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“You mean yanking their chain,” Selena cooed.
“You know me far too well, my cupcake. Exactly. Then we wait until the dust settles while we keep looking.” With less than a week prior to the wedding, it should prove to be an interesting period of time.
We both sat down at the conference table and I pulled out the card I had with the number of the president of Harbour Enterprises.
“What should I say?” she asked.
“You’ll know if and when your input is needed. Feel free, my darling. As I promised. We are in this equally no matter the outcome.” She’d tried her father once again, the man ignoring her calls. I’d sensed she was trying to put everything into perspective.
Meanwhile, the two contracts both firms were vying for appeared split. I honestly didn’t care if her father’s firm grabbed one. At some point, I was hopeful the two firms would merge. If that was the case, the combined corporation would become the largest within the United States.
Had I mentioned this to my partner in crime?
Not yet.
I still needed to tell her that once we were married, the only thing that could separate us was death.
As the phone rang, she took a deep breath.
“Mr. Banner’s office,” a girl answered. I kept it on a simple call for now, deciding against allowing the bastard to see us. I’d heard the man worked Saturday hours as well, the research I’d done on him and his firm providing me with several delicious points of interest.
Some of which I’d use to blackmail the firm if necessary. I’d wait and see if that would be necessary.
“Mr. Banner, please.”
“I believe he’s in a meeting.”
“This is Valerio Royal and quite frankly, I won’t take no for an answer. I am certain he’ll want to talk with me.”
“Mr. Royal, I’m sorry but?—”
“You should hear what I’m saying, Miss…”
“Roker.”
“Roker. I’m not the kind of man who will ever take no for an answer. I am also not known for my patience. I suggest you take my call. I don’t believe I need to go any further.”
She was as flustered as I wanted her to be. I did so enjoy threatening my enemies.
“I’ll put you on speakerphone. Listen. Participate. Make faces. Whatever you’d like.”
Selena gave me a heated look. “Are you certain you wouldn’t prefer I be between your legs?”
She caught me off guard with that one. “Don’t tempt me.”
“Mr. Royal. What a pleasure to finally talk with you.” I’d been quite fascinated reading about Jack Banner. The firm was also family run, a sister and a brother involved. However, he was known to associate with one of the most notorious mafia syndicates in all of New York. I certainly wasn’t immune to the tactics often used by crime syndicates.
For all the noteworthy reports on the various organizations who were using more entrepreneurial tactics to completely alter how their regimes were run, many people had no idea the cartels were making a significant inroad.
And not just with their signature illegal drugs but studying the successes and mistakes made by other syndicates. San Diego had two such brutal entities, both of which had once attempted to sway my father into using his political clout to keep the heat off their backs.
I’d squelched that right away, my brothers along for the ride. It had felt good to be aggressive in a savage way.
Which meant, I wouldn’t mind using the very same tactics on Banner’s company if necessary. In fact, I almost hoped I’d need to.
“Yes, well, I do wish this was under better circumstances,” I told him.
“True. I heard about your father and I’m truly sorry.”
