Julian looked inside to find a few albums. “Thanks. That’s unexpected.”
Where’s Hunter?Nigel’s worry flooded through his mind. Julian gritted his teeth. “Hunter?” he asked.
Regge’s brow furrowed, his mouth moving as he searched for words.
“He’s fine,” Pery said as he brought Regge a beer. “He’s taking a few days off.” With a nod, the wolf left them alone.
I hope he’s all right. He’s so kind, and Regge is worried about him. See how he fidgets?
True. Regge kept the smile, but his fingers picked at the edge of the folder, his thumb drumming on the table. “He picked out some of your clothes for you too.” His head jerked over his shoulder at a hanging bag.
“Any trouble?”
“You didn’t say anything about a key card for the elevators. Or that your office would be locked.” Regge’s tone was irritated, but he relaxed. “Two guys interrupted us, apparently to do a search of their own. I think one was called Shorty.”
Julian nodded. “He’s following orders from up north then. Either to find me or kill me. Can they identify you?”
Regge shook his head. “They never saw us. And Skylar can take care of herself. So. There’s this.” Regge pulled a couple of bundles from the pack, sliding them across the table, under cover of a folder. Hidden from view, the bills waited for Julian’s hand. Two packs of hundreds, amounting to ten grand each. He didn’t touch them.
“Thank you. But if I make a deal with the feds, it’s doubtful I’ll get to keep this. They’ll probably seize everything.”
“I don’t understand the entire workings of the constabulary here, but Cobb is a good man. He will do right by you,” Regge said.
Julian noted the odd language again. Who did this kid think he was? Shakespeare?
“He may not have the pull to keep me out of prison.” Pulling a sheath of documents from the folder, he slid them across the table. “This is the warranty deed to the hotel. It’s in the name of my holding company, Westridge. It’s not connected to Castenada. Maybe we can make a deal for it?” He looked hopefully at Regge.
Regge will own the hotel? That’s wonderful. He will be a good steward for her.
Julian smiled at the blond. “Nigel says you’ll be a good steward for the hotel.”
“He’s listening?” Regge’s cheeks tinged pink as he studied the document. “What kind of deal?”
“I need money. More than this.” He patted the stack of bills. “If we can make some kind of deal before the feds get here, I can keep it off their radar and the cartel’s.”
The young man made a slight clicking sound with his tongue and ran a hand across his forehead. “I can do three hundred thousand. Which is a huge amount to me, but I know in this day, it’s not much.”
It wasn’t as much as Julian had hoped for. But he couldn’t afford to be picky at this point. Three hundred invested in cryptocurrency or in a Swiss account would get him a long way. He wasn’t sure he could trust the feds to keep him safe. “I know it needs a lot of work.”
Regge agreed. “It’s a daunting task. I know nothing of running a hotel.”
Hunter will help him. Tell him to get Hunter.
Julian didn’t relay the message. Instead, he put his fist on the center of his own chest and rubbed a small circle. Nigel’s bubbly excitement was making him dizzy. Almost instantly he heard a tinysorry, and he settled. Julian took a deep breath. “You strike me as someone who doesn’t let a lack of knowledge stop you.”
The flash of Regge’s grin caught him off guard. “I’m not sure that’s a compliment.”
“It’s not.” Julian tapped the document. “Get the money and I’ll sign over the deed. Keep it simple. We will need a notary though.”
A great wave of energy washed over the bar, throwing both to the sidewall in their booth. Julian swore. Regge laughed. After a few minutes, a stream of folk trudged out of the bar.
“It’s a common occurrence here,” Regge explained. “At least twice a month.”
Julian held up his hand. “I don’t really want to know what happens in the basement.”
That disarming grin sparked again. “Fair enough, mate.” He extended his hand across the table. “In my time, deals were sealed with a handshake.”
Julian smiled. “It’s not quite that simple. But for now it will do.” He shook Regge’s hand.
