Page 29 of Darkness Tempt Me
God, yes, Daddy. Why is this bossy, commanding tone doing it for me?
“I understand, sir.” I nod quickly, feeling a little foolish. “Maybe it was just a coincidence. I mean, I’ve had this feeling for a while, and I never even saw him until recently. It’s probably just me being paranoid.” I take a deep breath and admit something I’ve kept hidden from the people I know here in New Vernon. “I used to have this ex, Jimmy Melton. H-he used to hurt me. Abuse me. One night, he was going to kill me, and I escaped,” I say, skimming over the details.
It’s been at least two years since I said Jimmy’s name out loud. “I testified against him, but he lawyered up and won the case. Apparently, there wasn’t enough evidence. I took my brother and ran.”
Mavik gathers me into his arms and kisses the top of my head. I melt into his embrace. “Thank you for telling me,” he replies. “But Jimmy Melton will never hurt you ever again.”
“You don’t know that. I’m pretty sure that if Jimmy gets the opportunity, he will come after me. He will kill me.”
“It isn’t Jimmy following you.”
I pull back, studying his face. He sounds so damn sure. My stomach drops. “You don’t believe me. You don’t think I’m being followed,” I say, voice laced with bitterness. Memories of metelling the jury, in gruesome detail, what Jimmy had done to me, only to have them act like I made it all up.
“No. I believe you, Pey. We’ll come up with a plan to make you feel safe. I’ll keep an eye out for you. Whether it’s Drake or someone else, just rest assured, it isn’t that asshole Jimmy. Trust me.”
I shake my head again. It’s such a strange thing for Mavik to say. He doesn’t know my ex or my past. So then how could he be so sure?
Whatever. At least he isn’t acting like I made it all up. It’s still odd, though, but at least he’s willing to protect me. To keep me safe.
“Okay. Thank you. But…where’s Daniel Sinclair?”
“No fucking clue.” Mavik squeezes my hand. “Now, let’s go up to the penthouse and change. Then, we can go see why this piece-of-shit’s father stood us up.Again.”
It takes about thirty-five minutes for us to go through the business proposition Mavik has laid out for the Sinclair Group. Thirty-five minutes of me squirming uncomfortably in my chair, while Drake gives me the fuckingick. Thirty-five minutes of me trying not to gasp every time Mavik opens his fucking mouth and tries to sell a part of his soul to the devil. What the hell is Mavik thinking? This was not part of the material we’d gone over.
“As you can see, my offer is a very generous one. The Sinclair Group stands to gain a lot from my company, as detailed in the proposal. Now that I’ve inherited a huge chunk of stock from my late uncle, I feel like now is the time to expand the business. Make a true partnership.” Mavik places his hand on top of the manila file folder and slides it across the table to Drake.
I jerk back as Mavik’s words sink into my head. He inherited a huge chunk of the company’s stock? How? Doesn’t he need to marry someone in order to get them? My heart sinks. Did he find someone else? Maybe he’s already entered some weird-ass marriage contract.
No. There’s no fucking way. I kick his shin under the table, but Mavik doesn’t flinch.
Drake shakes his head in awe. “I’m still trying to figure out what the catch is.”
“No catch.” Mavik stands, the fingers of one hand reaching to fasten the button of his suit jacket with practiced grace. He seems so cool and collected. He’s so self-assured, it’s scary. “The Sinclair Group is a respected investment company, just like Blackwood Investments. Imagine all the good we could do together.”
Drake nods eagerly, only seeing the dollar signs. “I think my father will be impressed with this proposition. Where do I sign?”
“Ah, well,” Mavik says in a sweet, almost bored voice. “The thing is, I will only accept a signature from your father. Once I meet with him and go over my proposal, then we can have our lawyer draw up the contract for us. Since we have the same lawyer, I can trust that Mr. Rose will take good care of us.”
The smile drops from Drake’s face. “My father trusts me to make executive decisions. This is simply too good an opportunity for us to pass up. He won’t be mad at me for taking things into my own hands.”
“He might not be mad, but I will be. I’ve been trying to secure a meeting with your father for quite a while now. And quite honestly, I shared the proposal with you out of respect.” Mavik softens his tone, wielding his voice like a weapon. “I like you, Drake, and I’m sure we will do a lot of business together—when your old man hands the reins over to you, but until then, I needto meet with Daniel Sinclair. It’s what my father would have wanted.”
My mouth drops. His father? Mavik Blackwood hated his father. What the hell is he playing at? I study my boss, half convinced he’s some sort of pod person or a clone.
Mavik’s phone vibrates. Instead of pulling it from his suit pants, where he usually holds his phone, he fishes it out of his suit jacket. He glances down at it with a frown and holds up his index finger. “If you’ll excuse me?”
I stare at the phone in his hand as he walks away. It’s not his usual phone; this one has an extra-large screen and doesn’t look quite as fancy. I would know, because I was the one who bought him the latest model. I saw him on it earlier. So what secret phone is this?
The door to the boardroom swings closed behind Mavik, and it’s only then that I realize I’m alone with Drake.
“So, Peyton. Tell me what you think of that proposal.” Drake flashes his white teeth my way.
“It’s a good opportunity. Your father would be a fool to pass,” I reply coldly. Should I even be trying to convince this asshole to take the proposal to Daddy Dearest? I still don’t understand why Mavik, who has fought so hard for his company, would be doing this.
“You’re a prickly one, are you?”
I stand up, about to make my way toward the door, but Drake is faster.
