Sam arrived at her offices an hour later, Jasper obediently walking at her heel. Alec greeted her when she stepped off the elevator, and she threw him an apologetic look.

"Alec, are you alright? I didn't expect to see you here."

"Yes, ma'am” He answered. “I’m just fine. I'll tell you though, that boyfriend of yours can be a scary fella. That dog of his can be a mite intimidating too."

He eyed Jasper cautiously, then grinned ruefully at her.

"Can't say I’d be much different if I had a girl like yourself trying to break my heart."

“I wasn't trying to break... never mind. We have work to do. Is Nora here?"

"Yes ma'am. Cameron's got Dan with her, they just went for coffee."

"When they get back, send them to the conference room."

"Ma'am, my orders are to accompany you everywhere."

“I’ve got Jasper.” She glanced at the dog sitting at her heel, looking up at her expectantly. "He’ll do for now. Come with Nora and Dan."

"Yes ma'am." Alec said with reluctance, looking none too pleased.

"Jasper.” She commanded, and the dog followed her crisp walk to the conference room.

Once inside the confines of her conference room, Sam took a minute to prepare herself for the meeting ahead. Rolling her neck and shoulders, taking a few deep breaths, letting them out slowly. She didn't think about the fact that she would be meeting Isaiah, Carnelian's CEO, in person today. She didn't think about the fact that the shareholders would be in attendance along with council for both companies. She didn't consider the reality that this meeting could make or break all the work they'd done in the last couple of months. None of that mattered, because it was happening, whether she was ready or not.

Sam repeated her mantra,

Again and again she said it, until the calm settled over her, until her armor was firmly in place. Nora walked in moments later, addressing her squarely.

"Are you ready Ms. Covington?"

"Yes. Bring them in."

She took her place at the head of the table as her six shareholders, the attorneys for CGE, Carla and her team, and finally Nora, Dan, and Alec filed in. No one else entered the rom. She shot Carla a questioning look. It was an attorney on CGE's side who stood to address her.

"Ms. Covington, Isaiah and David have been tied up with some urgent business and will not be able to be here in-person. We will however, conference them in in fifteen minutes."

Sam noticed James and Norman exchange a note and whisper to each other. Nora's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Carla stood to address the group.

“I thank you all for being here today. The purpose of this meeting is to officially inform you, the shareholders of Covington Shipping and Manufacturing that we have entered into the process of negotiating a merger between Carnelian Global Enterprises and Covington Shipping and Manufacturing. Each of you has been supplied an outline of the terms and conditions being set forth and we encourage you to review it, ask any questions you have. The shareholders of both companies will vote, with majority rule, on the twenty-first and twenty-second of December respectively. CGE will have their vote first, with CSM’s the following day. Please address myself or council for CGE with questions or concerns."

Carla paused to look at each member. Sam didn't miss the twitch of a smile when her gaze passed over James’s and Norman's angry faces. The two weren’t trying at all to hide their disdain at Carla's words.

"We, the attorneys for CSM and CGE, held a press conference prior to today's meeting to announce our companies' intentions."

Sam was grateful that Carla was who she was, grateful she was on CSM's side. Her foresight in holding the press conference first was brilliant. She was sure the other four would be favorable once the terms were reviewed, but she knew for a fact, James and Norman would only stir up trouble wherever they could. They'd already proven that in getting Javier's mother involved. She needed to figure their game and fast. Thinking about what their next move might be sent tendrils of anxiety creeping down her spine.

"....thank you all for coming, and again, David and I send our sincerest apologies for not being there to greet you face to face."

She'd been so lost in thought she’d missed CGE's CEO completely. She blinked, forcing herself to focus as he ended the call. James and Norman glared at her menacingly while Carla wrapped up the meeting and welcomed questions. When none were asked, everyone gathered their things and filed out. Only James and Norman stayed behind.

"Ms. Covington, may we have a word?" Jasper let out a low growl when Norman approached her, the man stopped short. “I see you've gotten a guard dog." His voice was laced with sinister pleasure. “I do hope your safety isn't at risk?"

He stated it as a question, but his tone said it was anything but. Oh how she wished she could catch the bastard at something.

"Jasper was a gift.” She replied coolly.

"Would you gentlemen like to join us in my office?"

"We would like to speak with you privately." James intoned.

"I'm afraid that's not possible. Any conversations from here on out will be witnessed by either Carla or Nora.” She smiled sweetly at him. He barely held back his sneer.

"We won't take up any of your time today, then. Good day Ms. Covington, and you should probably get an umbrella. I hear a severe storm is moving in soon."

He gave her that wink that chilled her and the two men strode away.

* * *

"Ms. Covington," Nora's voice came through her intercom.

Nora only called Sam Ms. Covington when others were present, or when Sam was preparing for a meeting. Sam had never given Nora direction about the way she addressed her, but understanding when and how to address a person professionally or casually was something that seemed to come naturally to her.

Sam appreciated the way Nora read people. The tone in her voice let Sam know that whoever was here was important.

"Yes, Nora?"

"There's a Special Agent, Todd DeLuc, here to see you ma'am."

Special Agent? Sam fought a moment of panic, scrolling through scenarios in her mind that ended with a visit from a Special Agent. She put on her calm, in-control face and moved to her door. Deep breath, calm face, open door, smile.

"Special Agent, DeLuc.” She extended her hand. "Samantha Covington. How can I help you today?"

The agent took her hand in a firm, but not overpowering grasp. Agent DeLuc was a handsome man. More like a James Bond than a DeLuc, Sam thought.

"Ms. Covington, I won't take much of your time." He addressed her in a serious, yet friendly tone.

"Stone Montgomery contacted me." He paused, waiting for her reaction. When she gave none, he continued. "Mr. Montgomery and I have known each other for many years. He was a valuable asset during his military service, and I’m proud to count him as a friend now that he's a civilian.”

Sam was confused, worry gnawing at her insides. Had he said something to this man to cause him to come sniffing around?

"Agent DeLuc, I’m glad to hear that Mr. Montgomery has friends in high places, but I seem to be missing something. How does your relationship with Mr. Montgomery concern CSM?"

When he smiled at her, she noticed the deep dimple in his left cheek. The man could have been in the movies.

"Let me be a little less formal. Maybe that will help." He unbuttoned his jacket, loosened his tie, and though he appeared more casual, it did nothing to assuage her suspicion.

"Mr. DeLuc, perhaps you can just tell me why you're here?"

He laughed good-humoredly while she tamped down her irritation.

"Stone said you were a straight-to-the point woman. I’m here because Stone told me about the threats you've received. I understand Cameron Everson is working with NYPD, but I’d like your permission to open my own investigation."

Sam breathed a sigh of relief. This wasn't about her or her father. Well, it was, but it wasn't.

"Mr. DeLuc, I will be happy to have your resources at use on this matter. But tell me, why is the FBI interested in what's happening here? This hardly seems like the kind of thing your bosses would jump on."

"That's an excellent question. The answer, is that James Nelonie and Norman Grey have been on our radar for quite some time. We haven't been able to pin them with any hard evidence, but there's plenty of loose ties and suspicious activity spanning a number of years. We would love to take those two down, and you may be just the catalyst we need."

Sam’s interest was piqued.

“If I can help you bring them down, just tell me what you need. I can assure you, I’m willing to do almost anything to see justice served on those two.”

"Give Everson a heads up that I'll be reviewing everything he's gathered so far. I'll handle NYPD, so don't worry about them. Record all your conversations with Mr. Nelonie and Mr. Grey. If they approach you on the street, record your interactions with your cell phone if you can.”

Sam grinned a wide, pleased grin. Agent DeLuc cocked his head questioningly.

“I’ve been recording my conversations with those two for years. You're welcome to review whatever you want."

"That's excellent." He said with a splendid smile.

"Mr. DeLuc, I need to ask for assurance on something before I actually agree to all of this."

He became serious and gave her a nod. She cleared her throat, smoothed her hand over perfectly smooth hair. She’d never told anyone what she was about to tell him. Her hands began to tingle, and she ran them over her skirt, fighting to steel herself.

"My father was a very abusive man.” She glanced at the agent, he nodded for her to continue. "He felt the need to harden me. To teach me to overcome physical and emotional discomfort. He used rage as a tool of focus."

She cleared her throat again and smoothed her hand once again over perfectly smooth hair.

"James and Norman were close associates of my father and would often be party to the things he did. They recorded many of our encounters."

His face was an unreadable mask, but his eyes were hard, angry. She continued in a voice far more stable than she felt.

“If you discover these are still in existence, may I have your word that you will do whatever it takes to keep evidence involving myself from reaching public records?"

“Ms. Covington.” The hard edge in his voice betrayed his expressionless face. “If you're telling me that they participated in sexual acts with you as a child, I will arrest them right now."

She shook her head sadly. "No. I don't doubt they are guilty of such things, but my father's abuse was physical only. Never sexual. Thank God for small favors, I guess."

"Okay.” He agreed. “Because you're Stone's girl, I’ll do everything I can to keep evidence pertaining to you as a child out of circulation.”

She let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"Thank you. Thank you, Agent DeLuc. That means more to me than you can know."

He gave her a sad smile and stood.

“Ms. Covington, it's been a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can put these bastards away for a very, very long time."

"So do I, Agent. More than you can imagine."

He handed her a card, telling her to call anytime, before walking out the door and striding to the elevators.

Nora let out a low whistle after the doors closed behind him.

"That man is seriously hot. So,” She turned to Sam, hip cocked against her desk. “It looks like you've got some major firepower on your side now."

"Yeah." Sam sighed, still looking at the closed elevator doors. “I just hope it's enough. What we need is a smoking gun. That would solve everything."