“And you didn’t think I needed to know?”
She shrugged. “He agreed and said he has no plans to sue. Since he’s not a problem, I didn’t think it was worth mentioning. Plus, you were out of town. It was such a non-issue, I almost forgot I’d even seen him.”
I nodded slowly. I believed her. Or at least, I believed most of what she’d said. Although if Dominic had rolled over and shown his belly to her that easily, I was surprised she hadn’t bragged about how she’d made him squirm. Althea liked to boast about her victories, in and out of the courtroom.
But that was only a small doubt. Maybe it hadn’t felt like a satisfying victory, so she’d let it go. And I had been out of town all last week. That probably explained it.
“Okay, then,” I said. “If you get wind of anything on his end, let me know.”
“I will. And, Cox, I talked to Drew Easton again. They’re still interested in buying out Skyline.”
“And I’m still not interested in screwing over my investors.”
Her eyes flashed with frustration. “Are you sure your loyalty isn’t misplaced? You’re awfully concerned about Shepherd Calloway.”
“Calloway isn’t the only Skyline investor.”
“No, but he’s the reason you won’t take the deal, isn’t he? Or, more accurately, his assistant is why you won’t take the deal.”
“Believe it or not, this isn’t about my wife.”
“Your wife,” she muttered, rolling her eyes.
I chuckled. “You really ought to stop letting that bother you so much. And we move forward with Skyline as planned. We’re not selling.”
I didn’t wait for her to answer—or argue. Just gave her a nod and went back to my office.
Before I had a chance to sit down, my cell phone rang. It was Shepherd Calloway. That was odd.
“Calloway. What can I do for you?”
“Cox.” His voice was ice cold. Almost flat. “I have some things to go over with you. Can you meet me at the Oak Barrel tonight at six?”
“I think so. Hold on; let me check my calendar.”
I swiped to my calendar. I was free tonight. But why was Calloway calling me personally to set up a meeting? I’d have thought he’d have Sophie call Oliver to set something up. Still, he represented one of the single most important business partnerships I had right now.
“Sure. I’ll see you at six.”
“Good.” He ended the call.
“Nice to chat with you, too, Calloway.” I shook my head and pocketed my phone. I’d see what he wanted tonight.
Calloway was already at the Oak Barrel, an upscale wine bar downtown, when I arrived. He was dressed in a suit and tie and was seated at a table near the back. And he wasn’t alone. A guy in glasses, a sweater vest, and plaid shirt sat with him. Their chairs were angled away from each other, like they’d moved their seats in opposite directions before sitting down.
I straightened my cuffs and went to their table.
“Calloway.” I reached out my hand and we shook. His face was unreadable, but that was how he always looked. Definitely a man who kept his cards close. Not a guy I’d be in a hurry to invite to poker night.
He gestured to his companion. “This is Corban Nash.”
His expression was easier to read, but not easier to understand. He regarded me through narrowed eyes in a way that made me feel a bit like a lab rat running through a maze. He gave me a firm handshake, never breaking eye contact.
I took a seat in the empty chair. “What can I do for you gentlemen?”
“You know my assistant, Sophie Abbott?” Calloway asked.
Did I ever. I knew every delicious inch of her, but I wasn’t about to say that out loud. Especially to these two. “I do.”
“Curious choice of words.” Nash leaned forward, adjusting his glasses.
“Is it true you married her in Vegas?” Calloway asked.
My eyebrows lifted. “Has she spoken to you about that?”
“Our wives are her best friends,” Nash said, as if that explained everything.
“I suppose that means you already know the answer,” I said. “Sophie and I have a private agreement as to how we’re handling the legalities going forward.”
“What does the agreement entail?” Calloway asked.
“As I said, it’s private. If she’d like to share the details with you, that’s up to her.”
“That’s actually pretty fair,” Nash said.
Calloway shot him a look, then turned back to me. “What’s your game, Cox?”
I put my hands up. “No game, unless you count Sophie’s winning streak at the craps table. We had a wild night in Vegas with some unintended consequences. And if you’re insinuating that I’d use a quickie marriage as a means for some kind of corporate espionage, you’re giving me too much credit. I’m not that subtle.”
“You mean to tell me this wasn’t planned? You just happened to run into her at the casino?”
“Not exactly. I was there looking for her. Sophie’s a beautiful woman. I don’t think I need to apologize for wanting to pursue her.”
Calloway narrowed his eyes. “You do if by pursuing her you mean manipulating her into marrying you.”
He was starting to piss me off. Sophie’s dad could grill me all he wanted, but who the fuck was he? “Do we have a problem here, Calloway?”
Nash leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Interesting move.”
Calloway glanced at him. “Are you analyzing him right now?”
“I’m just saying it’s interesting that he chose to up the ante with what could be construed as a threat. Or maybe the precursor to a threat. Male lobsters do a similar kind of posturing when competing for territory.”
“Lobsters?” I asked.
“They’re not the only animals with a hierarchical social structure, of course,” he continued. “But the fact that they’re crustaceans makes them particularly fascinating. We expect to see those kinds of complex social interactions among mammals, but not so much in anything with an exoskeleton.”
I had no idea what to say to that.
Was it weird that I kind of liked this guy?
“Here’s the thing,” Calloway said, apparently ignoring Nash and his biology lesson. “Sophie isn’t just my assistant. She’s my wife’s friend. Which means I have a particular interest in her well-being.”
“Then I’m happy to reassure you that Sophie is just fine.”
“She better be.”
I was about to fire back when Nash spoke up again.
“I think he has intimacy issues.”
“How can you tell?” Calloway asked.
“Subtle nonverbal cues,” Nash said, eying me up and down. “And there’s a certain hesitance in the way he says her name.”
Calloway shook his head. “I’m glad you didn’t know me before I met Everly.”
Nash laughed. “Since when are you glad to know me at all?”
“Is there a point to all this?” I asked.
“What Shepherd is trying to say is that you better not screw things up with Sophie,” Nash said. “She might not have any brothers, but she has us, and we make it our business to look out for her. Also, he’ll ruin your life if you hurt her.” He gestured to Calloway.