Page 20 of Hate On
Fenwick,Roman reminded himself. The man’s last name was Fenwick. Turning to Douglass Fenwick, he cocked a brow and waited.
Douglass pushed his glasses up his nose, his pale brow beaded with sweat despite the coolness of the room. “Meredith is right. The prototype is interesting, but it wasn’t what I would have expected from the tech arm of Templeton Legacy. I have to say I was excited to get my hands on it, but…” Reaching for the material in front of him, he shuffled the papers, then flipped through them, clearly checking for something. “It was a bit of a disappointment.”
“Cut to the chase, Fenwick,” Michael said, cutting Roman off before he could suggest the very same thing.
“The prototypedoesmake improvements on current treatment methods,” Fenwick said, bobbing his head deferentially at the head of the Montrose enterprise. “But it’s nothing that we can call a game changer. Clarity is improved marginally…” He checked his papers and rattled off a percentage, then gave a few more details, ending with a shake of his head. “After learning about the changes that Templeton brought to the precious metals industry, I was expecting something along that scale. But that’s not what we have here. Maybe in a few more generations, or if they’d invested more time…” He shrugged. “And that’s not to say our people can’t improve on it. But even then, I don’t see it turning into a game changer.”
“I get it. Templeton was overstating things,” Roman said shortly.
“I’d say so.” Meredith took over and glanced at Michael for a moment. When he gestured at her, she continued. “Roman, your father briefed me on the details of the talk with Templeton and while the mines themselves are a huge benefit, it seems he was trying to sweeten the pot with this tech. I wouldn’t even take it into consideration while putting together the bid you’ll make on the mines—those mines need to be your main concern when bidding.”
“Understood.” Roman met his father’s eyes, then nodded at the two employees. “Thanks for the time you put into this. Why don’t you take the day off and get some rest?”
His father frowned at him, but Roman didn’t take back the offer.
Hell, they’d stayed up most of the night doing rush tests on the damn thing. He was a little tired himself, but he’d had a chance to rest in between bedroom antics and dinner with Julianna. With a faint smile, he mused that his part in the whole charade had probably been the most enjoyable. It still left a sour feeling in his gut, but what was done was done.
After Meredith and Douglass left the room, Roman looked at his father. “How do you want to proceed?”
“Dig into the mines. Make sure they’re worth what we think they’re worth,” Michael said, reaching for the phone on the desk. He punched a button and when a woman answered, he said, “Sybil, send Geoffrey down.”
Geoffrey Adams was the CFO.
The request had Roman arching a questioning brow at his father.
“We’ll go ahead and make our bid. Let Templeton think we’re dead set on getting those mines.” His lip curled faintly. “And that prototype.”
“They did say it has some use,” Roman said.
“Someuse. Hardly a game changer. I heard them as well as you, Roman.” Michael’s words dripped with scorn. “Edgar is trying to fleece us. He should know better.”
It sounded to him like Edgar was trying to get the best deal possible and wasn’t above some showmanship and chicanery. Roman didn’t know that he’d go so far as to say the other man was trying to fleece them. Had the prototype been useless, that would be a different story.
Geoffrey only took a few minutes to make his way to the boardroom and Roman listened as his father gave instructions. “Put together a bid. Roman will have figures on what the mines themselves are worth by the end of the day. Once you have them, pad it a bit for the so-called prototype—you can look at Meredith’s report to get an idea what its value would be to us, then get that bid together. In the meantime, put a call in to Templeton Legacy’s team. You have the number of the man I was instructed to call.” Michael paused a moment, waiting for Geoffrey’s confirming nod. Then he grunted. “Good. Let them know we’ll make our bid when the Castles make theirs. We don’t need seventy-two hours. We want those mines.”
His father’s determination to go forward without taking their time on the prototype made Roman a little uneasy, but he remained silent until Geoffrey was out of the room.
“You’re certain this is the road you want to take?” he asked as he rose from his chair. Fastening the button of his dark gray suit coat, he hesitated as he waited for his father’s answer, although he already knew what it would be.
“Yes. Get that information on those mines.”
Roman simply nodded and headed toward the door.
“Oh, one more thing…have the team check and make sure the land around the mines is free and clear. Have them look into any claims and easements and check if there are private access roads on the properties,” Michael added.
“Of course.” Without bothering to say goodbye, Roman left the boardroom. It was going to be a tedious day.
* * *
In his shirtsleeveslater that afternoon, Roman took a break to contact his personal assistant about the gala that following evening.
It had been in the back of his mind ever since Julianna had agreed to go with him.
But second thoughts had started and they weighed on him hard. Was this the best idea?
People would talk.
His father might well have a stroke. He grimaced as the thought circled through his mind, because it wasn’t just speculation. Michael Montrose would bepissed. He’d been furious with his son simply for talking with a Castle back when the two of them had briefly shared a hospital room and Roman hadn’t even known about the family feud then. He’d beeneleven, for fuck’s sake.