CHAPTER 47
I should have known Rossi was in on my uncle’s plans to steal the city from me.
I’ve met the snake a few times, and every time he made my skin crawl.
But if these papers from Caden are anything to go by, he never stopped paying, he just started paying a different account, my uncle’s, knowing I would call him out and demand a meeting.
The same meeting that was never going to happen because my uncle planned to murder me instead.
But here I am. On fucking top.
And now I’m going to take everything from him.
It’s a little after nine, and this house is cold. It’s silent, and I don’t want to fucking be here.
“Take me home, Knox.” I slide everything back into the envelope. “We don’t belong here.”
“You want to go back to the ranch?”
“Yes,” I nod, “This isn’t our home.”
“Then let’s get you home, darlin’.”
The truck lights cut through the darkness, illuminating the wooden signpost that hangs from a post that shows the Carter emblem, and Knox rolls the truck slowly over the gravel drive. Something settles into my soul now we are here, a calm that I can only get here.
I’ll sell the property in the city, move our operations here, but they’re never going to look the same again.
He pulls the truck to a stop in front of the house and cuts the engine, climbing out without a word.
Fresh mountain air sweeps in through the open door, making my skin prickle even though it’s not cold.
He opens my door and helps me out just as the sound of barking breaks the silence.
Judge beelines for us from the barn, one of Knox’s workers stepping out to see what’s going on but only gives a single wave and gets back to work, leaving the dog to come to us.
I stand back and watch, expecting Judge to greet Knox first, but the Wolfhound passes him and stops at my legs, a long whine sounding from him.
“I’m okay,” I soothe the animal, stroking between his ears as he bumps his nose against my legs.
“That dog is a traitor,” Knox grumbles with a laugh.
I chuckle as Judge finally goes to greet Knox, jumping up at him to lick his face before Knox reaches into the cab to grab the meds.
“Come on, darlin’,” He takes my hand. “You need to rest.”
It takes me a week and three days to get through the contract we have with Rossi and have my lawyer draw up papers to take it all from him.
News of Anton’s death has reached him if the email I received two days ago was anything to go by.
It was all lies, of course, about how relieved he was to learn of my survival and that we should see each other to solidify our business relationship.
I agreed, made an arrangement to see him today in fact.
“You in any pain?” Knox asks as he helps me into the truck so we can do just that.
“No,” I tell him, letting him buckle me in.
“You lying?”
“No,” I laugh, “I promise.”
“You haven’t taken your meds today.” His eyes narrow, “Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not,” I vow. “Really, I’m okay, but I have them just in case.”
He searches my face but then dips his chin and closes my door, heading around the hood.
The drive to Rossi headquarters will only take an hour, but I give myself the time to appreciate everything around me.
The rolling hills and forests, the great mountains that seem to go on and on, reaching for the clouds.
And to think this could have all been gone in a matter of years if Rossi had kept going.
Knox would have had to sell eventually, and the remaining ranches around here would have had to do the same.
It would have been bulldozed for factories and warehouses, slaughterhouses and offices so Rossi could dominate and take over the entire market.
That’s what my father founded, and it’s what I will end.
We pull up to the building that looks severely out of place in front of the mountains, the steel grey building an eyesore that sticks out and ruins the landscape. According to Knox, one of Wyoming’s oldest ranches used to be here, but it was destroyed to make way for this place.
Knox helps me from the truck and takes the envelope from me just as several more blacked out cars pull in beside us.
My back up.
My men.
Not that I think I’ll need it to deal with a man like Rossi. He’s a snake, but he is a coward. He fights with money and not with fists.
Cool air from the air conditioner greets us as we walk through the automatic doors, the blonde behind the receptionist desk standing to greet us. Her face pales when she sees the group I have at my back.
“Elena De Luca,” I tell her, “For Rossi.”
“I–I know who you are.” Her voice trembles.
“Good.” I don’t wait for her to tell me he’s ready and head for the bank of elevators to take me to the second floor where his office sits right at the back.
The only room in here with a mountain view and natural light.
No one stops us; they don’t breathe a word, and when I find the door I need, with a giant gold plaque attached to it with his name on it, I don’t knock.
After all, this isn’t his business. He’s just the face.
He startles from behind his desk, dark eyes growing wide as I stand with Knox at my side.
“Rossi,” I purr, “Long time, no see.”
“Miss De Luca,” He sputters. “You’re early.”
“Am I?” I check the watch on my wrist. “Well, this won’t take long.”
“Mr. Carter?” He addresses Knox at my side. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Why?” I speak first. “It’s important that he be here for this.”
“I’m sorry, Elena, I’m not following,” Rossi swallows as he stands.
“I didn’t give you permission to use my name.” I close the door and turn the lock, leaving just the three of us inside. “You picked the wrong side, Rossi.”
I walk toward the desk, my head cocked as I check the man in front of me out. Greying at the temples, sun-kissed skin, and clean shaven. A cowboy hat sits on the couch by the window, and framed pictures of all his factories and warehouses line the wall behind him.
“Your uncle,” Rossi holds his hands up, “He gave me no choice.”
“Bullshit,” I call. “He promised more money, and your greed decided.”
“What are you going to do?” His voice shakes.
From Knox, I take the papers and pull out the last page. “You’re going to sign here.”
“What is it?” Rossi asks.
“You are relinquishing your role as CEO of Rossi Enterprises.”
“What? You can’t do that!”
“Actually,” I laugh, “I can. You may sit in that seat, but this is my company or did you forget that when you made the deal with my father?”
“He told me this wouldn’t happen!”
“Well, I’m sorry, Rossi; he shouldn’t have made that promise. My father is dead, and this is my company, and you are no longer part of it.”
“I’m not signing that!” He snaps. “Are you part of this, Carter?”
Knox laughs, “I’ve wanted nothing more than to watch you burn, Rossi. The lady asked you to do something, so I suggest you do it.”
“You can’t do this!” Rossi begs. “This is my company. I built it!”
“With my money.” I shrug and I hand him the pen. “I took the liberty of marking the spot where you need to sign, just there at the bottom of the page.”
He lunges for a drawer on his desk, but Knox is quicker, grabbing his wrist and pulling it behind his back, forcing him into a position that has his shoulder jutting up. One move from Knox, and it’ll snap. “Wouldn’t do that.” Knox warns, taking the pen from me to force into his free hand. “Sign.”
“Please.” He begs.
“Sign the fucking papers!” Knox roars.
With a shaking hand, Rossi scribbles his name on the dotted line, dropping the pen onto the desk with a cry.
“Fucking pathetic,” I curl my lip. “You can let him go, cowboy. Help him take a seat.”
Knox shoves the man into the office chair, the wheels rolling with his weight, and it slams back into the console table, forcing the framed pictures on top to fall off and smash. I level my gun with Rossi’s head and, if possible, he pales even further, turning almost translucent.
“Knox,” I catch his attention, “There’s a box at the bottom there, on the contract. I need you to sign it.”
A frown tugs down his brows. “What?”
“Please?” I urge him, “Sign it.”
With a sigh, he picks up the pen and signs his name. “What did you do?”
“It’s all yours.” I tell him and pull the trigger.