As they laughed and moved along, a man she had never seen before bumped into her. She gasped as he grabbed her shoulders to steady her.
“So very sorry, miss. My fault completely. Are you okay?” he asked, and when she looked into his gray eyes, she felt a shot of fear grip her insides. Why would I feel fearful of a stranger?
“That’s okay. No harm done,” she replied, then memorized his features. She hadn’t seen him before, had she?
“Do I know you?” she asked him. His stare was creepy. He had even leaned closer to take a sniff of her perfume. She stepped back. Totally needed her own space from this guy.
“No. But the pleasure is all mine. Excuse me.” He turned and walked away.
“Who was that?” Heather asked.
“I have no idea. There are just too many different faces around here tonight.”
“Well, I got the lowdown on the two hunks you were drooling over.”
“Me, drooling? I think not, Heather,” Chiara said, and she hoped that no one else noticed her stares.
“They are billionaires. They run security firms and take over companies that are failing or need monetary backing.”
Could they be interested in taking over the company? Oh my God, no wonder why they were so nice and flirted with me! Those sons of bitches.
The anger filled her immediately. Their charms wouldn’t work on her again. They definitely couldn’t be trusted.
Chapter 3
Zane and Cash met up with their friends at The Phantom, a nightclub. As they sat back and listened to Hudson and Jagger rag on Stone and Emerson, Nash and Riker walked into the rom.
“Whoa, Chastity let you come?” Stone teased, and then Jagger high-fived him as the others laughed.
“Okay, tough guys. You’re just jealous that’s all,” Riker stated then took a seat at the large poker table. He placed his glass of scotch down onto the green velvet table. Flynn and Jett had the best of everything, including the hottest club this side of Queens.
“Jealous? Of what? Being tied down to one woman, asking permission to hang out with my friends. Yeah, I’m fucking jealous,” Stone stated then shook his head as he stared at his cards.
His best friend, Emerson, gave Stone a shove. “You know that you like Chastity. These two fucking hit the jackpot. Now let’s get down to taking all their fucking money tonight. I’m feeling lucky,” Emerson said and they laughed.
Cash tried his hardest to focus on the games they played, and after losing a few rounds, he thought about the Costiano deal. Robert Costiano sure did want to move things along yet ensure his daughter’s position in the company and make certain that she was protected. He said he was tired of getting threats from competitors, and a few deliveries had been screwed up or messed with. He knew that Cash and Zane would offer top dollar for his company, but there was more going on here. Robert confided in Cash and Zane about threats and about pictures of his daughter. They hadn’t seen the pictures, but Robert expressed that they were too close for comfort. Her sitting by the pool at her condominium complex or her jogging in the park and then through the woods.
He was scared, and he wanted to take action. They went as far as discussing security for her, but he declined. He told them that as soon as the business was sold, the threats would probably stop.
Cash didn’t like it and neither did Zane.
“Hey, Cash, Zane, I heard through the grapevine that you may be getting into the fish business,” Jett said, as he threw down his cards and folded. Zane won that hand, and Stone and Riker were complaining.
“What?” Zane asked.
“Yeah, you thinking of buying out Costiano’s?” Flynn asked.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Word travels fast. Heard there are a few other bigwigs interested. That business has great potential,” Flynn added.
“We haven’t agreed to anything. It wasn’t public information that he was considering selling,” Cash stated. He was annoyed. If people found out then Costiano would get hounded, this could turn into a bidding war, and Cash didn’t do that shit. He knew how much a business was worth, and there was no reason to go overboard just to snag it. Not unless the payoff was well worth it and then some.
“Doesn’t that guy have family? Aren’t there any kids to take it over?” Jagger asked, then threw down his cards and slammed his hand on the table. He wasn’t happy about any of the cards he’d been dealt yet.
“Just a daughter,” Zane stated, and Cash looked at him. Neither man could get Chiara off their minds. She was stunning, tough, and definitely not happy about her father’s ideas for the company.
“Chiara Costiano is a knockout. She’s sharp, too, and generous. She raised a lot of money last year for Sloan-Kettering. Her mom died of cancer,” Jett stated.