pretty woman, did you?”
“Actually, it was annulled,” she corrected. Drawing a deep breath, and clutching at JW’s hand, she looked at Kevin. “As if the nightmare never happened. Unfortunately, my memory wasn’t so easily erased.”
“You little—”
“Kevin, shut up,” the older man told him.
“I don’t like cities, Grant,” JW stated in a terse tone. “What is this meeting about?”
“MacLauren wants to expand into Indonesia with our help. They’ve picked up some prime land there and—”
“It’s on Sumatra,” Ken MacLauren interrupted, leaning forward. “Totally undeveloped, perfect beaches. And the natives practically gave it away.”
Ally had to speak up. “Is this the same deal you tried to make with Andrew?” she asked. When Kevin glared at her, she turned to Grant. “Kevin married me thinking Andy would automatically sign on the dotted line. When the deal didn’t happen, Kevin filed for the annulment, saying I’d committed fraud.”
“Do you know why Andrew didn’t agree to the deal?” Bronson asked her.
“Not the details,” she replied, shaking her head. “He just said he didn’t like how Kevin did business.”
“I’ve heard enough,” JW spoke up. “My vote is against anything to do with MacLauren. I don’t like the way they do business and I don’t like the way they treat women.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Kevin demanded.
“Where are my manners?” Grant murmured. “This is my cousin, JW Franklin.”
“The war hero,” Bronson added helpfully, grinning at JW.
“I’m voting with JW,” a man still seated spoke up.
“As am I,” put in Bronson as four more men around the table nodded.
“Makes it unanimous,” Grant announced. “Sorry, MacLauren. Franklin Enterprises will not collaborate with MacLauren Corporation.” He moved to the still open door and pulled it open a bit more. “Please leave.”
Muttering under their breaths, the three older men stood and walked out. Kevin was the last to leave as he glared at Grant, Bronson, and JW, who moved Ally behind him.
“You haven’t heard the last from me. You or your friends,” Kevin warned.
“Is that supposed to frighten us?” Bronson frowned.
“Maybe we’ll rue the day?” JW murmured sarcastically.
Ally pressed her cheek against his coat and giggled. Kevin swore and stalked out. JW pulled her around into his arms.
“I’m assuming Liam mentioned Ally to you?” JW murmured to the remaining men. “Gossiping about me?”
“He mentioned it in passing,” his cousin replied.
A fortyish woman appeared in the door. “Grant, the Berlin office is on the line.”
He left and JW looked at Bronson.
“You coming out to the manor?” Bronson asked.
“I hadn’t planned on it.”
“You come to the city and won’t even see your mother and grandparents?” Bronson frowned.
“Don’t push me, Bron,” JW warned him, turning to leave with Ally in tow.
“How can we reach you?”
“On my cell.”
She stayed quiet as they walked down the hall. When he pulled her into the elevator, several people already took up much of the space. Ally was more than content to stay close to him, and silent. Once the elevator descended to the parking garage, he pulled keys from his back pocket as he guided her down the rows of vehicles. It wasn’t until he’d bundled her into a gray SUV and sat behind the wheel that she spoke.
“Have you been all right? You disappeared that night and didn’t…” she said as he shut the driver door. “I…” She stopped as he turned in his seat to look at her. “I hoped to see you at the Club.”
“Why were you at the MacLauren Building?” he questioned right back.
She gasped and started scrambling for the door latch. “Shit! My interview!”
He caught her arm and pulled her back around. “What interview?”
“I have a job interview with MacLauren Computing HR division,” she replied, more frantic as she looked at her watch. “Oh, God! I’m so late!”
“Actually, it was annulled,” she corrected. Drawing a deep breath, and clutching at JW’s hand, she looked at Kevin. “As if the nightmare never happened. Unfortunately, my memory wasn’t so easily erased.”
“You little—”
“Kevin, shut up,” the older man told him.
“I don’t like cities, Grant,” JW stated in a terse tone. “What is this meeting about?”
“MacLauren wants to expand into Indonesia with our help. They’ve picked up some prime land there and—”
“It’s on Sumatra,” Ken MacLauren interrupted, leaning forward. “Totally undeveloped, perfect beaches. And the natives practically gave it away.”
Ally had to speak up. “Is this the same deal you tried to make with Andrew?” she asked. When Kevin glared at her, she turned to Grant. “Kevin married me thinking Andy would automatically sign on the dotted line. When the deal didn’t happen, Kevin filed for the annulment, saying I’d committed fraud.”
“Do you know why Andrew didn’t agree to the deal?” Bronson asked her.
“Not the details,” she replied, shaking her head. “He just said he didn’t like how Kevin did business.”
“I’ve heard enough,” JW spoke up. “My vote is against anything to do with MacLauren. I don’t like the way they do business and I don’t like the way they treat women.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Kevin demanded.
“Where are my manners?” Grant murmured. “This is my cousin, JW Franklin.”
“The war hero,” Bronson added helpfully, grinning at JW.
“I’m voting with JW,” a man still seated spoke up.
“As am I,” put in Bronson as four more men around the table nodded.
“Makes it unanimous,” Grant announced. “Sorry, MacLauren. Franklin Enterprises will not collaborate with MacLauren Corporation.” He moved to the still open door and pulled it open a bit more. “Please leave.”
Muttering under their breaths, the three older men stood and walked out. Kevin was the last to leave as he glared at Grant, Bronson, and JW, who moved Ally behind him.
“You haven’t heard the last from me. You or your friends,” Kevin warned.
“Is that supposed to frighten us?” Bronson frowned.
“Maybe we’ll rue the day?” JW murmured sarcastically.
Ally pressed her cheek against his coat and giggled. Kevin swore and stalked out. JW pulled her around into his arms.
“I’m assuming Liam mentioned Ally to you?” JW murmured to the remaining men. “Gossiping about me?”
“He mentioned it in passing,” his cousin replied.
A fortyish woman appeared in the door. “Grant, the Berlin office is on the line.”
He left and JW looked at Bronson.
“You coming out to the manor?” Bronson asked.
“I hadn’t planned on it.”
“You come to the city and won’t even see your mother and grandparents?” Bronson frowned.
“Don’t push me, Bron,” JW warned him, turning to leave with Ally in tow.
“How can we reach you?”
“On my cell.”
She stayed quiet as they walked down the hall. When he pulled her into the elevator, several people already took up much of the space. Ally was more than content to stay close to him, and silent. Once the elevator descended to the parking garage, he pulled keys from his back pocket as he guided her down the rows of vehicles. It wasn’t until he’d bundled her into a gray SUV and sat behind the wheel that she spoke.
“Have you been all right? You disappeared that night and didn’t…” she said as he shut the driver door. “I…” She stopped as he turned in his seat to look at her. “I hoped to see you at the Club.”
“Why were you at the MacLauren Building?” he questioned right back.
She gasped and started scrambling for the door latch. “Shit! My interview!”
He caught her arm and pulled her back around. “What interview?”
“I have a job interview with MacLauren Computing HR division,” she replied, more frantic as she looked at her watch. “Oh, God! I’m so late!”
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