Betrayed, I Rise novel · Chapter 5 of 32

Chapter 5: On Purpose

"Your name's Wexford."

Troy was standing behind me.

He wasn't wiping his hands anymore.

"It's in the video," he said. "Somebody put it in the caption this morning. The Wexford heiress."

"I didn't know," I said.

"Didn't know what?"

"About this." I touched the notice. "I didn't know it was your yard. I didn't know it was anybody's."

He looked at the paper, then at me.

"Wexford people were out here in March with a drone and a guy in loafers," he said.

"Walked the whole waterfront. Didn't say a word to anybody. So you'll excuse me for asking."

"Asking what?"

"Did you come to measure?"

It landed harder than it should have.

I'd known him for about twelve hours.

"I came because someone drew me a map," I said. "I didn't pick the dead end."

Behind him, the welder had stopped working. So had the two men sanding the red boat.

They were all looking at me.

Eleven people. Eleven jobs.

"I'll leave," I said. "Just let me make one call."

Troy didn't say anything.

He didn't stop me from using the office either.

I sat at a metal desk covered in invoices and called Vincent.

He picked up on the first ring.

"There she is. You done sulking?"

"Salt Creek," I said. "The resort. That's you?"

There was a pause.

Then he laughed, and I could hear him lean back.

"You found it. Nice. Yeah. That's me. My first project. Your dad handed it to me at graduation."

"You're taking a man's boatyard."

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