Page 23 of The Price of Power
Boss?
Oh, shit. My knees started to wobble as all the puzzle pieces started to fall together in my mind.
“You’re Mr. D’Angelo?”
Gabriel slowly cocked a brow, his coal-black eyes burning with a mysterious intensity that made me tremble.
“And you’re Theo Collins’ sister.”
His tone wasn’t any easier to read than his expression. All I knew was that the shimmer of warmth I had seen in his eyes last night was gone. It made me wonder if it had ever really been there to begin with.
“Did you know?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking. “Last night at the bar, did you know who I was?”
His nostrils flared as he drew in a deep breath. He glanced over his shoulder at his men as he let it out. “Tony, you and the boys wait out in the hall while I talk with Miss Collins.”
“You got it,” Silvestri said without hesitation before turning around and stepping out the door with the other two men.
The moment we were alone, I felt my knees start to tremble, but this time, it wasn’t because of the memories of all the amazing things he’d made me feel the night before. Hell, it wasn’t even from shame or embarrassment. In that moment, the only thing I felt was fear—plain and simple.
Those headlines about the new head of the D’Angelo family were terrifying. If they were to be believed, the man standing in front of me right now—the man who had played my body like a goddamn virtuoso last night—was the same man who had ordered the death of his own uncle.
And if he could do that to his own flesh and blood, then I didn’t want to even imagine what he might order his men to do to me.
I shuffled back a step as Gabriel propped his hands on the table in front of me. I noted that he was wearing a different suit today—a jet-black one instead of dark gray—and the inky color fit the threatening energy he gave off.
“I was alone when I got out of the shower last night at La Sera,” he said. “It seems you left in a hurry. You didn’t even stop to eat the dinner I ordered.”
“I-I’m sorry about that,” I sputtered. “I should have told you that I couldn’t stay. I needed to get some work done back at the hotel.”
“Of course.” He nodded, his slow movements and pursed lips blatantly mocking. “You needed to work…to prepare for today’s meeting.”
“Exactly.” It wasn’t a total lie, after all.
His face didn’t betray a single emotion as he stared across the table at me. I, on the other hand, had to fight not to wither under the crushing weight of his gaze.
But eventually, he straightened up and crossed his arms over his wide chest. “All right then. Show me what you got.”
For the first time since Gabriel walked into the room, I felt a sliver of hope.
“Yes. Yes, of course.” I said as I carefully opened the file in front of me and slid the top page across to him. “I am aware that Theo borrowed a large sum of money from your organization. And, while my family’s company, Collins Liquor Distribution Ltd., doesn’t currently have the liquid cash reserves to repay that amount in total, I took the liberty of drafting a loan repayment schedule that I think you’ll find is not only fair but will help both parties avoid costly and time-consuming legal proceedings. If I can direct your attention to Line 1?—“
Riiiip.
My eyes snapped up from my copy of the spreadsheet to see Gabriel slowly tearing his paper in half. Crumpling the shreds in a ball, he tossed them over his shoulder. His eyes didn’t flicker from mine for even a second.
I didn’t have a clue how to respond to a move like that.
“I…uh…am open to revisions if you have suggestions,” I tried.
“So, you don’t have the money.”
That didn’t sound like a suggestion. Unfortunately, it also didn’t sound like a question.
“Well…like I said, not at present,” I hemmed. “But?—“
Gabriel didn’t have to say anything this time to cut me off. Just a shake of his head was enough. I could tell by the twitch that ran along his jawline that he wasn’t interested in hearing another word of excuse.
“Do you know what I was doing in the hotel lounge last night?” he asked, dragging his hand across the top of the table as he slowly started to walk around it, headed my way.