I nodded. "Yes, he does, but he won't. In the end, I have the upper hand."
"How?"
"I'm not the one obsessed here; he is."
And obsession was a deadly game to play.
Chapter 22
Caleb
The family wanted to know what I was doing, and I had every intention of letting them in on my plans. But I wasn’t going to hide anymore. If I were to be leading the family, then they all needed to be clear that I was the one who was going to make the calls. My grandfather no longer existed in this company, as much as he wanted to deny that fact it was what had been decided by the board and by the family. His retirement was definite, and I was going to take this opportunity to make sure the board and executives were aware of this.
My grandfather had been a major part of this company, and in the grand scheme of things, he was still important, but not when it came to the day-to-day business decisions. I was now in charge, and I wanted to make it clear, with my grandfather present, that anyone who thought otherwise would pay a high price.
I had Laura do the event from my home. I’d bought the mansion and rarely ever invited anyone, so I figured why not do it there.
As I cleared the grand staircase, I was met by Yusuf Arslan, one of my grandfather’s most trusted board members. He wasone of the family members I had always needed to watch my back with. The competition had been intense with him, even more so after I was placed in my position. He hated me, and he had no problem showing it.
“Great party,” he stated.
I smiled smugly. “Isn’t it?”
“You were always about the materialistic side of things. I hope you take that kind of care on where your investments are being placed.”
“My investments are doing just fine. Made ten million just this morning.”
Yusuf smiled smugly, muttering under his breath. “I’m sure you did.”
I narrowed my eyes on him. “I’m surprised you didn’t see the numbers.”
“Haven’t been paying attention lately, I’ve got more important things to do than babysit you.”
“I’m sure you do,” I took a sip of my whiskey and let my attention drift over to the main entrance where a dozen women were being led inside by a beautiful fiery redhead.
“Now that’s a party,” I heard one of the Execs chuckle off to the side. The room fell silent as the women entered, and the men gawked. The Violent Delights were everything they advertised and more. Sexy, curvy, sophisticated, and absolutely stunning. They were beyond the level of a simple escort service, and as they began to wander down the steps and towards the board members, I noticed how well trained they were at entertaining. They laughed and joked, stroked the men’s egos to their hearts’ and their dicks’ content. They were worth every penny.
I would have been intrigued to talk to a few, but there was only one woman who caught my interest. She stood in the center of the room, waiting for me to guide her inside. She mostdefinitely was not an escort, nor should she be treated like one. No, she was a Duchess waiting on her King.
She wore a gold dress that sexy hourglass figure. Her tits were pulled up nearly spilling out of the damn things, and my cock wanted to slide between them and fuck them. I knew what lay beneath that dress. The scent of wildflowers between her thighs, the way her heart-shaped ass filled my hands. And that softness, God I wanted to hold her forever.
I set my glass down and I slowly made my way towards her. Those electric hazel eyes never left mine, and I watched them darken as I approached. Right before I got to her, I was cut off by a boastful and obnoxiously arrogant presence. Yusuf had completely cut off my stride and was now flirting withmywoman. I stopped and watched him make a fool of himself. I wondered if they’d recognize her, but they obviously didn’t. Yusuf was beside himself as he lifted the back of her hand to his lips.
I grabbed a passing champagne glass and gulped it down as fast as I could while I gained control of my jealous reaction. I hated that he was in any proximity to her, let alone that his grubby hands were on the one person who belonged to me.
My Duchess was pleasant. Smiling and engaging him with small conversation, but her attention waned toward me every once and again.
At one point, she looked over at me questioningly, her eyes asking me why I hadn’t approached just yet. But I was watching them interact with her. Five members of the family had already got engaged with her, and not one of them recognized her. Not one of them realized I’d brought a traitor into their midst. But that didn’t mean she was safe; she would never be safe from my family. If they ever found out who she was and what I had done, they’d shoot her and rejoice in my suffering.
I was speaking to one of the board members when I noticed her go out the back doors. I excused myself and followed her out. I watched from the sliding doors as she walked along the path that led to the pool. The breeze lifted the gold silk of her dress, sweeping it around her. She looked like a goddess.
I came down the steps as she got lost behind the villa’s large pillars, and when I came around, I saw her standing at the railing that faced the canyons. I came up the large staircase and approached her from behind.
“I thought they’d never leave you alone,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around her.
She surprised me as she turned and slapped me hard across the face; the sting resonated on my still bruised face.
“I see we’re in bad spirits tonight.”
