I wondered if Grave had figured out where I’d gone yet.
Cauldron joined me on the patio, and before his ass hit the chair, Pius placed a fruit and cheese platter on the table between us, with French cheeses, fresh strawberries, and candied oranges. A fresh basket of bread was placed beside it, along with jellies and jams.
Cauldron sat there, knees spread apart, his eyes on the city in front of him.
I’d already eaten on the plane, but I couldn’t resist the spread placed right in front of me. I grabbed a couple things and dug in.
Cauldron didn’t seem interested. He was the same way on the yacht. There was food everywhere, but he never desired it. His elbow was propped on the armrest, and his knuckles rested underneath his stubbled chin.
“What business do you have here?”
“A meeting.”
“That couldn’t be done online?”
He turned his head to regard me. “Not in my line of work.”
“And what line of work is that?” I bit into the slice of bread, tasting the brie and fig spread.
His stare hardened. “I don’t have time for bullshit, so don’t feed me bullshit.”
“I really don’t know.”
His stare remained cold.
“I just looked up what you looked like and your address. I didn’t need your life story.”
He seemed to believe me because his gaze turned less hostile. “Diamonds.”
“You have a jewelry store?”
“It’s more than that.” He grabbed his champagne and took a drink. “I mine diamonds in Botswana. I only sell the most precious ones. Yes, I sell them in stores around the world, but I take private bids on the largest and most beautiful diamonds that I find. I showcase them to my clients, and that’s what I’m doing tomorrow night.”
“Wow. How did you get into that line of work? Family business?”
He stiffened at the question, and his eyes grew hostile once more.
I quickly realized I’d said the wrong thing.
“To incentivize the miners, I offer them large bonuses. The size of the bonus depends on the size of the diamond. The bigger stones they find, the more money they make. Competitors choose to pay the workers poorly and exploit their labor in poor working conditions. That works out in my favor because their workers leave their employ and join mine instead. The sites also have a serious security detail.”
“As interesting as that is, that didn’t answer my question.”
“I knew there was money in diamonds, so I walked in there and grabbed all the business.” He took another drink of his champagne. “There’s always bloodshed, always attacks on the mines, but they’re minor setbacks. We always get up and running again.”
“How long have you been doing that?”
“About eight years.”
“Do you ever visit the sites yourself?”
“Rarely. Botswana is near South Africa—”
“Yes, I know where it is. I know my geography.”
He stared at me for a moment before he continued. “There’s a lot of civil unrest there. Warfare. Gangs isn’t the right term, but it’s the best way to describe it. The security team is supposed to repel them as much as competitors. Our weapons are far better equipped, so they usually don’t mess with us.”
“That sounds scary.”
He gave a shrug before he took another drink. “I’ve seen worse shit on the streets of Paris.”
Grave came to mind—along with the pearl necklace he still had.
Cauldron tilted his head back and downed the rest of the champagne. “I’ll be out tonight. When I get home, I expect you to be ready.”
“Ready for what?”
He gave me his hard stare. “Me.”
When I stepped into my bedroom, I found the lingerie on the bed. A black teddy with garters. The fabric was more than just lace and cotton. It looked as expensive as a ball gown. When I looked at the tag, I recognized the label.
Barsetti Lingerie.
Their lingerie was as good as their wine.
I knew exactly what to expect when he walked in the door. He would be the master, and I would be the whore. My heart picked up in speed, but it didn’t thud like a drum like it did before. Last night, he’d made me feel like a lover rather than a whore, like it was my choice rather than my obligation, and that did help.
But now, my stomach was in knots again.
He didn’t tell me when he’d be home, so I didn’t know when I should be ready. I wasn’t going to lie around in skintight lingerie all night when I’d rather be in my sweatpants and t-shirt.
But then there was a knock on the door.
“Yeah?”
Pius entered the room, carrying a sleek phone in his hand. “Mr. Beaufort wanted me to give this to you.”
It was a brand-new phone, straight out of the packaging. I clicked the button and watched the screen light up. There was a message in the inbox, so I opened it. I’ll let you know when I’m on the way. It was Cauldron.