one.”
“Why? I don’t normally toxify myself until after lunch. It’s a little early yet.”
Duncan winked at him.. “We have to celebrate opening our agency.”
John squinted at him. “What agency?”
“The investigative agency we’re going to create.”
For several long seconds, the words just did not compute. When they did, a thrill launched through him. “Are you being serious?”
Instead of answering him, Duncan reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheaf of papers, handing them to him. It was a lease agreement to an office building in Colorado. The owner’s names were listed as Duncan Wilde, John Palmer and Chad Lowell. He looked at Duncan in confusion. “Why is my name on here?”
“Because you’re one of the partners.”
John knew he sounded stupid, but he had to ask again. “Why?”
“Because, you have experience. Valuable experience that the government gave you and I’m going to take advantage of. Can you still wire a camera?”
He frowned. “Of course.”
“Think you can brush up on your surveillance techniques?”
“Yes.” He shook his head, numb. “But I didn’t buy any part of it.”
“Well, what would you be comfortable paying for a percentage of it? The caveat being that I maintain controlling interest. I’m not working for anybody anymore.”
John was floored that he would even be offered the opportunity to take part in this. If Duncan wanted to run the company himself that would be fine, all the better for him. Emotion clogged his throat as he looked down at the pages again, and his name typed in bold on the top line beside those of the two best buddies he could ever remember having.
The thought of going into business with them and doing legitimate, needed work thrilled him more than the orgasm he’d had that morning. “Are you serious? Have you talked to Chad about this?”
“No, not yet. I wanted to make sure you were on board first.” Duncan grinned. “I knew you’d be the more difficult one.”
John snorted, glancing at the pages once again. He thought of what was in his accounts and retirement and knew it wouldn’t be enough. When he rattled off a number, Duncan shook his head. “No, you’re only buying a quarter interest. I’m going to maintain control of the business, but I want you guys there as partners.”
They settled on half of what John had offered and he signed the business contract, promising to be in Colorado as soon as he could release his apartment and make travel arrangements.
Chad looked up at the sound of a truck rumbling behind him. The inattention made his weak left hand slip and thirty feet of barb-wire sprang back into a coil.
“Shit!”
He flexed his left hand inside the glove, cursing his lack of grip. Yes, it was his weak hand, but it was even weaker than when he was a kid. Frustrated the hell out of him.
The familiar red truck pulled to a stop a few feet away and a woman got out. Chad lowered his head until his hat covered his eyes and swiped the sweat from his face. He should have known he wasn’t far enough away.
With a sigh, he stepped carefully around the fencing materials, dropping the pliers into the leather saddle-bag on the ground.
“Hey, Tara. What brings you out this way?”
As if he didn’t know.
“Hi, Chad. Well, it’s been forever since I talked to you so I thought I would just slip out and say hi. Your momma said you were fencing. Can I help?”
He frowned and looked her up and down. Her blond hair was curled, make-up on, nice boots and low-cut shirt displaying her boobs. Not exactly fencing attire. More like seduction attire.
“Nah, that’s alright. I’m about done anyway.”
She swayed forward and reached up to kiss him on the cheek. Chad let her but pulled back when she tried to rest her hand on his chest. The smell of her God-awful perfume reached his nose. Even in the middle of a thousand acres of cow shit, it was enough to set him back.
He turned back to the fence line. If
“Why? I don’t normally toxify myself until after lunch. It’s a little early yet.”
Duncan winked at him.. “We have to celebrate opening our agency.”
John squinted at him. “What agency?”
“The investigative agency we’re going to create.”
For several long seconds, the words just did not compute. When they did, a thrill launched through him. “Are you being serious?”
Instead of answering him, Duncan reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheaf of papers, handing them to him. It was a lease agreement to an office building in Colorado. The owner’s names were listed as Duncan Wilde, John Palmer and Chad Lowell. He looked at Duncan in confusion. “Why is my name on here?”
“Because you’re one of the partners.”
John knew he sounded stupid, but he had to ask again. “Why?”
“Because, you have experience. Valuable experience that the government gave you and I’m going to take advantage of. Can you still wire a camera?”
He frowned. “Of course.”
“Think you can brush up on your surveillance techniques?”
“Yes.” He shook his head, numb. “But I didn’t buy any part of it.”
“Well, what would you be comfortable paying for a percentage of it? The caveat being that I maintain controlling interest. I’m not working for anybody anymore.”
John was floored that he would even be offered the opportunity to take part in this. If Duncan wanted to run the company himself that would be fine, all the better for him. Emotion clogged his throat as he looked down at the pages again, and his name typed in bold on the top line beside those of the two best buddies he could ever remember having.
The thought of going into business with them and doing legitimate, needed work thrilled him more than the orgasm he’d had that morning. “Are you serious? Have you talked to Chad about this?”
“No, not yet. I wanted to make sure you were on board first.” Duncan grinned. “I knew you’d be the more difficult one.”
John snorted, glancing at the pages once again. He thought of what was in his accounts and retirement and knew it wouldn’t be enough. When he rattled off a number, Duncan shook his head. “No, you’re only buying a quarter interest. I’m going to maintain control of the business, but I want you guys there as partners.”
They settled on half of what John had offered and he signed the business contract, promising to be in Colorado as soon as he could release his apartment and make travel arrangements.
Chad looked up at the sound of a truck rumbling behind him. The inattention made his weak left hand slip and thirty feet of barb-wire sprang back into a coil.
“Shit!”
He flexed his left hand inside the glove, cursing his lack of grip. Yes, it was his weak hand, but it was even weaker than when he was a kid. Frustrated the hell out of him.
The familiar red truck pulled to a stop a few feet away and a woman got out. Chad lowered his head until his hat covered his eyes and swiped the sweat from his face. He should have known he wasn’t far enough away.
With a sigh, he stepped carefully around the fencing materials, dropping the pliers into the leather saddle-bag on the ground.
“Hey, Tara. What brings you out this way?”
As if he didn’t know.
“Hi, Chad. Well, it’s been forever since I talked to you so I thought I would just slip out and say hi. Your momma said you were fencing. Can I help?”
He frowned and looked her up and down. Her blond hair was curled, make-up on, nice boots and low-cut shirt displaying her boobs. Not exactly fencing attire. More like seduction attire.
“Nah, that’s alright. I’m about done anyway.”
She swayed forward and reached up to kiss him on the cheek. Chad let her but pulled back when she tried to rest her hand on his chest. The smell of her God-awful perfume reached his nose. Even in the middle of a thousand acres of cow shit, it was enough to set him back.
He turned back to the fence line. If
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