By the time I made it back over to the picnic area, Rafe was done pillaging the fridge and ready to call it a night. We both went back to our guest quarters and crashed. The following day, Kiersten treated us all to one hell of a breakfast, then finished her tour of the grounds.
Once we were done, she led us back into her conference room to share the files she created for each of her employees. As I sat there listening to her talk about the background checks she’d done on each of them, I couldn’t take my eyes off her—not just because she looked amazing in her jeans and boots, but because of the way she spoke about her work. Kiersten was passionate and determined, and she was incredibly smart—more so than I’d realized.
She’d done a great job piecing this place together, and she knew it. Even when Hawk or Menace would question her on her methods, she didn’t let it get to her but instead stuck to her guns and forged ahead—just like she did when Menace pointed to the files she’d made on her employees and asked, “You mind if I take a look at those?”
“Okay.” Kiersten slid the stack across the table. “But you have nothing to worry about when it comes to the people who work for me. I’ve been very meticulous in that regard.”
“I’m sure you have. We just need to be sure, Kiersten.” Hawk leaned back in his chair and asked, “So, who’s actually moving the goods?”
“We all are. Regan, Mia, and I cover the college scene. We try to limit our days to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but we never miss sporting events and frat parties. They’re both big moneymakers for us. Braylon, Timms, and Duggar take care of deliveries with our larger buyers.”
“Like Fury?”
“Exactly.”
“And Braylon, Timms, and Duggar handle security?”
“They do.”
“And you feel certain they can handle any trouble that might come their way?”
“Braylon told you himself that he’s ex-military, but what he didn’t tell you was that he was steps away from becoming a Navy SEAL. He would’ve made it if he hadn’t been injured during his qualification training and lost his leg.”
“Damn, that’s tough.”
“It was very tough, especially since he was hurt helping one of the other men he was in training with. They made the mistake, but Bray was the one who paid the price for it.” Her tone turned serious as she said, “That being said, I have full faith that Braylon can handle whatever he needs to.”
“That’s a lot for one man to take on.”
“It’s not just one man. He has Timms and Duggar to help out, and they’re equally qualified.”
“Not sure I agree.”
“I need you to understand something. When I decided to do this, I knew what I was getting into.” She cleared her throat, before continuing, “I knew what would happen if I got greedy or tangled up with the wrong people. I’d either end up in jail or six feet under—that was something I learned from my father. I’m not going to let that happen. I’ve been careful from the start, and I’m going to continue to be careful. And that goes for every aspect of this business—from how I grow my product to who I get to protect it.”
“You’ve clearly put a lot into this place, and it’s doing well. Certainly better than I expected, but I’m still concerned about the level of security you have here.” Hawk glanced up at one of the cameras in the corner of the room. “Even with everything Riggs has done and with Braylon’s expertise, I’m not sure you have the means to protect yourself if things go south.”
“Well, if I do my job right, that won’t happen.”
“Things happen, Kiersten. No matter how well you plan. No matter how careful you are. There’s always someone who will come along and try to fuck it all up.”
“So, what are you saying?”
“If we were to join forces, you would have to make some changes.”
“What kind of changes?”
“For one, you need to stop selling at the college. You would have to leave the distribution up to us.”
“But I make good money there.”
“Maybe, but it’s too close. It leaves you too exposed. It’s only a matter of time before those sales lead someone here, and that can’t happen.”
“And what about Fury?”
“We’ll take care of them.”
“So, you’ll just take things over?”
Hawk shook his head. “No, just the sales and distribution. That way you can focus on things here.”
“Is that the only option?”
“I can’t say for sure. I’ll have to run this all by Viper, but yeah. If we were to go into business with you, it would be the only way we’d do it.”
“I’m going to need to talk it over with the others before I make a decision.”
“Take your time.” Hawk stood, then said, “We’re going to head back. Once we’ve had a chance to discuss things with the rest of the club, we’ll be in touch.”