Read Online Cuckoo (Kindred Book 3) by Scarlett Finn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Scarlett Finn
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was the successful buyer. “I am sorry for that, but that project was tied up long ago.”
Pinning his eyes onto hers, he stayed silent for so long that she almost began to squirm. But he was measuring her, testing his opponent, and she couldn’t fail his examination. A smile slid to his face. “I have something for you.”
He opened his jacket to pull an envelope from his inside pocket. The long white paper was thick and of good quality. When he slid it across to her, she was reminded of the time Grant had given her a check in a similar envelope.
The offering intrigued her. “What’s in there?”
Smug yet casual, he was proud of himself. “A new bid,” he said and her chin darted up in another bolt of surprise. This one wasn’t so easy to conceal. “We know that Albert Sutcliffe did not use the device. Grant returned his payment. Exclusivity is still on the table.”
“How could you possibly know that?” she asked, on the ropes.
It was difficult to maintain her cool, but she was doing it. Keeping her expression neutral and her body upright in a pose she’d seen the arrogant business people who did their work in this building use, Zara was thrust from the past to the future. As far as she knew, no one had re-opened bidding for Game Time.
Kahlil was assuming a lot by coming here with an offer already on paper. He probably wanted to get in on the ground floor, guessing that with Grant gone and Sutcliffe ousted, Game Time would be up for grabs again.
“We are not without our own capabilities,” he said. “My superior was angry when we lost the deal. So angry that surveillance was ordered on Grant and on Albert Sutcliffe. We witnessed what happened in the Atlas warehouse and know that you are in possession of the device.”
“That was months ago,” she exhaled.
The Kindred had been so preoccupied by Leatt and what was left of Sutcliffe’s legacy that they’d missed the backdoor strike. They were watching the wrong fight! Leatt was long gone, and Rigor could handle any of Sutcliffe’s people who tried to return to their former home. Kahlil and his colleagues were coming for Game Time. They needed to switch focus, to find out what Kahlil’s boss wanted to achieve with Game Time.
Kahlil had to sense her bewilderment, but he kept the focus on business. “Yes. Grant wasn’t interested in accepting our new approach.”
So this wasn’t completely new. Grant had never told her about a subsequent offer for Game Time. Guessing that Grant had refused the offer without hesitation, she had to wonder about why Kahlil was trying again now that Grant was gone, he had to know that she had no authority over any of CI’s assets or products. But if he had witnessed what happened in the Atlas warehouse, he had to know that she had been the one to drive away from the site with the device in tow.
“What makes you think I will be interested?”
Linking his fingers, he rested his forearms on the desk. “Because you’re a woman,” he said, looking at her chest, which was concealed behind a conservative, fitted blouse.
Insulting the person you wanted to do business with was not a great starting point for negotiations. Suggesting that her gender made her more susceptible to his suggestion guaranteed that his hearing would not be impartial because she was already affronted.
“So, I’m supposed to do what you tell me?” she said, making no secret of her displeasure. “I wouldn’t even consider a deal until you revealed the identity of your superior and his intention.”
For a moment, she recalled what Benedict Leatt had said about his superior, and she wondered if they could be answering to the same individual. That idea was quickly quashed when Kahlil made his next admission.
“The players have changed since we last met,” he said and for the first time she saw a crack in his nonchalance.
“What does that mean?” she asked, trying to decipher why he would be so affected by a change in his
Pinning his eyes onto hers, he stayed silent for so long that she almost began to squirm. But he was measuring her, testing his opponent, and she couldn’t fail his examination. A smile slid to his face. “I have something for you.”
He opened his jacket to pull an envelope from his inside pocket. The long white paper was thick and of good quality. When he slid it across to her, she was reminded of the time Grant had given her a check in a similar envelope.
The offering intrigued her. “What’s in there?”
Smug yet casual, he was proud of himself. “A new bid,” he said and her chin darted up in another bolt of surprise. This one wasn’t so easy to conceal. “We know that Albert Sutcliffe did not use the device. Grant returned his payment. Exclusivity is still on the table.”
“How could you possibly know that?” she asked, on the ropes.
It was difficult to maintain her cool, but she was doing it. Keeping her expression neutral and her body upright in a pose she’d seen the arrogant business people who did their work in this building use, Zara was thrust from the past to the future. As far as she knew, no one had re-opened bidding for Game Time.
Kahlil was assuming a lot by coming here with an offer already on paper. He probably wanted to get in on the ground floor, guessing that with Grant gone and Sutcliffe ousted, Game Time would be up for grabs again.
“We are not without our own capabilities,” he said. “My superior was angry when we lost the deal. So angry that surveillance was ordered on Grant and on Albert Sutcliffe. We witnessed what happened in the Atlas warehouse and know that you are in possession of the device.”
“That was months ago,” she exhaled.
The Kindred had been so preoccupied by Leatt and what was left of Sutcliffe’s legacy that they’d missed the backdoor strike. They were watching the wrong fight! Leatt was long gone, and Rigor could handle any of Sutcliffe’s people who tried to return to their former home. Kahlil and his colleagues were coming for Game Time. They needed to switch focus, to find out what Kahlil’s boss wanted to achieve with Game Time.
Kahlil had to sense her bewilderment, but he kept the focus on business. “Yes. Grant wasn’t interested in accepting our new approach.”
So this wasn’t completely new. Grant had never told her about a subsequent offer for Game Time. Guessing that Grant had refused the offer without hesitation, she had to wonder about why Kahlil was trying again now that Grant was gone, he had to know that she had no authority over any of CI’s assets or products. But if he had witnessed what happened in the Atlas warehouse, he had to know that she had been the one to drive away from the site with the device in tow.
“What makes you think I will be interested?”
Linking his fingers, he rested his forearms on the desk. “Because you’re a woman,” he said, looking at her chest, which was concealed behind a conservative, fitted blouse.
Insulting the person you wanted to do business with was not a great starting point for negotiations. Suggesting that her gender made her more susceptible to his suggestion guaranteed that his hearing would not be impartial because she was already affronted.
“So, I’m supposed to do what you tell me?” she said, making no secret of her displeasure. “I wouldn’t even consider a deal until you revealed the identity of your superior and his intention.”
For a moment, she recalled what Benedict Leatt had said about his superior, and she wondered if they could be answering to the same individual. That idea was quickly quashed when Kahlil made his next admission.
“The players have changed since we last met,” he said and for the first time she saw a crack in his nonchalance.
“What does that mean?” she asked, trying to decipher why he would be so affected by a change in his
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