But Christophe didn't need to look into his eyes to
find the truth. Ten years ago, Elliot had gotten in so deep he had
to pay out several million to dig him from under the mess in Dubai.
Since then, Elliot's gambling seemed to be balanced by his income
and Christophe left him to his vices.

"Answer me, Elliot. How bad is it?"

"I'm not gambling. I knew that you'd jump to
that conclusion. This was me trying to be my own man. You should
try it sometime, Christophe."

To this Christophe laughed. "It's never an
act for me. I am one."

"No. You're no freer than I am. Montague has
your balls nailed to the floor. What do you do that isn't for the
good of the company? Besides fuck that island girl of course."

"Leave her out of this. You aren't a victim
here. And if you really wanted this deal then why drag me down here
to approve it? I'll tell you why, because everything you touch
fails. That doesn't smell of independence. It reeks of your usual
bullshit."

"It was my investment." Elliot slapped his
chest. "These people here robbed me of it."

"So you came back to even the score?"

"So what if I did? It means nothing to
Montague, a drop in the bucket. What does it matter?"

"You're playing with
people's lives. The Baptiste
—
"

"To hell with them. Claude Baptiste, saw an
opening and took it. He's not so innocent. I tried to deal with
him, and he had the nerve to tell me that it was Martinician
business. So fuck him. He bit off more than he could chew. To lose
the Oasis to the bank would have been asinine when I scouted this
resort from the beginning. How the fuck is any of this my fault?
You're the one trying to change the deal on the table for your
whore."

Christophe took a step forward. "It's your
fault. If you had a hand in their financial collapse. Three years
into his ownership of the Oasis and he's near bankrupt. His
attorney is your investment manager? There's something more to this
situation and between you and Detrick Chevalier."

Elliot's face told the rest of the story.
Christophe's jaw clenched. "Damn it. Tell me the truth. What have
you done?"

Elliot sneered. "You should be thanking me,
not questioning me. Whatever I did, got you laid again and it cost
you nothing, unless you're stupid enough to give into the
princesses wishes and bail the Oasis out."

Something in Christophe snapped. Before he
could control his actions he had his cousin pinned to the wall with
his forearm pressed against his throat to pin him there.

"Get off me! Let me go!"

"I want you off this fucking island. Do you
hear me? I see you around this resort or the Baptiste, I'll have
you cleaning toilet's at a mountain resort in Georgia."