Page 16 of Preacher

I swung onto the bike. “Get used to being worried.” I started the engine and rode through the gates towards the motel leaving the Sheriff behind me.

The motel restaurant had four occupied tables and air-conditioning that barely worked. Holly was already there when I arrived, sitting in a booth near the back with a glass of iced tea and a folder beside her. She’d changed since we were last together. Dark jeans, sleeveless black top, hair loose around her shoulders. My first thought had nothing to do with cartels or property purchases, which told me exactly how much trouble I was in.

Her eyes moved over me when I sat down opposite her. “You look annoyed.”

“I had a conversation with Sheriff White.”

“That explains a lot.”

“You planning on telling me before you arrange meetings with men who send people to break into your business?”

“I did tell you, just after I arranged it.” She smiled sweetly, looking entirely unrepentant. “That still counts.”

I was deciding whether kissing her in the middle of the argument would improve anything when the representative walked in. The polished man from before wasn’t alone this time. Someone heavier and older followed him in, built like the kind of man who’d stopped needing to prove he could hurt people years ago. His eyes went to me before they went to Holly. That was enough to tell me what his brief was.

“Ms. Curtis,” the representative said. “I wasn’t aware you’d be bringing anyone.”

Holly gestured toward the booth. “You brought someone.”

“Mr. Vega advises my client on their regional operations.”

I filed the name away without assuming it meant anything beyond this room. Vega slid into the booth beside the representative.

“You’re Preacher.”

“Holly’s meeting,” I said. “Talk to her.”

His attention shifted to Holly, but the slight smile told me he’d understood the answer.

Holly opened the folder and laid the first page flat. “I’m not signing Friday.”

The representative’s expression barely changed. “Is there a concern we can address?”

“Several. Let’s start with why your company knows details about Curtis Freight that were never disclosed during negotiations.”

“Due diligence⁠—”

“Doesn’t include breaking into my warehouse.”

That stopped him, and Vega leaned back. “That’s a serious allegation.”

“I didn’t say you did it.” Holly held his gaze without giving an inch. “Interesting that you heard it that way.”

I kept my face blank, although pride hit me hard enough to be irritating.

The representative tried to recover. “Our client remains very interested in closing. Perhaps emotions are running high after your father’s death.”

Holly’s expression cooled so fast the representative finally lost his smile. “Don’t use my father to explain my decisions.”

“The offer is generous. More generous than the company is worth. You should consider whether walking away is in your best interest.”

“I’m considering it.”

“No. You’re making this harder than it needs to be.”

I watched Holly’s shoulders straighten. “My company. My decision.”

Vega reached across the table and caught her wrist. Everything after that happened fast. I was out of the booth before the representative managed to move. My hand closed around Vega’s wrist and twisted until his grip broke and something in the joint popped. His face changed, but I didn’t let go. He came up swinging with the other hand, and I drove him backward into the edge of the next table hard enough to send glasses crashing onto the floor.