Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

K ane contemplated killing Juan. It wouldn't be bad for business. However, he was strongly outnumbered. Kidnapping and ransom had become a business. A business Juan knew well and enjoyed. Some militant groups would kidnap aid volunteers or missionaries. Hold them in deplorable conditions. Threaten and beat them. They were wasting their time. There wasn't money in that. However, kidnap a billionaire, hold him in pretty good conditions, feed him, and negotiate? Now, that's where the money was.

Juan knew that. He only kidnapped the wealthy and the richer, the better. He held them in clean, if boring, motel rooms with three meals a day. That way he could hold them for longer. Time was his best bet for a higher payday. Keep a billionaire for a month and his businesses start to suffer. Stocks fall. And if news of the kidnapping goes public? Stocks really fall. Which was what Kane was dealing with now.

"Six million and I won't tell the press we have Franklin. I heard his company went public, but he's still running it. How long can they pretend he's still running it when he's here?" Juan asked.

Juan was in his fifties. He didn't deal in drugs. Instead, his sole business was hostage-taking. He gave the cartels a five percent cut of the ransom. For that, they left him alone.

"You know the going rate for ransoms in Mexico is four hundred thousand," Kane said, not looking impatient at all. "Keep him. His son is the VP and I think the board likes the son better than Franklin. You could be doing them a favor." It had been three days and he'd gotten Juan down from ten million to six. The family already authorized the payment of five million, but Kane knew the game. It would take time. Time was money after all. "Didn't you see the morning news?"

Juan rose an amused eyebrow. "No, I was a little busy making sure rich boy was fed."

Kane turned his phone around and showed the headline Angelica had planted. It was all about a new initiative the son had just released that had made the company tons of money. The article was mostly true, but had been embellished with "board members wishing to stay anonymous" talking about how great the son was.

"Look," Kane said with a sigh, "you got a good one. He just happens to have a better son. Six hundred thousand. That will still have you looking good."

Juan frowned and tapped his fingers on the table. "I need to stop taking your clients. If only I knew who your clients were," he said, shaking his head. "Let me think about it. I'll get back to you tomorrow. I have another meeting."

Kane was dismissed. The other meeting was with a rival of Kane's. Juan would get double out of him. He wasn't nearly as patient as Kane. That would leave Juan in a good mood tomorrow.

Kane headed into the cute and ritzy tourist town that was Juan's homebase and called Waverly from a bench overlooking the ocean. He'd always been on his own. It was nice to have someone to call and to come home to.

"I might be able to make it in time tomorrow. I think Juan will give in tomorrow. What costume did you get?" Kane asked her.

"Oh, you'll have to wait and see. It's not bad. I wouldn't make you be Schr?dinger's dead cat or something."

Kane laughed and remembered that from his one year of physics in college. "Well, I hope I can make it."

"I do too, but don't rush it. Do your thing and get your client home. It sounds as if Juan is a lot easier to deal with than Bruno."

"Yeah, dealing with professionals is easier. It's a classic negation, not a life-or-death situation."

"Well," Waverly said with a sigh. "I hate to cut this short, but I need to go. Text me tonight?"

"Of course. I love you," Kane told her.

"Love you too."

Kane put away his phone and decided to take a walk through town. He came here every year or so when dealing with Juan and loved this little place, even if the cartels ran it. He grabbed a street taco and began his stroll.

A beautiful window display caught his attention and he stopped to look inside at the sparkling jewelry. A gold engagement ring caught his attention. He was instantly drawn to it and found himself going into the shop without a second thought. He knew. He found the perfect ring for Waverly.

He would wait to give it to her. He knew she needed time to prove to herself that their relationship would work under normal circumstances. He didn't need that time. He knew Waverly was the one woman for him.

"Excuse me," he said in Spanish. "Can you tell me about the ring in the front display?"

The woman went and got it and brought it back to him on a velvet cushion. The band wasn't a simple circle. Instead, the edges didn't meet to form a circle. They never touched and the diamond seemed suspended between the two shafts of gold, which hugged the diamond on each side.

"I've never seen anything like this before," Kane told her.

"It's a tension setting. It gives the appearance of the diamond floating. It's based on the principles of physics."

Kane laughed, surprising the jeweler. "It's perfect. I'll take it. Oh, and that charm," he said, pointing to a silver charm of a wave with the name of the town engraved in it.

It was going to be very hard to stay patient and finish this negotiation when all he wanted to do was get back to Waverly. But knowing she was fine with him gone filled him with even more confidence. He'd finish this negotiation and do his job well. Then he'd go home to Waverly.

Waverly left work after talking to Kane and headed into Charleston. She had a meeting planned and she didn't want to be late. Waverly opened the door and headed to the receptionist.

"Waverly Davenport. I have an appointment."

"Yes, Dr. Davenport. You're expected. Follow me."

Waverly followed the receptionist to the office and stepped inside. "Thank you for seeing me, Mr. Saccone."

"Nico, please. I've heard the Medina family was arrested by Interpol this afternoon." Nico moved around his desk and gestured to a sitting area off to the side.

"Peter called and told me. It's a relief, but not why I'm here." Waverly took a seat and pulled out a folder from her shoulder bag.

"You said you had a business proposal?" Nico leaned back and steepled his fingers.

"Olivia Townsend confirmed that you're a legitimate businessman who likes diverse investments. Well, I have a very diverse investment for you."

"I'm listening."

Waverly handed him the folder. "Please sign the NDA on the first page and then we'll discuss the rest." Waverly waited as an amused Nico signed and then flipped to the next page. "In there you will find the paperwork for a patent on nanoparticles. Olivia has already reached out to Dr. Piper Davies Creed, whom she says you may know, in Keeneston, Kentucky, and who is very interested in working with me on this. It has the potential to advance nanotech by leaps and bounds."

Nico's eyebrow rose as he looked over the proposal. "I have to admit, I don't understand the science. But I understand the business and profit. I also understand the set-up costs will be large."

"That's where you come in. I need a loan."

Nico turned the pages and then paused. "What's this?"

Waverly looked at the page he was pointing at. "Oh, those are some other things we'll bring with us. Elwood is very good with algorithms and drones. Those are some rough ideas on things he will want to explore. Then, the next page is what the other three scientists wish to work on. The last part is full of other projects I want to work on."

Waverly waited as Nico scanned the pages. There were scientific details and then a summary of what they meant in layman's terms along with a list of how they'd be used in the real world and a breakdown of estimated profit.

"Why not go to a bank?"

"I tried," Waverly admitted. "I don't have enough collateral for a ten million dollar investment."

"And the ten million will cover how long?" Nico asked, flipping to the business proposal where the numbers were all laid out.

"Five years. Most of the money will be for equipment and building leasing."

"Why didn't you go to Ryker Faulkner?" Nico asked, still skimming the numbers.

Waverly fidgeted in her seat. "Olivia asked me the same. All of us scientists have worked under people with a financial interest in our work. Either through grants or businessmen who own the labs. Ryker strikes me as someone who will want involvement in the day-to-day. I need someone to loan me the money and then get out of the way. Let us be free with our projects and we will soar with that freedom."

Nico looked up and set the papers down. "No."

"No?"

"I won't loan you the money."

"Oh." Waverly's heart fell. "Thank you for your time."

"I will," he said, making her freeze in the process of reaching for the folder, "fund you for a twenty-five percent ownership. A completely silent partner in terms of your projects. Only you will know of my ownership and only you and I will discuss the business when we meet twice a year. I will have no say in the projects you are working on, but I will have a say in the business side of the lab. What do you think?"

"Business side? What do you mean?" Waverly was excited but cautious.

"I have an MBA, do you?"

Waverly shook her head. "No, but I have a Ph.D. and the last time I looked, that was harder to get than an MBA."

Nico chuckled. "It is, but it's apples to oranges. What do you know about business licensure? Insurance? Payroll? Sales contracts? Employment contracts? Human resources? Taxes? And so much more."

Waverly frowned and sat back in the chair. "Nothing," she admitted. "But I'm smart, I can learn."

"I have no doubt that you can, but why spend the time on that when I can do that for you? Hell, I have three empty properties in Charleston that you could use. Your choice. We'll set up a loan agreement and an ownership share agreement. I'll have no say in your science projects and then we work together on the business front. I've seen far too many companies fail because someone underestimates the business side of their passion, from artists to doctors."

"And you won't interfere in who I hire or what we work on?"

"I won't on the science front, but I will hire my own business team."

Nico sat waiting for her to think it through.

"Actually," Waverly said, letting out a breath, "I think that will work. It will take a lot of stress off me and it will be good to have someone I can talk things through who isn't in the lab. What kind of terms are you thinking for the payment?"

Waverly spent the next hour negotiating with Nico. At the end of the meeting, they stood and shook hands. "We will have Olivia prepare the documents. We both trust her. Would you like to see one of the buildings I was thinking about for you?"

"Really? Now?" Waverly asked, excitement bubbling over.

"Yes. My day is over. We can head there now and you can tell me if it'll work or not."

Waverly followed Nico to an industrial business center. There were several medical research firms and other research companies that formed a square. Parking was around the outside of the square. The inside of the square housed a pond and a park. They'd gone through security to get there, and that was a big plus.

Nico got out of his sports car and waited for Waverly to join him. "This is it. You'd have the whole building."

It was twice the size of her current lab. "It's amazing. Can we see the inside?"

"Of course. Right this way, Dr. Davenport."

Two hours later, Waverly had finished her last phone call with her new staff. It wouldn't be an "instant lab," but they were starting salary negotiations and lab equipment shopping. There was a good chance they'd be up and running by the new year. This was it. Her dream was coming true. Now, if only she could share it and the rest of her life with Kane, she'd have it all.