Heart of Steele

by Alysha Huddleston

  There was a hush in the room.

  Maybe it was the falling snow through the window or the meticulous order of the office or the soothing presence of rows of books lined efficiently on oak shelves.

  Whatever the reason, that soothing quiet was in utter and complete contrast to the man with his back to her and to the life he led, just like the character of Mike Connor had been. She had to remember he was not Mike.

  He was a liar, this room lied. This was not a man of comfort and order, but a thug who lived a life of rapacious deceit.

  She didn't know what to say. She'd been ready to tell him exactly what she thought of him, to hurt him like he'd hurt her, but the words didn't come.

  What could she say to a man like him? Magnus Steele was a bad guy, the villain of this story, and he had simply acted in character.

  It was she who had acted out of character, falling for his traps, not using her common sense.

  Tears filled her eyes and she turned to go, gripping the knob.

  "Autumn." She heard him behind her, and she turned back to meet his eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes. Confident, focused, but also troubled. They stared at each other until he sighed and raked his hand through his hair.

  "This wasn't about you.”

  The tears were coursing down her cheeks now and she couldn't stop them.

  "It is now." She whispered, emotion making her voice husky.

  She turned and disappeared through the door, passing two men standing like sentinels. She walked quickly to the elevator, wanting to get away from there, wanting to get away from him.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Autumn headed for the three-story building situated inconspicuously in a group of leafless trees, the dull yellow of the squat structure adding to her morose mood. Her friend Dylan walked beside her with a petulant frown. They were quite a pair.

  "I don't see why we have to do this." He said, shoving his hands in the pockets of his charcoal gray overcoat. She had woken him up earlier than usual and Dylan liked his sleep.

  "Because we're law students, and if we want a degree, we do as we're told." Autumn said.

  "We were told to prepare documents for InterChange in Manhattan, not for some shitshow in Brooklyn." He grumbled.

  He was right. For some reason they'd suddenly been pulled off their original project with InterChange and assigned to the new non-profit that didn't even have a name yet.

  Now, here they were in Brooklyn traipsing through the snow to an old abandoned building instead of the modern glass structure of InterChange where they would now be enjoying gourmet coffee and scones instead of wading through dirty, slushy snow to a building that looked like it was about to be condemned.

  She sighed.

  "Well, things have changed, and if we want to be considered for the top positions, we need to be flexible, right?"

  "I already have a job." Dylan grumbled.

  Trying to cheer up both of them, Autumn nudged him with a teasing grin before they entered through the heavy wooden doors.

  "We'll stop at Tisserie for almond croissants and lattes on our way back, but only if you smile at our clients and behave during the meeting."

  Dylan opened one of a pair of nondescript metal doors, and they bustled into the warm, musty space. She'd been informed that the building was a recent purchase of the organization which was planning a renovation to house its headquarters.

  "This place fucking sucks." Dylan frowned, looking around at the peeling paint and torn linoleum. "Don't touch anything."

  "Smile." She ordered, locking her arm with his and pulling him into the elevator. He loosened their arms and instead slipped his over her shoulders and brought her closer to him, kissing her cheek and working his way to her lips.

  Well, that cheered him up.

  "Dylan." She chided, moving her face away from his mouth.

  "What? No one can see us."

  He gave her one of his devastating smiles, the one he used on all the girls. With most girls it worked, but they'd been friends since the beginning of law school and his charms still didn't work on her.

  His mom was Irish and his dad, Cuban. With high cheek bones, deep brown eyes and lips slightly plumper than the average man, he attracted plenty of attention. She certainly didn't feel like she was depriving him.

  "It doesn't matter. I'm not going to be another notch on your crowded bedpost." She said, but she couldn't help smiling at his antics. "Isn't it better to be friends?"

  "Haven't you heard of friends with benefits?" He purred into her ear.

  "Friends without benefits stay friends longer. I'm sure there's a study somewhere." She said, buttoning her suit jacket and running a hand down to smooth out the wrinkles. "Why would you want to ruin that?"

  "Because you're beautiful, and I'm in love with your hair. You have stunning hair. It isn't blonde or red or even strawberry blonde. It's like your name, Autumn. It fits you." His voice went low as if he were reciting poetry to her. "Besides the notch I'd carve for you would be deeper and hotter than the other notches, and would hold a special place in my heart." He palmed his chest.

  Autumn rolled her eyes and glanced at him and as she did, Dylan leaned forward his lips almost brushing hers just as the elevator doors opened. He pulled back grinning at her and she shook her head, pulling away to step out of the elevators and almost crashed into a man waiting on the other side.

  "Oh sorry." She managed, before Dylan pulled her away just in time. She looked up and into the hard, cold eyes of Magnus Steele. His gaze flicked to Dylan and back to her without a smile.

  "You're late." His glare bit into her before he wheeled around and stalked down the hall, disappearing through one of the side doors.

  Autumn stared dumbfounded at what most assuredly was an apparition of her mad affliction. She'd been thinking about the man or rather trying not to think about him, and suddenly he appears out of nowhere and tells her she's late? What the hell?

  Now she was nervous when she hadn't even had a tremor of nerves before.

  Why in the world was he here?

  She took a fortifying breath and with Dylan following, walked tentatively down the hall in the same direction Magnus had just gone and stopped at the office where he'd just disappeared.

  "Are you sure it's #204?" She asked, hoping they'd made a mistake and she would not have to face him. Maybe it was a coincidence.

  But even as the thought tripped hopefully through her mind, she knew it wasn't true. Somehow Magnus was a part of this and she wasn't about to make a scene and have a big ugly mark on her school records or Dylan's. Mr. Steele wasn't worth it.

  "Positive." Dylan said but he was watching her, a question hanging between them. "Autumn..."

  She put up her hand. "Later."

  With apprehension knotting her stomach, Autumn pushed the door open and peeked inside.

  It was a large conference room with a small group of people sitting at a long conference table, waiting...for them. They weren't that late, but she found Magnus and saw that his glare was directed at her.

  She gulped down her anxiety and stepped inside.

  "Good morning. Sorry we're late." She said with forced cheer as she walked to one of two empty seats on the side of the long table, setting the satchel down and removing her coat.

  A woman rose from a chair to shake their hands before introducing them to the small group, including Magnus who was a potential board member, it seemed. Autumn flicked her eyes to him and gave him a perfunctory nod, which he acknowledged with a tightening of his jaw.

  She unzipped the satchel and pulled out packets of binder clipped documents and gave half to Dylan to pass out.

  They'd prepared the documents as part of their JD business program assignment. It was something both she and Dylan actually enjoyed, despite his current attitude. They were both just as interested in business as they were law, which the program combined.

  "We've put together the usual start-up documents, articles of incorporation, bylaws and opera
ting agreement, as well as board policies, conflict-of-interest and disclosure agreements. Ending with contracts and the planning and transactional documents that have been left generic for you to specify."

  She took a breath. "We will go over each one as it is listed on the index. Please feel free to ask questions at any time."

  She gave them a professional, friendly smile and began.

  An hour and a half later, Autumn and Dylan walked out of the room.

  She was intensely aware of Magnus behind them and she scanned the area for an exit sign. When she saw it, she gestured to Dylan.

  "Let's take the stairs." She whispered and nudged him in that direction.

  When they got to the first floor, she saw Magnus standing near the front doors. She stopped as he started toward her.

  "I have a few questions, Miss Moretti. It will only take a few minutes." He said, leaving no room for her to protest or for Dylan to stay.

  Autumn pressed her lips together, but nodded. "Dylan, I'll meet you at the car." She said, handing him the keys.

  Dylan flicked eyes to Magnus then back to Autumn and frowned. "You sure?"

  "Yes. I won't be long." She said with a reassuring smile.

  "Ok." He agreed, backing away hesitantly, then turning and going through the doors.

  Autumn looked at Magnus, who gestured her forward, his hand at her back.

  "Please...! Don't touch me." She said tightly, arching away from his hand.

  He dropped his hand and led her to an empty room, closing the door.

  Magnus put some distance between them, Autumn assumed so she wouldn't feel threatened. She clasped her hands in front of her, rubbing her thumbs together, and waited.

  "I want to apologize. I never said the words, and I want you to know I'm sorry about pulling you into something that had nothing to do with you."

  He held her gaze. There was so much pride in his face, his posture, his entire person. She could tell he didn't apologize often, if at all. It was a take it or leave it kind of apology, and she would just as well leave it.

  "It was a bad call on my part." He finished.

  Seriously? It sounded like a business deal gone wrong. Is that the only kind of remorse he allowed himself? Over cold, emotionless transactions?

  She nodded, wanting to end this charade, and pivoted to leave.

  "Autumn." He growled. "Don't open that door."

  She turned slowly, her eyebrow raised. "Was there something else you wanted, Mr. Steele?"

  She felt a rush of rebellion as she claimed control of the situation, of herself. He couldn't tell her what to do. She wasn't the one who had lied and manipulated.

  Magnus moved forward and stood just a couple of inches from her. She took a step back, shoulders bumping the door. He was looking for something. Forgiveness?

  "Yes. I want to see you." He said, his voice low and hypnotic. The warmth in his eyes spread through her. She fought it.

  This was the man who had seduced her so he could blackmail Matt and would have plastered pornographic videos of her all over the internet without a second thought. She felt the cold void of loathing freeze walls around her heart.

  She scoffed, but her voice trembled slightly. "You want to see me? Didn't you just use me to blackmail my brother and weren't you going to put your shameful little video on internet porn sites so that anyone could ogle me?"

  He narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything.

  "Well? Am I missing something or was that not your plan?" She demanded.

  "What we did, what I did, was for insurance purposes. It rarely goes that far." He answered tersely.

  "And what if my brother had called your bluff?" Part of her didn't want to know, the other part needed to know.

  By the time he'd actually called and blackmailed Matt, she and "Mike" had already known each other for almost a month and spent most of that time together, had slept together.

  If he'd truly had feelings for her, he would never have followed through with the threat.

  "It's a hypothetical question. Meaningless." He gritted out.

  "Can’t you see that it means something to me?" She whispered, tears of frustration gathering in her eyes.

  He stared at her, unable to assure her that he would never have betrayed her confidence, that he would never have exposed her to shame.

  "If the FBI heard that I didn't follow through with my threats, they would be worthless." He said, slowly walking toward her. "Baby, please. Try to understand my position."

  She stared at him, lips trembling. "Sorry, Baby! I wouldn't lower myself far enough to understand a monster like you." She whirled around, then stopped with her hand on the knob. "By the way, I told my brother not to hold back the investigation. Consider yourself warned."

  She yanked open the door, leaving him to choke on that.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Magnus didn't move.

  Two thoughts shoved everything else from his mind.

  One, he'd fucked up. He never should have used Autumn to get to Moretti and started this whole goddamn mess.

  Two, she didn't give a crap about him.

  He'd specifically requested Autumn for this project so he could see her, explain to her, hoping she'd listen and if not agree, at least understand why he'd done it.

  Instead she'd thrown it all back in his face with something he hadn't expected. She wanted her brother to continue with the investigation against him, to continue harassing him.

  Everything he'd worked for since he was fifteen, everything he'd built to protect the people he loved, and Autumn wanted to see it destroyed, wanted to see him destroyed.

  He should have been pissed, but he couldn't feel past the weight in his chest.

  Slipping into his Porsche, Magnus stared straight ahead, not wanting to go back to his office, needing time to think, to process this burden of emotion. He sucked in a breath, his jaw clenching and called his office.

  "Sheryl, reschedule all my meetings for today. I'll see you tomorrow."

  He scrolled his phone thoughtfully, then did a search for Autumn. Her Instagram appeared near the top and he tapped the site.

  His heart jolted. Her latest pics were with him. She hadn't removed them.

  There was one of them at the ice rink. Her eyes were literally sparkling, her cheeks flushed with fresh air and her smile was wide and happy. She was clinging to his arm.

  Two pictures of them at the Chanler hotel where he'd finally made love to her without the masks. His body stirred in memory, holding her tight against him as he drove into her with all of the overwhelming feelings he'd felt, all of his repressed longing, and she had clung to him.

  She'd trusted him.

  And he'd let her down.

  Abandoned her.

  He hadn't meant to fall for her. That had been the wrong move, not part of the plan. His plans worked, even with the unexpected. He just never figured the "unexpected" would be him caring about a woman.

  He'd never cared about anyone except his mom and Patrick...and Jamie. He never involved his heart when he was with a woman. They were all temporary connections for enjoyable but meaningless purposes. His feelings for Autumn had appeared out of nowhere.

  He started the car and headed for the ice rink, finding himself pulling into a parking space near the restaurant that had a large window adjacent to the rink.

  Leaning back, Magnus drained his second whiskey sour, musing as he gazed out of the window at the nearly empty ice rink.

  Memories of Autumn filtered through his thoughts. He could hear her laughing, remember her hitting him when he'd made an especially bad joke, gripping him when she was about to fall and returning his kiss there in that corner against the side of the rink.

  He could admit it. He had fallen for her. He hadn't had a chance in hell when he'd set his plan in motion all those weeks ago. He hadn't realized he wasn't about to play anyone as much as he was going to be played, unintentionally, but still with unforeseen consequences.

  He should
have known playing with an innocent woman, setting her up, would backfire. Even if he'd known it would, even if he'd been privy to the failed plan, he would never have guessed that he would become infatuated with the sister of an FBI agent, and not any agent, but the one who had been his biggest headache.

  He paid the tab and drove to his casino where he could get lost in the noise.

  He heard the spinning click of the wheel, saw the black and red flashing, jumping, deciding, and finally falling into its chosen spot. Players lose. House wins.

  He'd been standing there for a while, longer than normal when he did his travel path across the floor. He usually made his presence known to staff and visitors, and usually he had a small entourage with him, Jamie, a woman or two, some other hangers on, but tonight he didn't want anyone.

  He strolled through the tables alone, watching, only making eye contact when necessary.

  He had a weight on him, a melancholy that sporadically took his breath away when he thought of her, and how he regretted ever having used her, wishing he had thought of another way. Then one day he could have known her as just Autumn, not as Matt Moretti's sister, not as a pawn in a game of revenge, only as a woman who made him smile and almost made him wish he were someone else.

  "Sinclair is here."

  Jamie's voice came from behind him, and Magnus followed his gaze to the tall, blonde man standing at the baccarat table.

  Ashton Sinclair was the quintessential gentleman villain, well-mannered, outrageously wealthy...and successor to a long line of spectacularly ruthless men.

  They walked away from the group at the roulette table.

  "Good, if he's going to gamble his money away, it might as well be to me." He said, scanning the area around Sinclair. "Still, keep an eye on him."

  Jamie nodded. "I was planning on it. By the way, I also heard Sean Murphy is working for him. Kind of a scout about town."

  Magnus tensed. "Are you fucking serious? Thought the guy was smarter than that."

  Sean Murphy had been the manager at the strip clubs Magnus had bought years ago. The guy had been skimming profits, pimping the girls and selling coke lines to customers.