Page 21 of A Game-Changing Christmas

“We will deal with it when we’re together.”

Cadena eyed her father. “Do you think this will work?”

The king went silent. “They’re aspirations runs the same as ours. It has to.”

* * *

Hunter Valentine strolledthrough the conference room door of VFC Energy. On a mission to get down to the reason for the urgent meeting, his six feet, four inches of testosterone marched passed his staff without so much of a head nod.

“This better be good,” he said, glancing between his brothers Xavier, Lance, and Raphael who stood close in height and carried a similar tone of muscle. Hunter hadn’t planned to leave Camilla or his newborn son alone for at least the first two weeks of baby Hunter’s arrival, and the seriousness in his manner was proof that he meant business.

“We’ve got mail,” Xavier said. He slid an envelope across the table, and Hunter snatched it up as it came to a stop before him.

“It has the royal seal on it,” Hunter pointed out. He eyed his brothers again.

“It has all of our names on it, too. Open it,” Xavier said.

Hunter removed the letter and read the message.

His royal highness King Isaac Winthrope has requested your immediate attention, seven a.m., at the Four Seasons inside the Delaware Room. Your attendance in the matter is urgent and expected to be timely.

— Cadena Winthrope, Advisor to the King

“What the hellis the King of Kéra Asnela doing in Chicago and who’s covering him?” Hunter looked to them all for answers.

“That’s what we would like to know,” Lance said.

The men hung on their thoughts silently, all dressed in suits except for Raphael who kept it casual in dark denim jeans and a thermal sweater.

“This is a summons,” Raphael said, breaking his silence. “Not the usual request for a business meeting.”

“Our business is over. We had one joint venture that helped feed thousands of our homeless, and it’s over, why would he be summoning us now?”

It was Lance who’d asked the question.

“Maybe he has another joint venture he’d like to work on.”

“That became null and void when the Roses made him choose between working with them and working with us,” Lance scurried to add.

The room became silent.

“I guess we’ll find out,” Xavier added.

Hunter tapped the envelope on the table. “Have we discovered anything about the bidder?”

“Only that his name is a cover for someone else,” Xavier said. Hunter swept his gaze across them. “Could it be the Roses?” The annoyance in his voice when he offered up the question was perturbing at best.

“It could,” Raphael said. “Or it could be King Isaac Winthrope.”

That opinion caused them all to frown.

“Why would King Isaac be thwarting our bids?”

“I’m not sure,” Raphael responded, “but I find it oddly strange that he’s beckoning us at the same time we’re trying to find out who the unidentified buyer is.”

“Or it could be the Roses trying to throw us off our game,” Lance added.

“We can toss these speculations around all night,” Hunter said, “but we need facts. Let’s start with King Isaac Winthrope and see if he has any answers.”

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