AllFreeNovel
Share Us
With the weight of Benji’s death heavy on my shoulders I give in to my father’s demands. “I got to go pack.”
“You’re really going to go through with this?” Collin asks.
“I have too. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”
Chapter 3
Dominic
When you’re preparing to marry a stranger with the means to rocket your business dealings to a level that no rival couldascertain, you dress for power. I stand in the lobby of the hotel, waiting for the elevator and study my reflection in the spotless steel enclosure. It’s all a facade used to mask our true motives, hide the darker side of business, and bend our opposition to our whims. Perception is reality and what others seedetermineswhere you end up in life. I will end up on top or nowhere. Never again will I have to claw my way to reach middle ground and I’ll never bend to anyone.
My custom-tailored three-piece suit, gold cufflinks and designer skinny tie over a crisp white button-down shirt is a power suit. On the outside, I’m tailored and refined as always. On the inside, I’m a ball of nerves. I tap my polished shoe on the marble floor and press the call button impatiently. There’s a lot riding on this deal and I demanded a willing bride. A decision I’m regretting as I wait to learn her answer. She asked to meet with me before our vows to hash out the finer details of this arrangement. I’m obliging her request, although I have no intention of settling for anything less than what her father owes me.
The elevator door finally opens, and I step in, turning to face front just in time for my eyes to land on the woman rushing toward the closing elevator. Her cheeks are flushed and she’s fumbling with shopping bags. “Hold it please.”
My arm juts out straight to halt the inevitable closure of the door. It slides back open, and she thanks me with a half-smile that highlights her innocent demeanor. I nod and step to the side giving her room to enter with the spoils of her shopping spree. She drops one bag on the floor in front of her and holds onto another.
“What floor?” It’s a simple question that doesn’twarrantthe flustered look that falls over her face when she looks up at me. “Where are you getting off?”
“Forty-ninth floor please.” A tiny voice that matches her delicate form finally responds.
An unexplainable grin spreads over my lips as I watch her fidget uncomfortably with the handle of the bag in her hands. Is it the glass elevator about to soar above the city skyline or is it my presence making her nervous? I make a lasting impression on the ladies but not normally one like this. Not this fast.
The fear in her eyes, like she’s desperate to escape, slams into my chest like a sledgehammer. Her gaze glued to the floor level sign ignoring the breathtaking view above the city. I take in the splendid view and let my eyes roam over the delicate features of her body. My cock twitches. For as long as it took the damn elevator to get here, it’s rising floor to floor too quickly. I’m about to be married, not buried and there’s no telling if my future bride will deny me of my needs.
I notice she’s wearing long sleeves in July which strikes me as odd until I notice the faint bruise under her eye, she’s carefully concealed with the magic tricks that make up a woman's cosmetic bag. My muscles tense but I try not to let her see my reaction. It’s a primal response that has my pulse pounding. I’m many things but I’m not a man that tolerates abuse. Women should be protected, not beaten. Fucked not fought.
The sudden ding of the elevator reaching her floor catches me off guard. The door barely opens before she’s grabbing the bag at her feet and is gone as fast as she appeared.
I shift my throbbing cock as the elevator continues to my floor. I remind myself why I’m here. It would be poor form to meet my future bride with a hard on for another woman. I drag my hand through my hair and inhale a deep breath. The scent of her perfume, a blend of lavender and jasmine hits my nose.
What the fuck is this reaction?
I shake off my frustration and step out of the elevator, to find Dixon pacing the hallway. He hears my approach and spins on his heels. “Here’s the information you wanted on Callie Hawkins.” He shoves a folder in my direction.
It’s about fucking time. I only asked for this two days ago. It’s not like him to be this distracted but something is pulling his focus away from his tasks. I shoot him a hardened glare and growl my frustrations under my breath while yanking the folder out of his hand.
“There wasn’t much to find,” he adds as I flip the file open.
“There’s always something to find if you look hard enough,” I counter, scanning the file’s contents.
Stapled to the inside flap is a photograph that has my head jerking back toward the elevator. Those are the same soft lips, the same stormy blue eyes that leveled me in the elevator. This might not be as bad of a deal as I thought. With her perfume still lingering in my nose, I recall how my cock twitched at her nervousness. Did she know who I was? Is that what made her nervous or did I have the same effect on her as she did me?
I don’t believe in fate. Life gives us what we work for or what we take, if necessary. Settling for less is for poor men. I haven’t been poor in a long time. Orphaned and unwanted, I had to find my way in the streets. It wasn’t fate that landed me in Don Marco’s territory. It was blind luck. Luck that I spun to my advantage. He could have killed me for pushing over-the counter- medicines as street drugs but he didn’t. He was intrigued by my ingenuity and took me under his wing as his errand boy. It was a terrible job, long hours, and no respect but I did as I was told, kept my nose out of his business and soaked in all there was to learn from the sidelines. When he finally allowed me to make a name for myself, I took it without hesitation. I didn’t mind getting my hands dirty if that’s what it was going to take. My first kill wasn’t much different from my tenth. Now everyone knows my name. Dominic Delgado, Don Marco’s most trusted Capo. Under Don Marco’s protection, I learned what real power was. I take what I want, and this little business arrangement just got a whole lot more enticing.
I scan the rest of the file and snap it closed. There’s nothing useful here. Nothing to use to my advantage to make her give me what I want. And what do I want exactly? Damned if I know.
I step into the foyer of the penthouse suite and head straight to the bar on the farthest side of the room. My posture is composed, and my movements deliberate as I lay the folder on the bar next to me and remove my pistol from the holster on my hip. I rack the slide, loading a single bullet into the chamber and place it on top of the folder before pouring myself a Bourbon. “I could shoot you right here, right now and my men would have you floating in the river before anyone even knows you're missing.”
“My daughter would know and then you’d lose everything.”
I turn around to face Danny Hawkins sitting in a corner chair, his nervous fingers scratching at the upholstery. My nostrils flare at his audacity to enter my personal space without my permission. I raise the glass to my lips and down my drink.
“It appears you’re not very good with deductive reasoning. There’s only three of us in this room and she’s not one of them. So, tell me again why I shouldn’t kill you where you sit?”
Danny swallows hard. He’s got balls I’ll give him that. After five years of doing business together he should know I don’t take threats lightly. “I’m not here to make trouble. I wanted to speak with you before she arrives.”
I cock my brow. “Negotiations aren’t your strong point either I see. We already came to an agreement. I marry your daughter; take ownership of your company and I won't kill you.” I pour myself another glass of bourbon and knock it back. “Although you’re making it hard for me to uphold the later part of our deal.
