Page 43 of Dark & Deceitful

“I didn’t think so. Hannah is under my employ. She does whatItell her to do. She acts in my best interest. Did we broker a deal?”

Still, Elden remains quiet.

“No. Of course, we haven’t.” My boss snaps his fingers. “Fred, take thirty million from Elden’s safe,” he orders the auctioneer.

Without speaking, the man behind the podium scribbles something on a ledger and puts on a spectacle when he slams a stamp down on whatever he’s written. “Done.” The auctioneer’s voice booms through the room.

Elden’s mouth gapes from his seat. “That’s bullshit—thirty million.” His voice cracks.

“You know the rules. You brought the money. You signed the agreement. You were invited to my private event and treated my employee like she was yours. Hannah is not yours. But…” Darmond pauses for effect and taps a ringed finger to the center of his lips. “I suppose, for your donation to our special charity, I cannot, in good faith, leave you without something inreturn.” Once more, my boss snaps his fingers. “Dee. Come,” he commands like she’s a dog.

Still naked, Dee rises from her spot on the floor next to Mr. Cassiano’s chair and approaches the men. My boss points to Elden’s lap. “He’s now your master.”

Surprised by the news, Dee squawks in outrage, and I flinch prematurely, knowing exactly what’s going to happen. Quick as a snake strike, Darmond backhands her across the face, and the entire room reverberates with the violence. My teeth clench as I watch her absorb the hit, head flinging to the side, as water wells in her eyes and her skin turns crimson, already starting to swell.

“Keep your bitch in order,” he snaps at Elden. “By any means necessary.” Then the powerful man turns to stalk off and immediately connects eyes with me behind the bar. His nostrils flare in annoyance as his gaze swings from me to the doorway, where we both look to find a red-faced Romeo.

Darmond says nothing as he glares at his chef. The tension ratchets up a handful of notches before my boss’s dark gaze shifts back to me, narrows, and a cunning smile pulls at the corners of his lips.

My breath falters as fear seizes in my chest. This cannot be good.

Blinking once to break his intense stare, my boss sweeps his gaze across the room of men. By some miracle handed down by Mother Earth, he stops on Dark. “You.” He lifts his chin at my ex-husband. “What was mine is now yours. You can thank Elden for buying the gift for you.” He turns to face the auctioneer. “Make it happen.”

More writing and stamping follows. Then the deal is done. I’m sold.

Dark doesn’t seem the least bit fazed as he inclines his head in appreciation at Elden and my boss. “She’s no Ellie, but thanks for the gift.”

Pleased with the ass-kissing compliment, my boss looks at the blonde sitting pretty at the base of his chair beside Jasmin. “Enjoy her,” he comments to Dark as he retakes his seat. With a sweep of his hand, Darmond gestures to the auctioneer to get on with it, and they do, picking right back up where they left off.

Romeo approaches me behind the bar as I rinse more empties in the sink, not sure if I’m supposed to keep working or sit by Dark. “Hannah, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” I smile tightly and set a wine glass on the rack to dry.

“Mr. Drake is a cruel man,” Romeo announces, more to himself than me.

Dark would be the man to build his empire on the façade of brutality. His dark hair, gray eyes, muscular build, and tattoos make him the perfect fit for that narrative. It’s smart. Damn smart. The weaker men will fear him, and the stronger men want to be him. Dark is nothing if not brilliant. Trust me, I didn’t fall in love with him all those years ago just because of his looks. It’s what’s inside that made me fall hard. It’s a shame all those years were a waste. Well, not a waste. We got two amazing sons out of it, and now we have Lily, and I can’t imagine a life without her in it.

I hum in response to Romeo’s comment.

He moves in closer. “Hannah.”

“It’s fine.” I jerk away when he brushes the back of my arm.

“It’s not. You should know what you’re walking into.”

Frowning, I glance at him over my shoulder. “Will it change anything?”

“No.”

“Then I don’t want to know.” Because it won’t matter anyhow. The man they know is not the man I know.

“Hannah.” The chef touches my shoulder. This time, I don’t pull away.

“Let it go, Romeo. It’s done.”

A string of Spanish expletives trails the chef back into the kitchen as he leaves me to deal with my fate.

I’m now the property of Maxim Drake and shit’s about to get realer than real.

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