Chapter 1 - The Claim
Caleb's smirk widened into a confident grin.
"You could say that," Caleb replied.
"Norah and I spent four years sharing an apartment."
He leaned back in his leather chair and adjusted his cuffs.
"She knows all my secrets, and I know all of hers."
The Callaway executives shifted uncomfortably in their expensive seats.
Dominic's expression remained carved from absolute ice.
He did not look at Norah.
He kept his cold gaze fixed entirely on the blonde man sitting across his mahogany table.
"Ms. Hayes is a vital asset to my organization," Dominic said softly.
Caleb chuckled and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
"I'm sure she is," Caleb smirked.
"She always was eager to please the men in charge."
A silver pen snapped directly in half in Dominic's hand.
The sharp crack echoed through the silent boardroom like a gunshot.
Black ink stained Dominic's knuckles, looking exactly like fresh blood.
Richard Callaway flinched violently.
Norah stopped breathing completely.
"Tell him you're taken," Dominic ordered.
His voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried the terrifying weight of an executioner's blade.
Norah blinked, her mind going entirely blank in the freezing room.
"Excuse me?" Caleb asked, his arrogant smile faltering instantly.
Dominic finally shifted his dark, calculating gaze to Norah.
"Tell him you belong to me now," Dominic commanded.
Norah swallowed hard, forcing her paralyzed vocal cords to work.
"I am completely taken," she lied smoothly, staring right into Caleb's eyes.
Caleb's jaw tightened in sudden, furious anger.
"That is a very interesting development," Caleb sneered.
He reached into his leather briefcase and pulled out a thick red folder.
"I am the new lead compliance auditor for the Callaway group," Caleb announced.
"I have spent the last three weeks reviewing your Chicago warehouse manifests."
He tossed the red folder onto the center of the table.
"Three tons of imported olive oil do not require heavily armed escorts."
Dominic slowly wiped the ink from his hands with a silk handkerchief.
"You are stepping into very deep water, Mr. Pierce."
"I am an excellent swimmer," Caleb shot back.
"Because the federal agents I spoke with this morning are very curious about your new boyfriend's shadow ledgers."
May you like
Caleb stood up and buttoned his tailored jacket.
"You have exactly twenty-four hours to accept our merger terms, or this folder goes directly to the FBI."
