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Jace spoke to Mikelina five times more than he spoke to his own fiancée. Bastien tried not to jump to conclusions, but he was getting an ugly feeling in the pit of his stomach. What the hell had they been talking about and why the hell hadn’t she said anything to him about it?
“Do you think Mikelina is looking to sell?” he forced himself to ask. He didn’t give a damn about the beach house right now. He was trying to figure out Mikelina’s angle in all of this. “Or do you think Jace is fooling around with her?” Rage blinded him for a minute.
Mikelina had known Bastien was concerned about Jace, but instead of telling him she had been in contact with Jace, she had pretended she didn’t know where he was. How could Bastien have been so stupid?
“I’ve got no proof that they are involved, but I’m not ruling it out either.”
“Is that right?” Bastien gritted out. Jace had asked Mikelina over for dinner the night she and Bastien went water-skiing. Had the affair started then? Had it been an affair? What else could they have been talking about? Now he wondered about all of Mikelina’s business meetings this week. Had they been with Jace?
“The house, however, has never been on the market, but there have been a few altercations there. Irate victims have threatened the Presleys, as you can imagine.”
“I don’t have to imagine,” he said, realizing that Carmen or Pedro had probably been hurt by Mikelina’s father.
“Anyway, the taxes are paid for this year and what’s left over from the rental of the house is supporting Tawny’s lifestyle. Of course, now that she’s found Diamonte, that might not be needed anymore. I think you could lowball an offer and it might get picked up. Especially if Mikelina is getting out of Five Diamond Resorts vacation club now that her mother has her hooks into the boss.”
Was that why she was suddenly tired of South Beach? She had seemed so shocked to see Kirk with her mother that night in the casino. Had it all been an act? Bastien had so many questions and he was just getting angrier and angrier the more he thought of it.
“Or maybe Mikelina has found a sugar daddy of her own,” Bastien said softly. Was it Jace or him? Or was she planning on playing both of them off against each other and ruining Kitty’s wedding in the process? Was she going to follow them to New York?
She was just like Gina. And it broke his heart. She was using him for his money or Jace’s money or for some other reason she was keeping secrets. She was hiding who she was. Just like Gina had done.
“Anything is possible,” Henry said. “I’ll see if I can track down Jace again. Are you sure he didn’t head up to Vail to see Kitty? Or maybe he’s shacking up with Mikelina?”
“Anything is possible,” Bastien echoed. “But my gut says he’s local somewhere. I don’t want to leave here without knowing where he is.”
“Leave there? I thought the bachelor party was going through the weekend.”
“There’s not much point in hanging around,” Bastien said. “I’ve slacked off work long enough. There’s nothing for me here now.”
Not a damned thing.
“All right. Well, give me a call when you’re back in town and we can go for lunch or something.”
“You got it. Thanks, Henry.”
Bastien pocketed his phone and glared out at Mikelina. At least he hadn’t married this one.
Mikelina looked up when he slid open the sliding glass door and walked out to the pool. He’d give her one more chance to tell him the truth.
“Hey, sexy,” she said, with a sweet grin.
He had to look away because he could feel his body respond to her. “Any news from the owner about selling? I’m willing to write a check for six million dollars today.”
“What?” she said, sitting up.
He didn’t have that kind of liquid cash, but he wanted to see what she would say.
“This is rather sudden,” she said slowly, looking around. “I’m not sure they’re ready to sell. I think it might come to that. But not right away.”
“It’s a gift. The house isn’t worth more than four. Call them and tell them, take it or leave it. The offer is only good today.”
Her face cleared in relief. “They’re not going to go for it. But I’ll pass along the offer.”
What was her game? She couldn’t possibly want more money. No one would give up six million dollars. Unless she was planning on running a scam out of the house. Her mother got her hooks into Diamonte. Was Mikelina hoping for a real estate mogul, too? Or was she hoping for Jace?
“What’s your last name?” he asked her.
“What?” She blinked up at him.
