I smile at the two men cleaning glasses behind the bar and eyeing me curiously, before following the owner through the door and down a dimly lit hallway.
Multiple doors line either side, but we carry on past them until we reach the stairs at the far end. There’s a fire exit propped open beside them as a delivery guy stumbles inside with a crate of bottles that clink loudly against each other.
I make my way up the stairs and see there is only one room up here and the door has been left open. I take that as an invite and stroll inside just as the owner collapses with a groan into a chair behind a large maple wood desk.
“I don’t have long before opening, so what can I help you with?” He leans back, his tone not precisely hostile, but it’s not inviting either.
“I came here with a business proposition, but now that I know you’re planning on selling, I have another idea in mind. Do you own this place outright?” I question, sitting in the chair in front of the desk and crossing my legs.
“No, there is still around eighty thousand to be paid, not including interest,” he answers with a frown.
“How about I pay off the outstanding loan and interest and give you fifty grand in cash if you agree to keep your name on the deed.”
“What? I don’t understand. You want to buy it, but not buy it?” He shakes his head in confusion.
“I want to use this place as a base of operations, at least for a while. 50k is a nice chunk of change to have in your pocket. You could go on an extended vacation.”
“But why would you want to use this place when Gemini has spaces down at the docks?”
“You mean the place where the previous Gemini was killed? Do you really think that’s a safe space for a woman to be? Not to mention the whole place stinks of fish and is fucking depressing.”
His lips twitch when I drop the f-bomb.
“I can’t see business booming if people find out Gemini is going to be here. The name alone will draw all kinds of unwanted attention,” he warns me, tapping his fingers on his desk.
“You leave that to me to worry about. Besides, this will be my home base. Gemini is kind of a recluse, so it will be me holding down the fort.”
He’s quiet for a moment while he considers my offer.
“What about the staff? I don’t want them being left in the lurch,” he asks quietly, making my respect for him go up a notch.
“Barring any unforeseen issues, I don’t plan on getting rid of anyone. However, if someone chooses to leave, I’ll respect their wishes. Nobody is going to be forced to do anything they don’t want to. Do you mind me asking why you’re selling?” I cock my head to the side in question.
“Money is tight. I’ve plowed every penny I have into this place, but with the gangs causing trouble, more and more people are staying home where it’s safe rather than going out. I barely break even some days. I just figure there has to be more to life than this and honestly, I’m just fucking tired.”
He rubs a hand over his face before focusing back on me. He doesn’t speak for a minute until he seems to come to some kind of decision.
“If you’re serious about this, then yes, I’d like to take you up on your offer,” he agrees with a small, relieved smile.
“Excellent. I’ll come by tomorrow with the cash and contracts, but for now, how about you show me around and tell me all I need to know about this place?”
Chapter Eighteen
A week later, I find myself sitting back at that desk, but on the opposite side, in the office that’s now mine. I take a deep breath before slowly letting it out, happy everything had been signed and paid for. Echo’s is now officially mine.
A knock at the door has me lifting my head and sitting up, removing my feet from the edge of the desk.
“Yes,” I call out and wait as the door opens to reveal a pretty, young girl carrying a plate holding a croissant in one hand and a cup of what I’m hoping is coffee in the other.
“Gary sent me up with these, ma’am. He said you haven’t eaten yet.”
I startle at the fact that someone has been paying enough attention to know that. I’ve