His hands were in many businesses, and this was one he had obtained during a poker game four years ago. He thought he would do a little investigating. He got bored very easily. Plus he was trying not to focus on sealing a deal with Fedarro Fiorre. Fedarro and his brother Collin were connected and their family was lethal in so many ways. He had conducted business with Collin and Fedarro before and showed his capability for smuggling in illegal shipments from overseas, but this situation involved local trafficking of specific items that could land him in a casket if he fucked up. He had a lot of power and money, too and hoped to take over the side of the business Fedarro and Collin’s two cousins seemed to be pulling back from. Major and Mateus Fiorre were softening up, and the time to strike was approaching. If this deal went through with their cousins Collin and Fedarro, then Colosar would have a secure spot in the Fiorre family gang, and his ultimate goal of destroying them all would slowly begin to strengthen. He was excited, but listening to these people talk about shit he could care less about wasn’t. He had to get through this.
As the meeting continued, he listened to people from several departments speak. His eyes couldn’t help but roam back to Bella. She was sweet, youthful, beautiful, and breathtaking in so many ways. He knew this feeling. He’d had it often enough to know when he had found his next conquest. The next woman to dominate and control, to train into his submissive lover. They were all the same. Controllable, easily manipulated with use of his power, money, and demands. He licked his lips. She would keep his mind off the stress of this upcoming deal. It could be fun.
Plus, she was somehow related to the Costanza family, and he needed to know how close she was to them. He could use her in a lot of ways, but enjoy it, as well, since the attraction was there. Perhaps if he controlled her, even possessed her, her family would be less apt to stand in his way to power. Hell, maybe they would even accept him and give a good word to Fedarro and Collin for him. It was a reach, but meeting her, bumping into her, was not coincidental. No, it was fate. He knew how to use people and situations to his advantage and this was no different.
She seemed sweet, different from the others in her demeanor and the way she avoided his gaze. She had a great body, a perfect set of breasts, and a nice round ass. He wanted to learn more about her, and before it was her turn to speak, he needed to set the stage of his power.
“Excuse me, Dave, but explain to me how you believe the numbers will increase with expanding the market to other distribution centers that you can’t show documented proof of,” he said to the man from accounting. Dave stuttered and then tried to explain as he rummaged through papers, spitting out things that Colosar challenged.
“I think you need to look into that further. I hate to lose money. It’s unacceptable. Who is next?” he dismissed the man and he could tell that everyone was on edge now. The next person went, a woman from designs and the creative department. She was shaking like a leaf and he had her practically in tears in five seconds.
A glance at Bella and she went from looking nervous to looking angry. It shocked him. He wanted her scared of him so it would be easier to control her right off the bat. So when it was her turn and she began to talk about the upcoming line and ideas for the clothing line as well as her findings, he tried to ruffle her feathers.
“So on this little paid excursion I allowed, you basically accomplished what?” he asked her and stared at her. She glanced around the table.
“Eyes on me. Like the others, there is no one to answer but yourself. You’re responsible for your actions and your job. Go ahead, explain,” he snapped at her. He saw an instant change in her eyes. Her shoulders pushed back, her chin lifted, and then she eased back.
“Well, Mr. Miantelli, I would be happy to explain the process in lay terms so you can understand me,” she started off with, shocking him, but she quickly went into all she did to come up with the ideas and designs to deliver to the creative department. She was a workhorse.
“So if you do all that, why aren’t you running these meetings, giving thorough information all the time, not just today?” he asked, and her demeanor changed. She had a soft spot for her co-workers, and wouldn’t rat them out.
“Who said I don’t do this every now and then to bring a change of opinion to the meeting? As a matter of fact, Leonard requires all of us to give personal feedback because he realizes it’s not just one man or one woman that makes a company successful, but an army of us, sir. I would think a man of your stature and demands for perfection, as well as your desire for monetary success, would see that’s exactly the type of employees we all are,” she said, holding his gaze.
The little spitfire just gave him an erection. How badly her ass is going to burn from the punishments I will instill on her.
“That is yet to be determined, Bella. Perhaps it will be important for me to stick around and see for myself exactly how good you claim everyone is.”
“It’s your company, sir,” she said and then leaned back and pulled her papers together. Leonard cleared his throat and introduced the next speaker, but Colosar’s attention was on Bella. A quick glance at Trojan, his guard and assistant, and the man exited the room to find out all he could on the sweet and spicy Bella Costanza. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was related to Paulie Costanza. That couldn’t be coincidence. He was already formulating a plan. Paulie Costanza Junior was a wannabe gangster. Colosar had his suspicions about Paulie’s loyalty when it came to doing some shipments and odd jobs. This was fate. He just knew it.
* * * *
“I can’t believe that you spoke to him like that. He is such a hard ass. You did great,” Kelly said to her as they walked out of the boardroom.
“Bella.” She heard Leonard call her name, and when she looked back, he was standing by the door to the boardroom. He motioned her back.
“See you later, and thanks from everyone for sticking up for us,” Kelly said and headed to the elevator. She glanced at the other employees, and they looked relieved to get the hell out of there and away from Colosar Miantelli.
She walked closer to Leonard, and he gave her a sympathetic expression like he felt sorry for her.
“Mr. Miantelli would like to talk to you further.”
“To me? Why?”
“Just go in. Good luck,” he said.
She walked into the room and saw Mr. Miantelli along with the big guy in the suit who had walked out during the meeting. Leonard closed the door behind her, closing her off from any backup if this man challenged her professionalism and capabilities. She was shaking.
“Please have a seat,” he said, motioning with his hand to the seat right in front of him. She went to sit on the chair a few feet away.
“No, this one.” He raised his voice, and she gulped before she went to sit in the chair he ordered her to sit in. When she sat and crossed her legs, he inhaled.
She folded her hands on her lap.
The man leaned back in the chair that was so close to hers his knee touched her knee, causing heat to fill her body.
He licked his lips. “I don’t know if you realize it, but most people would not have gotten away with what you did today,” he said to her.
“What did I do?”
He raised one of his eyebrows up at her but didn’t say a word right away. She didn’t know if it meant he thought she was being a wise ass or if it meant he was wondering how she dared to interrupt him. He was more than intimidating.
“I was impressed with your abilities and need to stand up for your fellow employees. I would like to know why you defended them.”
Because you were being a bully, asshole, she thought.
“Go on. I want honesty since it seems you were the only person in this room not willing to bullshit me,” he stated firmly.
“They are all good employees who work very hard at their jobs. I think they felt a lot of extra pressure having to describe their work in front of you.”
“I’m the owner of the company. They need to be comfortable and confi
dent in presenting at all times.”
“Well, I guess they feel you intimidate them, and this is the first time you have shown your face at a board meeting.”
He leaned forward and stared at her lips, her breasts, and then held her gaze and lowered his voice.
“Do I intimidate you?” he asked her straight out.
“Yes,” she admitted and her cheeks felt flushed.
A grin hit his face, then quickly disappeared so fast she thought she imagined it. He leaned closer. “You should be intimidated. Your attitude needs an adjustment. This won’t be the last time we discuss things about your position. In fact, I am going to require that you come see me twice a week and explain in great detail what you and your department have come up with and do on a weekly basis.”
She was shocked. “I’m not the one in charge of the department. Carrie is, and she’s home sick.”
“Well, I’m changing things up. You will come see me on Wednesday at my office downtown. Trojan will pick you up here at eleven. We’ll meet and discuss and I’ll suggest any needed changes, understood?”
She thought about it a moment. She glanced at the man he called Trojan and then back at her boss.
“Are you doing this with every department?” she asked.
He stared at her. “No. You can leave now, Bella.” He dismissed her and kept his hands on the arms of his chair as she stood up, grabbed her things, and then headed out of the room.
As she got to the elevator and headed upstairs, she didn’t know what to think. She just knew she needed to make sure she had a good report ready two times a week and wondered how the heck she was going to keep up with her work schedule if she had to drop three hours to meet the man downtown? Shit. Life was going to suck for the next few weeks at least.
When she got to her office everyone started clapping as she entered. She felt the heat hit her cheeks and Melissa was right there, smiling and taking her bags.
“We heard all about the meeting and how Colosar Miantelli was there and was mean to everyone. I can’t believe you stuck up for everyone.”
“Yeah, well, it cost me.”
Melissa’s eyes widened, and then Joyce and Kate looked concerned.
“He didn’t fire you, did he?” Joyce asked.
“No, but now twice a week I am to meet him at his office downtown with full reports of what we did here in the department and all that was accomplished.” She shook her head and walked into her small office with the women following her. When she turned around they were all staring at her. Joyce smirked and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“What? You think this is funny? How am I supposed to get everything done plus waste three hours running downtown through traffic twice a week? This is not fair.”
“Holy shit, Colosar Miantelli wants you,” Joyce stated.
Bella looked up, eyes wide, and she squinted. “What?”
“Shit, she’s right. The man never calls for any meetings with anyone except a phone conference with accounting and he doesn’t run that call himself, his people do. He wants to get to know you. You caught his eyes,” Melissa said, and Bella sat in her chair and covered her mouth.
“Oh shit.”
“What?” Kate asked.
“I made a mess of things. I don’t think you guys are right. I think he’s messing with my job and me. I was running late, you know that, and when I came around the corner downstairs I slammed into this guy. We exchanged words. He was commanding and ordered me to explain where I was rushing off to, and well, it got heated and I totally felt like he was flirting but being a disciplinarian, and I panicked.”
“Like you usually do. So what does this guy have to do with—”
“It was him,” Joyce continued Melissa’s sentence.
Bella nodded. “I completely let the doors close in his face and was rude and, oh God, I’m going to get fired. He’s messing with me. Going to make me beg for my job or he’s going to make me do this every week and find pleasure in it and then cut me off. Holy shit, all because freaking Carrie got sick and—”
“Calm down,” Melissa said and rubbed Bella’s shoulder. “Those are a lot of assumptions. I think the man wants you in his bed.”
“What?” Bella asked.
“Could be he wants change. Heard he usually goes for the bitchy types who wear designer clothes and want his money,” Kate said.
“But sweet, innocent, virginal Bella has snagged his attention,” Melissa added with her arms crossed in front of her chest.
Bella absorbed it all. “I can’t do this. I’m not interested. He isn’t even my type.”
“Honey, you don’t have a type and what woman wouldn’t be interested in sleeping with a man like him? Get real. You haven’t hit bad luck, you hit the fucking jackpot,” Joyce said and then walked out of the room smirking.
Bella looked at Kate and Melissa.
“What am I going to do?” she asked them.
“Go with it. You have no choice, really. If you duck out and don’t show then he will definitely fire you,” Melissa stated.
“Be realistic, you’re twenty-five years old and gorgeous. He is an exceptional catch, loaded, and sexy, too. The sex would not be disappointing. Besides, you could use the excitement in your life. You live like a nun. Sorry, Bella, but this could be good for you,” Kate said to her.
“How so? I’ll be the gossip of the office.”
“You’re already a hero for standing up to him in that meeting. Anything else happens from here out will be gossip and nonsense jealousy talk. We’ve got your back. We’ll ensure it’s spread that your meetings are all business. I’m kind of jealous. Gossip says the man is lethal in the bedroom and requires complete obedience, if you know what I mean,” she said and then made a snapping sound as she motioned with her hand and arm like a whip. She chuckled and then walked out of the room. Melissa remained and held her gaze.
“You’ll be fine, and if you aren’t attracted to him for some un-Godly insane reason, then it won’t matter anyway. He won’t pursue you. Not when he has women throwing themselves at his feet. Don’t fret. Just organize the documents and see how the first meeting goes. Then you’ll know exactly what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
“What I’ve gotten myself into? I think not. I blame Carrie getting sick and that accident on the road this morning.”
“Honey, you don’t even know how attractive you are and both sweet and sexy at the same time. Men like that. Especially dominant men love women like you. Don’t worry. I’ll help you organize the documents so you can be professional.”
“Wonderful. This has got to be the worst Monday morning of my life. God only knows what else is going to go wrong.”
Chapter 1
Major and Mateus Fiorre were organizing a group of men for a security detail overseas. They bought out the owners of City Line Securities five years ago and expanded the company and changed the name to Bloodline Protection and Securities. It was one of ten companies they owned. The only reason they were paying attention to this particular security detail was because they would be in the Dominican Republic on business and then taking a little vacation in the sun a few days.
Major looked at his brother, who was texting on the phone.
“Who pissed you off now?” he asked his brother Mateus.
“That dick Puento is messing with Rayanna again. She said he showed up in Miami this morning and just so happened to be staying in the same hotel as her.”
“What?” Major asked. Now he was pissed off. Their cousin, Rayanna, was like a sister to them. They grew up together and even offered her a position running one of their companies that did a lot of photography and modeling gigs for magazines and the fashion industry. In fact, they were looking forward to seeing her in a couple of weeks in the D.R.
“What is she saying about it? Is he bothering her? Is Carlos around?” he asked Mateus.
“She’s by the pool taking the day as down time between the business meetings. Said he came by and acted
like it was coincidence. Told him to take a hike. She said Carlos is now with her,” Mateus told him.
“Good. You texting him to make sure he gives a message to that dick Puento?”
“He’s looking forward to it. The best fucking thing we did was get Carlos to be her personal escort and guard,” Mateus said.
“Yeah, she wasn’t too thrilled about it.”
“She was after a dick or two tried to mess with her.”
“Well, I’m glad he’s with her right now. I’ve finalized all our plans for the D.R. trip. We’ll be staying in the private house on the outskirts of the resort, beachside with our own pool and all the trimmings.”
“Perfect. I’m looking forward to doing nothing.”
“Bro, they’ll be a swimsuit shoot going on and after parties galore. You aren’t interested in checking out the merchandise? I find that hard to believe. You’ve been on a roll lately,” Major said to Mateus.
The man didn’t need to do much to get the women to hang around him. That large intricate tattoo along his neck and shoulder made Mateus look badass. His head was nearly bald, he had a goatee, and looked like a fucking killer. The women loved that. Major, however, had a more GQ look to him, but the tattoos along his hand and up his arm pretty much let on that he wasn’t a hundred percent legit and had served some time in prison.
All in the past. All a process to get him where he was today with his brother, his cousins, and the rest of the Fiorre family. They owned a lot of people and a lot of shit. His idea of going more legit was working out. If he and Mateus could just get their cousins Fedarro and Collin off their asses about continuing the imports of illegal merchandise, they would be in a great position. However, there was a part of Major and his brother that didn’t want to lose that income or power. It couldn’t be taken over by just anyone, and a meeting in a few weeks with Collin and Fedarro would see who the potential people were to take that over. It bothered him. Maybe they weren’t completely ready to give it up.
Made Men 1: Bad Timing (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2