Chapter Twelve
“I cannot wait for this to be over.” Eaton tugged at the collar of his ivory, starched shirt, his English rose, a.k.a. white-as-a-sheet complexion, paler than usual in the flickering light of the ornate chandelier. “The bow tie is an even worse invention than the cravat.”
“Bow ties scream old man and nights at home with the cats.” Morales flicked Eaton’s neckwear. “As do briefcases at a gala.” His gaze dropped to the scuffed brown bag at the man’s big feet. “Which is why Alexi and I wear ties. And leave our briefcases at the office.”
“You don’t even have a briefcase.” Eaton’s look was pure disdain. “Much less the kind of class needed to carry off a bow tie.”
“Will you two leave it alone?” Alexi took a nice long swallow of vodka, in no mood for their usual insult fest. He’d met them both at University his first year. Eaton was a fellow student in his business class and Morales the nighttime guard of his dorm. They’d been squabbling ever since. “Attending this schmooze fest is no one’s idea of fun, but we’re here for a particular reason, so suck it up.”
This party, held every year for New York City’s rich and famous at the top of the Empire State Building, was prime board member hunting ground. He’d already bagged two additional board members tonight.
But even without that incentive, there was no way he was missing this particular event.
His gaze locked on Lily Bennett’s mouthwatering form across the room. Standing among a crowd of older, Wall Street–looking clones, she shown like a jewel. Her hot-as-hell crimson red dress drawing every gaze in the room while that annoying a-hole Finn hovered nearby.
She hadn’t looked Alexi’s way once.
“Any reason you look like you want to punch the next person who speaks?” Eaton grabbed two dumplings off a waiter’s tray with his free, non-briefcase-holding hand.
“Maybe because I knew it would be you?” Alexi watched Lily smile politely at the man to her left and then wave across the room to Tyson—impossible to miss in a giant cowboy hat—before taking a small sip of champagne, her throat working back and forth. Those sexy fuck-me stiletto heels clicking on the hard floor as she shifted to make room for another old guy in her circle, the silk fabric of her dress swishing across her tempting ass.
He downed another long swallow.
One would never know just yesterday her late husband’s grave had been vandalized or that she’d spent all day with the police filling out forms in a colossal waste of time while her ex-employee Paul, not slowed down at all by what had happened to his father’s grave, was doing his best to undercut her.
Too bad there wasn’t any evidence linking the bastard to the damage. Yet. Though Alexi’s people wouldn’t stop looking…
Not that it mattered now.
“There’s your pigeon, Don Pierson.” Morales’s observation drew Alexi from his thoughts.
“Right on time.” He tracked the pompous, older man’s progress across the room.
Don Pierson was not only the host of tonight’s event and the head of the Winslow Industries board, but the other main reason Alexi was here tonight.
Just yesterday, Paul left his father’s defaced grave marker and went straight to a meeting with the older man. A meeting that, according to an informant in Pierson’s company, ended with the older man’s pockets stuffed with cash and a promise he would support Paul’s bid to oust Lily as head.
But a lot could happen in a day.
“Paul never stood a chance.” Eaton grabbed another dumpling off a passing tray and stuffed it in his mouth. Next to his phone, food was his favorite hand-held device.
“I wonder how long it will take Russell’s eldest to learn Pierson screwed him over?” Morales sounded almost cheerful. Probably because it was his lead that had finally allowed them to acquire the leverage needed to catch the slippery head of the Winslow board in their net.
“I would have loved to see Paul’s face,” agreed Eaton. “Too bad he’s not here tonight.”
But Lily Bennett was.
And while she might applaud Alexi’s efforts to end Paul’s ambitions, he doubted she’d be as pleased by the end of her own tenure as CEO.
Which meant good-bye to those warm, full lips against his and those perfect ass cheeks gripped in his hands.
Alexi tossed back another big swallow of vodka.
“Hold up.” Eaton’s hand paused midway to his mouth, his leftover dumpling meat sliding out of the dough and onto the floor. “Why is your main competitor sauntering up to Pierson as if he’s here to talk to her and not us?”
Alexi shot to attention.
Eaton wasn’t wrong.
Armageddon was holding out her hand in greeting to Pierson, her taunting gaze flicking briefly to his, before she gave the older man her full attention—and the kind of smile she’d never once given him.
Just what the fuck was she up to now?
There was no way she could know. No damn way.
But had his spies missed something as well?
“The old man’s falling behind schedule.” Eaton checked his watch. “He’s supposed to come to us at nine, ask for quiet while he thanks everyone for coming, and then announce his support for you.”
“Yes,” said Alexi. “Thank you for recounting what was supposed to happen.”
“Why don’t you sound furious?” Eaton studied him, peering so close dumpling breath wafted across Alexi’s cheek. “Shouldn’t you be furious?”
“He will be,” said Morales, “when you step out of his line of sight.”
Shoving Eaton to the side, Alexi followed his security head’s gaze, his amused tolerance disappearing fast as Lily Bennett skirted the dance floor, heading toward the elevators like some kind of Pied Piper, Don Pierson the rat following close behind, his full attention on her swaying ass.
“Where the hell are they going?” Eaton was no longer using his inside voice. “Maybe he changed his mind.”
“Not possible.” Alexi wasn’t worried on that score. Don Pierson’s vote was his.
“Yeah. We all know that’s not happening,” agreed Morales. “More likely the scumbag is just looking to make a different kind of deal. String her along, like he did with Paul, to get what he wants. You know Pierson’s reputation.”
Alexi tossed back the last of his drink, welcoming the burn at the back of his throat.
He did know the fucker’s rep. But he knew a lot more about Lily Bennett now, too.
“I wonder if she knows what a bastard Pierson really is?” Morales sounded thoughtful.
“Maybe she knows and that’s exactly why she went. If her last relationship is any indication, she does like them old.” His CFO stuffed the rest of his dumpling into his big yap.
Alexi’s hand tightened around his glass. “Shut it, Eaton.”
“I almost feel sorry for her.” Morales was still tracking their departure. “Whatever she thinks she’s gambling, she has no idea the deck is already stacked against her.”
The urge to charge across the room and beat Pierson to a pulp surged through Alexi. But Lily Bennett had already told him in no uncertain terms that she didn’t need him to swoop in and rescue her. And he’d warned her he wasn’t anyone’s white knight. He’d hung up his tarnished armor a long time ago.
If Lily Bennett wanted to play in the big leagues with the sharks, she was going to have to learn sometimes you got bit.
Signaling the waiter over, he placed his empty glass on the man’s tray and grabbed another full one.
This was business as usual.
He just hadn’t expected it to be so hard.