I can do this.
I’m greeted by women who resemble robots with their perfect smiles, all lifting their heads to look at me at once. They’re meant to be an army of gatekeepers, stopping guests from getting to their CEO. Too bad I’m not going to let them do their jobs. I take off in a sprint, ignoring their startled cries behind me, heading straight toward the CEO’s office. The door is cracked, so I push my way inside and shut it behind me.
The CEO has his back turned to me, staring down at his phone, talking to someone on FaceTime. His voice, unlike any time I’ve ever heard, is tender and sweet.
“Hey, little man. Daddy misses you.”
“He’s sleeping. He can’t hear you,” the female voice replies and then she chuckles. “But he misses you too.”
I clear my throat, letting him know he’s not alone.
He stiffens and quickly ends the call before turning around and setting the phone on his desk. The warm smile on his face melts away to something frigid and cruel. I’ve lived with cruel my entire life. That cruelty ended when I put a bullet in that man. The one before me doesn’t scare me.
“Mr. Constantine,” I greet, my own voice sharp and icy.
Winston’s cold blue eyes narrow. “Miss Croft. I wasn’t aware we had a meeting this morning.”
“We do now,” I state, sitting down in the chair across from him. “And you’ll hear me out.”
He arches a golden brow, seemingly intrigued by my sassiness. “It appears you’ve left me with no choice. By all means, Miss Croft, say what you came to say.”
“I know my father was blackmailing you.” I lift my chin, meeting his hard glare. “Because of Della.”
He gives nothing away. Not a twitching muscle or a flash in his eyes. A perfect statue. These powerful men think they’re so smart. That they can intimidate us or make us feel stupid because they have their shit together.
I may not be holding on to my emotions like he is, but my shit is together. It has to be for Della. I’d give up everything if it meant protecting her. Surely this man can see that in my eyes. I’m not here to play games. I’m here to get what I want and settle things once and for all.
“I want custody of her.”
“As did your father,” he says, voice unaffected. “For reasons unknown to me, he wanted to keep her.”
Because he was a sadistic asshole. Of course, I don’t say that.
“She’s my sister. My family. I’m eighteen and I love her. That’s all I’m asking.”
“You’re her next of kin,” Winston says. “I’m not sure why there’d be a problem.”
“You know we both don’t deal in uncertainties.” I smack Della’s file down on his desk. “I know she’s your cousin. Your uncle, Lionel, is her father.”
“I see you’ve done your homework,” he says with a taunting smirk.
“Which means she’s a Constantine,” I continue, ignoring his asshole expression. “I don’t know what sort of games Dad was playing with you, but it all ends now. You get your uncle to sign over his rights to me.”
Winston leans back in his chair, threading his fingers in front of him and resting them in his lap. He’s a picture of calm. Like my sister’s life hanging between us is an everyday business deal for him.
For me, it’s everything.
“And what is it I’ll get in return for my acquiescence. She’s a Constantine after all. Family is very, very important to us.”
That, I can agree on.
“I’m going to sell the business to you,” I tell him. “At a very reasonable price. You’ll make tons more money and I’ll have enough to take care of my sister with.”
“Hmm. I’ll need to discuss it with my attorneys.” He flicks his wrist toward the door. “I’ll have Deborah contact you once we’ve made a decision—”
“No,” I bark out, sitting straighter. “This is the deal. You take it now. I want assurance that Lionel isn’t going to come after my sister in six months. I need to know she’ll be with me always, no matter what.”
“You’re assuming I even want your family business anymore,” Winston clips out. “It’s tainted by your father’s murder.”
“You want it because that’s not all I’m offering.” I smirk at him, showing him he’s not the only asshole here. “I have something you desperately need.”
At this, he laughs, clearly intrigued. “Oh, I cannot wait to hear what this is.”
“Ash will be safe.”
The humor is wiped off his face and his blue eyes flash with suspicion. His Achilles heel is his wife. And I’m holding a knife to it.
“Are you threatening me, girl?”
Girl.
Fuck right off, dude.
“I’m telling you that a certain trio will never touch her, look at her, or even think about her again. This shadow always creeping behind you will be gone.” I snap my fingers like I have the ability to make it disappear just like that. “All it requires is your word right now and then a few legally binding documents later. You’ll have the company and I’ll have my sister. Ash won’t have to look over her shoulder ever again.”