Page 2 of The Don

“Which ones?”

“All of them.”

She shakes her head and says dismissively, “Then you will need a lot more than two hundred thousand dollars, Mr. Ortega.”

“I’m offering one million.”

I lay out the minimum figure I am prepared to part with and am impressed when she fires back, “Three million.”

“Two.”

“Done.”

There is zero emotion in her voice and certainly none in her expression as she closes a deal before knowing the facts.

I reach out and offer her my hand and as hers slips into my larger one, I hold on tightly, knowing that I’ve won this first battle and as I stare at her full luscious lips, I wonder if the next one will be as easy.

Money is the leveler of many men and I have more of it than most. It’s the next part of my plan that may break her, but I’ll take this small win while I’ve got it.

“It begins now.” I say darkly, interested in her reaction.

“Then you had better tell me what it involves.” She fixes me with a dark look of her own before saying with a husky voice, “Mr. Ortega.”

Now it’s my turn to run my tongue along my lower lip because the tension between us is interesting me more than the reason she’s here.

I’ve heard a lot about Chastity Blake, but nothing prepared me for the woman herself, so confident, so composed and an impressive set of skills I would love to own.

“Not here.”

“Why not?”

She raises her eyes in a challenge and I feel my eyes glitter as I hiss, “Because I don’t discuss business in public, Miss. Blake and I’d be disappointed if you thought it was acceptable.”

She nods and as I stand, she does the same and I say firmly, “Until our business is resolved, you remain in my organization. How long your stay is, is up to you. However, you only have seven days to give me what I want.”

“Seven days is a long time, Mr. Ortega.”

She raises her eyes, showing none of the fear I would expect from a woman in her position, and I smirk. “Then we are on the same page. Seven days is the target, but feel free to finish the job early, as long as youdofinish the job, Miss. Blake because, as I said before, you don’t get to leave until I get what I want.”

The whitening of her skin and the immediate panic in her eyes tells me she has understood exactly what I mean and as she gets her emotion under control, I know we have an understanding.

Chastity Blake has been bought by me for two million dollars and if she fails to deliver, she willneverleave. Success or death, those are the unspoken rules and now she has an incentive other than money to give me exactly what I want.

Carlos Matasso and his miserable life, or to die trying.

CHAPTER1

CHASTITY

I’ve always known this day would come. I’ve feared it, anticipated it and prepared for it and I’m surprised to find I’m now indifferent to it.

I’ve trained for this for most of my life for one specific reason. Revenge.

There is no skill I haven’t sharpened in my pursuit of it, and the man staring at me from across the booth in a dingy club is the one responsible for delivering my chance.

I never expected him, not tonight, and yet now I’m mentally preparing myself to die.

It’s funny how things work out. Seven days is a long time. I wasn’t kidding when I stated that fact. Seven days of life left, but for who?

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