Page 34 of Don't Lie To Me

“What, with this bit of evidence?” He shakes the paper. “You’re going to need more than that to bring down my family. Besides, my papa isn’t even in the country. All of this rests on his shoulders, not mine.”

“But you are in this country, and right now, you’re the one in here demanding I let you take over what I have created. I won’t stop until I have everything I need on you. If you push me, I will make you pay.”I glare back at him with determination. I’m not like other women he would have come across. I’m bitter and twisted as fuck, and I will do whatever it takes to destroy him.

He scowls back at me, just as furious, neither of us backing down. “I’m not walking away from this opportunity,” he finally says. “Your father signed this business over to us; you know I have you there.”

I know he’s right, but there has to be a compromise that works better for me. I rack my angry brain, trying to work out how I get around all of this.

“I’m not walking away, Sloane. You try and fuck me over, I will come back at you just as hard. I have things on your brothers that could destroy their lives. And we both know what they mean to you.” I don’t flinch. I keep staring back at him, ice in my eyes. “Or is it Onyx who is your weak spot?” His head tilts to the side as he takes me in. “Yeah, that’s the one. Your bodyguard holds a special place in your heart, doesn’t he?” His hand trails along the side of my face, and I recoil from him, not wanting his hands on me. “I know what he did for you that night. The two men he killed to save you. You never should have gotten out of here alive, should you, but Onyx made sure you did. I guess you owe him your life. Wouldn’t want to fuck him over just to keep me out of this place now, would we, doll face.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I hate this man right now with everything in my being, but I know he’s right. I will never do anything to fuck over Onyx. He means too much to me. “Compromise,” I say the word with a strength I don’t have right now.

Now I have his interest piqued. “What kind of compromise?”

I purse my lips together, trying to think it over. “You let me keep running this place just like I am, but I will help you to expand, help you set up other clubs like this and show you what I have been doing and how I make it profitable for me and the staff who work for me.You said you like my blueprint, so let me help you have some clubs of your own.”

His eyes flash with something, intrigue maybe. “I want sixty percent of all the profits made here as well.”

My stomach sinks. I have no fucking clue how I’m going to swing it myself, when my profit margin was already tight, just making sure everyone else got paid before me, but it’s better than him taking a cut from the girls. I’ll go without so they don’t have to. “Done. But next door, Nestled Serenity Spa, is out of the deal. I set that business up alone, it has nothing to do with the club.” I glare back at him.

“I have no interest in your day spa.”

“Then we have an agreement as long as you remain a silent partner here, letting me make the big decisions and looking after my staff.”

His lips twist up at the sides but it’s not in a smile; he’s trying to contain his frustration toward me. “I want to be involved in the decisions, Sloane. I have new ideas I want to implement, ones that will see you also benefiting.” His hand trails down along my side, sending a shiver down my spine. “We can make a lot of money together; I want you to benefit from this partnership as well.” The way he says it makes me think he wants more than a business partnership from me. He’s trying to stay involved here because he wants to work closely with me.

“I don’t care about the money. I have the final say.” Knowing I can’t work alongside him every day, it will be impossible with the tension between us.

A flash of surprise comes over him. He’s probably never had anyone in his life who didn’t care about the money as a top priority. His face softens, and I feel his hand settle on my waist. “I can work with that compromise on one condition. You go on a date with me tonight.”

I blink back at him, so shocked I don’t know what to say. He has to be kidding me after the fucking stunt he pulled. After me findingout about the monster he’s related to. But either way, he is trying desperately to get some control over me. “Not if you were the last man on earth,” I seethe back, a bitter smile etching onto my face.

His lips twitch up at the sides in a cruel smirk. “Then I guess I will have the final say.” His other hand comes to the other side of my waist, his fingers digging into my flesh as he holds me in place against the door, a blatant assertion of power.

“Why are you trying to control me? What do you really want with me?”

“Everything.” His eyes run over my face in a psychotic way that for the first time scares me. Not because I think he would harm me, but because I know how serious he is. He collects a piece of my hair that’s fallen and feels the silky strands, tucking it behind my ear when he’s done. “I’m obsessed with you. From the first moment I laid my eyes on you, I knew I had to make you mine.”

My heart kicks up a beat, staring back at him, knowing it’s true. “You know how crazy that sounds, right?”

He chuckles darkly. “You’re starting to work me out.”

I purse my lips, my heart thumping a frantic rhythm against my ribs, knowing this is a mistake but paralyzed by a lack of alternatives. I won’t let him have all the control around here, there are too many people relying on me to keep them safe. But I know he’s not going to walk away easily either. “I can’t tonight, I’m busy. But tomorrow I’m all yours.” I sigh heavily, knowing it’s a mistake already. But how bad can one night alone with him be?

“Tomorrow it is.” His face breaks out into an all-out smile, like he just won big, and it makes him look even more crazy.

“Dinner, that’s it,” I add, making sure we are being perfectly clear on my intentions going forward. I hold out my hand for him to shake on it. He gently removes his hand from my waist, then takes mine inhis, our fingers intertwining as we shake. He brings my hand to his mouth, the soft pressure of his lips a tender caress on the back of my hand. His eyes meet mine in a way that makes a flutter run through me. Oh, dear God, what is wrong with me?

“Dinner, then we will see where the night takes us. You will come to the Moretti mansion, where I’m staying.” His expression is way too smug for my liking. He doesn’t know me half as well as he thinks he does. I surprised him today by doing my own research. And I will surprise him again tomorrow, leaving him right after we finish our meal.

“Dinner,” I reiterate.

“Dinner,” he agrees, but his eyes tell me he wants so much more. “What are you doing tonight?”

Now it’s my turn to smile smugly. I wasn’t so sure if I was going to go or not, I’m dog tired, but now I have an excellent reason. One that’s even better than the man being extremely hot to look at. “I have a date with the charming Detective Reef Wilder.”

“Like fuck you do.” His eyes flare with fresh anger.

But I don’t give a shit. I push out of his tight grip on me and move around to the other side of my desk, pouring myself a drink, trying to take a little control back.

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