Page 24 of Mending Our Chance

I stared into my almost empty glass of bourbon. These whiskey glasses were fogging me up. “Not yet,” I whispered. Clearing my throat, I calmly asserted, “But some day when I earn the honor of standing on my own two feet, I’m gonna move heaven and earth to make her mine.”

“Good man.”

Done talking about my personal life, I decided it was time to strike. “Let’s make this more interesting,” I suggested as I set a legal document into the already substantial pile in the middle of the table. “Take a gamble on me. We’ll make more money than you could ever dream of.”

Argento broke character then. He let loose a full, deep, belly laugh. Clutching his sides, it ripped through him. Everyone at the table froze in confusion.

Finally, the Old Italian wiped his dripping eyes on the back of his sleeve. “You? Offering me—money?” A second wave of laughter followed, but this time he managed to control it. “No, no, my boy, I don’t need more money, but there is something else you will offer me. The terms of my deal are simple: Bring me on and we’ll deal with the price later.”

I hesitated. In the back of my mind, one thought played out again and again: Felicity, broken, because she chose me instead of her aunt. For Christ’s sake, the old woman was the only relative Felicity had left. At this reminder, there was no hesitation in my answer. “Done.”

When I played my hand, I took back all the cash I had put in, and then some. There were murmurs of disdain and others of amazement, but the smile that remained on the Italian’s face was the only reaction I cared about.

“You hustled me,” he finally conceded. I nodded but did not apologize. “We will talk in the morning when heads are clear,” he continued. He threw a card on the table. I saw that it only had a phone number on it. “And with that, I shall call it a night.”

“Wait!” There was something I wanted to clarify, but not with all these eyes and ears around. ”Can I have a moment alone, Signore?”

Argento nodded and rose from the table. I carefully pocketed the business card and scooped my winnings into the bag before moving away from the table. When Argento and I were alone, I folded my hands together and pressed, “Signor Argento, I beg one favor to be included in our contract: We do not tell my partner. You must truly remain a silent partner. Felicity will skin me alive for this. She wanted no outside help, but I recognize that the stakes are too high for that.”

“Why?”

Before I could think of a reason, I blurted out, “She invested her savings and it could cost her an aunt.”

There was another flicker in Argento’s midnight black eyes, this one deep and painful. Then it was gone. “If that is so, then I have a counter proposition for you.”

Here comes the payment. Already. Swallowing the remainder of my pride, I submitted to the stakes. “Yes?”

“Sign over your portfolio of ideas. Sign a contract making me the majority shareholder in your company. I will own everything until you can buy me out.”

“Signore, with all respect—”

“You hustled me, young man. You presented a beautiful front, but you let me see your weakness—you have sick relatives in the mix. That makes you desperate. Now I will benefit.”

I hung my head, aware that he had me by the balls. “All right. But in six months, I shall pay you back and buy you out.”

Argento nodded, seemingly unsurprised by my brash statement. “One more thing. I believe you are worth it, yet as you just showed me in poker, you are slippery fish. I therefore challenge you: Reel in a large sale and I shall finalize this investment with you.”

Despair filled my chest. I didn’t have that kind of time. “But Sir, I need help now. If it isn’t you, I will go elsewhere—”

“You most certainly will not! Take a handshake now, and when you prove your worth, I’ll seal the partnership with a formal contract.”

And in that moment, I recognized that here, standing before me, was the dark prince of the underworld. Sure, I was larger than him physically, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit his ultimatum made me quake in my shoes. “So be it; just please keep this quiet.”

“Good. Let’s make that happen then.”

We shook hands and I watched the devil to whom I had just sold my soul disappear into the night.

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