Page 30 of Sweet Revenge
For the most part, Declan was fine to let him have his cake and eat it too. He didn’t waste much time meddling in the affairs of other crime organizations in the city. Unless those affairs jeopardized the peace or his own business.
So far, DiMarco had managed to operate under the radar, which is why Declan left him alone, but there was something about him that rubbed Declan the wrong way. All he wanted to do at this point was collect dirt on DiMarco. A little insurance policy he could use when he needed it. Not before. The fundraiser would be a perfect way to do that.
Especially now that he had a thief living under his roof. Not that they were on speaking terms exactly. Other than the occasional grunt to acknowledge him when he spoke, Evie had done her best to say as few words as possible since he forced her to stay. Forced was a harsh word. He’d made a very persuasive argument.
An argument he’d won since she hadn’t even left the house since Aidan had fetched her car from the hotel. Not that Declan gave her much of an opportunity, working from home most of the week to keep an eye on her. Satisfied that she’d behave herself and not do anything stupid, he’d left to meet his realtor today.
Business never slept, and he had his sights on a new property. He loved to breathe life into a new project. This time he wanted something with flexible zoning so the commercial and residential income would pay dividends for years.
Pulling to a stop in front of the building he’d arranged to see, he got out for a better look. Four stories of glass and steel gave it a modern feel compared to the older brick and stone buildings on the street. Foot traffic seemed good, steady for late morning on a weekday with people weaving in and out of other shops.
His realtor pulled up, parking behind him in a new Porsche she no doubt bought with the handsome commissions she earned from his very generous business. She got out, her blonde hair swinging to her shoulders. They’d hadn’t slept together since he officially became a client—he didn’t like to mix business and pleasure—but he could still appreciate a beautiful body when he saw one.
Rebecca stopped next to him, shooting him a flirtatious smile before turning to look up at the building. “Gorgeous, isn’t it? Helen mentioned you were looking for something flexible.”
“I’m thinking commercial on the bottom and apartments on the top.”
She nodded, slipping comfortably into work mode as she led him across the sidewalk and unlocked the door. Rebecca was a shark, which is why he liked to work with her. And she hadn’t been bad in bed either.
“You could definitely accomplish that in this space. It was previously a bank with the upper floors being used as offices, but those could easily be converted into apartments.”
It smelled musty inside, but that was fixable, and he’d be willing to foot the bill on a rehab for the right tenant. He imagined something like a bookstore or a café would do well in this area of the city with its hipster vibes. There was a dog accessories boutique just up the block.
“The full building is about 13,000 square feet,” she continued. “So you’re looking at just under 3,300 per floor. Could do nice big three-bedroom apartments or even double up smaller units on each floor maybe.”
“Three-bedroom apartments that big in this area would rent quick.”
“And pay well,” Rebecca agreed with a nod. “There’s an elevator in the back, which is another nice feature for this part of town since most of the buildings are walk-ups. It could easily become a private elevator for residents.”
They wandered into the back, and she used a key to activate the elevator, taking them up to the fourth floor. It was an open floor plan, which would make renovations easier, and the big floor-to-ceiling windows that gave the building its modern look let in a lot of natural light.
The views were great in this part of the city. From this vantage point, he could make out the green of a park a few blocks over. Even if he separated each floor into two or three apartments, they would rent at a great price with views like these.
“How much?”
“Four million, but it’s been on the market almost two years, so I bet I could haggle it down.”
He nodded. “If you can get it down to three point five, I’ll take it.”
“How much up front?”
He glanced around the floor, considering the cost and time for renovations. “Fifteen percent.”
“Three point five should be a piece of cake,” she said with a grin.
Declan left Rebecca to lock up and drove home. He’d have to text Helen and let her know he wasn’t going to come back to the office after all. At least this time he wouldn’t have to see her pinched frown. It was clear she disapproved of his working from home. Or of his working from home with Evie in the house.
They’d been rivals in high school. Silly kid stuff to Declan’s mind, but not for Helen, apparently. He’d let her have her moods about it for now, but she’d have to get over it, or he was going to quickly lose his patience. The company he kept was no one’s damn business, least of all his assistant and the daughter of one of his men.
Pulling into the bottom of the driveway, he punched in the code for the gate and waited. As he cleared the trees his mother had planted for privacy two decades before, the house filled his vision. He loved this house and everything it represented. Even if sometimes that legacy sat like a lead weight around his shoulders.
He parked in the garage and rounded the end of his car, moving to the door, pausing with his hand on the knob. Circling back to the open garage, he looked out at the driveway and realized what was missing. Evie’s car was gone.
Frowning, he let himself in through the garage and took the stairs two at a time. At the top, he turned right to Evie’s room instead of left toward his own. Her door was open, but the room was empty. He keyed up her phone number and sent her a text.
Where are you?
He waited for a reply. Nothing. Stalking across the room, he yanked open her closet door, and the irritation eased a bit when he saw all of her clothes still hanging. So she hadn’t left; she’d just gone out. And not told him where she was going.
