His features hardened.
“Were you aware Stefan had no knowledge you were a customer of ours?”
He didn’t even hesitate in answering. “I had the feeling he didn’t. Never really cared enough to find out for sure. They delivered the drugs. I paid Dylan’s lackeys. Transaction complete.” My lack of reaction seemed to intrigue him. He was trying to get a read on me. Good luck, buddy. “Why were you following Mark?”
I also didn’t hesitate in answering. “Because our profits have decreased by a suspicious amount. I’m looking into it. Who approached you with the offer to be your pipeline?”
“Dylan.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and placed his chin on laced fingers. He stared at me intently, making me arch a brow in question. “You don’t intimidate easily, do you?”
“Would you prefer I quiver with fear? I could try, if your ego is in dire need of it. I’ve been known to be quite theatrical.”
The side of his mouth curled up. “Were you really going to approach me later?”
The honest answer was yes…after I'd spoken to Stefan. I didn’t know how or if he’d want to proceed with the current dealings with the Italians. As of right now, things were civil between our families. To my knowledge, there hadn’t been any incidents in years, which was probably due to the arrangement Dylan and possibly Samuel had with Nicoli.
Getting caught put me in a damned-if-you-do-and-damned-if-you-don’t situation. I was a complication to Nicoli’s pipeline to our drugs. As a family man himself, he knew Stefan would be cleaning house if I revealed my discovery. This meeting was going to end in one of three ways. One, he could kill us, preventing me from telling Stefan; two, he could inform Dylan we were on to them and Dylan would either go on the run or civil war would ensue within the family. I couldn’t let either of those scenarios happen. Which left me no choice but to push for scenario number three. The only downfall…I would be facing the wrath of Stefan. Yet again, I was going to be overstepping.
“Yes. We both know the deal you have with Dylan is over. However, I don’t want to lose your business. What if I made you a better offer? Say, thirty-eight thousand a kilo?”
Nicoli leaned back, draping an arm across the back of the couch. “Is this a deal with Stefan or just you? I’d hate to be back in this predicament again. That’s excluding the lap dance, of course.” He smirked. I would've been lying if I'd said his dark and dangerous appeal wasn’t attractive. I apparently had a type because I was already enthralled by a sexy dangerous man in the next room.
“Any deal I make will be backed by Stefan. In fact, I’d love for you two to meet. That way we could solidify our agreement and erase any doubts. A dinner, maybe?”
“Such trust Stefan has in his princess,” he said with a slight tilt of his head. “I’ll agree to thirty-eight a kilo. Moving forward, though, I want every liaison to be with you. Don’t ever send me someone like Mark.” His eyes raked over my body unabashedly, lingering on my bare legs. “Also, I want one night with you in my bed.”
It was painful not to show my annoyance. “I’m as flattered as I am offended. Like you said, I’m a princess, not a whore. A night between my legs isn’t for sale.”
“Everyone has a price. Even princesses.”
He was right, I supposed, not that I’d sit here playing the what-would-it-take-for-me-to-sleep-with-him game. “Thirty-seven a kilo and all future transactions will be handled by me as per your request.”
His brows lifted before a knowing little smirk pulled at his lips. “Alright, Princess, I’m a patient man. Let me take you out to dinner and you’ll have a deal.”
I weighed my options. One dinner wasn’t so bad, I supposed. I could keep it professional. That was, if Jamie didn’t kill me.
“Fine,” I relented, my voice sounding tight.
Nicoli’s smirk morphed into a triumphant grin. He reached into his suit jacket and retrieved his cell phone. “Your contact information,” he said, holding the phone out. “I’m assuming my new discount will go toward the fifty kilos I’m expecting in two days?”
I stood to take it. To be a little bit of a sass, I entered my personal cell’s number under the name Lesbian Princess. “Of course,” I assured, handing him back his phone.
CHAPTER 31
To say the drive home was an easy one would be a fucking lie.
“Are you going to tell me why I found you naked in Nicoli De Luca’s lap?” Jamie’s voice sounded strained and his fist was white knuckling the steering wheel.
“Dylan’s been selling all our drugs to De Luca. I followed his enforcer to Show 'n Tail,” I explained briefly.
The muscle along his jaw tightened. “You found that out by rubbing your tits in the don’s face?”
I bit my tongue. The urge to lash back was, well, bad enough to make my tongue bleed. Don’t chase the rabbit. Yes, what I'd done looked bad. It wasn't like I'd set out to give another man a lap dance. I'd been doing my job. His accusing tone was implying otherwise.
Enraged silence made the air in the small space between us thick enough to choke on. I should have fought to drive myself home instead of allowing Jamie to practically drag me to his car, then shove me into the passenger's seat. I just had to be understanding, didn’t I? Pick my battles, as it were. I could sense Jamie needed some semblance of control back. Not to mention, I felt like I owed him, finding me the way he did.
Once we were pulling into the garage, I was out of Jamie’s car before he even shifted it into park. A woman on a mission, I walked briskly through the house. Blake and Josh stepped out of the control room as I rushed by. They did a double-take and I groaned internally. I bet I was a sight. I was still only wearing the Show 'n Tail T-shirt, my underwear, and Louboutins. Brody and I entered the foyer from opposite ends at the same time. Pausing in his steps, he gaped at my appearance.
“Stefan?” I asked him, confirming I was headed in the right direction.
“In his study,” he replied, eyes following me.
I nodded my thanks and continued on.
Approaching Stefan’s study, the hairs on the back of my neck rose. I knew without a doubt Jamie was closing in on my heels. Forgoing knocking despite the door being closed, I barged in not giving a damn what I might be interrupting.
Per usual, Stefan was sitting at his desk. He appeared to be having a private meeting with a stranger sitting across from him. Both of them turned their heads in my direction, startled by the abrupt intrusion. With one glance at my shirt, Stefan’s demeanor hardened instantly. Jumping to his feet, he directed his livid attention behind me. “What the fuck is she wearing?” Whoa, Daddy-O is mad.
I stepped into Stefan’s line of sight. “I am perfectly capable of answering that for myself. Alone.”
At the sound of rustling footsteps on the carpet, I risked peeking over my shoulder. Behind Jamie, who was currently glaring a hole into the back of my head, stood Dean and Louie. “Dean, please go get Vincent and grab Mark’s file,” I ordered. Dean nodded before turning to leave.
Jamie hadn’t moved. Like a petulant child, he folded his arms over his chest, blatantly ignoring my request to speak with Stefan alone. “I said alone, Jamie,” I bit out, voice noticeably strained.