Chapter Sixteen
In which we discover Leevill’s Diabolical Plan.
Alec…
“Oh! Goodness! Excuse me, I-”
I woke up with Fee draped on top of me and her horrified father whirled an about-face, looking at the wall.
“Da,” Fee sat up, stretching one arm with a groan while pulling the sheet up with the other. “What are you doing, storming into random bedrooms at the crack of dawn?”
Specifically, my bedroom.
“I’ve shot men for less,” I said, slipping my Glock back into the concealed holster on the side of my bed.
“Sorry!” Martin called over his shoulder, clearly never intending to look at us again in his lifetime. “I was looking for Noreen, you see, and…” He scuttled sideways, like a crab, heading for the door.
“Noreen escaped her pen?” Fee groaned, “Again? I’m getting mighty tired of cleaning up goat shit.” She seemed less alarmed at her father’s surprise visit than he and I had.
“Yes, well. She’s not here, so-” There was a crash and a scream downstairs and he bolted out the door.
“I almost wish that would be an enemy invasion, rather than that miserable beast set loose on my house again,” I groaned.
Fee frowned at me. “Does that happen often? ”
“Rarely, kill the first twenty or thirty fools who thought they could take me, and everyone else seemed to learn the lesson.” I stood up, pulling on my jeans. If, on the off chance, it was an enemy invasion and not Noreen, I’d rather face it with my pants on. Of course, given what that cursed goat has already gnawed to pieces in my house, my crotch being safely covered was still a prudent decision.
“It is unjust that you can be so fucking hot,” Fee said peevishly. She’d settled up against my headboard, the sheet slipping down to display one perfect breast.
I looked down at my bare chest and unbuttoned jeans. “I need to shower and get into a suit. Would you care to join me, or should we chase down your father’s pet first?”
She pursed her lips. “I was thinking more of round three in that waste of water you call a shower, but if Noreen gets into your lovely study with all those first editions...”
Damn the woman! Was I really hovering between fucking her up against my heated Egyptian tile under the rainwater showerhead or chasing down that animal? I should have known her love for books would win out over lust as she scrambled out of bed, hauling on her clothes with a level of grace and efficiency I admired.
Downstairs was pandemonium.
This time, Magda was atop the dining room table as Martin chased Noreen in circles around it. The goat held a chunk of something in those big blocky teeth that I recognized as what was left of my favorite cashmere overcoat.
“Just a minute,” Martin gasped, “I’ve almost got her-”
“You fucking beast! Get over here!” Fee shouted.
GODDAMNIT NOREEN! I WILL TURN YOU INTO STEW IF YOU DO NOT STOP NOW! ”
My voice echoed through the room as Noreen abruptly sat on her bony goat ass, and Martin plopped down into a chair, too, eyes wide behind his spectacles. Stalking over to her, I pulled the cashmere, covered in goat spit from her mouth.
“You are an evil little shit,” I snarled, shaking it at her. “If Martin didn’t like you so much, I’d feed you to the guard dogs.”
“He doesn’t mean that, Da,” Fee hastily stepped in as his pleasant face blanched white.
“Don’t test me,” I said sourly, helping my housekeeper off the table.
Whipping my belt off, I gave it a snap, ignoring Martin and Magda’s yelp as I fastened it around Noreen’s neck. I also noticed that while Fee didn’t jump, her pupils flared and she took a deep breath.
Hmm… something to keep in mind for later.
“This belt is one I found in Naples, hand-made by an ancient tailor on the Isle of Capri,” I told Martin, handing him the end to hold as a leash. “I would like it back.”
“Ah, certainly. Of course.”
He speed-walked the goat out, passing Charles as my PA burst into the room, carrying a pile of folders.
“I should probably ask if everything is all right,” he said, looking over the top of his paperwork, “but I don’t dare be distracted right now. Can we speak?”
“Of course,” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Fee, excuse us. Magda, would you bring coffee to my study, please.”
My luscious bed partner gave me a side-eye as she headed off after her father.
Safely ensconced in the study, I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand. “I believe I gave you an order to sleep, Charles.”
“Oh, I did,” he said distractedly, laying out a series of contracts on the desk. “A bit. I couldn’t stop thinking about why Leevil - I mean, Mr. Lee Ville-”
“Let’s just go with Leevil, shall we? I’ve given up on correcting you all.”
“I like it,” he nodded. “But look here.” He pointed at a highlighted section of the contract. I recognized it as part of the construction partnership between me and Leevil. “I couldn’t stop thinking about why he would want you dead. It didn’t make any sense. Even though he’s a civilian and not from our side of the business, he wouldn’t hire a team so inept that they’d come in shooting without securing you first.”
“Agreed.” I scanned the codicil he highlighted. “Ah.”
“Do you see it?” he said eagerly. “In the event that Alec Davies, CEO of Davies International passes away, regardless of any decision by the Davies Board of Directors, Lee Ville Industries takes over full financial control and ownership of properties and ventures included in this partnership. There will be no financial restitution due to Davies International or the estate of Alec Davies. Leevil would have ended up with a two-billion-dollar business.”
“I’ll be damned,” I marveled. “I can’t believe our attorneys didn’t catch this.”
“It only took me… six hours or so to find it.” Charles shook his head grimly. “Why would anyone expect it? Lee Ville Industries is considered a legitimate business concern.”
We both snorted at that. In the crime world, a man’s word was absolute, if he intended to keep his mafia and his life. The sleaziest doings were in the domain of ‘legal’ corporate activity.
“He must have been thrilled when someone else kidnapped you. It would make your unfortunate demise in a botched rescue attempt understandable. ”
“Leevil is about to discover what a tragic mistake he’s made,” I said, grinning so savagely that Charles flinched a little. “We’re going to dismantle his empire, brick by fucking brick.”
“It’s a bit harder to do when it’s a legal-” he caught my eye-roll, “-what the business world and law enforcement would consider a legal corporation.”
“Oh, those are the dirtiest, as you know. Allow him to continue overseeing construction on the computer server farm while we decide how to proceed.”
“I must admit,” Charles said, “that I am really looking forward to this.”
“As you should,” I said graciously. “Now, go have Magda feed you, take a shower and a nap in one of the guest rooms. You are not your usual exquisitely sartorial self.”
I could have said nothing to upset him more.
I was re-reading the construction contract when I heard the knock on the door. “Enter.”
“Ah, how very magisterial of you, Godking.” Fee sauntered into the study.
“How is Martin? I assume he’s recovered from the knowledge that I’m shagging his daughter?”
“Ugh,” she shuddered. “Don’t. Just… don’t if you ever want to see me naked again.”
“Oh, and I do. Right now would be delightful.”
“Not just yet.” Still, the Irish witch draped herself over the chair in front of my desk, her shapely breasts showing to their best advantage. “First, let’s share recent updates. Shall I tell you that Kyle, your new head of security had to help me take Grandad’s rifle away from him?”
I suppressed a grin. “Martin couldn’t keep his mouth shut, I’m guessing?”
“It wasn’t quite that bad, Da and I were discussing our… recent situation and he said that he quite liked you. You were the only man I’ve brought around who was ever nice to him.”
“Even a cold, heartless bastard like me feels a bit of a twinge at that statement,” I said.
“Unfortunately, Grandad was just behind the goat pen during this conversation and harsh words were spoken.”
“I see,” I nodded, trying to hide my smile. “Such as?”
“Kyle had to wrestle the rifle away from Grandad when he said, ‘What a feckin’ holy show, I’m going to fill that manky gobshite with two kilos of lead.’ It was a good idea to disarm him, but if your man hurt Grandad, I would have killed him.”
I shook my head. “And here I thought we’d developed an accord, Fintan and I.”
“You’re still a soulless corporate Godking intent on the destruction of planet Earth,” she reminded me. “Now. Tell me what you’ve learned this morning.”
She was so beautiful, with her clear hazel eyes and that lush mouth I’d devoured last night. Her long, pale neck that I wanted to cover with bites and bruises. There were a few left behind from our time together, and I wanted to add more. I wanted to mark her in every way to show who she belonged to. The wave of possessiveness surprised me.
“I never discuss business with outsiders,” I said.
Her eyes narrowed. “That’s no longer the case, Godking.”
“Because we fucked?” Why am I pushing her away?
Fee snorted inelegantly. “Fuck the fucking. Though…” she considered, “it was passable enough, I suppose. But once Gr andad’s farm got shot to pieces, we were no longer outsiders. We’re tied to this mess.” She waved her hand impatiently, “And don’t go on about how it would be my fault because I kidnapped you. I had no choice, you power-hungry dick-bag.”
The only thing I could focus on in this diatribe was, “Passable enough? We should revisit the screams you let out last night.”
The bristling between us disappeared, a new heat stoked by our close proximity, how quickly anger could morph into something much more complicated.
Leaning forward slowly, Fee put her elbows on my desk, giving me an excellent view down her “Fuck the Patriarchy” t-shirt. “Tell me what you’ve learned about Leevil and we’ll sweep all this nonsense off the desk - no doubt made from some rare wood felled by invaders hacking their way through the Amazon Rainforest - and I’ll remind you of the grunts and growls you made last night, more beast than man.”
We stared at each other, the air almost too thick to breathe.
“Fair enough, darling. You’ll enjoy the fact that I was nearly murdered because of that computer server farm construction…”