Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
“I slept like a baby,” Caesar said with a grin before sobering and adding, “I’d give up sleep for days to have my Little in my arms.”
“Completely worth it,” Phoenix agreed. “Don’t worry. You’re next, and I can’t imagine Kingsley losing his touch now.”
After taking a moment to pour himself a cup of coffee and snag a pastry, Phoenix looked around the table at the five men he now considered brothers. “I think we need to do a deep dive on Boyd Zhivers. I think there’s a secondary reason he’s attached himself to Lyra. Magnus, could you look at his bank records and see if there’s a correlation between Lyra’s travel and the deposits in his bank account.”
“There is,” their computer expert said. “I had the same thought. There’s a one-day delay after the quartet arrives in a new city. Then, a chunk of money appears in his account. It’s interesting to note that a huge amount was withdrawn yesterday.”
“One day after they were supposed to arrive in Japan. What’s going on?” Phoenix asked.
“Boyd hasn’t left New Zealand yet,” Hawking shared. “We escorted him off the property. However, it was obvious he doesn’t plan to go away. I’ve distributed his photo to my staff.”
“Thanks, Hawking. Other than meeting Jeremiah here in the conference room today, I think Lyra will be happy in our apartment practicing,” Phoenix predicted.
“No way she’d cancel that?” Kestrel asked.
“No way. Being Little must come with a stubborn side,” Phoenix guessed.
“I’d say,” Rocco said with a grin.
Hawking, Magnus, and Kestrel nodded their agreement. Phoenix noted none of them looked a bit worried about that fact. They all loved their Littles—all facets of their personalities.
“Thank you all for keeping a watchful eye out for Lyra.”
“Of course,” Magnus said, adjusting his hat. “They’re the most important people in all our lives. I’ll do some more digging and see what I can come up with for why Boyd was making money and is now losing money. In the meantime, we have some Danger Bluff items we need to consider.”
“What’s up?” Kestrel asked.
Rocco cleared his throat. “I’ll go first. The demand for rock climbing and nature hikes exceeds my ability to handle them. We need at least one more person to take over some of the guest’s requests.”
“I had to search for a family by air last week because they didn’t return from their self-guided tour,” Kestrel added. “I second that motion for new staff.”
“Sadie needs more people in a variety of positions as well,” Rocco added. He passed out a list of different areas where staffing was low.
“Do we have money to pay for more people in these areas?” Phoenix asked.
Magnus didn’t hesitate to answer, “Yes. The revenue will support that.”
“Looks like the Danger Bluff Resort is a success,” Hawking said.
“I don’t think Kingsley ever backs a losing proposition,” Kestrel said.
A thought crossed Phoenix’s mind. “Magnus, have you been gathering any information about our boss?”
“It’s a slow process, and the pieces don’t all fit together. It’s like he’s feeding me bits that he wants me to find,” Magnus confirmed, shaking his head in frustration.
“He’s good,” Kestrel muttered. “I’m looking forward to learning his story.”
The other men nodded before going to the next item on the list. Running the resort was a challenge that Phoenix hadn’t thought he’d enjoy as much as he did. His impression was that the others felt the same way. What would everyone do after Caesar’s token was redeemed? Would Kingsley give them the option to continue?
Phoenix knew what his answer would be. He wanted them all to stay together. He couldn’t imagine Danger Bluff without the team.
“Hey, Phoenix. Are you with us? What do you think about adding snacks at the pool bar?” Rocco pulled him back into their conversation.
“I’ll need to get some additional trash receptacles installed there. Having a couple of roaming servers during the busiest times would keep the mess away,” he said, thinking quickly.
“Put that on our staffing list. We’re going to have a lot of people streaming through the resort for interviews,” Hawking said.
“I’ll warn Sadie,” Rocco volunteered.
Soon, they had all the items addressed and a plan in place. Phoenix loved working with ex-military people. They didn’t waste time but handled things efficiently.
Standing, he saw Lyra peek into the conference room. “Come in, Crash. We’re finished.”
“Hi.” Her brief hesitation when greeting him told Phoenix she had added “Daddy” in her mind. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kestrel open his mouth and snap it shut. Phoenix would thank him later for not commenting on the appropriateness of her nickname, considering the bruise on his jaw. The fellow Daddy must have realized Lyra was already beating herself up about hurting Phoenix.
“Let me get your cello moved in here,” he offered.
“I can do it. I move it all the time.”
“When I’m around, I get to help,” Phoenix stated firmly.