by Rebel Hart
Mary waved her hand. “No, no. Come on!”
“You all ended up going out for drinks?” Regina asked. “That sounds like fun.”
“We missed you too,” I quickly tacked on. “You have to come next time.”
Regina rounded out the women on the board and was one of the most uncomfortable people I’d ever been around in my life. She always operated with the intensity of someone on the jury for a murder trial, even if she was just talking about her daughter. I’d made sure to look at her calendar before picking a day to get drinks and make sure she wouldn’t be able to come. There was only so much I could fake, and an entire evening of drinks and dancing with that woman was comfortably outside of my limits.
“It was such bad luck that it was the same day as my nephew’s wedding. I’ll be there next time though. You can bet on that!” she slammed her fist down on the table and everyone jumped.
An awkward laugh skipped across my lips. “I will.”
Over the course of the next thirty minutes, the rest of the board members arrived, grabbed food, and gathered themselves around the table. The last to arrive was Mr. Delano Asmu, the company’s CEO. He skipped eating and took his seat at the head of the table, with Stacey sitting behind him at a desk of her own, prepared to take the meeting’s minutes. He called the meeting to order and after some general points of order, he looked across the table at me before starting the next item on the list.
“Next up is approving the GDM software,” he said with a shake in his voice.
“Do you suppose you could go over the benefits of this software again?” Derek said, one of the other board members who I hadn’t managed to get out for drinks.
“Of course,” Delano said. “We’ve crunched the numbers, and this software could save us close to five-hundred thousand dollars a year. Even with the jobs the new software would add, we’d still be in the black for close to two-hundred grand. That money could fund our expansion and give our employees a much deserved bump in pay.”
“And the efficiency?” Regina tacked on.
Delano nodded. “Yes, thank you, Regina. This software would make things run so much more smoothly. No longer would we have to go to each individual casino to service the software. Everything would be handled in-house. The days of losing technicians for whole days at a time would be behind us, allowing them to appropriately split their attention in other ways. Things would be much more streamlined without cutting employees to do it.”
The first couple of times this software had been proposed, Gina had come to present it to us herself, but by the third time, Delano and the rest of the board pretty much had the pitch memorized. No one was trying to pretend as if this entire presentation was for anyone other than me. I was the only hiccup and thus the only one who needed convincing, so all eyes were on me as Delano spoke.
“I assure you,” Delano said. “This is a good move for our company. Everyone benefits here.”
My hands were folded together on top of the table and I just nodded with a smile on my face. The stance I’d taken in the past was that we made more money using our own software rather than outsourcing that technology. Objectively, it wasn’t wrong. We’d be taking a loss where we were getting all of the income from use of the software that we’d have to split with Gina Misterro if we used her technology instead. My counter-argument has always been that we should just spend the money to make our software do what Gina’s does.
How hard could that be?
Rather than waste the board’s time with all of that, I just waited in silence. Everyone watched me, waiting for me to say anything, but when I didn’t, Delano sighed and moved on. “Okay… Then should we vote on it? Friendly reminder that a vote for something this large must be unanimous.” He eyed me as he said it, but I wasn’t moved. “I’m entering a motion to approve the conversion of our software to the new GDM software. All in favor?”
One by one, all the board members lifted their hands into the air. I got apologetic looks from Mary and Lindsey as they raised their hands, but they did it nonetheless, and then the room went silent as all eyes came down to me. The tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a knife, but no matter how hard everyone glared at me, I didn’t lift my hand.
Finally, Delano sighed and said, “That’s eleven for. All opposed?”
All the hands in the room dropped, and mine went up. Delano’s sigh of frustration echoed through the silent room and everyone looked utterly defeated.
“I don’t understand,” Frank said—another board member I hadn’t gotten out for drinks. “This is a good move for the company. Why are you so against it?”
“It’s because she doesn’t like Gina.” Chris was actually a younger representative on the board, at least by comparison to everyone else. He was in his mid-thirties, but he was also related to the CEO by marriage. He was far enough removed that it didn’t violate the company’s nepotism rules.
Even though it clearly did.
“I firmly believe that our company can stand on its own technology,” I said simply. “Look how far we’ve gotten without the use of Gina Misterro.” I frowned then. “I just think giving someone else that much control over our company would be a mistake. What’s stopping her from slowly, but surely taking over the company?”
“A well-written and thorough contract!” Delano barked back. “I’ve had five different lawyers go over it to make sure we’d be at no risk of that.”
Little did he know, Gina Misterro didn’t have any reason to operate within the bounds of a contract. Breaking the law was bread-and-butter for people like us. “Until I am successfully convinced otherwise, my stance will remain the same. This technology should stay in house. I firmly believe that.”
There was a collection of sighs and sucked teeth around the room, but Delano just threw up his hands. “Fine. Let’s just move on then.”
That was my preference, except I could see the looks I was getting from around the table. People weren’t just confused, they were downright angry. My position on the board was just as contingent upon them as it was the CEO, and I could only take them out for drinks so much. I was hoping to get some more length out of this, but it seemed if the topic continued to come up and I continued to be the only one voting ‘no,’ that was going to start having an adverse effect on me, which I couldn’t have.
So it was time to apply a little bit of pressure elsewhere.
I kept a firm gaze on Delano as the rest of the meeting proceeded, and there was a very distinct moment where he saw my attitude switch from Jade Meghan, the friendly, flirty board member, to Mariana Westun, who wouldn’t hesitate to harm your family. He got progressively more nervous as the meeting continued, rushing through the rest of the items, and by the end he was a wreck.
Which was exactly where I wanted him.
When the meeting finally ended, everyone was quick to collect their things and head home. It’d been a long day for most of them as the board meetings took place after a full day of work for everyone else, but I stayed sitting at my spot at the table as each of them said their goodbyes and left. Delano kept casting nervous looks in my direction until everyone was gone but me, him, and his assistant.
“Do you need anything else from me?” Stacey asked, side-eyeing me. “I can stay if you need me to take more notes or something…?”
“Well, I’m not sure,” he responded, then looked over at me. “Miss Meghan, was there something else you needed, or…?”
“Just a friendly chat,” I replied. “No need for notes. In fact, I’d like to catch up, just the two of us.”
Delano swallowed hard and looked at Stacey like she was his only savior, but reluctantly said, “Sounds like you’re free to go.”
“Okay!” She tossed me a sweet smile. “Have a good night, Miss Meghan!”
“You too, Stacey!” I smiled and waved. “See you next month.”
Stacey walked over to the table where the dinner stuff had been cleaned up and stacked, grabbed what was left, and
walked out of the room. It was only once she was gone down the hallway that I finally moved, standing up, heading over to the door, closing it and then locking it.
“Now, Mari,” Delano started immediately. “Let’s just talk. There’s no reason for us to get—”
“I thought I’d made it perfectly clear that I do not want to work with Gina Misterro,” I said. “Didn’t I make that clear?”
“You did, but this is a good move for the company,” he replied.
“I don’t care,” I responded, fishing my hand between my breasts and pulling out one of the switchblades I always kept on me. I flicked out the blade and started a slow walk back towards Delano. “You will remove that item for the next meeting. The matter is done.”
He started to whimper. “I c-can’t do that! People will start to think I’m incompetent if I don’t consider it. The entire company is on board except for you. If it disappears from the agenda, everyone is going to start thinking that there’s some ulterior motive.”
“There is one,” I said. “Keeping you and your family’s lives out of harm’s way.” I bent down over him and held the blade of my knife out towards his face. “I really don’t want to have to hurt you… or them,” but the darkness in my tone said I would do it without hesitation.
He set his hands flat on the table and lifted a little from his chair. “I’m n-not afraid of you! You’re not like your brothers or father. You’re all bark and no—”
The rest of the statement didn’t make its way out before I flipped my blade around and stabbed it straight through his hand until the tip was poking the table on the other side. He let out a loud yawl as blood started to pour across the table. With that, I kicked my leg up onto the arm of his chair and started to push it backwards until his arm was extended its full length and any further would start to drag his hand down the blade.
“No! No!” he cried. “Please!”
“All bark and no bite?” I said, then laughed. “Do you think Antonio Westun would keep me around if I was all bark and no bite? He doesn’t even keep chefs who don’t know how to season properly. If I was all bark and no bite, I’d be in the ground whether I’m his daughter or not.” Tears were pouring down Delano’s face, but I was unmoved. Better him than his family. “Now I’m not going to repeat myself, Del. Next time we have this conversation, it’ll be at your wife’s funeral. I don’t think you want that, so listen closely. At the next MasCat board meeting there will not be an item to consider GDM. That ship has sailed. How you convince the rest of the board and company that you’ve come to that conclusion on your own, isn’t my problem. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes!” he screamed. “Yes! Please!”
At the same time, I ripped my blade upwards and kicked his chair so he still got some slice as I pulled it free. Blood sprayed across the table, and I just barely managed to back up out of the splash zone as Delano fell to the ground. “Replace this table,” I demanded and then looked down at the blood splattered across the carpet. “Carpet too. I’ll pay for it, just email me a bill.”
I used the edge of Delano’s jacket hanging near the door to wipe my switchblade off, then I folded it up and slipped it back between my breasts. I unlocked and opened the door, knowing that no one else was around on board meeting days; even janitors were called off in case they ran late.
Looking back over my shoulder, I gave Delano one last smile. “It was good catching up with you.” I left him writhing and groaning in pain as I made my way back down to the ground floor to catch a rideshare home.
Getting to the street, I immediately started to draw attention—the good kind. A few guys heading out to start their nights looked over at me, and I offered a friendly smile. One of them was actually considering coming over when my eyes caught someone else. It was a split second interaction, and he watched my eyes lock with his and then leave him for the person standing just behind him. He gave a look back, saw what he was competing with, got discouraged and walked away.
If only he knew that my attention was grabbed not because I was interested, but because I was disgusted.
Bryce Misterro was standing in a group of people, talking and laughing.
The attention I was giving him was enough to make one of his friends nod in my direction and Bryce turned. As quickly as I could, I looked away, holding my hand up for the first taxi or rideshare that came by, but to my unfortunate luck, before one could arrive, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
As irritating as it was, up close, Bryce was even more gorgeous. He had long hair that started dark brown at the top and faded to lighter brown at the tips. He had a goatee and full beard, that he clearly took good care of, and gray eyes that seemed to be looking directly into me. His upper body was thick and wide and he had visible tattoos all down his arms and peeking up over the top of his heather gray t-shirt, which he was wearing under a leather jacket.
“Hi,” he said in a deep, sexy voice.
I gave him a look like I didn’t really want to be bothered. “Hello.”
He nodded towards the MasCat building. “Are you just now leaving work for the day? It’s pretty late.”
It hadn’t hit me at first, but there wasn’t really any way for Bryce to know who I was. My parents had deliberately kept me out of the spotlight, and whenever I went out for work purposes, it was as one of my many personas. As far as he knew, I was just a business woman coming out of the office.
“Long day,” I lied. “Had a board meeting, so…”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and whistled. “Sounds rough. You could probably use a drink?”
My eyes narrowed as a terrible idea scuttled across my brain. Memories of my time spent with Justice Puckett bubbled through my mind, and I remembered how useful that had been in the long run—may he rest in peace. My family still had no idea what Bryce’s role was in his family’s grand scheme. Even if it was just a single date, maybe this was a rare opportunity to find out more about the man. Besides, as irritating as his devil-may-care attitude may be, he wasn’t hard on the eyes by any means.
“You know,” I said with a smile. “A drink sounds great.”
6
Bryce
My mother stared at me with nothing but pure irritation in her gaze. My dad was sitting on the couch behind her desk, just shaking his head while keeping a slight smirk on his face, and my brother was side-eyeing me like I’d lost my mind. I wanted to say something to break the tension, but it felt like anything I said would get me in more trouble, so instead, I just waited.
“So let me get this straight,” my mother said finally. “You’ve managed to identify that the woman who has been giving me all this trouble is actually the heir to the Westuns’ throne, Mariana Westun.”
I nodded. “That is correct.”
“And instead of telling me that as soon as you knew that, you took a trip into Westun territory to find her?” she asked.
Quickly, I held up my finger. “But I didn’t interact with her and left as soon as I laid my eyes on her.”
“But then instead of telling me after that, you waited three days, and went and found her downtown?”
I winced, knowing that one hurt me. “Yeah… I just wanted to make contact. I didn’t want to bother you with useless information. I’m telling you now!”
She crossed her arms and lowered her brow at me. “After asking her out on a date?”
My lips pursed into a hard line. I couldn’t quite defend myself after I told my mom very specifically that I would give her even the smallest piece of information as I gained it, and subsequently promised Baylor I would tell her once I had a name. “I just figured that—”
“You know what?” she cut me off and I prepared myself to be dragged through the mud, but instead she just held up her hands in defeat. “I’ve changed my mind.”
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. “No, mom. Please. I promise. I can handle this! It won’t—”
She held up a hand to silence me and I stopped. “I’ve changed my
mind about the process, not about you having this job.”
Thankfully, my heart, which had been slamming in my chest, started to even out a little bit. “You’re not shutting me down?”
“No. I’ve asked you to do this task, not just because it actually needs completing, but because this is my opportunity to see how you plan to handle things going forward. Trying to micromanage your work was a mistake on my part. That’s not how we would handle things in the future, so why would we handle things like that right now?”
Behind her, my dad laughed. “Firstborn’s luck.”
“You have been made fully aware of the weight of this task, and however you did it, you were able to get a name within a day where I’ve been trying and failing for four months.” I’d gotten damn lucky with Shay, not that I was going to tell her that. “If you think that this is the best course of action, then I’ll leave you to it. We’ll see whether you’re right or not, and if you’re not, well… you know what will happen for that.”
A chill ran down my spine at the darkness in my mother’s voice. She had never really threatened us before, but there was a not-so-subtle threat in her voice. After what I’d cost my mom back in Colorado, if I cost her the biggest thing she was onto in Las Vegas as well, it wouldn’t be a matter of forgiveness, it would be a matter of actually keeping my life.
“I know how important this is,” I said. “She’s the heir. I can’t just drag her into an alley and fire a couple off. For all I know, she could have people keeping an eye on her all the time. I know it probably sounds like I let a muscle other than my brain make this decision for me, but I promise you, this is all part of a plan. She doesn’t realize that I know who she is; she thinks I just hit on some random woman. This is the play, Mom, I promise. And I swear, I’ll keep you updated along the way.”
“Don’t,” she said. “Knowing your plans is only causing me stress. If you think you know the best way forward, then I trust you. Prove to me that you can be left to your own devices and still get the intended outcome. This is your chance. I believe in you to not mess this up.”