“I like you, Avery,” he said, his tone cheery as if he were selling fruit or ice cream. “So I’m going to cut to the chase. I want to know what Hayden Wolf is working on.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t discuss my guests and who may or may not be on board.” I didn’t glance at him and just kept walking.
“Maybe not, but we both know Hayden Wolf is on the Athena. And we both know you could use some extra cash.”
My stomach flipped over. How did he know anything about me? Who the hell was this guy? “You need to leave me alone.”
“You don’t want to hear me out, even for your brother’s sake?”
I stopped in my tracks and turned to him. “What did you say?”
“I know you take care of your family, Avery. All I’m suggesting is a way you can do that.”
“You don’t know anything about me or my family—”
“It’s my job to find out these things. I know about your brother’s condition and how you pay for his insurance. Not to mention all the things you pay for that aren’t covered by your policy.”
How had this guy found out all this stuff? I turned back to face the water. “How do you know this?”
“I just had a friend ask a few of your neighbors. People will do anything for a little cash.”
Our neighbors had talked to strangers about us? For what? A few dollars?
“And that’s not a bad thing. I’m not judging. Everyone has their own circumstances to consider,” he continued. “It helped me a great deal. What I’m asking from you is nothing. We just need eyes and ears on the ground. That’s all. You’re not hurting anyone. In fact, you’ll be helping your brother.”
“How would sneaking around and spying on people help my brother?”
I glanced across at him and he was smiling and relaxed as if he were offering me suggestions on the best beaches in the area. “We’re prepared to pay you a lot of money to tell us what we need to know.”
“I’m not interested in your money.”
“Even to help your family? That sounds pretty selfish to me.” He tilted his head, looking at me as if I’d just said something ridiculous.
“My family wouldn’t want money that I’ve had to lie for.”
“Oh gosh, no. I don’t expect you to lie. In fact, all I want is the truth. You might even have what I need to know already. Tell me what Mr. Wolf is working on and I’ll give you—”
“I’m not interested,” I said and started walking toward the tender again.
“You haven’t heard what I have to offer you yet. For your brother’s sake, you should hear me out.”
“I’m not interested,” I said. All I wanted in that moment was to get back to the tender and put some distance between me and this red-headed creep.
“Would a hundred and fifty thousand dollars change your mind?”
I stopped walking.
He couldn’t be serious. He was going to give me a hundred and fifty thousand dollars? What kind of shit was Hayden mixed up in? This couldn’t just be one company buying another. Or a long-held grudge. For that kind of money, there had to be more to it.
“I thought that might get your attention.”
“A hundred and fifty grand?”
He smiled. “Right? Easy money. How many seasons would you have to work to make that money? Think of all the amazing things you could do. You could have a holiday, you could take some time off, maybe even go to university.”
My head was spinning. A hundred and fifty grand was so much money.
He pulled out a business card and held it between his index and middle finger. “When you’ve thought about how you’d spend the money, which college course you’d like to take, how happy your dad and brother would be with that extra cash in the bank, call me and we’ll arrange a time to meet.” He pulled out a satellite phone from his pocket and held it out.
I stared at his hands as though I was seeing a hundred thousand dollars right there, baking in the Italian sun. All I had to do was reach out and take it.
“You’ve resisted, Avery. You’ve said no. You’ve proved to yourself you’re a good person. Now your brother needs you to say yes.”
My head snapped up and his eyes were warm and calm, and if an outsider saw us, they might think we were friends or that he was making a pass at me.
I didn’t like him, not one bit, but he wasn’t wrong. My brother did need me, and a hundred and fifty thousand dollars was a lot of money.
I glanced back to the tender and then swallowed. Would my dad expect me to give up so much money? So much cash would be life changing for my entire family. Including me. I needed more time to work out what would be the best thing to do.