Page 6 of Takeover
Pleasantries were exchanged, and then I sawher...“Just Gwen” was walking up to the stage.Her stride was confident.Her shoulders back.And then she approached the podium.Several guests started to mill to their tables.
She spoke to someone downstage, and then Riza joined her and spoke into the microphone."If everyone will just take their seats, I have a special guest I would love to introduce you all to."
Riza gave a delightful introduction about a woman who had done a lot of charity work, traveled a lot, tirelessly raised money for their cause, and then called her a friend.
Yeah, yeah, give me a fucking name.
"Allow me to introduce Gwenyth Christin Becker."
The fuck?
My blood went cold, then molten hot.The woman with James clapped just a little bit harder, and I frowned.Christ Almighty...theirdaughter?
Becker however, was paying no attention to the stage despite his daughter going up to speak.
"If you want my time, I'm telling you now, Price, I'm not entertaining any offers for Becks Incorporated that don't come as afullpartnership."
My gaze skittered to him and then back at the woman.I could see it in the chin and the jawline.She was Becker’s daughter.Fuck.
"What do you mean by full partnership?Of course, we wouldn’t be in partnership.We would be acquiring."He needed to say it.
He shook his head."You're missing the point.Becks stays in the family.If you're not interested in that kind of partnership, there's nothing to discuss."
A spike of fury at his demands had me narrowing my gaze.My brother bumped my knee with his, telling me to calm the fuck down.
This man was usingheras his bargaining chip.
On stage, Gwen started to speak, and her voice ensnared me once again.“Thank you so much for the warm welcome, Riza.Ladies and gentlemen, I would love to say thank you so much for once again attending the Hearts and Hope benefit.I can only hope that today, on what would have been my mother's fiftieth birthday, we raise money for other women like her who don't get to celebrate birthdays with their family."
And then something happened that I didn't expect.Her words wrapped around my cold dead heart and squeezed.She had been doing some kind of ritual for her mother.On her birthday.Why do the benefit today?He didn’t give a damn about honoring her.
The woman next to Becker sat in rapt attention as she listened to Gwen.But Becker was talking to Micah.The two of them were making arrangements for a meeting.My brother, ever the magician.He could talk anyone into anything, whereas I was the blunt instrument.
I turned to Becker.He’d been jerking us around for months.He obviously wanted a better deal than he was entitled to.But knowing who his daughter was made a difference.
A big one.
"Pendragon is prepared to meet the terms you put forth.But our patience is running thin."
Becker lifted his brow and sat back."You're serious?"
Was I?I’d just met the woman.
But the idea of Becker marring her off to anyone else, made my fingers curl into fists.I found what I hoped was more of a smile than a snarl."I'm always serious."
“Then perhaps we can come up with a scenario that benefits us both,” he said, leaning back in his seat looking like the cat that swallowed the canary.
“Fine.Friday then.Let’s get something on the books.”
I didn’t give a fuck about him.Our terms would benefit Pendragon and that’s all I cared about.But if it meant access to Gwen, then for once, I was willing to negotiate.
To my brother, I leaned over and muttered, “Make a donation.”
He gave me a small nod.“We already made one.The standard two hundred thousand.”
Without taking my eyes off her, I said, “Make another for five million.”
I could feel the heat of his stare, but I wasn’t paying attention to him.Instead, I gave my full attention to Gwenyth Becks, letting the seductive smoke of her voice settle in my bones.
