“Mine. This is my first solo development of this scale, and I had to work my ass off to get him to even consider it. If I succeed, I prove I’m more than ‘just’ Martin Raymond the Third’s daughter. If I fail...” Her voice trails off, but not before I see the determination in her eyes.
“You won’t fail.”
She stares at me for a long moment, something unreadable in her expression. “You sound certain.”
“I’m good at my job, Ms. Raymond. I know how to read people, and you don’t strike me as either incapable or lazy.”
“Maya,” she corrects. “If we’re going to be working together, we should be on a first-name basis.”
“Reed.”
My stomach tightens at how my name sounds when she says it. “Well, Reed, I hope you’re as good as Ghost Security claims. I need this resolved ASAP.”
I bristle at the innuendo that I might not be as good as my reputation, but it only makes me want to work harder to impress Maya.
CHAPTER 2
MAYA
Reed pulls into the construction site, and I brace myself for what we’re going to find. It used to be that I was excited to come out here and see the progress, but now the stress of what’s been happening here keeps me up at night.
“Son of a bitch,” I mutter, realizing not for the first time that I sound exactly like my father when he swears. Through the rain-streaked windshield, I see fresh graffiti on our development sign. My stomach tightens.
“Stop here. Let me check this first.” Reed’s hand hovers near my arm, not quite touching. His nearness is distracting in a way that takes me by surprise.
Reed is definitely handsome, but this isn’t a date. I don’t know why his mere presence makes my body flush and my mind fill with fantasies of lazy days in bed, ignoring the world and losing ourselves in each other’s bodies.
I’m already out of the SUV before he finishes the sentence, glad that I changed into casual clothes and pulled on a pair ofold running shoes before leaving the office. I walk through the summer rain, shivering as the wind comes off the lake.
“Not again.” I groan at the sight of fresh graffiti.
I pull out my phone to document it, but Reed’s already moving. His entire demeanor suddenly changes. He’s professional, but moves with an intensity that stirs something deep inside me. I watch as he stalks around the sign, taking photos and looking around.
“Don’t touch anything.” He circles the sign a second time, taking photographs of the ground around the sign. “There are a lot of shoe treads here, which is expected on a site like this, but this may help later on.”
My foreman, Leo Swinton, jogs over from the equipment shed. His eyes flick between Reed and me, his expression tightening in a way that I’ve never noticed before. “Maya, we need to secure everything before this storm hits.”
“How long do you need?”
“Maybe an hour.” He glances at Reed again.
“Do what you need to do, and make sure the crew gets out safely. Leo, this is Reed Ambrose. I’ve hired his firm to handle what’s been happening here, and to make sure it ends.”
Leo and Reed shake hands stiffly, clearly sizing each other up.
Reed steps back and addresses Leo. “Any of your crew have issues with the development?”
Leo’s jaw tightens, and I know Reed is on shaky ground. Leo prides himself on doing honest work and having an honest crew—it’s why we work with them. “My crew is solid.”
“Not what I asked.”
“You implying something?” Leo’s voice carries an edge that I’ve never heard before. He’s a family man who takes pride in his work, not someone who goes looking for fights. “Maybe you should figure out who’s actually doing this instead of pointing fingers at my crew.”
I step between them before this escalates. “Leo, it’s okay. He has to ask these things. Also, I need you to tell everyone that I’m pausing all work until we can resolve what’s happening.”
“But the schedule—”
“Will survive a short delay. Given the circumstances, it’s the only way forward. We don’t know when or if the people behind the vandalism will escalate. I’d rather take a short delay than risk the safety of your crew or this project.”
