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Chapter Sixteen
Even though Zane was playing pool and chatting up Jasper, he was also keeping an eye on Cammie. Not because he didn’t think she could handle herself with Bill and his buddies—she was quite capable of putting Bill and anyone else in their place—but because he didn’t like the vibe of the Burlesque Room.
There was something off about the space, almost like the crew and staff were all playing too hard at being natural—or maybe that was just him projecting his own insecurities. With his attention split and wandering every time his brain caught on Cammie, he was having a hard time staying focused on Jasper.
All the same, his hackles were up and in between shots, his gaze strayed toward the other side of the room where Cammie was chatting with Bill and the rest of the table.
“It doesn’t bother you that my father is all up in your girl’s space?” Jasper caught Zane looking at Cammie for the millionth time. “It would bother me.”
Zane shook his head then lined up his next shot. “Cammie can handle herself.”
“Yeah, that I can see.” Jasper whistled when Zane managed to get two balls in two separate pockets with one perfectly aimed tap. “But still, no jealous twinge? My dad is a wealthy man. Cammie might be tempted.”
Zane snorted. “No offense to your dad, but I don’t think so.” Cammie was used to men like Bill, and if she were enamored by wealth, she had enough of it around her when she went to work to have already indulged.
“Yeah, he’s a pig.” Jasper drained his wine then set his empty glass on the side table. An eagle-eyed server was already making her way toward them with a refill on her tray.
“Well, that’s not what I meant but—” Zane took his next shot and missed.
“No, but it’s the truth.” Jasper snatched the cue ball then lined up his next move. “Which makes me wonder why you guys keep coming around. Good ol’ Bill must be annoying you two by now. He annoys the hell outta me.” The last few words were uttered under his breath but loud enough for Zane to get the gist.
Zane watched as Cammie and Bill stood from the table then headed toward the back corner of the room. “We just keep running into him.” Zane moved around the table, mostly to keep an eye on where Cammie and Bill were headed while at the same time feigning interest in Jasper.
“That’s tragic.” Jasper sunk the next three balls in quick succession. “Dad’s just showing her the private area to get her opinion. No need to worry. He might be a pig, but he really is harmless.”
Zane snapped his attention back to Jasper, slightly annoyed with himself that he’d been caught staring again. “I guess I am a little jealous after all,” he lied. No matter what Jasper said, Zane would be keeping an eye on any woman Bill led to a secluded place. “Why does he want Cammie’s opinion on the private area?”
“Oh, because the old man is insane.” Jasper sunk the eight ball and won the game. “Dad has suddenly decided that instead of a takeover, he wants to revitalize the cruise line. I guess the captain got to him and somehow convinced him to invest instead of dismantle. Apparently, that’s why he dragged Elm and the board here. The old kook has it in his head that he can spiffy the place up with more opportunities for sex or play or something equally disgusting coming from a man like him. He wanted to see what Cammie thought about his idea for that space back there—massage or wax or something.” He patted his pockets then swore. “I left my smokes at the table.”
Zane watched Jasper walk off in search of his cigarettes then noticed that Cammie and Bill were already on their way back to the table as well. Cammie was smiling, so Zane guessed that nothing too obnoxious had happened in the private area. She was fine, and Zane needed to chill out. She had a brown belt in Jujitsu, so she could take Bill and anyone else who bothered her to the floor in a heartbeat. Zane was obviously being a little too paranoid about what he was sensing in the room and a little too invested in Cammie, if he was going to be honest.
He turned to the pool table and began retrieving all the balls from the pockets.
If Bill had changed his perspective on the fate of the cruise line, Zane needed to find out why. Was there some reason to keep the ships moving? Was Bill in on the laundering scheme maybe? It would have to be something to pique Bill’s interest as well as ensure more wealth. Bill hadn’t become a millionaire by mistake. The man had made wise investments and business decisions from the time he’d been a young man, according to Zane’s research, primarily in hostile takeovers and sell-offs. The change in tune was a signal of something, Zane just wasn’t sure what.
“You break, Zane,” Jasper said as he returned. “I’m going to finish my smoke.”
Zane nodded as he moved to the head of the table. “So, your dad wants to invest, even though the price of scrap metal is through the roof right now?”
“I know, right?” Jasper sighed. “He’d make a killing from the scrap of the fleet of ships, and he’s got scrappers begging for more metal.”
“You think the captain changed his mind?” Zane tried to keep his voice level, like he was interested, but not overly interested, in what Jasper had to say. “You said that the captain had a vested interest in keeping the cruise line going. Seems odd that he’d be so attached to a job.”
“The CEO is his brother,” Jasper said in between puffs.
Zane missed the shot and barely kept his cue from ripping the felt. Captain Evans and Cal Underwood are related? He hadn’t come across that little tidbit in his research. “That’s handy to have a brother who owns a fleet of ships when you’re a trained captain.”
“Half-brothers.” Jasper put his cigarette out. “Same mom, different dads.”
Two more pieces of the puzzle clicked together, but not in a way that made sense to Zane. Was Captain Evans using his brother’s cruise line for something nefarious, or was he trying to protect his brother’s asset and save the business by convincing Bill to invest?
“Surely the captain knows about the missing money.” Zane broke the balls so they scattered all over the table, sinking three right away.
“You kidding? He’s the one spearheading an investigation.” Jasper leaned on his pool cue. “The man is obsessed with being a captain, and this ship in particular is his pride and joy. Seriously, he’d do anything to keep this arm of his brother’s company from tanking.” Jasper scoffed. “I think it’s just sentimental bullshit. Cal Underwood is a businessman. He shouldn’t let family matters get involved in business decisions. He should have sold Dark Matter Cruise Line off years ago.”
“You think he’s just indulging his brother’s love for sailing big boats?” Zane sank two more balls.
Jasper shrugged.
