Page 122 of The Charmer

After hanging up, I stared out the window some more. I wasn't prone to gazing off and being unproductive, and even less so when I was preparing to make an acquisition. I made a quick call to our legal department, letting them know about the next steps, but that was the most I could focus on. Deveraux was still front and center in my mind.

The guy needed to be taught a lesson, because he wasn't going to stop. He hated losing, and he’d lost Robert’s buildings and, to top it off, was humiliated by Georgie at the Landry party.

There was only one thing to do—call Xander. This was one of those times that I wished he had an office here too. It would make things easier, but he answered after the first ring.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi, Xander. Thanks for picking up."

"You’re early today," he replied. “Is it because you got Robert's property?"

"News travels fast," I said.

"The important news does, yes. "

"That's not what I'm calling."

"Then why?"

"How much do you know about the swindling Kyle Deveraux did last year?"

"A lot. I've researched that in detail because I wanted to make sure we weren't caught up in it."

"Do you have any documentation to prove it?"

"What do you have in mind?" Xander asked.

"I’ll need that documentation."

"That's not how I work, brother. I need the details."

"This is not the time for it." I wasn't in the mood for a lengthy conversation.

"You’re asking me to hand you confidential information. Of course I need to know what you want to do with it."

When he put it like that... “I want to make everyone aware of Kyle's swindling. Absolutely everyone."

Xander whistled loudly. "Damn, you truly don’t like him. Is it because of Georgie?”

"Fuck yes, it is. He’s trying to make her lose clients again by spreading lies that some of them are unhappy with her work."

"What the hell?" I was proud of my brother's indignation on behalf of my woman. "That fucker."

"My thoughts exactly." I paced the office, already forming a plan in my mind.

"Some people will be pissed off about this. No one likes to look the fool, even if Deveraux swindled them.”

"We can do this carefully. We don't have to reveal names. We can simply track his funds, see where all that money went."

"I'm starting to like this. I need more details."

"Xander!" I was infuriated now. "I don't have them. I'm making them up as I go.”

"See, that's not how this will work. I need a solid plan."

"You want to create a PowerPoint out of it?"

"That wouldn't be a bad idea."

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