by Stone, Piper
“Something like that. I don’t like the whispers that have spread to the East Coast. I’ve even had a few sources tell me that the FBI is keeping a close eye.”
“Whispers. We’ve dealt with the belief we’re working for the damn mafia for years. It’s bullshit and you know it.”
“It might be bullshit, but it’s affecting business. Just as Dax has told us.”
“Dax has his head in the computer, not real life.”
“You should talk, buddy.” Chase exhaled, shaking his head. “You’re not a real people person, my friend, but you’re one ruthless businessman. Just make certain you don’t have your blinders on. I have a bad feeling a trap of some kind is being set. What the hell are we going to do with Tredegar? I don’t want another party sniffing around this opportunity. This is our biggest deal to date.”
Biggest deal. Slicing and dicing a company into bits, destroying something that had been around since the nineteen-thirties. Something to be proud of. As far as a trap, there would be hell to pay if anyone dared to try.
“They’re already sniffing, but don’t worry. I’ll have a chat with the old man. The deal will be signed before the end of business tomorrow.” Richard Tredegar had secrets, as all wealthy men did. He was about to get a crash course in the ramifications of delving into what the majority of people would see as disgusting proclivities. As far as Mr. Devon, his punishment would come later.
“Then I will leave it in your more than capable hands.”
“By the way, we need to yank the contract on the St. Tropez location.” We’d purchased a hotel a couple of years before in hopes of tearing it down and building sleek condominiums. However, the only way we’d been able to get our hands on the pristine location was to promise to keep it operational for five years. Dax had certainly pushed for this to happen—a personal request.
“Why?”
“Another party has made inquiries regarding the property, trying to push the owners into selling their share.” I didn’t like what I was hearing on almost every property we were either in the middle of negotiating or held a limited contract with. My hackles had been raised for months.
“But that requires our approval.” Chase narrowed his eyes.
“That may be the case, but I have a bad feeling something else is going on.”
Chase shook his head and sighed. “Tredegar, now the hotel. I don’t like it. A pattern is developing. We still don’t know who purchased the last manufacturing firm from under our noses. I haven’t been able to find out a damn thing about the holding company.”
The unknown entity was as concerning as the transaction. “Just keep looking. A takeover of the hotel might require our presence in St. Tropez, at least for a few days.”
“The yacht remains in the beautiful turquoise waters. While I think a break would do us some good, it’s a bad time for a working vacation.”
“Leave the timing to me.”
He laughed. “Always the consummate businessman. I’m curious. Are there any decent candidates this year from the loan applications?”
I tipped my head, unable to keep a grin from crossing my face. “Maybe. One delicious treat but I think she will need special handling. She’s quite difficult needing a very special test in order to determine if she’s got what it takes.”
He narrowed his eyes. My buddy of fifteen years knew me far too well. “Difficult. Wait a minute. You’re not suggesting taking her to the club. You know damn good and well Dax refuses to be a part of the sick game, although I must admit I miss the good times we had.” His laugh was boisterous. When I didn’t say anything, he let out an exasperated sigh. “I hope you know what you’re doing and you’re going to have to explain it to Dax.”
Dax Monroe, the third partner in Extreme, was by far the most conservative of the three of us. He’d also maintained a certain portion of his morals even though our harsh business practices had helped make us very wealthy men. Still, we’d all agreed the yearly loan was to remain on the straight and narrow. However, the temptation to step into muddy waters was something I found difficult to ignore.
“Don’t worry, I’ll handle Dax,” I said quietly, returning my gaze to the streets of Chicago. My desire for the woman was increasing, becoming explosive. My gut continued to tell me that something was off about the beautiful woman.
And I was never wrong.
* * *
“What the fuck are we doing here?” Dax demanded as he glared around the entrance foyer to the club. “It’s game night. Isn’t it? God damn you, Sebastian. I told you the last time that I refused to operate this way.”
The Gentlemen’s Club, although from what I’d experienced, the majority of men were little better than pigs in a trough.
“Keep your voice down, Dax. We don’t want to create a scene,” I said between clenched teeth as we walked inside. The place was jam-packed with members, a makeshift stage prepared for the night’s festivities.
My mouth watered at the thought, although I wasn’t entirely certain Caroline would show her lovely face.
“Somebody had to get you out of your office, Dax. You’ve had your head buried in numbers for weeks,” Chase chided.
“That’s my job, which has ensured our financials are to accounting standards,” Dax snarled. “But this is bullshit. I thought we’d turned a new leaf.”
“Get out of your comfort zone, my friend. Sebastian said it would be worth our while. Isn’t that right, oh buddy of mine?” Chase asked in a wistful tone.
Chase’s heated look was the same as always. While I’d always considered him the playboy of our motley group, his wealthy upbringing making him impervious to the plight of those less fortunate, I had no doubt Caroline’s presence would provide an offer he couldn’t refuse.
My desires to keep and cage her were overwhelming.
All three of us had shared women in the past, beginning during our time together in Yale. We’d even discussed finding the perfect girl to spend the rest of our lives with, sharing on a permanent basis. While that was a long time ago, the thought had reentered my mind the second she’d walked into the door. I’d never considered a single one of the other hundreds of contenders as viable or the kind of woman who could tolerate our dark desires.
Until now.
While I realized my intentions were less gentlemanly than normal, I hadn’t been able to get her out of my mind since the meeting in my office. But not just because of her shapely legs and flaming hair. She was hiding something.
“Trust me. You’re going to enjoy the candidate I’m suggesting we make an offer to.” As I walked further into the club, I remembered why Dax loathed coming here in the first place. The sturdy surroundings and stench of cigar smoke that could never be removed from the ugly wooden panels created an atmosphere of exclusivity and wealth for old men who had nothing better to do with their time or their money.
We’d accepted membership years before in hopes of gleaning business acumen. What we’d found were callous individuals who couldn’t give a shit about anyone but themselves. From what we’d been told over the years, we’d learned far too much from their merciless business tactics.
In truth, we were exactly like the majority of corporate moguls.
With a few exceptions. I still had honor to some degree.
What I considered little more than an auction of wares was one of the events we’d only participated in three times before, but the last event had brought unwanted press, one of the candidates obviously shooting off her mouth. That’s the real reason I’d neglected to accept another invitation. Maybe I was risking too much, but I couldn’t resist.
I continued to be curious as to what lengths Caroline was prepared to go to in order to secure the loan. It was possible that she’d be offered even more in the way of assistance from one of the other club members, hence the concept of an auction. I didn’t plan on allowing it to go that far and I knew that’s not what she wanted in the first place. Could she be an undercover cop? Maybe.
H
owever, I was already possessive of her, hungry in a way I’d never experienced before.
“A bakery?” Dax snorted. “Really? Why are you even considering this in the first place?”
I gave him a harsh look before heading toward our assigned table. Only when the three of us were settled did I bother to answer his question. “Because it’s good for the community. Small businesses are the backbone of Chicago.”
“Stop the crap, Sebastian. The real reason,” Dax demanded.
I hesitated before answering.
“Because the woman is the most intriguing creature I’ve ever come into contact with.”
Both men glanced at each other before Chase patted me on the back. “You like this girl. I should have known.”
“You’re right and I’m not certain why I feel so strongly. However, this is about ownership,” I retorted, surprised when the waitress brought us our drinks of choice.
“Ownership?” Chase huffed, raising his eyebrows. “I didn’t think you were that serious.”
“Well, if she caught your eye, she must be something special.” Dax shook his head. “I just hope she’s worth the time and effort. I also hope you didn’t resort to creating another black mark on our already sullied reputation.”
Reputation. I enjoyed being labeled the most ruthless men in Chicago.
“She’s worth every moment of time spent on breaking her.” While there wasn’t a portion in my body that didn’t long to savor a taste of her, my hackles had been raised the moment she’d walked into the room. There’d been something off about her performance in my office. It was far too polished, not a single stutter or hesitation even when I’d asked some tough questions. There hadn’t been a candidate in the nine years we’d been providing the loan who hadn’t stumbled at least once.
“What aren’t you telling us?” Chase pushed.
“Nothing to tell just yet; however, if I’m correct in my assumption, she will need to be punished. Let’s see how she handles the event.” I sat back in my seat, swirling the ice cubes in the glass. As the lights began to dim, I thought about what little I’d learned about her as well as Delicious Confections, a local and once thriving pastry shop. The basic information she’d provided had checked out, including her partial ownership. What had surprised me was that she listed her address as the one belonging to her ‘friend.’ From what I’d been able to tell, the modest one-bedroom house wasn’t necessarily designed for roommates.
If she’d lied to me, her request for a more nefarious purpose, she would learn that becoming my enemy wasn’t in her best interest.
As the parade of various candidates from several companies appeared on stage, I wasn’t surprised by the lengths that some of them went in their performance. Several of the women even provided a striptease. This time I was disgusted at their decision to lower themselves. Maybe I was more like Dax in certain regards than I originally thought.
I studied the closest tables, marveling at the amount of combined wealth in the room.
“Things have continued to spiral toward the pits of hell,” Dax said under his breath. He was by far the most decent of the three of us, growing up with a Hallmark-style family with a loving Golden Retriever faithfully by his side. He’d also been poor, working two jobs along with obtaining a full scholarship in order to afford college. However, he was a savvy businessman and brilliant as fuck with regard to the company finances.
I, on the other hand, enjoyed my own share of scandalous proclivities, my tastes much more sadistic than the other two. Still, tonight’s events bored the hell out of me. While several of the contestants spoke to their needs and nothing more, a few had previously resorted to more… primal methods of obtaining favor. From what I could tell, a significant amount of business was in action. Sadly, there’d been no sign of Caroline, the thought pissing me off.
“You’re suggesting this girl, if she has the nerve to show, is going to strip for us?” Chase asked.
“Please tell me you did not make that a requirement,” Dax growled. “So help me God, if you did I am leaving.”
“Of course I didn’t. She’s free to present her request any way that she would like.”
Dax leaned closer. “Uh-huh. You’re playing even dirtier than normal. Why? If you want me to go through with this charade, you’re going to spill it.”
At least my friend was straight and to the point.
“Because, gentlemen, Caroline Sheffield is not the woman portrayed on the application.” My answer certainly didn’t surprise Chase, a grin crossing his face.
“Are you suggesting Ms. Sheffield is attempting to infiltrate our business in an unseemly manner?” Chase asked.
“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting although I’ve yet to figure out who she is or her real intent and purposes. But I will.”
“Then I’m curious to see what she does.” Dax lifted his glass, swirling his drink as he stared at the stage. “That would be a pity, but better to know if we’re being targeted. If she’s hiding something, I can pull a favor and find out everything there is about her.”
“Well, Dax. You’ve been holding out on us,” Chase mused.
“Perhaps the two of you are rubbing off on me.”
I took a sip of my drink, watching intently and the second Caroline walked out on stage, my cock shifted to full attention. “And she’s here.” There was a significant amount of applause as there should have been. She was incredible, especially standing under the shimmering blue lights. She took the stage with confidence, her gaze penetrating into the shadows. I could easily read her continued defiance, a boosted level of fury for being forced in front of a crowd of men. Although she’d accepted the deal, she was obviously having second thoughts.
“Wow. Is that really the candidate you mentioned?” Chase asked, whistling under his breath as he leaned forward. “Jesus. She is spectacular.”
“Yes. That is the lovely, intelligent, and extremely defiant Caroline Sheffield. I have a feeling she’s a handful no matter who she is.” My cock was already throbbing, my heart racing as the filthy thoughts of what I’d like to do to her crisscrossed my mind. While she’d selected a dress instead of her well-tailored suit from our meeting, she’d maintained a conservative look with her hair tightly woven in a bun, her attire sensual but practical.
While I didn’t know for certain, I had a feeling she was pushing our buttons, as if a line drawn in the sand.
I’d provided a lengthy list of rules, including the fact our conversations were to remain private, any provided corporate documentation as well. I’d also included a list of items that must be provided; bank records and additional sets of financials plus an emailed copy of her presentation. I’d allowed Marjorie to forward the invitation to the club, including the club’s rules of protocol. I was very curious to see if she’d adhere to the implied contract.
And if she’d behave herself.
If she didn’t, I’d enjoy providing a well-earned punishment.
When she finally walked toward the microphone, several of the club members catcalled as if they were freaking teenagers. A rumble of jealousy rushed into my system, a heightened level of anger. She took her time searching the crowd, finally allowing her gaze to settle on our table, recognition creating venom in her eyes.
“Whoa. I think you’re right about our beautiful candidate.” Chase seemed to be enjoying himself, sitting back in his chair, unable to take his eyes off her. “Feisty. I like that.”
“She is extremely attractive,” Dax added.
“Yes, but I don’t like the feeling we’re being duped.”
Chase gave me a slight shake of his head. “You planned this to try and uncover who she really is.”
“Perhaps,” I answered casually.
The moment she released the microphone from the stand, shifting to the edge of the stage, my lurid thoughts turned even more sadistic. Before speaking, she blew a kiss in our direction, creating a wave of murmurs from behind us.
“Good evening, gentl
emen,” she purred, the tone of her voice entirely too alluring, yet she had daggers in her eyes as she glanced from Dax to Chase then finally in my direction.
“Woo hoo!” one of the men shouted from the back.
“Let’s see what you have for us,” another taunted.
I fisted my hand, doing my best to keep it pressed to the table. The last thing I needed to do was start a fist fight over a woman.
Caroline seemed to ignore the taunts, holding her head high as she relayed the same information as she had in my office. To her credit, she didn’t look flustered. After finishing, she offered another smile, taking a few seconds to study the crowd.
I felt a presence beside my chair, someone moving dangerously close to Caroline.
“She is very special. Intelligent as well as beautiful. I would be prepared to make her a very suitable offer. That is of course if you would agree to the terms.” The stranger glanced down at me, his upper lip curling.
“She’s not for sale, at least not for what you intend,” I barked, doing everything I could to abate my anger. What the hell did this asshole think he was doing?
“What a pity,” the stranger said, exhaling in an exaggerated fashion. “J’aimerais bien la mettre en cage.”
While I didn’t recognize the member, that was saying little since it had been at least a year since I’d ventured into the dark club. The Frenchman was enamored, the glimmer in his eyes as he studied Caroline having little to do with business.
Except if it meant under the sheets.
My possessive nature forced a heightened level of rage just below the surface. Before I had a chance to respond, Caroline shifted closer to him, pulling the microphone close to her lips as she stared at him. “Je coucherais d’abord avec un vrai cochon.”
“She doesn’t take any shit. That’s for certain,” Dax huffed.
“What did the fucker say to her?” I growled.