“I don’t think there is anyone on this island that doesn’t know of you.”And that wasn’t a compliment.
“Oh yeah.”Miles grinned, taking it for that.“What do they say?”
Oh uh, this was where she had to play it smart and not let her mouth run away with her.“You’re a cutthroat businessman who goes after what he wants.”And didn’t care who got hurt in the process.
“It’s true,” he chuckled as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small brown leather pouch.He removed the lid to reveal a row of cigars.
His brandy arrived along with an ashtray and cutter.
“Do you mind?”he asked, waving his cigar.
“Knock yourself out.”Literally.
Miles chuckled again, putting the pouch back into his pocket and cutting the end of his cigar before lighting it.“That is how you must be if you hope to gain anything in this world, my dear.That is how I amassed all of this.”His hands expanded out, pointing at the island around them.
“You have a hotel on this island; you don’t own the island itself.”She felt the need to point that out to him.“Just a money pit that is sinking into the ground.”
“Minor setback.Once my hotel is complete, it will be the jewel of the island and a beacon for travelers worldwide.”
“You think people will come here just because your name is written on the side of a building?”
“No, not just the hotel, but for the other luxuries on this island.”He puffed on his cigar, blowing a cloud of smoke up into the air.
“Like what?”It was small island; there wasn’t much potential.It was all forest and homes.Nothing that could interest a person like Miles.
“Why’s a pretty thing like yourself worrying about the particulars?”
“Humor me,” Mac requested dryly.
“Wait until there is a Starbucks here, restaurant chains, shopping malls.”
She’d rather not.One of the things she liked best about this island was how small and local it felt.No one wanted big corporations coming in here.They could go to the bigger islands for that.“Why here?Why this island?Why not anywhere else in the world?”
Miles had connections throughout the world.Why had he chosen here?
“Because there is untapped potential here.I can build this island into a metropolis like the Bahamas.People from all over the world will come here.”
“We don’t want the world.We like things the way they are.This is a fishing community.No one wants or cares about those things.”
“And what do you think would happen when the fishing dries up?”he asked with a raised eyebrow in question.
It was the way he’d phrased that question that gave her pause.Why did he saywhenand notif?Was he admitting to having something to do with the trawling?“What?Do you plan on taking the fishing away from this island so they have no choice but to turn to you for work?”That was a new sales tactic she hadn’t seen.Force people to give up their jobs, then like a hero, he’d create jobs for them and bring in more revenue.
Miles leaned his elbows onto the table, folding his nonsmoking hand under his smoking hand.“I don’t control the oceans, Miss Grant, but I’m a business opportunist.”
“Tell me something, Miles.”Mac planted her hands on the table and leaned forward.“What’s the potential in the southeast coastline?”
Miles blinked innocently.“How do you mean?”
“What is in that cove that you’ve banned researchers from going to it?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why buy it?”
“It’s my property to do with as I choose.”
“It belonged to the sharks first.”
