Bells were going off in my head. I shuffled the kids into the first cab that pulled up and quickly rattled off the address to Kevin’s place. I stared out the window at the man as the kids complained about wanting to go out to eat, but I calmed them down by telling them I would make us all massive ice cream sundaes when we got back.
I turned around and watched the man fade into the background. He didn’t seem to be following us, but I was still unnerved. He had been looking straight at me, right into my eyes every time I turned my head. The hairs on my arms began to stand up as an uneasy feeling coursed through my body.
I’d have to talk to Kevin about it once he got some free time.
I had a bad feeling brewing in the pit of my gut.
CHAPTER 11
KEVIN
“Gianni, thank you for meeting me on such short notice,” I said.
“Not a problem. Is everything all right?”
“My business partner, Owen. He contacted you regarding your financials, correct?” I asked.
“He did, yes. I told him I would get him whatever he needed.”
“Because you know this is the standard procedure for my business with an order of this magnitude and price?”
“I understand. Is something wrong?”
“We’ve come across some issues, yes. With the payment plan you’ve chosen, my company asks for financial data for the past twelve months, so we can determine if the investment is safe for my investors.”
“I’m aware of your procedures, Mr. Spencer.”
“I just want to make sure, because you’ve only turned in data for seven months.”
“I informed Owen that we would be handing the information over in batches.”
“It has to all be together as one formal document. With the way it looks now, it seems as if you’re covering something up, and that doesn’t sit well with the investors,” I said.
“Are you accusing me of something, Mr. Spencer?”
“On the contrary, Mr. Russo. You know how this works. We’ve known one another for years with our mutual contacts. We have your best interests in mind. But if we do things any differently with you, it looks like I’m favoring you because of our friendship. You know how this goes. You’re a businessman. Be reasonable, Gianni.”
“I’ve already talked you through my financials, Kevin. What more do you want?”
“The proof on paper. I was able to contact my investors to settle them down enough to buy you until the end of the day. But we need the other five months of your financial statistics, otherwise, we can’t proceed with the deal.”
“I’m giving you a foot in the door when it comes to the banking industry. Doesn’t that mean anything?”
“Not when we’re talking about a possible ten-million-dollar contract, Gianni.”
I wanted to hear the man out and take pity on him. Hell, I wanted to help the guy. I wanted to be able to bypass these logistics, but I couldn't do anything differently simply because it was Gianni. I knew some businessmen worked that way, but I wasn’t one of them.
And I wasn’t going to start with him.
“You have until the end of the day to get Owen the rest of the financials. You can contact him if you have any questions,” I said.
“So now I can’t even call my friend?” Gianni asked.
“Right now, you’re not dealing with a friend. You’re dealing with a businessman. Owen is the one that handles the upfront financial transactions. Until this matter is settled, it’s in his hands. When you're ready to sign the contract and talk about production and shipment schedules, then it’s back to me,” I said.
I stood up from the table and buttoned my coat.
“So that’s it? You brought me out here to strong-arm me?”