by Ace Gray
The brown box opened with a small pop. Whatever the contents, they were wrapped in newspaper. When I looked closer, I recognized the face that greeted me. Sort of. The eyes were vaguely familiar; they were the muddy brown mine had been lately. But scared. Teeth were tugging so hard on the lip in the photo it appeared they’d drawn blood. Only I knew the lips had been spattered in blood long before the snapshot.
I’d avoided the photo of me getting out of the police car after Trevor’s murder until now. And rightfully so. The gut-wrenching image barely resembled me. It was a vacant, scared, and awful photo, every bit as horrifying as the visions my nightmares had been conjuring up.
My fingers clawed at the paper. Anything to get that ghastly image out of my sight. I wished I hadn’t; the newspaper was wrapped around a gun. I had no idea what make or model. I only recognized the silver barrel from where it had been pressed against my forehead. I doubled over, a sickening feeling settling in my stomach. Silver lettering was penned on the bottom of the takeout box and it caught my eye as I slumped.
My heels almost fell off as I ran to the bathroom to throw up. My stomach heaved and I lost it in spectacular fashion. When I couldn’t support myself against the porcelain any longer, I slowly crumbled against the wall, relishing cool tile against my back.
Bryant was right. Jaime was right. Victor was a serious problem. For the slightest moment I thought I could fight this on my own.
So stupid.
I needed help with Victor. Nick’s help.
I needed to drag myself out of the bathroom and finally make the damn call. I hated how weak that made me feel. I hated that I’d essentially be ignoring the way he treated me this morning. I stood and splashed water into my mouth, then looked long and hard at myself in the mirror.
What’s happened to you, Elliott?
I couldn’t force myself to answer and instead swished another palm full of water then brushed my teeth. I dabbed my chin and tried to square my shoulders before I left the bathroom.
Gemma crackled across the intercom as soon as I stepped back into the office. “Kate, I’m so very sorry, but Victor Alexander is on line one.”
Fuck.
Part of me knew I shouldn’t answer. Part of me needed to hear what he had to say.
“Put him through.”
I took a deep breath and dug my fingertips into the mahogany of my desk.
“Victor.” I couldn’t completely hide the tremors in my voice.
“I believe you received my other gifts.” There was no cheerful pretense this time.
“Yes.” I was trying not to crumble.
“You have three choices, Elliott. Sex, sell your company, or a hell of a lot more trouble. You have twenty-four hours to think about it.” The line went dead.
I was nauseous again. My chest ached and my lungs suddenly seemed crushed. The full-blown panic attack I’d fended off for days was crashing down like a gigantic wave. Jaime’s name was ringing from my lips before I thought twice about it. The tightening in my chest was getting worse and worse, damn near vice-like. I cried out for Jaime again, wrapping my arms around my body hoping the pressure would help ease the fracturing feeling, the almost explosive ruptures. I fell to my knees gripping my sides so tightly my fingertips hurt.
“Kate?” My office door banged against the wall just before Jaime’s panicked voice rang out.
I tried to speak but my throat was completely dry. He rounded my desk frantically. I couldn’t answer, instead managing only to point at the takeout containers. Words wouldn’t push past my ragged breaths. My body was numb from lack of oxygen. My vision was tunneling and I inadvertently closed my eyes, only to see my terrorized face and blood all over again.
My eyes stayed wrenched closed. My mind started playing malicious tricks as I caught a glimpse of what I would have looked like on that stretcher, that little brunette EMT hammering on my chest. I was going to be sick again. I sort of registered Jaime’s confused “What?” followed by many, many expletives, but they were muffled and a million miles away. He sounded even more faint when he barked at Gemma and called down to Colton. I felt like I was underwater listening to him.
I’m drowning.
Again, I sprinted to the bathroom and slammed the door behind me. My weakness made me every bit as upset as the situation, and I fell to my knees. My forehead rested on the cabinet in front of me and I forced myself to focus on the small hexagonal tiles beneath me. Tracing them was the only way to steady myself; my memories were far too gruesome to combat if I closed my eyes to take a deep breath.
Definitely drowning.
But just like all the other times in my life, I refused to sink. I was a CEO, not a blithering idiot. I vowed never to panic in this office again. I’d stand up, square my shoulders, and fix the fucking problems I’d strayed so far from. Problems like the tech team and the integration of Bryant’s proprietary information. Problems like Victor Alexander.
That’s when a light bulb clicked on. There was one answer for everything, tied up with a nice, neat little bow. I smirked when I thought about the faces I’d get when I shared my plan. I stood and smoothed my sheath dress into place then adjusted the sheer high neck.
When I reemerged, Jaime was shouting into the phone, Colton was inspecting the package, and Gemma’s bright green eyes met mine. I didn’t have to force a smile for her; this one came naturally. I had direction and I could act on it. Now.
“Gem, I need you to call down to legal. I have a plan.”
“Julien, it’s Kate Elliott. I need an appointment today.”
Gemma had gotten Bryant’s assistant on the line the moment after she’d ordered my head lawyer to, “Get his arse upstairs.”
“Come over anytime, Kate. He’ll make time for you.”
“Thank you, but this is official business. Matter of fact, it would be best if he didn’t know it was me. You can tell him it’s a pitch meeting.” The bastard had done it to me.
“He’s available at four.”
“Perfect.” I hung up just in time for Mac Harrington to be ushered into my office.
“Mac, thank you for getting up here so quickly.”
“Gemma didn’t give me much of a choice,” he grumbled.
I liked Mac. He was gruff and abrasive but funny as hell. His southern accent was still thick despite the fact that he’d been living in the city 25 or 30 years. He’d gone to bat for me so many times I considered him more of a grumpy grandpa than the head of my legal department.
Gemma showed him to a seat while I pushed Jaime and Colton out of the office. I started painting a picture for him as soon as the door latch clicked. His mouth dropped open, and even floundered a little bit, but nothing came out. Usually he’d start rattling off the reasons my ideas were downright dumb. Dumb was his favorite word. Seeing him unable to respond, even with a, “Dumbass,” made me chuckle. Even once his brain kicked into gear, he didn’t call this idea dumb. He just started clarifying contract points and filling in gaps.
We took less than an hour to get the contract hammered out. My single mindedness was taking over in spectacular fashion. I had a full company review, financials, and a prospectus completed by 3:30.
I didn’t call Nick to tell him I was coming over. There was no point. This was business, not a favor. If we weren’t in a relationship, I’d be dying to pitch my ideas to a company like Bryant Venture Group, and I needed him to see it as such. Because, if everything went well, I’d get everything I wanted.
Seeing Bryant was going to be harder than actually pitching to him. Hurt from this morning still hung heavy on my heart and thudded thick in my veins. I reminded myself a few times to keep this professional, even if it killed me. I didn’t mean fuck-me-on-a-desk-afterward professional, either.
We arrived at Bryant’s office building and I checked in like any other visitor, purposely going through the motions. Jai
me and I rode the elevator with a few other people for the first few floors. Once they exited, he looked over at me with a raised eyebrow.
“Want to tell me what this is all about?”
“Not particularly.” I smiled, purposely playing coy.
Since I’d made up my mind, I didn’t want to hear what anyone else had to say. And they would undoubtedly have opinions. This felt right, even down deep in the pit of my stomach. Even pissed at Bryant it felt good.
We exited the elevator and Julien smiled. “Ms. Elliott.” He added a wink. “He’ll be finished with his three o’clock at any moment. He has no idea you’re waiting.”
I smiled and nodded as I folded gracefully onto the couch in Bryant’s lobby. It wasn’t long before the door opened and a tall, well-dressed man exited the office just before Bryant. Like every other time I laid eyes on Nick, his stunning looks stole my breath away. Drinking in his beautiful frame made me feel love, lust, anger, and frustration all at the same time. I shook my head and decided to focus on his shoes instead.
The glossy sheen matched Bryant’s eyes.
Damnit.
I sighed then bit the inside of my cheek. This was going to be interesting.
I rose as Bryant’s nameless 3 o’clock was shown to the elevator. Nick turned to Julien, who in turn motioned to me. His stern face held for just a moment then a smirk broke across his face as he arched backward.
“Kate, you could’ve just texted. No need to…”
I interrupted by extending my hand. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Mr. Bryant.”
Nick gave first me, then Julien, a confused look. Julien shrugged and simply said, “Ms. Elliott is your 4 o’clock.”
With a slight smile, Nick stepped aside and showed me into his office. He shut the door behind us and leaned against the heavy wood. He pushed his hands through his hair, still holding onto his little smirk while I strode to his desk.
“Kate, what is this about?”
I pulled the contracts from my bag and dropped them with a flourish onto his desk.
“It’s about these.”
I grabbed my copies and helped myself to a chair opposite his empty one. His face fell and his eyes went flat. I hadn’t thought about my words or slamming papers down. The last time I’d done that we’d broken up.
Shit.
No wonder he rounded the desk quickly, his fine face crinkled.
“Please read these documents over. I have my proposal points but I think it’s best if we start with your initial impressions,” I said, my tone slightly softer than professional.
Anxiety didn’t leave his face but he started reading. Slowly his expression moved from fear, to puzzlement, to shocked realization.
“You want me to buy twenty percent of Vesper?” His brow furrowed as if he couldn’t quite comprehend, but his eyes were shifting to blue.
“Yes.” I sat stone-faced. “You’ll see the company’s financials in the second packet and, of course I’m biased, but I believe it’s a sound investment.”
I took a deep breath and continued. “You have expressed interest before. Based on the information I have, this should also allow Vesper to access the technology and chips you consider proprietary. With the success of the technology I’m projecting, you’d be able to increase your ownership percentage to thirty-five after a five year profitable return.” I leaned forward and flipped his packet to the forecasts I’d drafted earlier.
“We’ve touched on this before, but the company is far more lucrative than you anticipated when you originally wanted to purchase. I’ve gone ahead and projected a fair sale price.”
I took a deep breath and realized he’d stopped reviewing the paperwork in favor of watching me. I shouldn’t have met his gaze. The way he studied me made me blush, and I became painfully aware of every inch of my skin, particularly those between my thighs. I swallowed hard and returned to the packet in front of me.
“I know there is the issue of Nectar. Owning one hundred percent of that company and twenty of mine will undoubtedly present a conflict of interest. I have provided two proposals. One outlines a non-compete clause. It works if you position Nectar as a more affordable fitness line. Since Vesper is high-end and will be staying that way, we cease to be direct competitors based on price point. I can live with that.”
Nick bent to begin reviewing the documents again, mumbling, “Single minded to the point of obsessive.” I ignored him completely.
“The other option I’ve outlined is a strict financial partnership. I get the agreed purchase price, which I’ll reinvest into your chips. You act only as a distributor of components to a manufacturer of my choosing. You, in turn, will receive the financial package outlined. It’s venture capital, pure and simple. Hands off.”
“You’ve been busy today.”
He was amused. But based on his lazy smirk and hooded eyes, also turned on as he perused the rest of the paperwork.
“I have.”
“Does this account for the possibility of increased revenue from outfitting the Olympic Team?”
I hadn’t told anyone about that.
Ass.
“No, because it’s not official. I’m not even sure how you know. I suppose it’s because we’re fucking.”
“Kate.” His eyes snapped up as he growled at me. “We are not just fucking.” He enunciated each word as I rolled my eyes. “What has gotten into you?”
“Nothing,” I grumbled as I waved him off. “What do you think of the proposal?”
“I think it’s brilliant. I want in. Desperately.” There was an inherent pause in his words.
“But?”
“But, I want you to tell me the truth. What brought this on?”
“Why would you think something brought this on?” There was an edge in my voice that I couldn’t hide. Rehashing my day wasn’t very appealing.
“Because I know you. Because I know how you feel about Vesper. Because going after this almost cost me our relationship. Something changed and I want to know what it is.”
“I’m a woman, Bryant. It’s my prerogative to change my mind.”
“Bullshit.” He leveled his gaze at me, intensity creeping back in. I wasn’t going to get away with a partial answer.
“Because it fucking makes sense. I get my chip. I get the funding up front to launch the tech line. I get to pay out based on the success of the product. You get a portion of the company you wanted and an option to control more based on simple criteria. It’s a win-win situation.”
“And?”
He wasn’t giving up. I searched his perfect face. Couldn’t he just sign the damn papers and let me leave? After all, honesty wasn’t real high on his list when handling me.
“Damnit, Kate.” He pounded a fist on his desk, making me jump. When I settled, I slumped back into the chair and turned to stare out his corner windows.
“And it will get Victor off my back.”
“You’re doing this to get Victor off your back? What do you mean?”
His frigid growl had me sighing as I closed my eyes. It was a mistake. My barely contained emotions bubbled up. All the images I’d been working to keep at bay came crashing down on me.
“Sweets?” Nick’s voice changed and I heard him shift in his chair.
I shook my head and opened my eyes to find him half-standing, watching me in that overly worried way he sometimes did. I blew out a deep breath, scrunched my face, and then started to tell him about my day.
When I mentioned the flowers he snatched the phone, presumably to bark at Jaime, but I shot him a pointed look and continued. The recount of the phone call and the following sex toy delivery had him throwing the receiver, only to have it coil back and crash into the desk. I honestly thought his head might explode when he gripped his desk with white, quivering knuckles.
He’s goi
ng to flip his shit when he hears the last bit.
“I’ll fucking kill him.”
He interrupted my thoughts as he stood and banged his fists on the desk. His chair shot out from behind him and crashed violently into the windows.
“Nick.” I tried to calm him down.
“Don’t even try and Nick me, Kate. I’ve tolerated his shit but now that he’s threatened you directly…” His eyes were this new, terrifying color, almost black and churned.
Fuck.
“That’s not all,” I said softly.
“What?” he roared.
I cringed. His blatant, unconfined anger had me looking down and fidgeting with my hands. I couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes when I told him about the gun, but I managed to get out how it arrived, wrapped in the picture. I shivered again at the memory. Then, just in case he wasn’t good and furious, I mentioned Victor’s final phone call.
There was no sound in the room when I finished; even the electronics had gone quiet. I finally looked up. Nick’s unearthly gray-black eyes remained but he’d turned white as a sheet.
Without thinking, I stood and rounded the desk. He was standing stalk still with his chair still shoved against the glass. I’d wanted to keep this strictly professional, but my compulsion to comfort him was overriding everything. I reached out for his arm, intending only to rub supportively.
As soon as I touched the fine fabric of his suit he grabbed me and pulled me into a tight hug. His arms folded me into his chest and his lips pressed against my forehead. His heart hammered erratically under my ear. Neither of us spoke. I wanted to want to pull away, but my arms wrapped around him and wove up under his jacket. When he started tracing his favorite circles up my bare arms, I knew he would recover.
“I’ll keep you safe no matter what.” He nuzzled into my hair. “You don’t have to make me a partner.”
“Please, Bryant.” I pursed my lips even though he couldn’t see. “Give me a little more credit than that. I’m doing this because it’s smart. I want your chip and technological capabilities without a fucking song and dance. I want additional capital to grow new facets of my business. I am quite sure there are few better investors or partners in this world, let alone the city. I know there is no one better when it comes to resources, dependability, and success. Every top publication would agree. I’d be willing to bet your last meeting had similar intent. Besides, I know damn well it’s a rarity to work with you rather than for you.”