Indebted - Piper Stone Page 0,41

well. He would soon have a choice to make, stay on or bask in the glory of wealth after retiring. The thought gave me a smile.

There was one last order of business before I made my final decision about returning to Ireland. I had to find out if Luis had shared any information about my company. Or had he merely pretended that he had in hopes of keeping his daughter safe?

I could rattle some chains easily and I knew one aspect that would help.

The wedding.

It would be a final warning to keep away.

I closed my eyes, envisioning the various politicians and company moguls who believed they remained superior in the world of business we played in. They were the same ones that longed to have my company shut out of making any additional money. If Luis had refused to fall prey to whatever sum had agreed to be paid for his betrayal, he’d thwarted all of them in one way or another.

I had to give him some credit, even if my anger for him continued into death.

A heatwave rushed into every cell. Every step he’d made had been calculated. What other secrets did he have hidden away?

To hell with this. I wasn’t going to solve the mystery tonight.

I stormed toward the counter, raking my arm across the few items I’d allowed to litter the pristine environment. As the bottle of liquor, a few pieces of mail, and the ridiculous bowl of fruit my chef had placed on the surface flew as if in slow motion to the floor, the shatter of glass and ceramic was almost a reward. I stood over the carnage, laughing. My breath labored. My heart racing.

My anger was confused with my horrific needs for retaliation. Nothing was going to happen in the way I’d determined if I continued this behavior. I had a chance at regaining everything I’d lost while continuing to build an empire. That was the most important aspect of what I needed to do. I took what was left of my glass as I left the kitchen, the heavy thud of my shoes thumping against the wood floor that had been laid piece by piece to my specifications.

Everything I’d ever done had been about my family, including this ridiculous mansion created on hope. The facility could handle family gatherings of thirty with ease, and even corporate events if necessary. Every room had been perfectly designed, furnished with the finest in wood, steel, and tapestry, all in preparation of festive events or honored gatherings.

None of which would ever happen.

Even Luis had never been to my home as I had never learned anything about his life. I’d kept everyone at arm’s length, refusing to get close. Maybe that had been my problem.

I’d severed all ties to my past and had never made any plans regarding my future.

Except for Alessandra.

My perfect specimen.

My beloved fiancée.

I laughed heartedly as I walked into my office, refusing to turn on a light as I eased onto the leather chair sent all the way from Spain. As if it fucking mattered. As I swiveled the chair back and forth, the darkness not nearly as oppressive as before, I thought about the very letter Luis had sent to his daughter.

Only he’d been afraid of offering it in person, or so I believed.

I’d never paid any attention to his date of his death, but perhaps it was necessary to discover. From what Jefferson had told me, the indication was the day she’d been arrested. However, was that the truth? Was it possible he’d planned his own demise?

The slight creak of the mechanisms in the chair pissed me off. I’d paid enough money not to have a single issue. I chuckled, shifting my head from side to side. Perhaps I’d bought my own bullshit about my position in life for far too long. Shit happened. Mistakes were made. Promises unkept.

And lies told.

Funny how I continued to come back to the notion time and time again.

I continued to shift the chair, ignoring the increasing creaks as I stared at the location of my safe. I had two in the house, both holding everything I considered precious. I put the glass on my desk, twisting it in my hand for several seconds before jerking to a standing position. My legs were stiff as I walked toward the group of books hiding the secured steel box. I shoved them aside, immediately punching in the combination to the lock.

With a quick snap of my wrist, the door was