Kai shook his head. “Jesus.”
“They’ll elect someone new, Damon,” Will argued. “They’re holding a special election in three months to replace Winter’s father.”
“Yeah.” I smiled. “I know.”
And I stood there, waiting for their pea-sized brains to catch up again. Thunder Bay needed a new mayor. One who would give us all the permits we needed to start building over at The Cove.
We had some likely candidates right in this room.
Will dropped his wide eyes, absorbing the idea, while Michael sat back, staring at me.
“You can’t be serious,” Kai laughed out.
But I just cast my eyes to Rika, holding her gaze.
“What?” she asked, seeing me stare at her.
“You’re a good chess player,” I teased. “Politics. It’s the greatest chess game.”
She started laughing. “I’m not running for mayor, so I can protect your business interests, Damon. I don’t want to run that town.”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
She opened her mouth to retort, but got lost for words for a moment. Finally, she blurted out, ?
??Why me?”
“Because Michael couldn’t care less, and the rest of us are felons.”
“Hey, it’s America.” Will leaned back, slumping in his chair with a lazy smile. “Anything is possible.”
“You want the press digging up your past?” I challenged him and then looked to Kai. “You?”
The Internet was forever. We’d never get an ounce of peace as things got dug up and blasted online. And Kai and Will especially had no interest in bringing that stress onto their families.
“The girls are clean,” I said. “Rika needs to do it.
She let out a pathetic little laugh, still searching for an argument, and finally looked at Michael who still hadn’t said anything.
“Michael?” she prodded for his help. To offer some excuse why she shouldn’t do this.
But he hesitated, looking apologetic when he finally met her gaze. “It’s not a horrible idea, actually,” he said. “It would give us leverage, and you’d do well by the town. It’s worth thinking about.”
Her eyes flared, looking pissed. “What about Banks?”
“I have bigger plans for her,” I told them.
“Oh, you do?” Kai replied. “I ‘d like to hear the plans you have for my wife.”
“In good time.”
He shook his head at me, everyone falling silent as they processed what I was suggesting. I already gathered Michael had investors lined up and a bank in his corner for the land and the resort, but he wasn’t moving forward, because he anticipated problems with hiring workers and getting permits. That problem was now solved. I’d worked my ass off for a seat at this table.
If the past could be the past and fucking stay there, that was.
They all remained silent, sharing looks with each other and pondering how this would all play out with me involved.
But maybe I couldn’t win them, after all. Maybe the past was too much to swallow.