Jay sat still and waited in the dark until he was positive Penny slept on the air mattress. He stared hard at her reflection in the moonlight, then snuck into his office to go up stairs to the pool. He could speak freely outside. The pool had seats, and he needed to make a call.
A calmness entered his heart. Living with Penny was going to chang his life, and for the better. His shoulders rolled back and he smiled. She’d be perfect as his date to meet Mr. Danvers. He picked up the phone, but part of him held back.
He’d never hurt her. He hesitated before he hit call. His former kidnapper worked for his mother, and Penny would need protection.
Jay clutched his phone, took a seat, and turned on his tablet. His ears sharpened to the splashing of his pool while his eyes focused on the intense light blue under the water. His pulse calmed and he dialed. Two rings later, Gonzales answered, “Hello?”
Jay set his jaw and kept the pitch in his voice low. “Mr. Gonzales, it’s Jay Marshall.”
“The boy?”
With a sharp movement, he pushed his chin up. “I’m an adult now.”
“Why are you calling me?”
His chest thrust out. He’d cut the cords to his mother’s backup. “I’d like you to end your business with my mother.”
“It’s profitable for me. Your mother is a smart woman.”
He inhaled deeply. “I’ll pay you to retire from this business.”
“How much?”
Good. He straightened his legs in the chair. “Last year, you were paid two hundred and fifty million dollars. The profits for the hotel investment have dwindled with the economy. I’ll come in and pay you a billion dollars to end all future business and take this one off your hands.”
“Your parents were wrong with what they did to you.”
A fluttering in his chest started. He could pay off his mother’s help and end all control she tried to exert over him. “It was a long time ago.”
“Yet, this is a personal family matter. Let my lawyers draw up a deal and we’ll be in touch.”
With his hand on his knee and a smile on his face, Jay kept his cool. “Perfect.”
“Son, I understand your mother. She’s made me money with her insights, but everything comes to an end. Understand any deal we finalize is because you offered me enough to walk away.”
He clenched his fists to hold his composure to finish. “Of course.”
Jay hung up the phone and a wide grin grew on his face. Tonight, he’d taken steps to win. No one would have power over him again.
A dark cloud came to his thoughts. Whenever the deal with Gonzales happened, Penny could not be anywhere near. An angel like her would never betray him for cold, hard cash. Unlike any other woman he met, Penny’s smile warmed him, and unlike anyone else right now, his instincts told him to trust her.