Chapter 110 The Long Road

At Sterling Group, Miles pushed open the office door.

Alpha Killian was already at his desk, signing off on the last of the day’s paperwork. Eight sharp.

"Alpha Killian, R&D’s downstairs."

Alpha Killian capped his pen, looked up. "Ten minutes. That’s it."

Meeting ran fast and tight. Ten minutes later, Alpha Killian stood. "Half hour for breakfast. West entrance, eight-fifty."

Team cleared out. Alpha Killian turned to Miles. "You got what I asked for?"

Miles patted his briefcase. "Right here."

"Twenty copies. Get them into binders."

Alpha Killian’s voice stayed flat, but something sharp flickered behind his eyes.

Miles bolted for the copy room, roped in Natalie and Kate to help since the stack was massive.

Kate flipped through the first page, whistled low. "He planning to hand these out like flyers or what?"

Miles just smiled.

Couldn’t picture the scene exactly either, but he could picture the look on Alpha Killian’s face when he slid this thing across the table in front of the committee. Dead calm. Ice cold.

The kind of look that screamed game over before the other guy even knew he’d lost.

Natalie slid pages into binder covers, muttering. "Karma’s a bitch. Dude’s about to get destroyed by the woman he tossed aside like garbage."

"We seriously can’t tag along?" Kate whined.

"Nope. Somebody’s gotta hold the fort." Miles shrugged. "You’ll hear all about it later, promise."

Kate huffed, slammed her stapler down. Caught herself. "Careful. This paperwork’s about to tank our biggest competitor."

"I know." Natalie glanced toward the hallway. "Eira know about any of this?"

"Beats me." Kate shrugged.

Both of them went quiet a beat, a little wistful.

Miles cleared his throat. "She knows. Hey, quit moping, you two. It’s not like she fell off the face of the earth. You’ll see her around."

He packed the twenty binders into a spare banker’s box from the supply closet, snapped the lid shut.

By eight-fifty, Alpha Killian’s car rolled out from Sterling Tower’s west entrance.

Twenty minutes later, they pulled up outside the downtown convention center, where the selection committee had a conference room booked for the day.

--

Southridge Estates, Number Nine.

Eira washed up, did her makeup light, popped in the colored contacts, prescription ones, exactly her strength. Martin thought of everything.

The outfit fit like it was made for her. Probably was. Black turtleneck, brown leather skirt, ankle boots she could actually walk in. She snapped a photo, sent it to Martin.

Martin: Coat. It’s sunny but freezing.

She grabbed the brown blazer off the bed and headed out.

A black sedan sat waiting at the gate.

Thomas Green behind the wheel, same driver who’d shuttled her between Sterling Group and the institute for four years. Except today he wasn’t alone. Two bodyguards in the back, boxing her in on both sides.

"Morning, Dr. Crawford. Breakfast at the institute, or grab something on the road?" Thomas caught her eye in the rearview. "I’d say on the road. Random’s safer."

She hadn’t eaten. Hadn’t slept much either, too busy running through today in her head. "On the road. Four meals, one for everybody."

He pulled over halfway, came back with breakfast sandwiches.

"Expense it, Thomas."

"Four years, Dr. Crawford. You’ve said that every single time." He grinned. "I know."

She smiled, unwrapped her sandwich as the car rolled toward the convention center downtown.

Nine o’clock sharp, they pulled up.

--

Eira stepped out of the car, took the escalator upstairs, and headed for the institute team.

The room was already half full. Handshakes, nods, coffee cups.

Dr. Victor Winthrop broke away from a conversation and crossed over to her himself.

"Dr. Crawford." He offered his hand. "Long road. You made it count."

"Thank you, Dr. Victor Winthrop." She shook it, polite, professional. "I’m not on the panel, so I’ll be next door."

Davies walked her out. Lowered his voice once they hit the hallway.

"One thing before you go. Both bidders are personal to you, one way or another. Sterling signed your paychecks, and Hale—" he didn’t finish that one.

"Point is, the panel knows it, and they’ll be watching for it. Whatever input you give at the end, make sure it’s bulletproof. Numbers, not feelings."

"It will be."

"I know." He paused, then added, simpler, "Dr. Alaric would’ve liked seeing this. That’s all."

She nodded once and pushed into the small conference room.

"There she is!" Claire spun her chair around. The rest of the team looked up from their laptops, grinning.

"So what’s the mood over there?" someone called out. "They look nervous? Tell me Hale looks nervous."

"They look caffeinated." Eira dropped into a chair. "Speaking of which, anyone order food? No? Okay, hands up, who hasn’t eaten."

Half the room, of course. She reached for her phone to put in an order.

Not there.

She checked her blazer, ran it back fast. Pocket at home, straight into the car. Backseat, had to be.

And her notes for the final Q&A were on it, no way she was walking into this afternoon without them.

"Claire, call Thomas, tell him to swing back. I’ll run down and grab it." She was already up. Honestly, five minutes away from all this nervous energy didn’t sound bad either.

The bodyguards fell in behind her.

Down in the lobby, she clocked Serena camped on a couch by the entrance, head down, earbuds in, thumbs flying.

Texting Sebastian, probably.

Eira breezed right past. The bodyguards screened her from view, and Serena never looked up.

Thomas’s car was idling out front. He started to get out and help, but Eira waved him off.

"I’ve got it." She leaned into the backseat, felt around, and there it was, wedged under the seat.

Right then a sleek Bentley rolled up behind the sedan.

She didn’t clock it at first. Then she caught the plate.

Alpha Sebastian’s car. New one, replacing the one Alpha Killian totaled.

Of course. Great timing.

She straightened up, phone in hand, as Alpha Sebastian stepped out. Tailored suit, polished shoes, assistant at his elbow. And a young guy she’d never seen before.

Alpha Sebastian didn’t notice her. His eyes were on the building.

But the young guy’s gaze had already found her. And stayed there.

"Finn?" Alpha Sebastian glanced over.

Finn’s eyes were wide, bright, a little glazed over.

Alpha Sebastian knew that dumbstruck look, he’d worn it himself once. Love at first sight. Who the hell is he...

He followed Finn’s gaze. And froze.

Eira. Except nothing like the Eira he knew. Sharp lines, put together, all confidence.

She met his stare dead-on. Colder than ever.

Why was she here, dressed like that? She’d quit Sterling.

Before he got a word out, Finn was already moving.

"Give me a sec, Sebastian." He made a beeline for her, cheeks pink.

A bodyguard stepped into his path, arm out.

Finn clocked the security, did the math, somebody important, and grinned anyway. "You here for the bid too? Finn Carter. What’s your name?"

She sized him up. Couldn’t read his angle. "Eira."

God, she’s so cool. "Can I get your number?"

"Finn." Alpha Sebastian cut in, smile stretched thin, nowhere near his eyes. "Eira. What are you doing here? And who are they?"

Finn blinked between them. "Wait, you two know each other?"

Alpha Sebastian nodded, mouth already opening, she’s my wife locked and loaded.

"Sebastian!" Serena, at the entrance.

She stepped out and froze at the sight of them standing together. [Why the hell did he bring her here?]