Keeping Gemma (Holiday Cove 2)

My eyes flashed to hers, silently begging for a sign that I wasn’t going insane, that something was wrong. But Talia's brown eyes were hollow and listless as she met my gaze.

Henry interjected my thoughts, launching into a conversation, as he started to wander deeper into the museum. “So, am I to assume this is where your new prized plane will go?”

“You mean the F-4? Yes, that’s where it will be displayed.” I pocketed my hands in the back of my jeans and followed a few paces behind him as he started down the aisle, making comments about each plane he encountered. The other patrons moved aside as he walked through. Whatever waves of power he was sending off were clearly read by everyone around him.

I hated him all the more for it.

“You have quite an eye,” I complimented, internally gagging on the words. “What started your interest in planes?”

Henry—still gripping tightly to Talia—turned and smiled at my question. He reminded me of a used car salesman in a better suit. “I went to aviation camp one year as a child and was absolutely captivated.”

I nodded. “How interesting.”

“Yes.” He pivoted and rounded on me. “I wonder if there might be some way we could speak alone.”

Talia’s eyes flashed and the pit in my stomach tightened. She’d warned me that Henry would offer to buy the F-4, and she’d also added that he wouldn’t take kindly to losing it—again. The idea of getting alone with him didn’t seem to be in my best interest. I knew that I could take him in a physical fight, but as Bennett had pointed out, that was a sure-fire way to get a team of lawyers crawling up my ass.

Something neither I—nor the museum—could afford.

“Of course,” I replied, forcing a smile. “Let’s go to my office.”

Henry grinned—he thought he’d already won—and followed as I started back toward my office in the back corner of the warehouse. To my surprise, he kept a hold on Talia and didn’t let her go wander around. I ushered them both into my office and only then did he release her. She went and sat on my leather couch, and I couldn’t help but follow her legs as she crossed them, one over the other, remembering that she wasn’t wearing anything under her thin dress.

Henry remained standing and shifted his body to mirror mine. He was still smiling, but his tone had lost the polished edge it had when he’d spoken out in the museum, “You strike me as an intelligent man, Rosen. So, I’ve no doubt that you’ve already figured out that my visit here today was far from coincidental.”

I crossed my arms, my mind reeling to peel apart the subtle insult from his words.

“After our encounter in the parking lot yesterday afternoon, I did a some digging into you and your little business and decided it was worth coming to take a look around.” I bristled at the way he said little but kept my anger in check. “It’s a nice thing you have going. I understand that the F-4 would have a nice place on display, possibly even get some time in the sky. However, I also see that to you, it’s just another piece in your collection, and that means one thing…”

“Really? And what’s that?”

“That it can be bought,” Henry explained, still grinning. “So, you’ve had your fun. But it’s time to end the game. How much for the plane?”

Even after Talia’s explanation in the hangar, I still couldn’t grasp why Henry was so hell-bent on the F-4. Surely there were other ones available that he could buy. He had unlimited resources. If his net worth was what Lana had said, then he could afford an entire team of people scavenging the globe for planes and whatever else the greedy little prick desired.

“The F-4 isn’t for sale,” I replied, my tone firm. Set. “I’m sorry you’ve wasted your time to come all the way out here.”

“Everything has a price, Rosen,” he countered. “There must be something you want. Oh! I know…”

In a sickening, heart stopping moment, he rounded to face Talia, who was sitting casually on the couch, watching the exchange. “It seems that you’ve taken a liking to her.”

Talia’s face didn’t change. She wasn’t shocked, disgusted, or even surprised by Henry’s suggestion.

“What the fuck is going on here?” I demanded, throwing my glare from Henry to Talia.

Henry chuckled, the sound grating on every nerve in my body. “I know that you and Talia had a little…fun…last night. So, you want her?”

I shook my head. “This is insane. I don’t have time for this shit. The plane is mine. You can have her. I’m not interested.”

I flung the door of my office open and stared out into the abandoned hallway, no longer willing to maintain eye contact with either of them.