façade: L AW O FFICE OF M EYER H ERMAN & D UNN , E SQUIRE .
She looks into his eyes. “What about you? Are you sure?”
He squeezes her hand. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”
She smiles. “Me, too. The land, the winery, my home—our home—it’s all I have left of them. My parents. Grandma Sylvie. I want to share it with someone. With you.”
He leans in, kissing her tenderly. “I love you, Ava, and purchasing that land in the Loire Valley will be an incredible way to expand the winery—and your family’s legacy.”
“Are you sure I can’t see the land first?” she asks. “I’d really love to.”
Charlie sighs, shaking his head. “I know, love. But we talked about this. The season is kicking into high gear around here. I thought you couldn’t get away?”
“Well, yes, not right now,” Ava says. “But in a few months—”
“In a few months it will be gone. It’s such a rarity for a property like this one to come on the market. And at least I was able to see it when I was last in France.” He pauses. “Maybe we should take our chances. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable with the idea.”
But Ava doesn’t want to lose the property. Doesn’t want to disappoint Charlie when he’s worked so hard to help her with the vineyard, when he’s put so much faith into their future.
“And once the deal goes through…”
“Just like we talked about,” he says excitedly. “You’re only granting me power of attorney so I can sign the deeds to the Loire Valley. When the deal is done, we’ll put everything back in your name.”
It’s time to move on. Time to put the sadness and loss of the past aside for a joyful future with Charlie.
She takes a deep breath. “Okay, then. Let’s do it.”
Charlie crushes her in a quick embrace before opening the door to the law office and ushering her inside.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Why would Takeda keep this stuff from us?” Jon said, leaning against the wall.
Reena was sitting on the floor next to Cruz, each of them paging through their files. She’d assumed Takeda knew things about her, about the death of her mother, but she’d been shocked silent by the breadth of his knowledge. Even she, someone who rarely apologized for herself or her behavior, was embarrassed by the revelations. The drunkenness, the partying, the sleeping around… Everything that had come before her mother’s murder.
“Maybe part of revenge is learning about our enemies so we can take them down the right way,” Ava suggested, sitting at the old wooden table that functioned as a desk in her room.
Jon paced. “These files have everything I need to track and confront Cain. What’s the point in waiting?”
“Takeda has a reason for everything,” Ava said. “If he hasn’t shown us these files, it’s because he doesn’t think we’re ready.”
Reena was only half listening, her eyes drawn to a photograph of a middle-aged man with piercing eyes. “Cruz, look at this.”
He reached for the photo. “Is that Senator Wells?”
Reena swallowed, trying to quell the dread creeping through her bones. “I think so.”
“Wait a minute,” Ava said. “Isn’t Senator Wells the guy who took over after—”
“After my mother was killed?” Reena said softly. “Yes.”
“You always said you never trusted the guy,” Cruz murmured. “And don’t you remember that paper of his you found? The one with the—”
“I remember it,” Reena snapped, her heart in a vise. “What’s your point?”
“Take a look.” He handed her a stack of grainy photographs from his own file.
“What is this?” Reena asked, looking down at the images. Her gaze was drawn to a man with glasses. He looked more like a computer programmer than someone who belonged in the world of murder for hire.
“Who
is it?”
Crossing the room, Jon leaned over Reena’s shoulder to look at the pictures. “They look like security camera screen shots.” He froze, eyes glued to
She looks into his eyes. “What about you? Are you sure?”
He squeezes her hand. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”
She smiles. “Me, too. The land, the winery, my home—our home—it’s all I have left of them. My parents. Grandma Sylvie. I want to share it with someone. With you.”
He leans in, kissing her tenderly. “I love you, Ava, and purchasing that land in the Loire Valley will be an incredible way to expand the winery—and your family’s legacy.”
“Are you sure I can’t see the land first?” she asks. “I’d really love to.”
Charlie sighs, shaking his head. “I know, love. But we talked about this. The season is kicking into high gear around here. I thought you couldn’t get away?”
“Well, yes, not right now,” Ava says. “But in a few months—”
“In a few months it will be gone. It’s such a rarity for a property like this one to come on the market. And at least I was able to see it when I was last in France.” He pauses. “Maybe we should take our chances. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable with the idea.”
But Ava doesn’t want to lose the property. Doesn’t want to disappoint Charlie when he’s worked so hard to help her with the vineyard, when he’s put so much faith into their future.
“And once the deal goes through…”
“Just like we talked about,” he says excitedly. “You’re only granting me power of attorney so I can sign the deeds to the Loire Valley. When the deal is done, we’ll put everything back in your name.”
It’s time to move on. Time to put the sadness and loss of the past aside for a joyful future with Charlie.
She takes a deep breath. “Okay, then. Let’s do it.”
Charlie crushes her in a quick embrace before opening the door to the law office and ushering her inside.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Why would Takeda keep this stuff from us?” Jon said, leaning against the wall.
Reena was sitting on the floor next to Cruz, each of them paging through their files. She’d assumed Takeda knew things about her, about the death of her mother, but she’d been shocked silent by the breadth of his knowledge. Even she, someone who rarely apologized for herself or her behavior, was embarrassed by the revelations. The drunkenness, the partying, the sleeping around… Everything that had come before her mother’s murder.
“Maybe part of revenge is learning about our enemies so we can take them down the right way,” Ava suggested, sitting at the old wooden table that functioned as a desk in her room.
Jon paced. “These files have everything I need to track and confront Cain. What’s the point in waiting?”
“Takeda has a reason for everything,” Ava said. “If he hasn’t shown us these files, it’s because he doesn’t think we’re ready.”
Reena was only half listening, her eyes drawn to a photograph of a middle-aged man with piercing eyes. “Cruz, look at this.”
He reached for the photo. “Is that Senator Wells?”
Reena swallowed, trying to quell the dread creeping through her bones. “I think so.”
“Wait a minute,” Ava said. “Isn’t Senator Wells the guy who took over after—”
“After my mother was killed?” Reena said softly. “Yes.”
“You always said you never trusted the guy,” Cruz murmured. “And don’t you remember that paper of his you found? The one with the—”
“I remember it,” Reena snapped, her heart in a vise. “What’s your point?”
“Take a look.” He handed her a stack of grainy photographs from his own file.
“What is this?” Reena asked, looking down at the images. Her gaze was drawn to a man with glasses. He looked more like a computer programmer than someone who belonged in the world of murder for hire.
“Who
is it?”
Crossing the room, Jon leaned over Reena’s shoulder to look at the pictures. “They look like security camera screen shots.” He froze, eyes glued to
Similar Books
