I had to go in and not only convince Mater to sign over the company but act as if I’d been a Dagger associate for a long time. They’d given me a weapon and I was told to use whatever means necessary to get it done. Wrong move on their part. Given what I’d been through, my fingers were itching to do just one thing. Kill.
Pulling open the boardroom doors, I stepped inside, scanned the room, and then took the only vacant seat at the head of the twelve-seater square table. I glanced around at the other occupants, their expressions ranging from surprise to confusion.
“Who are—”
My hand shot up, effectively stalling the man’s words, while I read the contract between the two companies seated at the table. Done, my gaze shifted, taking in the different expressions of the men around the table. “Gentlemen, I’ll say this in one easy sentence. I’m here to buy you all out.”
“You can’t do that.”
I looked at the man bold enough to speak. “What’s your name?”
“Mater. I’m the majority shareholder in this company.”
“I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you, Mater.”
His brow shot up. “You have? I don’t even know—”
“Not important.” I tilted my head to study the man then grinned. With heavyset shoulders, round face, and thick whiskers, he might’ve been intimidating, before I was condemned to hell. Now, I was a bigger threat to him than he was to me. “But let me just say, your subscription for life has ended and I’ve come to collect?”
“I don’t understand.” He scratched his brow trying to place me. God, this was easy. “What subscription?”
I ignored his question. “Your company is going under.” I rested my elbows on the table and steepled my fingers. “Here’s my offer, Mater. I’ll assume all your financial obligations. Buy you out. Pay you a million right off the top.” I picked up the contract and scanned a few pages.
“W-what. That’s ridiculous.” His brows furrowed. “This company is worth much more. What about a partnership?”
“Partnerships don’t really work so well for me.” I tossed the file across the table. “And that deal is very generous. Because I lead with my final offer.”
“Which is?”
I slipped the semi-automatic from the purse I’d carried and ran my pointer finger around the barrel then looked up. I had to admit, Crow had given me a beautiful piece. He might’ve given me just one bullet and said make it count, it was all I need. “A titanium bullet to the head.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Mater sneered as if he were above being threatened.
“Your worst nightmare,” I smirked. I’d always wanted to say that. Guess, I finally got my chance.
“You can’t kill me,” he barked, fury expelling on each word.
That annoyed me. My gaze locked on his, I arched a brow. “A little history lesson, old man. I’ve killed. I’ve avenged. And worst of all, I’ve loved.” At the last word, his eyes flared. The whole ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ flashed across his terrified features as bright as the light shining down from the ceiling above his head. “Unfortunately for you, the word ‘cannot’ does not exist in my vocabulary. I can.”
“You need me to run the business.” His panic-stricken gaze flew around the table. “Can someone please tell me who the fuck this—”
I recognized that clawing feeling in the pit of my stomach. Pulling me down. It was that same cloying darkness I’d felt when I rear-headed Matilda. It was back and growing like a fucking Tsunami. Slow, steady, and with only one end. Devastation. I tried to calm the beast as Lotus warned. “Not that I give a shit, but you’ve got two choices, old man. Take the deal or die?” I gritted through clenched jaws.
“That’s not a fucking choice.” A deep scowl etched the weathered lines of his face.
“Don’t you like the way I do business?” I uttered a short laugh. “Too bad you can’t do anything about it.”
“Says who?” he grunted.
The gun went off followed closely by several gasps. I watched the old man as he glanced down at his chest and touched his white shirt now turning the same color as his wine. “Me,” I smiled before his head fell forward and his cheek hit the wooden table with a resounding thud. I swept a cold gaze around the table. “No more questions, I take it?” I received several quick nods.
“I’ll expect your signatures in—” I checked my watch. “Ten minutes.” The men around the table gaped at each other a second before scrambling for the document. With that, I stood, tossed the empty gun on the table, and walked out.
Outside the closed doors, I shut my eyes and pulled in deep breaths, calming the rage inside me took a little less time than it had done with Matilda. I guessed my head was finally getting the hang of the I’m the maker of my destiny motto, Lotus had drilled into me.
“Well done, bella. Didn’t know you had it in you to pass my test.”
It wasn’t the resounding clapping that had my eyes flying open but that voice. That deep sexy voice that made you think of melted dark chocolate being poured over your pussy then licked. If you were in the mood to fuck him.
