The Beast Within (The Elite Series) - By Jonathan Yanez Page 0,13
truck and headed over to place them by the guesthouse. No doubt it was for the same bug infestation Katie mentioned when he ran into her in town.
As he approached the guesthouse, he could tell someone was inside. The door was open and he caught the figure of a man walking through the front room. Connor had never known anyone to actually stay in the house, it was more of a added amenity for the Hubers than anything else.
“Hello?” he called, placing the anti-bug equipment by the door. He knocked and stuck his head in. “Hello, is anyone there?”
“Why, what are the odds? It was Connor, right?”
Connor recognized the German accent and saw its speaker at the same time. There in the doorway was Randolph, fake smile and all.
CHAPTER 4
CONNOR STEPPED BACK, MOUTH AS open as the door. Randolph continued to smile.
“Oh, I see you two have already met!” Katie’s cheerful voice rang out behind Connor. “Connor, this is my second cousin on my mother’s side, Randolph.”
Connor turned to Katie. She was standing there, beautiful as ever, holding two large cups of lemonade. She was wearing a bright yellow shirt that reminded Connor of a sunflower, blue cut-off jeans, and yellow sandals. “Well, here you go—drink up!” She handed him one glass and gave the other to Randolph. “I brought you one, too. Thought you might be thirsty with all the moving.”
Randolph smiled at her. “Thank you, cousin, I was a bit parched. Now with Connor being so polite as to bring the necessary equipment, I can destroy these wretched bugs and finish the moving process.”
Connor, finding his voice, spoke up. “So, the two of you are related, and now you’re going to come and live in Katie’s guesthouse?”
“That’s right. Katie is a relative and her family has been nice enough to open their home to me while I’m in town on business. Just for a week or so.”
“What kind of business?”
“Oh, I won’t bore you with the details. Let’s just call it…” He paused, his blue eyes shifting as he searched for the right word. “Business of a personal nature.”
“Don’t be silly, Randolph. You can tell Connor,” Katie chimed in. “Randolph and his immediate family are from Germany. They’re very profitable bankers here to expand their business ventures and look into buying property.”
“Property,” Connor repeated the word as if it was the first time he had heard it. “Property, like businesses? Maybe small shops in the area?”
Randolph looked as though he was starting to get uneasy with all the talk directed at his activities in town. “Yes, small businesses and much more, but it would be a conflict of interest speaking about the matter with you, since you have another friend interested in the same industry, don’t you, Connor? Larentia, or as you might know her, Laren.”
Katie’s eyes scrunched a little at the brow. “Connor, you know someone else in real estate?”
“If you call a dinner date ‘knowing,’ well then, yes, Connor knows Larentia very well.” A smile appeared on Randolph’s face, replacing the look of unease.
“Yeah, I did meet someone involved in that area of business, but more so her family than her.”
Katie didn’t say a word. She just stared at him with a look Connor knew all too well, but he wasn’t going to feel guilty about a date. Katie was the one who had ended it with him and that had been months ago.
“Well, I still have another delivery to do. Randolph,” he said, nodding in his direction. “Katie, I’ll see you later.”
“I’ll walk you to your truck,” Katie said.
“Good-bye, Connor. Oh, and do give Larentia a message for me next time you see her. Tell her she’s in way over her head on this one and should call her daddy for help.”
Connor, avoiding any more conversation, just nodded in acknowledgement as he walked to his truck.
Katie kept pace with him and waited till they were out of earshot. “So, you started dating again?” Katie tried to make the question sound as innocent as possible, but Connor couldn’t help but think there were ulterior motives at work.
“I wouldn’t call it dating. I went on a date, as in one. Besides, why should it matter?”
“Oh, it doesn’t. Just thought you would have mentioned it, is all.”
“Katie, you broke up with me.”
“I know. It’s just that I’ve been thinking, and I miss you, Connor. I know this is unfair to say after I’ve put you through all this, but what if I made a mistake?”