position, business-wise.â
âIt is logical,â Primo agreed.
âIf we donât nail the Charleston woman to an ironclad contract, sheâll screw us over,â Sev stated. âSheâll play her game until it bores her and then sell elsewhere.â
Primo sighed wearily. âI am forced to admit, it would be in keeping with her nature.â
âThen we agree to lease her mines?â
Lazz shook his head. âWe agree to examine the stones and insist on our own survey of the mines. We investigate the offer top-to-bottom and then push for the best possible terms.â
Sev grimaced. âI suspect the best possible is going to be damn poor.â
Draco didnât disagree. âSo, we take it one step at a time and see if we canât figure out a way to beat the Charleston woman at her own game.â
âAnd what about Shayla?â Primoâs question dropped like a boulder onto a mirror-calm lake, sending out huge, disruptive waves. He studied the tip of his glowing cigar. âIam forced to wonderâ¦what is her purpose in all this? Letty has always blamed us for the death of her son. Does the granddaughter also blame us? Does Shayla have the same thirst for vengeance as her grandmother?â
Draco turned on his grandfather. âAre we responsible for her fatherâs death?â
Primo shook his head. âNo more than we are responsible for the depletion of the Charleston mines. But there is much you do not know, much I can explain at a more appropriate time.â He flicked ash from his cigar toward an ashtray. âBut that does not mean that Shayla does not blame, that she has not been taught to blame. We must give serious consideration to her role in this chess match.â
âShaylaâs role is quite simple. Sheâs mine.â The words escaped before Draco could control them. But he meant every one of them. âShe has nothing to do with this.â
âShe has everything to do with this,â Lazz insisted. âSheâs the one who approached us, not Leticia. How do you know she didnât seduce you as part of her grandmotherâs plan?â
Primo grimaced. âThis troubles me, as well. Though my instinct says Shayla is a good person, we do not yet know her nature well enough to judge whether she hides a thirst for revenge behind the congenial mask she wears.â
Draco literally saw red, the heat of it blurring the edges of his vision. It took every ounce of self-control to keep from vaulting across the table and decking someone. âShe isnât hiding behind a mask,â he rasped out in reply. âSheâs not like that.â
âYouâve only known her one night!â Lazz snapped.
Draco held out his hand, palm up. âWe were chosen for each other.â
Sev interrupted, stemming Lazzâs simmering retort. âWe have to consider every possibility, Draco. Surely you must see that? From what Primo has said, I wouldnât put anything pastLeticia Charleston. Until we see how this plays out, Shayla is suspect. At the very least it puts the two of you on opposite sides of an intensely adversarial business deal.â
âThen weâll keep business separate from our personal relationship,â Draco shot back.
âIâve been there with Francesca and, trust me, it wasnât pretty,â his cousin replied, referring to his own experiences when he and his wife first met. âMy situation was bad enough. What youâre dealing with will be far worse.â
Draco shrugged. âSo Iâll deal.â
âAnd if we have to take the Charlestons down?â Lazz asked. âHow will Shayla react to that? For that matter, how will you?â
Draco didnât hesitate. âYou know my first loyalty is to my family. When Shayla becomes my wife, her loyalty will be to me, which means to the Dantes.â
Lazz snorted, and he and Sev exchanged ironic glances. âYou
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