“Introduce me to your child bride-to-be, Van. She’s going to need a female friend who understands the dangers lurking in the shadows now that she’s associated with you.” Before I could respond, she added, “Let’s say she can think of me as her big sister.”
Lena had a little sister. It wasn’t Julia.
Because you did such a great job with your own sister…I wouldn’t say that either. Lena was hardly the singular reason for what happened. She’d tried. I shook my head.
“Julia’s safe from shadows,” I said, “or anything or anyone else. I’d fucking protect her with my life.”
Lena’s cadence slowed. “And they know that.”
“Sell me your shares, and I’ll work out a way to introduce you.” Not that I’m letting you alone with Julia. I didn’t add the last part. The truth was I admired Lena more than almost anyone. That said, I didn’t trust her any more than she trusted me.
“Are you really going there, Van, tit for tat? I’m not selling. Those shares are my credit, my stepping-stone. After all, the interest Donovan Sherman has taken in Wade has thrust it into the spotlight. Let me in on this. I’ll work GreenSphere. Butler won’t sell to you, but he might to Aphrodite or GreenSphere. You and I invest in GreenSphere and those shares fall under their umbrella. It will be almost like they’re ours. Then when Wade makes its Alzheimer research known, we can hold hands, sing Kumbaya, and watch as Wade’s value soars and the Butlers are left in the cold.”
“How the fuck did you know about the Alzheimer research?”
“The compound that Wade has kept quiet? Like I said, Logan and I chatted. Let me join the fun, Van.”
There was no better partner if our goals remained the same.
The problem was that there was also no more capable opponent than Lena Montgomery if our goals changed.