Chapter Twelve
The construction site was on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Wooden skeletons were spread out across the land, dry bones waiting to come alive. Men and women swarmed over the area like worker bees, pouring concrete and putting up drywall, laying electrical wiring and setting pipes.
The car rolled to a stop, Edgar parking beside a row of pickup trucks covered with sawdust and dirt.
He caught Ally’s eye in the rearview mirror. “Mr. Capprelli is waiting for you inside the trailer. I’ve got some leads I want to follow up on.” He lifted his phone. “Let me know when you’re done, and I’ll send a car if I’m not nearby.”
“Right. I’ve already set my phone up to forward all calls to you—I don’t want to be interrupted during this meeting unless it’s urgent. Anything else can wait until we get back to the hotel.” She turned at Trey. “Ready to play?”
He smiled, tamping down the heat flaring through his body at her choice of words. “Lead on.”
He followed her as she picked her way through the organized chaos in the front yard. She wore a dark suit with a matching skirt, the white blouse buttoned up almost to the top.
“Capprelli has been with us for a few years, on different projects. This is the first time I’ve actually met him in person. He’s a decent manager, but his accident rate has been creeping up over the last few months,” she explained. “He’s the reason we had to talk to the union leader.”
“Man’s getting greedy,” Trey said.
“Likely. It happens over time with some people—we offer bonuses for finishing early, and there are those who see that as an invitation to take more risks, put people in danger. I don’t want anyone to be injured building a damn house.” She stopped at the bottom of the wooden stairs. “Just follow my lead, please.”
He waved her on with a smile.
Ally trotted up the steps into the trailer and opened the door.
He followed her in, remembering the notes from the hotel room.
…
She wasn’t in the mood for this. But she had a company to run.
That’s why you hired Jessie, she told herself. And she’s doing her job.
Now you do yours.
She resisted the urge to stare at Trey. He’d worn a black suit today, the top button of the white dress shirt undone and the dark tie working to keep it closed. He looked like he wore it every day, as comfortable in that as in the T-shirt and jeans he’d worn when they’d first met.
A sense of safety emanated from him in waves, an almost sensual warmth every time he got close. On the drive over, she’d been tempted more than once to lean in, press against him, and wallow in that strength. But she had to go to work, and Trey Pierce had to take a back seat to the needs of Sheldon Construction.
She’d deal with her own needs later.
As she entered the trailer, a middle-aged man rose from behind the desk. Cool air washed over her, brushing away the outside heat. He grunted and approached her.
“You must be Mr. Capprelli.” She held out her hand. “Ally Sheldon. My associate, Trey Pierce.”
“Right on time. Love that. Glad to put a face to your voice on the phone. Pleased to meet you both.” The white-haired man gave her a weak handshake before gripping Trey’s hand with a strong, firm grip. A leather jacket hung loose on the manager’s shoulders, with the crisp dress shirt underneath tucked into clean jeans.
“Glad to have you stop on by.” He waved at the single folding chair in front of the desk. “Sorry I don’t have much more to offer you. Trailer’s small, can’t fit two chairs in here.”
“It’s fine,” she said before sitting down. “I appreciate your understanding. My brother’s still under the weather.”
Capprelli took his seat. “No problem. Food poisoning’s a bi…” He paused, revising his phrasing. “It’s horrible. Hope he gets better soon. You could have canceled the visit, you know. Nothing here for you to worry about.” He plucked a clipboard off the wall. “Here’s the documentation you asked for. We’ve played the game, got a safety committee and everything. All according to the union contract, and the rep’s been consulted every step of the way.”
She took the clipboard and flipped through the pages before answering, already knowing what she was going to say.
“The problem isn’t the safety committee, Mr. Capprelli. It’s the fact you’ve had three injuries in as many weeks. Your explanations might have satisfied the local union bosses, but it doesn’t satisfy me. I know the business, and I know the schedule. You’re pushing them for overtime, pushing them to work when they’re tired.” She handed the clipboard back. “Sloppy work gets people hurt, gets them killed. I realize Vincent promised you a bonus if you finished early, but that doesn’t mean we want human sacrifices.”
The older man leaned back in his chair, glaring at her. “Listen, I’ve worked in this industry for decades. Longer than you’ve been alive.” He dragged his eyes up her body, stopping monetarily at her breasts before meeting her stare. “I don’t need you telling me how to take care of my men.”
She didn’t flinch. In a way it was comforting, listening to the familiar chauvinistic chatter.
She knew how this ended.
“Good,” Ally said. “Because the next injury is going to cost you half your week’s pay.”
“What?”
“You heard what your boss said.” Trey picked the clipboard off the table. He reached over to hang it up again, leaning in over Capprelli in a not-so-subtle intimidation attempt.
Capprelli’s mouth opened and closed twice before any sound came out. “You can’t do that.”
“Watch us.” Ally rose from the chair. “I’ll be waiting for your accident-free report next week.” She gave him her best smile. “Thank you for seeing us. We’ll do an inspection of the site before we leave. Don’t worry about escorting us, we can find our own way around.”
She led Trey out of the trailer, leaving the ashen-faced man behind.
It wasn’t until they’d picked up hard hats from the side of the trailer and started picking their way through the site that she spoke, keeping her voice low.
“Thank you. That was a nice touch at the end.”
Trey shrugged as he walked beside her. “Guy was being an ass. You’re the boss, not his ego.”
“Yes. Yes, I am.” She adjusted the white hat, brushing an errant long strand of blond hair out of her eyes. “Usual procedure when I visit a site is we chat with the manager then do a walk-around, let the workers see us. I want them to know if they have any problems, complaints or concerns, they can skip over Capprelli and come to us.”
“Will they recognize you?” Trey nodded toward a group of carpenters busy working on the exterior of one house. “Other than an amazingly beautiful woman strolling by, that is.”
“I doubt it.” She smiled, taking the compliment in hand. “The spotlight’s usually on Vincent, not me. I don’t believe Capprelli’s been bragging about our visit to anyone. But we’ll make an appearance to make them aware people are watching and caring about their safety.”
“Capprelli’s dangerous.” He stepped around a skid of bricks. “I may not be an expert in this field, but I can see an idiot a mile away. That type of man is everywhere, thinking only about himself at the expense of others. He always steps out of the way just in time to stay clear of the fallout, saves himself at the expense of others.”
Ally hesitated as Trey extended his hand, ready to help her over the curb.
He raised an eyebrow, silently admonishing her.
I won’t let you fall.
She took his hand and stepped firmly on the plywood, annoyed with herself for the pause.
A wolf whistle froze her in her tracks, the sound grating on her ears.
“What the hell?” Trey released her hand.
“Don’t worry about it. There’s always an idiot or two on site who either doesn’t know who I am or doesn’t care—they figure I won’t catch them at it, and it’s not worth…” Her words trailed off as she watched him storm toward the offender, a large, thick-necked man standing by a black pickup truck.
He’s not going to…
He is.
She stood there and studied the man’s face as Trey spoke to him, the words swallowed up by a nearby worker busy using a nail gun. Trey’s face showed no emotion, no indication he was doing anything other than having a friendly discussion.
The man’s sneer changed to a neutral expression. Then his eyebrows rose, and his mouth opened just enough to let his tongue flick out, nervously wetting his lips.
Trey turned and walked back to her.
The man followed, sweat beading on his forehead. He stopped in front of her, rubbing his hands together. “I’d like to apologize, Ms. Sheldon. I had no idea who you were.”
Trey tilted his head.
“And I shouldn’t be catcalling ladies like that. Because it’s wrong. Respecting women is important, and I should be setting an example for the others.” He glanced at Trey as if asking for permission.
A nod sent the man back to work.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said. “He’s not the first, and he won’t be the last.”
“No,” Trey admitted. “But small steps and all. No woman should be subjected to that sort of thing. No one will do it when I’m around.” The emotion in his words burned through the last of her anger at him, replacing it with a tingle of desire.
She looked up and cleared her throat, feeling a flush of heat on her cheeks. “Did you threaten that worker with bodily harm?”
He shrugged. “Depends.”
“On what?”
He smiled at her, and her heart skipped a beat. “On how far you think I’d go for you.”