Chapter 54
Portia stepped into the conference room, the same one that they’d used for the Solveigs’ first meeting with Dizzie. She wanted the Solveigs to feel as comfortable as possible as she and Dizzie dismantled their claim on the Tremaine Corporation.
Her gaze swept the room. Killian and Dizzie were already there, as were Mr. and Mrs. Solveig and their security. Once again, Portia had opted not to bring security with her. She wasn’t afraid of them.
Aleks stood near one of the walls. Her gaze flicked over him, though she wanted it to linger. Who was she kidding? She wanted to cross the room and claim him in front of all these people. She’d get her chance soon enough.
“What are you doing in here?” Mrs. Solveig asked. “You weren’t invited.”
“Well, yes I was,” Portia said. “I set up this meeting.”
“Liar. My granddaughter did.”
“Okay, you caught me,” Portia said with a chuckle. “We both did.”
“What?” Mrs. Solveig looked at Dizzie, shock in her eyes.
Dizzie nodded.
“This is outrageous. We were brought here under false pretenses. How dare you?”
Portia was so damn tired of that woman’s voice. “Please sit down. We have business to discuss.” She took a seat next to her sister.
“We have nothing to discuss with you,” Mrs. Solveig hissed.
“Blah, blah, never do business with a Tremaine, blah, blah, blah.” Portia rolled her eyes. “Well, guess what. Today you’re going to do business with me and then you will get your ass out of my city.”
Aleks cracked a smile. One that was quickly hidden by his placid expression.
“How dare you?” Mrs. Solveig screeched.
Portia would not miss that sound at all. She sighed. Loudly. “While I recognize that is your catchphrase, it’s getting tiresome. Now please sit down.”
“No.” Mrs. Solveig crossed her arms like a petulant child and stood at the foot of the table, trembling with rage.
“Fine.” Portia smiled her shark smile. “First order of business, your revenge ploy. Dealing with you has become tedious. But, surprisingly enough, I actually do think you deserve closure. So, to that end, I will be turning my father over to you. In fact, he’s on a jet, on his way to your headquarters as we speak. He’s the one you want for what happened to your daughter. I think that’s fair.”
The Solveigs gasped. “You would turn over your own father? What kind of daughter are you?”
“I’m the type of daughter he raised. The Tremaine Corporation is mine and I intend to keep it. This way we both get what we want. It’s just business.”
But if it was just business, why did part of her still hate this plan?
“It’s not enough,” Mrs. Solveig countered. “We want our granddaughter.”
“It’s all you’re going to get. As for your granddaughter, she’s a person, not a trinket to be bartered.” Who would have guessed, a week ago, that Portia would be protecting Dizzie.
“That’s not fair.” Mr. Solveig spoke for the first time. “Yes, we’ll get to punish Phillip Tremaine, but that doesn’t balance the years he cost us.”
Portia’s stomach turned at the mention of punishment, but it was too late now. Her father was on his way to their home turf and there was nothing she could do about it.
“What do you mean by ‘punish’?” Dizzie was looking at her grandparents as if they were bugs under a microscope.
“Execute him, of course.” How Mrs. Solveig thought she was better than Phillip Tremaine was beyond Portia. She was as much a monster as he was.
“No,” Dizzie said.
Everyone turned to look at her.
“What do you mean, ‘no’?” Mrs. Solveig asked her, an appalled look on her face.
“No, you are not going to kill my father, no matter how much of a bastard he is. That would make you just like him.”
When the Solveigs opened their mouths to bluster at her, she silenced them with a look.
Portia was so proud!
“It’s my turn to talk now,” Dizzie said. “Here is my bargain. For every month you keep him alive, that you show proof of life, I will grant you a visit.”
Lips pressed together, Mrs. Solveig didn’t look like she appreciated Dizzie’s offer.
Portia suppressed a smile. She held her breath, waiting to see what Dizzie did.
“One week in Sweden every month.”
Dizzie tilted her head and stared at the other woman. “You seem to think that you get a say in this negotiation. You don’t. One visit, here in Seattle, for every month that Portia and I receive proof of life. Maybe, just maybe, if you clean up your act and stop treating me like an object and start treating me like a person, you’ll get that visit in Sweden. But I’m not making any promises.”
When Mr. and Mrs. Solveig turned away to discuss Dizzie’s offer, Portia looked at her sister. “Are you sure? You don’t have to do this.”
“I know,” Dizzie said. “But what kind of sister would I be if I let you bear this burden alone. I had the power to save him, so I did.”
“He won’t thank you,” Portia felt compelled to remind her.
Dizzie was sanguine. “He won’t, but you will, right?”
“Yes. Thank you. Really.” This was more than she’d ever expected.
The Solveigs turned back to them. “Very well. We accept. You’ll need to prove that you’re delivering Phillip Tremaine to us.”
“Of course,” Portia said. “Ash, if you please.”