Auctioned Mates Revenge
Chapter 54

Matt's POV

I eyed the list in my hand, turning over the conversation I'd had with Grace and Renda. No one would readily know the scientific names of flowers unless they dealt with them often, and the codes weren't so obvious that anyone could guess them either. When I had called Felix, he explained the code of each line. He knew a lot more about drug dealing above and under the table than I did. The codes assigned to the blend were based on the medical terms for the blends.

She hadn't needed me to explain the first line and she seemed to know how to read the rest of the list.

Did that mean that Renda had been studying to be a doctor or a pharmacist? Did she have some ties to the drug underground or had she picked it up while at Club Heaven or Larry's?

I sighed, shaking my head and folding the list up. I needed more information to be able to answer those questions, and I doubted that Glenda was ready to give them to me.

Grace and Renda were ready to go within the hour and I drove us to the private airport. Grace seemed just as nervous as Renda had been about boarding. It was somewhat proving my theory that these traffickers transported people in far more complex ways than a simple flight.

I looked out the window as we prepared to take off, considering what Felix told me about Walter Gunning, the owner of Blooming Vibes.

I knew he'd tried to buy Walter months ago, but the man had refused his deals. It could have been that Felix hadn't offered him enough money, but I wasn't convinced of that.

Taking over Blooming Vibes' operations would have made Devereaux Botanicals' production potential grow exponentially. There could have been an issue with the alpha of the territory where Blooming Vibes' headquarters existed, but I doubted it.

We landed in a little over an hour, the balmy heat of the southwest coast was a staunch difference from the dryer, cooler temperatures of Midnight.

I glanced at the signage that declared the area as the territory of the Green Bow pack. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. Mordecai had been working hard to get that little pack to expand to the coast, likely trying to build up his control over the coast and keep Ben out of his territory.

"What is the plan?" Grace asked, leaning back in her seat. She seemed relaxed, almost cheerful. Looking at them both, I smiled.

They would be quite the picture in bed together, but aside from that, they seemed to have reached an understanding. That was good. I had a feeling that we'd be dealing with Mordecai and Midnight for a while. Orchestrating the destruction of Midnight would take some time.

"Buy Blooming Vibes."

Grace frowned, "To what end?"

"A friend of mine is in the business," I said. "Felix Devereaux. He started his company after the fall of Fluorite, so he was never reliant upon their products, per se. Blooming Vibes is circling the drain, and it would be best to keep it out of Mordecai's hands." "Why would he be after Blooming Vibes?" Renda asked.

He smirked, "The same reason Ben would want it: industry. Mordecai has an advantage in that he's nearby, but ultimately, all three of the Big Three are hoping to start making the lies they've been telling true in one way or another."

Grace nodded, "You think he'll sell the company to you?"

Matt hummed, "I think we'll see."

"And if not?" Renda asked.

"Then, he'll definitely sell his stockpile to me."

Grace hummed, "If you offer him enough money, for sure."

I nodded. There was that, but I was hoping that my usual luck with business wouldn't lead me astray. Walter Gunning wanted something, but he wasn't telling anyone what it was. There was a reason he didn't take anyone's deal.

I wouldn't be able to figure it out until I was there. From what I could tell from the financials I could get and what Felix could tell me, Walter wasn't hurting for money. He wasn't bound up in a bunch of debts. He and his wife had no children and they lived simple lives inside the Green Bow pack.

There was something that I didn't get about the company though. I couldn't replace any patents registered with the Interpack Authorities under its name or any name attached to Blooming Vibes. I couldn't even replace the products in the intellectual property archives. It could have been the same sort of secret that Blue Ice Wolfsbane Whiskey had, but Blooming Vibes was a relatively new company compared to Blue Ice Wolfsbane Whiskey.

The drive to Blooming Vibes was short. I was surprised when Walter's assistant had been able to get me onto his schedule for the day so easily. We got out of the car and I led, Grace and Renda into the building. It wasn't a very large building or a very large complex. Given how much Blooming Vibes produced, it was odd. They could have had another location where all the production happened, but that didn't feel right either.

The man looked up at us and his eyes widened as he stood and bowed. He was pale.

"Mr. Wallber, welcome. Mr. Gunning has been expecting you. Please, right this way."

I followed him, listening to the front doors lock behind us.

I didn't know if the man's fear came from Ben's reputation, the known relationship I had with Mordecai or something about me, but as he led us through the building, something felt off.

There weren't a lot of people in the building. A few janitors, a handful of clerks seated in a large room, Boxes were stacked up in each room we passed, coded with strings of numbers and letters. I could only guess it was packaged product.

I expected Blooming Vibes to have a bit more sophistication when it came to their storage and shipping procedures, but they seemed to be running like a start-up with products and supplies stacked up everywhere.

Walter's office was on the second floor. The receptionist knocked on the door.

"Mr. Wallber is here."

"Come in," the man said through the door.

The receptionist opened the door, ushered us in, and closed the door behind us.

The office was smaller than I expected but cozy. There was a small bar holding coffee and hot chocolate to the left of the room and a small set of couches and chairs.

Walter was turned away. He didn't have his back to us, but his attention was out the window. He was a tall thin man who looked a bit tired. His suit was pressed and clean, but I could smell his weariness and grief. He smelled sad and that was strange.

Lucas let out a low rumble, He is tired. Not a threat.

That much was obvious.

"Please, help yourself, Mr. Wallber," he said turning and gesturing to the bar. He froze for just a moment. Shock took over his face. A brief flash of elation and hope followed before he glanced at me. His expression evened out to a slight nervousness, "Ladies, you as well, of course. There are snacks if you'd like."

Lucas sat up with interest at his tone and the rush of emotions that went across his face. I heard Renda and Grace move towards the bar and chat about the options. He seemed to be watching them carefully. Or one of them. Maybe he knew one of them or thought he recognized one of them. That could be to my advantage.

"Thank you," I said, taking a seat on a couch. Walter walked carefully towards the couch on the other side of the table and sat.

Soon, Renda and Grace were seated on either side of me with steaming cups of coffee and hot chocolate. I glanced at Renda and smirked.

"I didn't know you had a sweet tooth."

She wrinkled her nose, "I... have a weakness."

"Cocoa Madness is the best hot chocolate on the market," Walter said, his voice taking on a gentle and warm tone. "Special blend. Most don't know we do more than sell cannabis blends and eatables." Sell, Lucas repeated at the back of my mind.

I thought it was odd too, but I smiled kindly at the man. The sadness that had been clinging to him seemed to be easing.

It was Renda. He knew her somehow, but I doubted I would get a chance to ask.

"It's hard to get the chocolate, vanilla, and bergamot balanced right," Renda said. "Cocoa Madness has always been my favorite."

I frowned and looked at her, "Bergamot? Like Earl Grey tea?"

She nodded, sipping from her cup, "The best."

I was intrigued as I turned back to Walter who sat forward smiling. His eyes were a bit glossy, but he seemed happy.

"What brings the illustrious Matt Wallber to my office on such short notice?" Walter asked. "I could guess, but you don't seem to be a man who likes his time wasted."