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If I could manage to get away from my old life without any additional scars.
* * *
“I have two last questions for you, Ms. Porter. Why do you think you’d be good for this position and why do you think you’d make a difference, perhaps able to take Wolfe Wineries into the future?”
I took a deep breath, studying Mr. Blakely’s face. While he had kind eyes, he’d been all about business, grilling me on every aspect of my career as well as delving into my professional views on marketing and advertising. I had no clue whether or not I’d made any headway. However, I sat back, taking a sip of my water bottle before answering.
“The honest truth is that I’m not certain I can help in obtaining your illustrious goals; however, I do know what sells and what doesn’t and usually the reasons why. My record has proven that, including what I managed to do for Johnson and Bridger. From what I can tell, the reason your company is failing at this point, after spending so much time on the leaderboard, is the lack of leadership. The owner of the company used to be the front man, the person people admired and looked up to. Now, he’s silent, as if he no longer cares about the business. That’s your biggest issue. Perhaps I will be able to encourage him to change his methods of operation.”
I kept my hard, cold stare into his eyes as he searched mine. However, all I wanted to do was crumple into a ball.
He took a deep breath, taking a few seconds to flip through my resume once again. Then he gave me a single nod. “Perhaps, Ms. Porter. I will be in touch either way. Thank you for your time.”
When he ended the meeting, I resisted tossing my laptop across the room. Damn the man. I didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell.
CHAPTER3
Montgomery
I’d been called many things over the last few years, most of which were true. I was heartless. I was cruel. I was unforgiving.
But the one I embraced more than the others was that I was dangerous. In truth, very few people knew what I was capable of. I’d been on edge since the night of the fire years before that had all but destroyed my life. I’d fallen down a spiraling abyss that continued to shackle me in purgatory. I’d almost ended my life the night my wife had died. The only reason I hadn’t was my continued need to fulfill my desire for revenge.
As well as honoring my late parents. My father had instilled the Cheyenne values into me, although he’d shoved our heritage aside. I hadn’t understood his reasons until I was older. Then I’d learned the hard way, kids making fun of the Cheyenne boy.
I’d been angry then, but the moment Carmine had come into my life, the world had glistened like a pearl. As if I was some kind of romantic.
I clenched my fist as visions of what I wanted to do to the man responsible for the fire filtered into my mind. They were bloody. They were torturous. And they were glorious. While my world had ended on that dark, stormy night, the threats against my estate as well as my life had only taken a break.
They were back.
I’d been issued various threats involving my family’s legacy, but the one sitting on my desk was more egregious than I’d had before. Especially since the note had been slipped under my office door for me to find. That meant someone on the estate was working with the man responsible.
You will die.
Yes, I would one day, but not before hunting then going through with my retaliation on the asshole responsible.
Fuck him.
I’d bided my time, just like I’d been begged to do by my attorney and friend, but that had only been after repeated attempts to allow the law to do their job.
After all, my wife had been murdered.
I heard the knock on the door and was forced to take a deep breath. After balling the note and tossing it into the trash, I barked at the person standing on the other side of the door. “Come in.” I was angrier than I’d been in a long time, seething from everything that had occurred over the last few months. I glared at the employee who walked in, hissing under my breath. I didn’t need some asshole fucking up everything. I tried to control my anger, but it was becoming increasingly hard.
Breathe. Just breathe.
Marcus had a sheepish look on his face as he walked in, shifting his cowboy hat from one hand to the other. “You wanted to see me, sir?”
You’re a fucking asshole and I should have fired you a long time ago.
I took another deep breath before I answered. While his actions had been costly to the company’s bottom line, he didn’t deserve my full wrath.
“Yeah, I certainly did. Close the door.” I paced my office floor for a few seconds.
“I’m so sorry for what happened,” Marcus said quietly.
I could tell by the look in his eye that he wasn’t sorry in the least. In fact, it seemed he was enjoying my discomfort.
