“He might not, but it’s to be expected. I hear you’re amazing at your job and really kick ass.”
My smile wobbles. “Thanks, but it feels like my ass is the one being kicked right now.”
“Sometimes life is like that. Not every plan can work out the way you want it to.” Zahra slams on the brakes and the golf cart screeches to a halt.
“This is the closest I can get you to his location without actually driving where guests can see me.”
“Thank you so much.”
“Thank me by kicking Seth’s ass.” She shoves my backpack into my hands. “Go! Take the back alleys so you can avoid the crowds.”
She doesn’t have to tell me twice. I’m nothing but shaky limbs and protesting lungs as I chase after the little blue dot that marks Declan’s location. I don’t stop running until I find Declan, Yakura, and Seth all talking. Well, more like Seth is talking and Declan looks about one minute away from shoving him into the nearest fountain a hundred feet away.
Mr. Yakura’s eyes land on me. “Iris!”
I can’t respond as I keel over, slapping my hands against my thighs as I take in a few deep breaths. My breathing doesn’t seem to get any better, and my throat feels like someone wrapped their hands around it and hasn’t stopped squeezing.
I stare at two dark shoes stopping in front of me.
“Where’s your inhaler?” Declan’s voice seems rough and on edge.
It makes me bristle.
“Your inhaler, Iris.” His tone has a bit more bite to it.
I point at my tiny backpack in between wheezes. He makes quick work of finding the red canister amongst all the Dreamland junk I’ve collected over the last twenty-four hours.
“Here.” He uncaps it before passing it to me.
I go through the motions, and my breathing becomes easier as the medicine makes its way through my system. Declan steals it back from my hand and packs it away.
I rise up and look over at Mr. Yakura with a shy smile. With the way his eyes shift from Declan to me back to Declan again, he seems almost smitten by his overbearing display.
It was kind of cute. I’ll give him that and only that today. Even though he is acting like a total ass right now, not even bothering to look at me as he stares down his father with a scowl.
“I was wondering where you were.” Yakura pulls me in for a big hug.
I catch Seth shooting lasers at me from afar, and I give him a little wave with my free hand.
“Where’s your wife?”
He releases me from his embrace. “She stayed at the hotel. Had I realized you would be joining us, I would have brought her along.”
“What if we go get her?”
His whole face lights up. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to put anyone out by changing our plans.”
“Nonsense. We can’t spend the day at Dreamland without her. It wouldn’t be right.”
He winks. “This is why I like you.”
Seth stares at me like an enemy he wants to destroy, so I welcome his challenging gaze with one of my own. It’s his fault Declan and I were put in this position in the first place.
And I don’t plan on forgetting it.
40
DECLAN
I thought having Iris along would solve my problems, except it doesn’t. If anything, it only adds an extra complication to my already failing plan.
Her idea to bring Mrs. Yakura along? Great in theory, but she is just another pain in my ass. She stops every twenty feet to stare at something, which only slows us down. And by slowing us down, it gives my father more opportunities to lead the discussion. Iris tries to move her forward, but she becomes immersed in every damn flower, child, and sign in our path.
Herding Mrs. Yakura is about as successful as gathering a bunch of stray cats. It doesn’t help that her husband seems to encourage her, with his attention span split between my father, me, and his wife.
I take another deep breath as Mr. Yakura pulls to the side with Iris and his wife to check out another topiary. They act as if they have never seen a shrub before.
“Doing okay, son?”
I swear I’m about one comment away from grabbing him by his tie and choking him with it.
Breathe.
I try to use my usual phrases to calm myself down, but each time I try, it only seems to make matters worse.
“I’m fine.”
He chuckles underneath his breath. “You can give up at any time and I’ll take over to secure the deal. I’m even willing to give you credit and put in a good word for you during our next board meeting.”
“Shut up.”
“I’m trying to help you. While I’d be happy to finish this off and secure us a new park, all it would take is one misstep from me and the deal is good as dead.”
My teeth grind together. “You shouldn’t even be here.”
“You should have mentioned that to your wife then before she set up an automatic email letting everyone know where you were this week.”
“You’re lying.”
He smirks. “Go ahead and check your phone. I’ll wait.”
I pull it out but stop myself. His tricks aren’t going to work on me.
“I don’t believe you.” Even if she did send out an email like that, it doesn’t mean my father could connect me all the way back to Dreamland.
“I take it you don’t want to accept my offer to help finish this once and for all?”
“Over my dead body.”
“No parent wants to bury their child, but I suppose I’m willing to make an exception.”
“I don’t have time for this shit.” I push past him and walk toward Iris and the Yakuras.
“I was telling them all about the greenhouses we have on the company property a few miles away from here.” Iris smiles up at me.
“Great. I doubt they’re interested in going there though,” I speak between gritted teeth.
Her smile drops before she recovers. “So, I was wondering what you both would like to see next?”
“Roller coasters,” Mrs. Yakura says at the same time as her husband replies, “Nothing that causes back pain.”
Great. I have to choose between giving Mr. Yakura permanent nerve damage and pleasing his wife.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
My father and I spend the afternoon battling for Mr. Yakura’s attention. He consistently interjects himself as if to remind us that he is still a part of the group, and Yakura falls for it. He wants to know about our family, our history with the park, and what it was like growing up with a grandfather who created the biggest fairy-tale empire in the world.
I jump in and respond to some questions before my father has a chance, although his years of experience give him an advantage. Yakura seems pleased with my responses. But then again, he seems equally interested in what my father has to say. Maybe even more so.
This wouldn’t be a problem if he wasn’t even here to begin with. A problem my assistant caused by creating a damning automatic message insinuating I was at Dreamland. My father is no idiot. He knows exactly what a trip to Dreamland means, and it has nothing to do with visiting Rowan.
Since I didn’t believe him, I check my email. There are multiple ones from employees where I automatically replied back saying I would be out of town for business at Dreamland.