“I can tell you this: Millie can choose to bring in whoever she wants to survey her land. This is a different situation than most. You represent Trout’s interests only. You don’t work for her. Millie knows that. So if we’re talking ethics here, you’ll do the best you can foryouremployer.”
“It doesn’t seem right if I know that there’s something more here.”
West snorted. “Is she paying you or Trout? Huh? Millieknowswho’s paying you. I’m sorry to ruin your romantic getaway with reality, but this is business. I keep telling you how it works. And honestly, I wouldn’t have asked you to make an offer if I didn’t believe that you could do this, so put your big boy pants on and finish the job.”
A fire of resentment burned through him. “Big boy pants?”
“It’s all Millie is expecting,” West said. “I promise you that she will be very happy with her retirement money when this is all through. Now can you let me go so I can get out of the bathroom? I’m not happy that you stole Lizardman, by the way. I had to cancel his grooming appointment yesterday.”
“Is that when you noticed that he was gone?”
“Right, because I can’t look at my phone, idiot. Unlike you, I actually read my texts.” Ending on that brutal reminder, West hung up.
Nash’s teeth clenched as he watched the machinery across the way. Within minutes, he noticed that the crew stopped production. Then just as quickly as he’d clamped eyes on them, they disappeared, moving out. Crawley and Stein glared at him as they drove past. West must’ve called them back, because how on earth had anyone gotten through to the elusive Lynch so quickly?
His phone buzzed and he read the message from the man himself:
“Welcome to the team. West said that you oversaw my men’s work today. Don’t do anything stupid. You know who you work for, and we value loyalty.”
He buried his head in his hands. How could West drag him into this tangled coil? He knew a threat when he read one. And yet, West was right. Nashdidwork for Trout. And besides the existence of these machines on Millie’s land, he wasn’t given any other information on whether there was oil or not. Trout would hardly know what sort of risk that he was taking working with Lynch.
And despite all that… Millie trusted Nash. She shouldn’t. How could he get that across to her, but still not turn on Trout in a way that might invite reciprocation? He hadn’t seen, but he suspected how that guy worked now that Nash had seen the darker side of this business. If Trout stopped at nothing to bribe and buy his clients’ loyalty, then he’d turn just as lowdown—and likely vicious—if anyone turned on him.
What would that mean to his brother… to himself? Even their own mother, who was still waiting on her heart transplant? And also pressing on Nash’s mind—distressingly so—was his own cut in this whole debacle. Why should he care about that money now when it was never his to begin with? But it could be…
His commission was in the millions.
Living the peaceful country life with Emily made him want something like this of his own. This money represented prosperity, security. If he bungled this deal, then not only would he put everything he loved into jeopardy, but he’d also lose those possibilities in the near future. He’d have nothing to offer her, besides his inheritance at the cattle ranch, and why should an up-and-coming country star want a humble ranch herder anyway?
He couldn’t quit now.
If Nash’s role in this was what Millie already expected, then he wasn’t doing anything wrong. He just didn’t understand business, no matter how dark, no matter how underhanded. The vast area was rich and green with forestland and already worth millions on its own. Millie would live a cushy lifestyle from here on out. Of course, that still didn’t change that he’d seen the seismic thumper trucks already, and that he suspected Lynch’s underhanded interference in all this. There was definitely oil on this land. He’d bet his life on it.
Groaning, he drove away from the worksite.
He still wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but the last thing that Nash wanted was for Emily to know what was happening here, especially when everything was going so well between them.