“You got it all worked out,” Xander said.
“Always do.” Ares grinned.
Xander shook his head at his brother. All week, there was a lightness to Harper. She was happy, and Xander should let her be. She put up with him enough at work. He couldn’t help but notice that all week she had worn her hair down, instead of her usual pulled back in a braid or a twist and Xander knew that was Logan’s influence.
He put thoughts of Harper aside. They had this meeting to take care of. He tried to focus his thoughts during the drive over to the restaurant. This wasn’t his favourite part of their business but he wanted to see Dorian Martin’s face.
“I guess the view is okay,” Xander said, dryly. He would have preferred the bar to this private dining space, but the stained-glass windows and the impressive grounds of the art gallery weren’t bad to look at. A waiter rushed into the dinning room, dropped off their drinks and scurried out.
“He will not sell, Xander,” Ares said, coming up beside him.
“I want to know what it would take for him to consider the idea,” Xander murmured over his glass of scotch. “He rejected our offer. The man almost closed his doors last year.”
Dorian’s family had been in the aircraft business going back generations, creating military aircraft, helicopters and now drones and the man was hungry for more wealth. Xander’s business was knowing people and there was something that raised his hackles when Dorian rejected Axis Management’s group to buy his rumoured stealth aircraft and Xander wanted to know why. He couldn’t accuse Dorian of the attack on Team Stealth because he didn’t think there would be any benefit to him, but he was certain it was Dorian’s aircraft used in the attack.
“Here he is now,” Ares said.
Xander threw the rest of the amber liquid back and put the glass down on an empty table.
“Dorian, you’re looking well,” he said, coming forward to shake the older man’s hand.
“Yes, and it’s nice to see you out of your cave. Shall we sit?” Dorian gestured to the middle table. Ares sat first, twirling his wineglass in his fingers.
“Thanks for meeting with us,” Xander said.
“I couldn’t pass up dinner,” Dorian said. “But I got to tell you I haven’t changed my mind. How is your business going? It must be so mucky with all those people you have.”
“That’s why I only hire people I can count on. I hear your staff turnover is high these days.”
“Everyone wants to be paid more for less work.” Dorian waved at him dismissively.
“Axis Management wants to diversify,” Ares said. “We were thinking the aircraft would be a good way to do it. Would you sell your rumoured prototype stealth aircraft?”
“And what makes you think I have that?” Dorian said.
“Like we said at our first offer, rumour.”
“I’m not interested in selling unless you would trade me something. Like shares in Axis Management? “
“Come on Dorian. We are a private company. We don’t have shares. Not on the table,” Ares said.
“Too bad. My great-grandfather started this business, and I can’t part with the latest advances. My shareholders would frown on me selling.”
“You had an eight-point-nine million loss last quarter,” Xander said.
“You know how it is. You run at a loss.”
“No, I wouldn’t, Dorian. We have never run at a loss,” Xander said, trying hard to keep the smugness of his voice. He didn’t like this man.
“You know, if you could hook me up with what you got, I might be interested,” Dorian said, leaning in.
“We have bodyguards and a highly-skilled tech team. If you want to contract with us, we could come to an arrangement.” Xander knew they couldn’t keep what else they did at Axis Management a secret forever, but for now few knew about their private security operatives, aka Team Stealth, their research and development department or the government contracts they’d taken on. The fewer people who knew about those, the better.
“No, that’s not what I meant.” Dorian leaned forward. “I heard you had a live-in hooker.”
Xander looked right at Dorian, ignoring the pounding of his heart.
“That’s nonsense, Dorian,” Ares said, laughing. “We don’t have to pay for sex.”
