Vaughn hung up before River could hammer home her new, unfortunate dictate, and stomped toward the factory entrance, his boots kicking up work dust thanks to the surrounding construction vehicles. Shit. It appeared the factory’s new owner wasn’t wasting any time making changes. The graffiti-stained, cinderblock wall that had surrounded the factory since Vaughn’s earliest memory had been bulldozed, a tasteful waist-level brick barrier already being constructed. New pathways had already been marked, waiting for concrete to fill them. The place already looked less like a prison and more like an office building.
Nodding with approval, Vaughn continued toward the entrance, fairly certain he would find the fancy new owner inside, being that a sleek 2016 Mercedes was parked along the curb. Definitely not a vehicle that belonged within Hook town limits, let alone to any of its residents. Turned out he was right. Just inside the door, a man whose three-piece suit was more appropriate for a corporate board meeting than a construction site stood conversing with a guy sporting a hard hat, going over plans.
Without pausing his stern instructions, three-piece suit gave Vaughn a bored glance over his shoulder—like some kind of overindulged king—and went back to his low conversation, giving Vaughn a moment to size the other man up. Built like a hockey player, but with none of the loose, easy-going energy, the new factory owner wasn’t what Vaughn imagined someone might find approachable. Kind of reminded Vaughn of a pissed off lion, actually. And yeah, his observations of the man’s appearance were influenced by River eventually being in the man’s orbit.
Three Piece didn’t address him until a full minute later, once he’d finished issuing dictates to Hard Hat. “Can I assist you with something?” He swept Vaughn with a cool glance. “Perhaps directions to the local watering hole?”
Once upon a time, Vaughn would have already stuffed that expensive tie down the asshole’s throat, but he had too much at stake. He only fought for things that mattered now, and this potential job was one of them. “The bar doesn’t open this early.” Vaughn crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall with a grin. “And trust me, I already know right where it is.”
Three Piece rolled up the plans he’d been perusing with precise twists of his cuff-linked wrists. “I find this news unsurprising.”
“Why?” Vaughn tilted his head, posing the question out of curiosity more than anything else. “Because I’m dressed to work, instead of ordering other people to do it for me?”
Hard Hat took that cue to leave, slipping out through the entrance, muttering about getting an early start. “Why are you here?” Three Piece asked, voice laced with impatience. “I’ve guaranteed everyone that their jobs are safe, which I assure you was not a condition of the sale.”
“Purely out of the goodness of your heart, huh?”
Three Piece spread his hands in the form of an answer. “I’m due at a meeting.”
Vaughn nodded and pushed off the wall. “Sounds good.” He turned in a circle, making note of the shiny new machinery, still wrapped with industrial plastic and cardboard. “I’ll just be here, determining the street value of all this sweet new gear.”
“Excuse me?”
Vaughn dipped his chin toward the entrance. “Who’s guarding this place? I just waltzed right in. I get the accessible vibe you’re going for—this place has looked like a death trap for too long—but there was a good reason for that cinderblock wall, man.”
Three Piece tapped the rolled up plan against his thigh. Tap, tap, tap. “I’ve thoroughly researched the town of Hook. It’s low income, yes, but there’s not a high rate of crime.”
“Sure, but what about one town over. And two towns past that?” Vaughn rapped his knuckles on one of the new massive steel machines. “These renovations won’t go unnoticed. You’re clearly upgrading technology, too, which means computers—”
“Sounds to me like you’re the one I should keep an eye on.”
Vaughn shrugged. “Maybe once upon a time. Not now.” The back of his neck tightened. “One of your employees means everything to me, and I’d like the opportunity to make sure her livelihood—and she—are protected.”
Three Piece narrowed his eyes at that, finally showing a spark of humanity, and easing the pressure in Vaughn’s chest. Jesus, job interviews were not his thing, and this one was beyond unconventional. “What credentials do you have?”
“A two-year tour with the Army.” Vaughn tugged his wallet out of his back pocket, holding out his Army-issued identification. “I’ve been working in Baltimore since then, doing private security for visiting business partners and their families. Even upgraded a few local industrial plants—ones like this—to keep the owner’s assets protected.”
After a small hesitation, Three Piece took the offered identification card, scanning it from beneath heavy eyelids. “If one of my employees means everything to you, what were you doing in Baltimore?”
None of your fucking business, sat right on the tip of Vaughn’s tongue, but he swallowed his natural defensiveness, forcing a smile onto his face. “Haven’t you ever tried to do the right thing and found out it was wrong?”