Page 21 of Lord of Retribution

Two million dollars. I was absolutely dumbfounded. The girl was out of her mind or so wealthy that amount of money was chump change. The lump that had just formed in my throat was the size of a small cantaloupe. I felt nauseous. Lightheaded. “This is obviously very important to you. However, I’m not certain I can pull it off. As you said, I don’t know your culture.”

“You are perfect. Besides, your mother is Italian and I know you speak a little, not that you’ll need to, given Daniel was born and raised here.”

Daniel. At least I had a name. “Who is this supposed fiancé?”

She turned her head toward Leonardo, who headed in our direction. Miraculously, he had a file in his hand. “You’ll find everything you need to know about him, his family, and his business as well as certain things about myself and my family that I’ll be happy to give you once you’ve signed a nondisclosure agreement and a contract.”

“Nondisclosure and a contract.”

“As you might imagine, if this was to get out, it would be perfect grounds for my father’s enemies to cause him additional trouble. Plus, it could prove damaging to the Thorn family. However, please take a few moments and look over the information. I can understand why you’d be hesitant to consider entering into a business deal with someone you’ve just met. That helps me realize the right decision was made in choosing you.”

Right. I had a feeling the idea came to her on the fly since we looked alike, but the lengths she’d gone to was just another red flag raising high in the sky. I was more disturbed than anything yet I took the file from Leonardo’s hand, noticing Maria had backed completely away, moving toward a bar on the other side of the room.

I turned away and I wasn’t certain why, perhaps needing a small amount of privacy. I wasn’t going to try to lie to myself that the offer wasn’t amazing. If it wasn’t some crazy scam. When I finally convinced myself to look inside, the first thing I noticed was a picture of Daniel Thorn. It was taken at some lavish party, the man standing next to two other men in tuxedos.

What struck me even more than the posh surroundings was how gorgeous he was. The photograph had been taken for a magazine or online newspaper with the kind of caption that fairytales were made of.

Daniel Thorn. Rich. Powerful. Eligible. True American Royalty.

So my assumptions continued to be correct. I flipped through the details, information that included the man’s estimated worth from various businesses and real estate holdings. My God. The man was worth billions and he was extremely handsome, so much so a slight nervous twinge tickled my senses.

When I flipped to what little there was about Maria and her family, another strange set of sensations swept through me. Why did I have the feeling her father wasn’t just an astute, wealthy businessman with a lot of enemies? I leaned against the window, imagining the possibility my mother could return to remission or maybe even be cured. And the money for only a year would allow me to do anything I wanted to do in my life.

Oh, God. This was crazy. Was I seriously considering this? If so, I had to be out of my bloody mind. It was crazy. I didn’t know this woman from anyone. I could be getting myself into a crazy situation. Worse, I could be signing my death warrant.

I had no idea what I was going to do but I knew whatever decision I made would haunt me. Right. Wrong. Good. Bad. The excess information was muddled in my mind. I turned my head, studying her all over again. I was a pretty good judge of people and I had a feeling she wasn’t a good actress. She was struggling with this decision.

As I walked closer, she turned around. In her hand was some kind of alcoholic beverage. It was only nine-thirty in the morning, but I had to admit, the drink looked far too appetizing and I wasn’t much of a drinker.

Maybe tonight after work I’d start.

“How would this work?” I asked.

“A good question. Your mother would be transferred to the facility quickly, in a couple days. Then you’d move out of your apartment. We’ll move into a house on the outskirts of the city, so we have some privacy. Then we’ll being your transformation immediately. You’ll have a new wardrobe, a wedding planner. Jewelry. All expenses paid of course. But for all practical purposes Margot Rollins will cease to exist.”

“As you might imagine, I do have a life here. I can’t just disappear.”

“You can make up a story about going abroad for an acting gig. Your friends will buy that.” Maria’s confidence, I’d agree, was already increasing. I could feel it. Meanwhile, I was feeling more like I was making a deal with the devil and I couldn’t understand why.

“How do I know this is on the up and up?”

She acted as if she was going to be incensed at first then smiled. “Of course. Being cautious is necessary. You can certainly speak to my doctors if you’d like. My parents are in the next room. I’ll be happy to ask Leonardo to go and get them. And I’m certain even with the nondisclosure you’ll check the internet.”

“Yes, I am a cautious girl. Safety first.”

“Yes, absolutely. And I’m certain you’ll need a day to think about my offer. Yes?”

I wanted to say hell, yes, but I nodded instead.

“And because you’re considering something so… unconventional, not only will you receive the other thousand dollars as promised, I’ll also have Leonardo provide you with five thousand more. That should help you understand how serious and important this is to me.”

I studied her eyes. She was dead serious. “I can already tell that, Maria. I have one question before I even consider thinking about it. Why do this? You’re a beautiful woman. He’s a handsome man. You could have anyone you want, even if it’s for a short period of time.”

She smiled, perhaps from the compliment. “Because this alliance of our two families would make our combined empires the most powerful one in the world.”

“Which will add to your extensive wealth.”

“You do understand,” she whispered.

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