Chapter Five

“Why haven’t you called the police?” she demanded.

Mira was seated in a chair inside the trailer, staring up at two security guards who only glared at her.

 “Where are Carter and Layla?” she asked.

Finally, one of them spoke. “Calm down. You are lucky you haven’t been arrested.”

 “Well, why haven’t I?”

“You will be,” he sneered, “but not until our CEO gives us the go ahead.”

Mira knew the executives were outside. She could hear them through the trailer’s walls, arguing with the construction team, whose union wouldn’t allow for them to work in an unsafe environment.

When she had heard the sirens, she had assumed it was the police rolling in, but apparently the Starlight security team had police equipment, cruisers with sirens and armed guards.

“For what it’s worth,” she said, “I didn’t approve of blowing up your pipes. I tried to stop them.”

 “Save it,” said the other guard.

Mira heard a knock on the door, and one of the guards padded over and opened it a crack.

 “Mr. Montgomery,” said the guard.

 “We need more men apprehending the rebels.”

Mira’s ears perked up when hearing this Montgomery character on the other side of the door.

 “She isn’t restrained,” the guard warned. “Are the police coming?”

“I need to keep this quiet and contained,” said Mr. Montgomery,

whose voice was strikingly familiar to Mira.

 “Is that how your father wants to handle this?”

“My father?” he challenged. “This is my project, and I will handle it how I see fit. Now go.”

Mira watched the guard march through the doorway, revealing Mr. Montgomery. Her heart punched in her chest the moment she locked eyes with him. It was the tall, dark, and handsome man who had rocked her world last night. He was just as shocked to see her as she was to find him stepping into the trailer.

He seemed disoriented as he approached, and when he finally tore

his eyes off her to address the remaining security guard, Mira thought she caught him smiling.

 “I need a word with her alone,” he said.

 “But sir, she iw dangerous”

 “Did you check her for weapons?” he challenged.

 “Yes, sir, she is unarmed.”

“Then I will be fine. Go.” Mr. Montgomery stopped him when he

reached the door. “Don’t call the police and don’t harm the rebels. I need this situation contained. No one finds out about this, understood?”

The guard affirmed that he did, then left, closing the door behind him.

Mira stared at him in disbelief, as he turned, standing with his back to her and his hands on his hips for a long moment. Her gaze traveled the length of his broad shoulders, long back beneath a tailored gray suit. She sensed him shaking his head, but it was nearly imperceptible.

She wasn’t sure what to make of the situation, either, but the fact that he wouldn’t allow his security team to call the police told her he didn’t want this escalating, which meant he might not press charges.

“Montgomery,” she said, touching eyes with him when he glanced over his shoulder at her in response. “Porter Montgomery is.. ”

“My father,” he stated, shifting to face her and squaring his shoulders off.

“He is also responsible for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last fall,” she said accusingly.

 “What the hell are you doing here?”

 Mira held her head high, stating, “I’m here to stop the pipeline.”

“You can’t stop it. We have the necessarily permits and governmental support. It’s just natural gas, Mira.”

“Just natural gas?” she asked, astonished he would downplay an energy

source notorious for poisoning drinking water as a result of construction projects like this one. “Do you understand there is a town of over five

thousand people less than a mile away from this pipeline? Do you realize their health and the health of their children will be at risk if gas is flowing through a pipe underground mere feet from their water tower?”

“It is all approved, Mira.”

 “Oh you think approval means that it's safe? It isn’t safe.”

He drew in a deep breath, studying her. Then a slight smile spread across his face, which he quickly suppressed.

 “This is why you approached me last night?”

 “I didn’t know who you were,” she said, nearly interrupting him.

“But in anticipation of today, you thought to blow off a little steam

with me?”

 “You could say that.”

 He took a moment to absorb the irony.

 “If you are not going to arrest us, what are you going to do?”

 “I haven’t decided.”

“I didn’t tell them to throw that dynamite,” she said, realizing all the while that more than needing to prove her innocence, she, for some reason, needed him to believe she wasn’t malicious.

“This is a royal mess,” he said, pacing away and plowing his fingers through his thick hair.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” she blurted out. “I was planning a peaceful demonstration to slow down the build and convince Starlight to shut down.”

“Please stop talking,” he said. After a moment’s consideration, he proposed, “If you and your group leave now and don’t come back, I won’t have you arrested.”

Mira held her tongue, but ultimately lost the battle with her own determination.

 “I won’t give up. One World has set up camp on public land.”

“One World? That’s the name of your terrorist organization.” 

“We are not terrorists. We are environmentalists, and I have already

told your men I didn’t order them to throw that dynamite. I tried to stop

them.”

 “You are going to make me arrest you?” he challenged.

She pressed her mouth into a hard line, struggling with her stubbornness. “I won’t give up.”

“Mira,” he said in a tone that was unusually gentle. “I don’t want to arrest you.”

“Good. I’m willing to negotiate.”

“Stop,” he said impatiently. “You aren’t in a position to negotiate. This project has nothing to do with you.”

“If you don’t stop the construction of this pipeline, I will go to the press.”

“With what?” he asked, astounded. “With your confession that you tried to blow up my site?”

 “Ugh, for the last time, that wasn’t my idea!”

“Look,” he said firmly. “The deal is you leave and never comenback and I don’t have you and your group arrested. Now do we have a deal?”

It was impossible to stare him down while looking up at him, but she did her best, asserting, “No.”

 “You are being unreasonable.”

“The deal is you stop the build and I won’t make your life a living hell.”

 He burst out laughing, but it came with an edge of exasperation.

She suddenly remembered she had read about him. It had been a footnote, at best, in an article about Porter Montgomery and the oil spill, but the details were coming back to her.

“Nate,” she said, and his eyes brightened. “Nate Montgomery. I

read about you. You went to medical school. You had a promising career as

a surgeon, one of the youngest in Washington State.” Suddenly confused

that he could be at the helm of the pipeline project, she asked, “What

happened to you?”

 “It doesn’t matter.”

“Why would you give up saving lives in favor of destroying them?”

 “That’s not what I did, and your phrasing is over the top.”

“You got sucked into the family business, is that it? The money was too good to turn down?”

Nate advanced on her, listing out the merits of his father’s company. “Starlight donated half a million dollars to stem cell research, a quarter of a million to breast cancer research. Every time Planned Parenthood is about to tank, I write another check. Don’t you dare undervalue what my family does.”

She cocked her head at that. “Those donations occurred in the last year. That wasn’t your father. That was you.”

 “And you are welcome. Now, please shut up. I have to think.”

The cell phone in her back pocket began vibrating, so she pulled it out.

 “You are getting a call.”

Rising out of her chair to hand him his cell, Mira met him halfway.

When their hands brushed in the pass-off, Taylor lingered, looking down at her and tilting his head in a way that reminded her of their mind-blowing

night.

In barely a whisper, he said, “Thanks,” and then swiped the screen, stepping back and answering the call. “Yeah?” Mira couldn’t hear whoever was on the other end, but she gleaned it was a man. “No, no need to come by. Everything’s great here. We are on track.” He paused, listening. “I may need to PO for more materials, but I will keep you abreast.” He listened, and the voice coming through sounded commanding. “No, Dad, I said it’s under control. You have to let me handle this. I don’t need you breathing down my neck the very first day.”

As Nate slipped his cell into his slacks, he looked nervous, and Mira couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him.

 “Does he know what happened?”

 “No,” he said quickly. “And it’s going to stay that way.”

 Questioningly, she asked, “Is this your project or his?”

Nate held her gaze, but didn’t respond until a long moment passed.

 “If it were anyone else but you this would be easy.”

 She tried not to smile as she said, “It can still be easy.”

 “I doubt that.”

 “If you would only hear me out,” she protested.

“I think it’s you who needs to hear me out.” He groaned. “Christ, why do I want you even now?”

She shook her head as if to say she didn’t know.

He stepped in close and said, “I don’t suppose you would leave willingly and let me fuck you tonight.”

Coyly, she whispered, “There is absolutely no way. But we might be able to find some middle ground.”

 He quirked a brow at that, listening.

“What if you pause the project and hear me out? Then based on my proposal, you can make an informed decision.”

“You move your team out. I pause the project. I will hear you out, and then you hear me out. And then I will make the decision. Will you promise to live with it, whatever I decide?”

 She pressed her mouth into a torn line. “I can’t promise anything.”

“I didn’t hear the part where sleeping together would fit into this equation,” he pointed out.

Thinking fast, she revised the deal. “You pause your project for the rest of the day. I will get my team out. We will meet at your hotel and talk and...relax each other if the conversation gets tense. And we will come to terms, both agreeing on what will become of the pipeline.”

Nate was grinning, but his eyes were skeptical. “That is ambitious. You think we can come to terms in a night?”

“If we set our minds to it. I will meet you at your hotel in a few hours.”

“No,” he countered. “Where are you staying?”

 “In a crappy motel. I doubt you would be comfortable.”

 “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m at the Travel Lodge on the north side of Bellevue. Room 101. Can I have my cell back?”

He smiled and glanced down the length of her with hungry eyes, then pulled her cell phone from the breast pocket of his suit and handed it to her.

“No one can find out about this,” he said, placing his hand at the small of her back and pulling her in. Then he leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear. “I can’t wait to be inside you. You make the best noises.”

Melting, Mira lifted her face, expecting his lips to meet hers, but he stepped back.

 “Two hours,” he stated.

 “I will be ready.”