Call Her Mine (Harmony Pointe #1)- Melissa Foster Page 0,70
outlined strategies, we should see a thirteen percent profit within the first twelve to eighteen months, with a four- to five-year projection netting one point eight billion dollars.”
“Thank you, and the wholesale partnerships?” he asked.
“We went over the partnership agreements again from the two lower-earning locations,” she said, “and we concur that bringing in new wholesale partnerships should create an immediate increase in revenue.”
“Ben, we’ll need teams ready to deploy as soon as the deal is done,” director Garth Anziano added. “As you know, two of the locations have had declining reviews for the past several months. We’ll need to focus on restaffing immediately in the European and island locations.”
“Got it,” Ben said. “All of that was to be expected—”
“Sorry,” Aiden interrupted, pushing to his feet with an anguished look on his face. “I need to take this call privately.”
Ben wondered what was going on to have caused that look and said, “We’ll hold discussions until you return.” He was thankful for the break. As the others talked quietly over documents, Ben sent Aurelia a quick text. Hey, babe. How’s it going? Her response came in the form of a picture of Bea’s tiny hand with the caption, Can you see me wrapped around her tiny fingers? She’d added a kissing emoticon and a heart.
Aiden returned to the room red-faced, his jaw clenched. He was usually the epitome of a poised professional, but as his hands curled into fists, Ben knew something bad had happened, and with Remi’s stalker situation, he feared the worst.
“Clear the room,” Ben commanded. “We’ll reconvene shortly.”
As everyone gathered their laptops and documents, Ben pulled Aiden to the side, speaking quietly. “What’s going on? Did something happen to Remi?”
Speaking through gritted teeth, he said, “Something is going to happen to her when I get back to LA.” He shook his head and said, “Her bodyguards lost her. How the fuck do you lose a twenty-five-year-old woman who can’t go outside without being hounded by the press?”
“Jesus. Do you think it’s her stalker? Did you call the police?”
“I wouldn’t be standing here if I thought she was in immediate danger.” Aiden paced the floor. “She ditched them again, and you know how I know that? She sent me a text threatening not to return to her house unless I fired her bodyguards.”
Ben chuckled, then quickly schooled his expression. Remi hated having bodyguards. She also despised the press and everything about being an actress, although she loved acting. “Can’t you track her phone to find out where she is?”
“You know my sister. She nixed that ages ago.”
“Sounds like Remi. Where could she go and not be seen?” Ben asked. “Does she have a friend she’d stay with who wouldn’t out her?”
Aiden shook his head. He had the classic good looks of David Beckham, turning heads everywhere he went. But Ben knew that between business, watching out for Remi, and managing her career, Aiden didn’t have time for much else.
Aiden turned a seriously strained face to Ben and said, “I know you worked your ass off for this deal, and this morning I had every intent of offering to take over your end of the travel, but I can’t do it. Not knowing Remi might be putting herself in danger.”
“I’d never expect you to do that,” Ben reassured him. “Let’s figure out where Remi is and get her to safety. Then we can figure out the business. Family first. Always.”
Aiden scoffed. “I have lived my entire life putting her first. Why does she do this time and time again?”
“Dude, she’s not a kid anymore. She feels hamstrung by the press, by the frigging stalker, and even though it’s wrong, she probably feels that way by her bodyguards. I get why she took off, even though I don’t agree with it. But you’ve got to get through to her. If you think this stalker is trouble, she can’t do this shit.”
Aiden ground his back teeth and said, “He’s trouble. He broke into her house last week. I’ve got to track her down, and I know the timing sucks, but I can’t concentrate on this project, and I have a feeling you can’t, either. You’ve looked like a caged tiger since you walked in here.”
Ben stared out the window and crossed his arms. When he’d earned his first million, he’d thought he’d made it. When he was on the cover of Forbes magazine, he couldn’t imagine anything feeling more incredible. But nothing compared to seeing Bea smile or waking up with