they walked. I’m the only one who cares what happens to the winery.”
“Then someone might want to fill Monte in on that, because he just told me he didn’t want to get caught up in a family feud.” Nate’s voice lowered, dangerously. “Do you know how much money we’ve already put into this deal? There is no way you and your family will get it. Not like this. Understood?”
Frankie nodded, all of her earlier edges and attitude replaced by shock. She looked at the rest of the table, her eyes wide and almost pleading. “I know that the winery is having some money issues, but I can’t imagine Charles…my grandpa”—she stumbled over the word and pressed her lips together—“I didn’t know, I swear.”
Nate scoffed and leaned back in his chair. Marc was still reeling at the fact that Baudouin was having cash-flow problems. Maybe this was about money and not revenge. That seemed much more credible that a love affair from six decades ago gone bad. Then again, Marc remembered the shattered look on the old man’s face when ChiChi had walked out of that courtroom last weekend.
Either way, Baudouin should have thrown his cards in with every other company, gone about it the honorable way.
Frankie took the reprieve to gather her strength, and when she came back, she was spitting mad. So mad Marc had to question if she’d ever even been scared in the first place.
“You think I would pussyfoot my way into some deal rather than going head-to-head with you, Nathaniel?”
She had a point. If Frankie wanted to take someone on, she did it openly, wanted a public setting so everyone could witness her ripping off the poor guy’s nuts.
“I’m not scared of you, golden boy. And I had no idea that Grandpa was doing this, otherwise I would have told you. I don’t do sneaky.” She poked his chest. Hard enough to send Nate sideways. “Ever.”
She said it with so much conviction, Marc believed her. So did the rest of the table, because the tension went from nuclear to normal—well, normal for a table of DeLucas and a Baudouin.
“All right,” Marc said, resting his elbows on the table in a nonthreatening way. Calm or not, dealing with Frankie was like trying to declaw a feral cat. “Help us then. Sit on the tribunal.”
Her breath caught, and she looked at Nate for—support? When Nate just sat mute, she whispered, “I can’t.”
“Why not?” Gabe asked.
She looked at Nate again, and again Nate stared back, silent, looking as confused about what she was expecting out of him as the rest of the table.
“What’s the worst that can happen?” Marc ventured. “You sit on the tribunal and he decides to show up and state that he doesn’t approve of you being the Baudouin representative? We’re already screwed. This way we at least have a chance of pulling off the event.”
Frankie closed her eyes, and for a really long and awful minute, Marc though she was going to cry. He was reaching out to pat her shoulder when her eyes snapped open, mean as ever.
“Fuck it. I’m in. But nobody knows until the actual event starts. He isn’t planning on coming, so that way even if one of my aunts calls him, he’ll be too late.”
“I agree.”
“Thank you,” Nate said, his voice low.
“I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for the town.” She stood and shoved the chair under the table. Marc’s beer sloshed over the side. “And if you ever get in my face again, I will tear it off. With my teeth. Understand, golden boy?”
Trey waited until Frankie had torn out of the bar and then said, “Sex with her would most likely cost me my nuts, but it might be worth it.”
“Shut up,” Nate said, stealing Trey’s beer and emptying the glass in one swallow. He ran a hand through his hair. “Tell me you came clean with Lexi. That she at least knows about Jeff’s role in everything and Monte liking her food.”
“Not entirely.” Not at all. “Why?”
“Christ, bro,” Trey said. “You’re sleeping with her and you haven’t told her?”
“It’s called family business,” Marc defended, knowing it was a lie and feeling guilty as shit.
“It’s called being a man,” Gabe said, disappointment lacing his words.
“Yeah,” Marc mumbled. He’d punked out, and his time was up. He had to tell her. Tonight. He’d tell Lexi tonight and hope that she understood.
Nate let out a low whistle. “Monte and Jeff showed up at the winery just as