“I need to talk to you. I meant to tell you this last night but I got distracted.”
“Gonna blame it on me?” she teased.
Sierra expected him to laugh, but his expression stayed serious. A frown creased her brow. “What is it, Kane? Are you having regrets?”
The shock in his eyes eased her worry. “Fuck, no. I’ve never been happier. Having you in my life is everything, and I love you.”
She settled back. “Then anything else can be handled.”
“It’s about Flirt. I have some bad news.”
It took her a few moments to process. “Wait—you have news about my store? Is this about Benny and the rumors the others were talking about at the party?”
Kane nodded. His hands rubbed her back, keeping her close. “Yeah. My boss came to me about an opportunity at Stealth. It’s a bigger property company—similar to New York. They’re looking for property to build one of those fancy resorts, and found out Benny was in trouble with the bank. Seems he has a gambling problem.”
Sierra cursed and shook her head. “Damn him. That’s where all our repair money went. I suspected something was up when he wouldn’t renew.”
“Benny got himself in trouble, and Stealth took the opportunity to close in.” He paused, holding her hand. “Sierra, they’re going to buy the property. Which means they’ll force you to close down Flirt.”
Shock kept her quiet until her brain clicked on. Then a stream of curse words exploded from her mouth. “I’m getting sick of all these cookie cutter hotels taking over our town. But this makes no sense? Flirt is on a small piece of real estate. There’s not enough land to build anything else.”
Sympathy flickered over his carved features. “Benny also owned acres of land behind the stores. He’s selling it for a huge price, and Stealth will clear all of that out to build.”
“Those bastards.” She jumped up and began to furiously pace. “I won’t let them. I’ll get a lawyer and fight. Join in with Carlos and Deanna and see if there’s anything we can use to slow down the process. Maybe wildlife restrictions?”
“Already cleared by the town—they kept it real quiet until ready to move. These bigger companies know how to avoid talk or ways to fight until it’s too late.”
“I can’t believe this. If only I’d known sooner! No wonder that damn coward has been ghosting us. How much time until this happens?”
Sierra knew it was bad when her gaze met his. “The contracts are getting signed next week. Within the month it will be over. I’m sure they’ll give you some grace period to find another place. Look, I’ve been scouring all the available lots, and I’m thinking you can temporarily go next to Marco and Brick. There’s a small end store there that may fit your needs.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s too out of the way. I need a place with foot traffic or I’m dead before I even open. I think—wait. What do you mean you’ve been looking? How long have you known about Stealth?”
A trickle of ice slipped down her spine. Her gaze narrowed at the guilty expression that settled on his face. “A few weeks,” he said carefully.
She blinked. “You have to be kidding. That’s impossible.”
“Sierra, I’m sorry. You have no idea how torn I am about this whole fucked-up thing. When I went to Stealth, they asked me to present them with a list of available properties for this resort, which I did. Then I was told they settled on Sunrise—Benny’s real estate—and I couldn’t talk them out of it. I tried, I really did. I’ve spent the past few weeks looking at other opportunities or loopholes but the deal is tight. There’s no way to get out of it. Believe me, I tried.”
Sierra’s brain seemed to short-circuit. The facts he was sharing were off. The past month had shown no indication Flirt was being considered. He hadn’t warned her. Hell, he was telling her this news like reporting a funeral instead of outrage. “Kane. Why didn’t you tell me about this when you first found out?”
He winced. Scratched his head and rose from the chair, as if he didn’t want to get caught in a vulnerable position. “I couldn’t. I was bound by the Stealth contract not to say anything. I shouldn’t even be telling you any of this right now, but you need to know the truth. I’m so sorry, sweetheart. But I honestly believe we can find something better. I’ll help you with everything—I swear.”
The words stuck in her throat but she forced them out. “Who’s in charge of the deal, Kane?”
Silence.
He shifted his weight. Those green eyes flickered with regret. “Me.”
Her friend Inez had once done a cold plunge at a spa. She explained how it was like immediately numbing every inch of skin and cell; a full-body brain-freezing experience. A shock so traumatic, she thought she’d die if she had to stay in the water one extra second.
Sierra finally knew what it felt like.
The warmth and beauty of last night faded into nothing. Sierra thought over their time together. The building of trust. The slow climb toward intimacy. The sharing of souls that was a true game changer.
All that time, he’d been hired to demolish her store.
And he hadn’t even warned her.
