Unmasked Read Online Free PDF Page B

sale.”
    “Don’t be so hasty. These troubles you’ve been having at the hotel must be cutting into your profits.” He tapped the envelope against her wrist. “You’d be smart to sell now. If you wait, the price might go down further.”
    Before Charlotte could respond, Jackson stepped forward, placing himself between her and the Corbins. “That sounded like a threat.”
    Dan had to tip his head back to meet Jackson’s gaze. He paused for a moment, then replaced the envelope inside his suit and stepped back. “Not at all. It was merely some professional advice.” He turned his flat gaze on Charlotte. “You have our number. Let us know when you change your mind.”
    They left after that, using the alley beside the bar rather than going through the French doors to the lobby. Charlotte remained where she was until they were out of sight. She had handled all manner of people in her years with the hotel, including bullies like these, and she was seldom disturbed bythem. Still, she was more grateful for Jackson’s solid presence than she wanted to admit.
    The Corbin brothers had always been pushy, but their manner today had seemed openly belligerent, bordering on smug. Obviously they must have realized what a blow yesterday’s fire had been to the hotel’s business.
    “Are you okay?” Jackson asked quietly.
    No, she thought, she wasn’t okay. The sunshine seemed too bright, the clink of dishes and background murmur of voices and birdsong seemed too loud. She’d believed she was getting on top of things, but encountering the Corbins had served to remind her how much remained to be done. “I need to get back to my office,” she said, heading for the lobby doors.
    He fell into step beside her, the solid thud of his boots blending with the tap of her heels. “Are the business offices still where your parents had them?”
    “Yes.”
    “I’ll walk you up.”
    “Thank you, but—”
    “I think you should call the police, Charlotte.” He slowed to let her enter the lobby ahead of him, then placed his palm on the small of her back as they wove their way past the potted plants and a pair of wing chairs. He didn’t speak again until they started up the curving staircase. “That man threatened you.”
    “He didn’t threaten me, he was only taking advantage of the situation as an attempt to intimidate me.”
    “I get the feeling it’s more than that. The Corbins look like a couple of crooks.”
    That had been her first impression, as well, but she tried to be fair. “Both Mac and your uncle William checked themout after they made their first offer. Their manners may be unpleasant, but they appear to be legitimate businessmen. They have a chain of hotels in the Far East and are hoping to expand their operation in America.”
    Jackson fell silent as Charlotte paused at the top of the stairs to greet a few guests on their way to breakfast. She thought he would drop the subject, but as soon as they were out of earshot he continued where he’d left off. “One of the Corbins mentioned your profits. Is the hotel in financial trouble?”
    This was something else about Jackson that hadn’t changed, she thought. If he saw a need, he never hesitated to get involved in other people’s problems. It was one of the qualities that she’d admired about him—he was forever defending the underdog.
    Yet that very quality had also set him on the path that had taken him away.
    Another echo of the old resentment stirred. Even as she acknowledged it, she reminded herself that it was unreasonable. They were no longer teenagers. They had both made choices and had moved on.
    She stopped in the corridor outside her office and automatically tried for a professional smile, once more hoping to get the conversation under control. “The entire city has had its problems, and the Hotel Marchand is no exception. We’ve experienced some lean times, but we’re recovering.”
    “Is that why you haven’t been sleeping?”
    “Excuse