But this position was his ticket. Show the right numbers and growth, and the big desk would stay his. He would be in charge and the impressive paycheck and windfall bonuses would come his way.
With one sharp knock, his office door opened. So much for his crack staff and the security measures he’d put in place to keep anyone from getting into his office without permission. Connor somehow broke through the protocol after one visit to the place.
That meant one thing: Tony had to get the pseudo-detective out of his business and off his trail. Fast.
He didn’t give Connor the satisfaction of mentioning the unapproved entrance. “You’re back.”
Connor didn’t bother with small talk. He walked right across the large office to stand in front of Tony’s desk. “I have a few questions.”
Not that Tony had any intention of answering them. “Where’s your assistant?”
“Second in command.”
He leaned back in his chair and slid his palms over the smooth leather of the armrests. “Is there a difference?”
Connor took a quick look around the office. His gaze roamed but he didn’t move. “Davis is back at the office, working on this case.”
“Case?”
“Yes.”
“Exactly how long are you in town?” The man needed to head back to Annapolis and stay there. Tony was half ready to throw him in a cab to make it happen.
“For as long as it takes.”
“Interesting response.”
Connor’s stance relaxed from attack mode to soon-to-attack. The dark suit didn’t fool Tony. He knew a fellow fighter when he saw one. This man could ruin everything. He would dig and push, and those were the two things Tony could not afford to have happen.
Without being asked, Connor launched into whatever he came to say. “I thought you could give me some intel on your officers.”
The man had guts. Tony had to give him that, but the request, if that’s what it was, would never happen. “Intel?”
“Who, what, backgrounds. Personality types.” Other than blinking, Connor still didn’t move. “Likelihood for trouble.”
Tony tapped his fingers against the end of the armrest. He aimed for mild disinterest. Inside his mind was spinning with ways to end the conversation. “This is starting to sound a bit like an interrogation.”
“If it helps you to think of it that way, I’m good with that.” The flat tone only added to the feeling of menace.
“It’s also a clear case of overreaching.”
“Your executive is missing.”
And what a mess that had turned out to be. “I let you get me upset last time, but this is nothing. Mark wandered away from camp. That’s hardly a reason to dig around in people’s personal lives.”
Connor’s eyes narrowed a fraction. “Why do you say that?”
“Because it’s not your business where they—”
“I meant the part about Mark. Why do you think he walked off?”
“It’s the most logical explanation.” That was the story. That was the plan. Simple and straightforward. Except for the part where it all blew apart and now Tony had to deal with bad weather, Rafe screaming on the phone from thousands of miles away about his baby girl’s safety and the man across the desk who wanted to rush in and save everyone.
“I told you there were gunshots.”
“I doubt it,” Tony said. “If that were true, if there were really trouble, the police, park rangers and everyone else would be out there. I’d be getting calls and this would be on the news. You see, Mr. Bowen—”
“Connor is fine.”
“Conner then.” Though Tony would prefer not to get so personal. “I turned this company around by being patient. I don’t run off or act in panic mode.”
“You think I do?”
“Technically, isn’t other people’s panic your business?” Tony continued to drum his fingers. With each tap he inhaled, trying to slow down his pounding heart and keep his breathing under control. There was no need to show weakness. “Look, Mark likes to show off. He wasn’t thrilled with the idea of a young woman running the retreat.”
“How evolved of him.”
Little did Connor know the woman, Hope, had been a vital part of the plan. Talk about a miscalculation. “My guess is his male ego got wounded and now he’s stuck trying to find a reasonable way to save face and come back to camp.”
“Is that it?”
“Excuse me?”
“Are you done?” This time Connor moved. He leaned forward with his fists on the far edge of Tony’s desk and kept the eye contact locked on him. “If so, let me tell you about my men. They don’t panic. They also know what gunfire sounds like because they’re experts at rescuing. When they issue a warning it’s because something is seriously wrong.”