Page 3 of Danica's Revenge

Sure, I play the strict Domme behind closed doors.I take and own every ounce of Dante’s pleasure once he hangs up his boss-hat at the end of the day.But in matters of the business, I've steered clear.He's made sure of it.“I can’t let you get hurt,”he always said.“I’m not losing you too.”And look now,heis the one who's been taken.

What I wouldn’t give to feel Dante's strong arms wrapped around me right now, lifting me up to my tippy-toes and kissing me deeply.To breathe in that musky cologne of his…

My poor boy.

There is a gentle knock on the door behind me, bringing me back to reality.

It’s Carlo.“Miss Matthews?”he asks cautiously.

I wipe the tears from my face, trying to keep my voice steady.“Just a second.”

I take one more look at the mess in the study, the blood on the floor, before getting up.

Don’t worry baby, I’ll find you,I vow.Nobody gets to lay a finger on Dante Fera’s body except me.

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Two Weeks Earlier…

Chapter three

Business

Thisisnotgood.I go through the books again.Not good at all.

The accountant is standing nervously in front of my desk, peering at me expectantly over his thick glasses.He shuffles from one foot to the other, probably praying to some deity that I don’t blame him for this.I have killed men over less.

“What’s going on here, Luigi?This quarter’s numbers look very different.”I speak slowly, my voice straining as I try to push back the anger.Differentis an understatement.The numbers look outright wrong.The income streams seem average—the security company is turning a profit and the used car dealerships breaking even as planned, making just enough to avoid tax and suspicion.The charity side of things seems above board.But the expenses are sky-high, both for the charity and the dealership.

“I’m not sure yet,signore.I only finished this quarter’s results last night.I wasn’t expecting this,” he stammers, fidgeting with his hands over his round belly.

“Our expenses are almost double what they usually are.Where did the money go, Luigi?”I ask sternly, closing the file and getting up from behind the imposing desk I inherited along with all the responsibility I didn’t want—not then and not now.

Luigi stands back, eager not to get too close.“We’re looking into it,signore,” he answers nervously.

“This is not very good for cash flow, now is it Luigi?”I sigh.

“No,signore.”

“How did this happen?”

“From what I can tell, a large portion of it is the expenditure for the upcoming charity banquet, we—”

I cut him off.“That was budgeted for, no?”I pace around the large room.

“Sí,signore.It was.To the last cent.”

“So where have the extra expenses come from?”

“We’re still trying to figure that out,” he repeats.

My morning is instantly ruined.Keeping the books on plan is crucial for the business’s smooth operation.Not too much money to attract prying eyes but just enough to keep all the businesses going—those on the books and those off.The rest are tied up in offshore bank accounts and stocks, some in real estate, even some in crypto—carefully scattered around and maintained to keep the IRS from knocking down the door.But if there is not enough cash flow…that is a problem, a very annoying problem.

“I don’t pay you to figure things out, Luigi.I pay you to fix it—very handsomely I might add.Are we not on the same page about your role here?”I raise my voice slightly, the tension straining through each word as I struggle to keep my cool.

“We are,signore.It’s just an oversight somewhere.We’ll fix it.I just need more time.Please.”I know what that “please” is for.It translates to “please don’t hurt me,” but the dweeb doesn’t even have the balls to beg for his life properly.

His weakness disgusts me, almost as much as his incompetence.I can’t stand it.

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