“You’re married, man.” Maverick tossed back a mouthful of ale.
“So? I wear a condom. Plus, it’s not like I’m getting much at home anyway.”
Maverick’s stomach soured. The dude’s personal life wasn’t his business, but he lost respect. In his rulebook, cheating was unacceptable.
Another golfer flagged him over and introduced him to the two women he was chatting with.
Maverick shot them a smile. “How’s everyone doin’ tonight?”
After a few minutes of small talk, he was ready to roll.
“You want to get out of here?” asked one of the ladies. “We could go somewhere where I don’t have to shout.”
Maverick displayed his wedding band. “I’m going home to my woman. I miss her.” He thanked the guys for playing in the tournament and took off.
On the drive home, he thought about what he’d say to Carly. When it came to matters of the heart, he was unskilled. Maverick was a man of action, not words. His plan? Show her how much he loved her. Time to make some serious life changes.
His thoughts were interrupted when Douglas Hill called. “Hey, Douglas. How are you, my friend?”
Douglas was president of Lakewood Technologies, a thriving Northern Virginia tech company. For the past two years, they’d been ThunderStrike’s biggest commercial client and had booked seven jobs over the next ten months, both domestic and abroad.
“Maverick, welcome back.” Normally upbeat, Douglas’s voice was sullen.
“What’s going on?”
“I was summoned to the Hill this afternoon.”
The hair on the back of Maverick’s neck prickled. “What for?”
“Internado wanted a heart-to-heart, though I’m convinced he doesn’t have one.”
Maverick’s stomach dropped. “This doesn’t sound good.”
“It’s not. A few years back, I needed support to get legislation passed on certain codes for our products, along with a big push for the green initiative that put us on the map. I asked Internado for help. He did way more than expected and never asked for anything in return. No contribution to a PAC, not even my vote. It sickens me that he called in that favor today.”
Maverick wished this nightmare would end.
“He suggested—and I use that word loosely—I sever my relationship with you. If I don’t, he’s going to make things very difficult for my company.”
Despite his soaring pulse, Maverick stayed in control, refusing to let his emotions get away from him. “These political games are annoying as hell.”
Douglas’s jittery laugh morphed into a coughing attack. “Unfortunately, I’ve got to put our upcoming missions on hold.”
The twelve point five mil ThunderStrike would have earned from those gigs vanished in a puff of smoke. The call ended with Douglas apologizing profusely.
Once again, Maverick’s frustration morphed into a seething rage. That was the final nail in his coffin. ThunderStrike wouldn’t make it past Halloween .
I’ve hit rock bottom.
That evening, Carly hurried toward the front door of Presley Valley Nursing Home. Mrs. Murphy was interested in speaking with her. After signing in at the front desk, Carly was directed to the library.
When she entered the cozy book room, an alert Mrs. Murphy smiled from her wheelchair. “I’m Carly Stone, Stone Investigations.” She shook her hand before easing onto the chair beside her.
“Thank you for coming by,” Mrs. Murphy said. “The nurse explained you were delivering a message from your grandfather. Why didn’t he come by himself?”
“He passed away in February.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, dear. He was such a nice man.” Mrs. Murphy had the kindest eyes. “How did you know I’d contacted him?”