A Ring To Take His Revenge

Of course it helped that she dressed like the founding member of some religious organisation, and showed absolutely no interest in him whatsoever outside of their business interaction. He’d had PAs before who had raised their eyebrows and been uncomfortable handling some of his more indiscreet requests, such as fending off ex-lovers or acquiring suitable parting gifts. Despite what her conservative appearance suggested, Emma had handled each and every one without judgement or comment. The only thing she asked for was financial approval.

In short, Emma Guilham was very good at her job.

Which was exactly why he trusted her implicitly to handle the research on Bartlett. He couldn’t risk news of his interest in the man leaking out before he’d had a chance to arrange a meeting with him. But it wasn’t Bartlett himself that he was after. He could have taken or left his famous heritage brand, having no need to add it to his investment portfolio. No. It was the other potential investor that Antonio had in his sights. The investor that Antonio wanted to crush beneath his heel until no trace of him remained.

As he stood before the windows he didn’t see a millimetre of the lush green sanctuary in the middle of New York’s bustle. Antonio saw victory within his grasp.

Finally Antonio had the chance to bring Michael Steele to his knees. To cripple him completely, once and for all.

For so long he’d been nibbling away at the outskirts of Steele’s business dealings. And each time Antonio took one more bite from the man’s holdings he thought of his mother and sister. Of the shock and devastation Steele had wrought against his family with efficient ruthlessness. The subsequent pain that had nearly destroyed his mother, and the emotional scars that his young sister had turned against her own body until there had been almost nothing of her left.

Antonio had spent years clawing his way up the financial ladder...for this. The chance to destroy Michael Steele once and for all.

The buzz of the intercom cut through his thoughts and Emma’s voice announced that she had Danyl and Dimitri on the line for him.

‘What’s wrong?’ demanded Danyl.

Many would have been forgiven for thinking they heard anger in his voice, but Antonio knew better and identified concern.

‘Nothing’s wrong. In fact it’s the exact opposite.’

‘It must be...what?...six in the morning in New York?’ queried Dimitri. ‘Even you don’t usually start until a bit later.’

‘It’s seven.’

‘I feel sorry for your PA,’ remarked Danyl. ‘She just went into battle with my assistant to get me in on this call instead of calling the Terhren Secretary of State.’

‘Don’t feel sorry for her,’ Antonio responded. ‘Be impressed.’

‘I am,’ Danyl replied. ‘Anyone who can put my assistant off state business is worth their weight in gold.’

‘I have it. The way to take down Steele once and for all.’

Antonio didn’t need to explain who he was talking about, nor why it was so important. Dimitri and Danyl knew what this meant to him—had meant ever since the age of sixteen.

‘How?’ asked Dimitri.

‘I’ve been reliably informed that Benjamin Bartlett is looking for a healthy financial investment in his company. It would be Steele’s last chance for financial security. He has the capital to invest, but not enough to survive without it.’

‘And you plan to ensure that you win the investment,’ stated Dimitri. ‘Whatever you need—it’s yours.’

Antonio smiled. ‘That’s not necessary. I can counter any investment offer he makes to Bartlett.’

‘I’ve met Bartlett. I must say I’m surprised that he’s looking for investment. He’s always been financially stable.’

‘You know him?’ demanded Antonio. ‘How?’ he asked, his quick mind already working out how to use this to his advantage.

‘He’s a keen horseman. A regular feature on the international racing scene.’

Antonio frowned, scanning his usually perfect memory for any moment when he might have met the man amongst the numerous races they had attended as members of the Winners’ Circle syndicate.

‘He usually keeps to himself, though,’ Danyl continued. ‘Tends to stay away from the more lively areas that we enjoy. He’ll probably be in Argentina for the first leg of the Hanley Cup. Do you know why he’s looking for investment?’

‘The why doesn’t matter. I’ll do anything to make sure that I win the investment and not Steele.’

Silence greeted his pronouncement. For a moment Antonio worried that the connection had been lost.

‘Antonio, be careful. Desperation makes a man dangerous. I know this better than anyone,’ Dimitri warned.

‘I can handle the man.’ Antonio practically growled down the phone.

‘I wasn’t talking about him.’

A knock on the door preceded Emma’s appearance with the espresso he very much needed at that moment. Telling Dimitri and Danyl to hang on, he put the call on hold and waited for Emma to put the coffee on his desk and leave.

He was also buying time. Dimitri’s warning hadn’t fallen on deaf ears. But Antonio had spent years waiting for this day. He knew his mother would be saddened by his continued pursuit of revenge. She had pleaded with him over the years to move on. To put the hurt behind him—behind them all. But he couldn’t.

As Emma retreated to her desk behind the door to his own office, he surprised himself by wondering if she would understand. There had been times when his usually conservative, cool-eyed assistant had shown a deeply hidden spark of defiance, something like the fight he felt at that moment. But as the door clicked closed he put that thought aside and resumed his call.

‘That might not be the only problem that you face, Antonio,’ said Danyl.

‘Whatever it is, I can handle it.’

‘I’m not so sure. Bartlett is notoriously moralistic. And your recent and very public exploits with a certain Swedish model might be a rather large putting off for him.’

An image of the blonde who had graced his bed for a number of months rushed into Antonio’s mind. For the most part their encounter had run along the usual lines. Brief but sensually satisfying trysts whenever their diaries brought them together. Until she had started to ask for more. To ask for things he had told her wouldn’t be part of their relationship. And when he had ended things she had quickly transitioned from a cool, poised and sophisticated companion into a raging, deeply resentful and incredibly publicly wounded lover.

‘I can hardly be blamed for the fact she went to the press. I made her no promises—no lies were told. She knew the score and should have handled the end of our...interaction...with more finesse.’

‘Whether or not she should have, she didn’t. And Bartlett won’t like it one bit. He has a strict morality clause for all his board members. And the last to break it two years ago is still looking for work, from what I hear.’

‘What exactly are you saying, Danyl?’

‘Well, you might need to take yourself off the market, so to speak.’

What? Shocked, Antonio didn’t realise that the word had failed to escape his tightly clenched jaw.

‘You’ve either shocked him into silence or you need to explain more clearly what you mean, Danyl,’ Dimitri said, laughing.

‘Marriage,’ replied Danyl.

‘Just because you’re looking for a wife, it doesn’t mean I have to.’

Everything within Antonio roared an absolute no at the idea. All the women he had encounters with knew the deal—even the Swedish model, though she’d seemed to forget it.

Short term, high hits of sensual pleasure were important to him. He was a virile male, after all, and not one to deny himself sexual satisfaction. But nothing more. He neither wanted nor needed the distraction of anything more permanent.

He washed away his distaste at the very idea of marriage with a hot, strong shot of espresso. He scanned his mind for any examples of a healthy, successful partnership and could not find one. Neither Dimitri nor Danyl had any particular fondness for the institution of marriage themselves, though for Danyl—being the future ruler of Terhren—it had become a considerably more pressing matter.