by Kiera Silver
Hostile Takeover
A Just Business Mafia Romance
Kiera Silver
Calamity Jane Publishing
Contents
About This Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Epilogue
Sneak Peek: NEGOTIATION
Sneak Peek: ACQUISITION
Sneak Peek: MERGER
Also by Kiera Silver
Copyright © 2017 by Kiera Silver
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
About This Book
Sophia wanted to connect with her birth mother’s family, but ends up in over her head when her grandfather tries to maneuver her to marry his business partner by publicly announcing an engagement that is news to her. The waiter at the party comes to her rescue, along with the valet attendant. She soon realizes Euan and Conner, her street-racing knights, have tarnished armor when they reveal they’re keeping Sophia as leverage in their plan for revenge. She should be plotting to escape, not surrendering to the attraction she feels for both of them. Intentions get murky and secrets come to light until it’s difficult to tell where the line between captive ends and lover begins.
This is part of the JUST BUSINESS Mafia Romance series. This features smoking hot intimacy between three consenting adults, along with a dash of suspense, humor, some violence, and blatant theft of “Monty Python” quotes. If you’re still down for the ride, buckle up.
Chapter One
She was bored.
The party was remarkably similar to several others Sophia had attended since coming to stay with the Thorne side of her family. These parties were always the same as the ones her father and stepmother hosted, even though most of their business associates were in the mafia. These people were all in so-called legitimate businesses, but the more she observed, the more she saw in common with the criminal underworld. She was less than impressed by all of it, but she wasn’t rude enough to reveal that.
Thaddeus Thorne was already a bit standoffish and clearly uncertain about her, and she didn’t want to do anything to disappoint the grandfather she’d recently made contact with after not knowing about him her whole life. The rest of the Thorne family took their cue from him, so she knew she had to win his full approval if she wanted to find a place in this side of the family. It was exhausting trying to keep up with his expectations, and she was giving serious thought to leaving, but not tonight. It would be rude to do so in the middle of his party.
As her gaze moved across around the room, it locked with the dark eyes of Victor Croft. He was a stunningly handsome man, with perfect bone structure and thick black hair swept back from his forehead. Coupled with his impressive physique and tall frame, he made women swoon.
He left her completely cold. Whenever she interacted with him, she left the situation always feeling slightly nauseated and relieved to have escaped. She didn’t like the hungry way he looked at her, as though he were undressing her and violating her with his eyes. That same expression was on his face now, along with a visible hint of satisfaction, and she couldn’t imagine why he was smirking at her so knowingly. Somehow, she managed a cool smile before looking away. From the corner of her eye, she could see he was still watching her, and it fueled her need to escape.
She moved through the crowd, smiling and trying to avoid engaging in long conversations as she made her attempt at breaking away. She didn’t care if it was rude at that moment. She just needed a break from the party, and especially from Victor Croft. As she neared the exit of the salon where everyone had gathered, she placed her nearly full champagne glass on the tray circulating by a white-clad waiter and slipped out of the room.
As soon as she did so, she was able to breathe again. Already, she felt lighter as she moved away from the party and down the hallway, heading toward her room.
She froze at the sound of steps behind her, already certain of who she would find before she turned to glance over her shoulder. Her stomach rolled with nausea, and she didn’t even bother with a polite greeting when she saw Victor Croft had followed her from the party. As stifling as the room with all the guests had been, she suddenly wished she were back there, because it was thousand times safer than being alone with him.
“Leaving so soon?”
She lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. “I have a headache, and I’m not really in a party mood.” As he took a step toward her, she backed away, trying to keep the same distance between them.
“I’m afraid you can’t leave the party just yet.”
She glared at him. “I fail to see how you have any say in the matter.”
He moved quickly, closing the distance between them before she could back farther away. His hands fastened around her biceps, and then he pushed her against the wall, boxing in her body with his. “You can’t run off before the big announcement.”
She struggled to push away from him. “Let me go.”
He ignored the request. “Your grandfather’s just about to tell everyone the big news.”
She continued to struggle, even as his words piqued her curiosity. “What big news?”
“Why, the announcement of our companies’ merger, along with our merger.”
She shook her head, still not clear what he meant. “You and Grandfather are merging your companies?” She knew enough about the business, from what she’d overheard, to know both her grandfather and Croft maintained full control of their company. Neither had ever gone public or involved a board of directors to whom they must answer.
Beyond that, she wasn’t entirely clear what either one of them did, but it wouldn’t surprise her to find out they were just as shady and illegal as the activity she’d grown up around all her life. At least her father and brothers made no effort to pretend like they were doing something other than what they were.
“Yes, provided you live up to your part of the agreement.”
She was completely mystified. “What part of what agreement? I haven’t been involved in any business negotiations.”
Victor chuckled, and his white teeth were as perfect as the rest of them. It sent a shiver down her spine. “You’ve been a big part of the process, and the thing on which everything else hinges.”
She realized she had stopped struggling, and she tried to pull away again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Let me go now.”
“I’m talking about our engagement, my love. As soon as we’re married, I’ll absorb your grandfather’s company into mine, though he’s under the illusion we’ll be joining forces. He’s in no financial position to do so, but I’ll give him a generous amount that will ensure he’s able to retire in the lifestyle to which he’s accustomed.”
Most of the words flew right over her head as she focused on the one that made her queasy. “Engagement?”
He nodded. “You’re the only thing I really wanted from the bargain, Sophia. The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were meant to be mine.”
She couldn’t hide her grimace of disgust. “I don’t want to be yours, and I never agreed to that.”
His lips tightened, and he suddenly pushed her harder against the wall as his hand moved from her wa
ist, down her hip, and to a few inches above her knee, where her black dress ended. He shoved it up with a quick jerk and rending of fabric. “I don’t particularly care what you want. You’re mine, and once my ring is on your finger, you’d better not try to deny that.”
She tried to pull away, struggling against him, though his arm holding her, combined with his upper body weight pinning her to the wall, made it impossible to escape even when her movements grew frantic as his fingers slipped inside her panties to stroke her clitoris.
She tried to scream, but his mouth slammed over hers and swallowed the attempt. His lips pressed hard against hers, grinding so forcefully that she could feel her teeth scraping against her inner lips, and blood blossomed on her tongue. She still tried to communicate, grunting without opening her mouth, because she was determined not to allow his tongue entry. If he even tried to put it in her mouth, she’d bite it off.
He was too busy focusing between her legs to think about that apparently, as he touched her roughly, two of his fingers surging into her in an abrasive manner since she wasn’t at all prepared. She whimpered at the pain, still trying to escape him.
An abrupt noise in the hallway seemed to catch his attention, and he straightened, moving away from her, though he kept his fingers buried inside her as a waiter approached.
Sophia caught his eyes, seeing the concern reflected there. She mouthed, “Help me,” and his eyes widened. It was an inappropriate time to notice the brown and gold flecks inside the green orbs, or how handsome he was even in his utilitarian white uniform, with his brown-blond hair pulled back at the nape of his neck in a short ponytail.
As he passed by, the tray tipped in his hand, deliberately knocking half-filled glasses off of it onto both of them. Ice rained down on her, along with the cold splash of liquid from someone’s half-finished beverage, and she gasped from shock, but it didn’t really faze her.
She took advantage of Victor’s cursing and jerking away to slide out from under his blockading arm and rush up the stairs. She heard him yelling at the waiter as she ran toward her room, and she felt bad for the young man taking the brunt of Victor’s anger, but she was eternally grateful he had helped her in the situation. Otherwise, she wasn’t certain what Victor would have done.
She had barely reached her room and closed the door behind her when there was a knock. She froze, certain it had to be Victor. There was no way he was gaining entry. She ignored the knock for a moment, and it came again, but she still made no move to open the door.
“Sophia, I know you’re in there. Open the door please.”
Recognizing her grandfather’s voice, she moved slowly to the door, opening it cautiously to ensure Victor wasn’t with him before she allowed her grandfather entry. When she closed the door behind him, she had to resist the urge to lock it to keep Victor from entering unannounced. Instead, she just leaned against the door in what she hoped was a casual manner.
“What an uproar. Some clumsy waiter spilled an entire tray of drinks all over Victor.”
“And me,” she added softly. “I was there, and I asked for help.”
Her grandfather looked confused. “I’m sure Victor would have helped you.”
She shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. “No, I asked the waiter for help. Victor was attacking me when he came by. If it hadn’t been for him, I have no idea what your future business partner would have done to me.”
Her grandfather seemed unperturbed by the news. “I doubt he would have taken things too far in a public hallway, at least with all the people in the house.”
She stared at him, suddenly certain he wasn’t really her grandfather. She knew they were biologically connected by the woman who had given birth to her, whom she’d never met, because Elisa had died during the birthing. That seemed to be the only connection they shared, and she abruptly felt like a fool for trying to pursue a deeper familial link with this man and the rest of the Thorne family, turning her back on the Morettis in the process. “I’m not marrying him. I can’t believe you were just going to spring the announcement on me in the middle of the party. Did you really think I would go along with it to avoid making a scene?”
“Yes, I expected you to do your duty.”
She frowned at him. “My duty?”
“We’re family, Sophia, and that means we take care of each other. Sometimes, we have to sacrifice our happiness for the others. I fully expected you to understand that and do what was required to ensure the company’s stability, which in turn supports the family.”
“How can you ask me to marry a man I barely know, and I dislike intensely? He just attacked me in the hallway, for goodness sake.”
“I’m certain it was just a brief sample in anticipation of the wedding night.”
She didn’t know if he was oblivious or just such a chauvinist that he found Victor’s behavior acceptable. “If I don’t marry him?”
Thaddeus sighed. “I’m sure it’s no secret I’ve had my reservations about you from the start. You’ve been raised by the Morettis, and you know there’s no love lost there. I never wanted Elisa to marry Marco. It was clear as day to me that he was still in love with his ex-wife, and Elisa was just a substitute. I don’t think he was unkind to her, but he didn’t love her the way he needed to. He also rejected any attempts I made at getting him to invest capital in Thorne industries.”
Through her new perspective, she could see the real Thaddeus, and she knew that was the part that had irked him the most. He likely hadn’t cared overly much that his daughter had entered a loveless marriage, but that her father would deny Thorne Industries funds to grow would have been the ultimate insult and cinched Thorne’s dislike.
Her grandfather continued when she didn’t respond. “Your cousins convinced me to give you a chance to prove you haven’t been ruined by the Morettis. They wanted you to be part of the family, and I confess I did too. You don’t look a thing like your mother, but you have some of her mannerisms, and I’ve enjoyed having you around.
“I do hope you avoided getting her streak of stubbornness though. She was going to marry Marco Moretti with or without my blessing. I’m telling you now, I bless the union with Victor Croft. I expect you to do your duty by the family, and if you don’t, it’s obvious you aren’t our family. It takes more than a biological connection to make a family.”
She nodded, completely agreeing with that. “Thank you for clarifying things, Grandfather.”
He nodded, looking satisfied. He straightened his tie as he moved to the door. “Get yourself changed then, and we’ll make the announcement as soon as you’re downstairs again.”
She nodded as she opened the door, stepping aside so he could get through it before closing it behind him. She engaged the lock as soon as he was gone, trying to suppress the tears pushing behind her eyes.
She moved toward the closet, unzipping the dress and tossing it on the floor as she did so. She had just a suitcase worth of items she’d brought with her, only intending to stay a few days when her grandfather had insisted. It was ridiculous in a way, because she had her own apartment in the city, but it was a ninety-minute drive to their property, and it had seemed like a good idea to come stay with them when he’d made the suggestion.
Three of her cousins also lived in the house, along with an aunt she hadn’t seen much, because the other woman was often ill. Or maybe she just didn’t want anything to do with Sophia either. She considered that for the first time, and it hurt, but not as much as she would have anticipated. Her cousins had been nice to her, but they had taken their cue from Thaddeus, and it was clear they didn’t fully embrace her as family just yet. She wondered if they had all been waiting for her to pass this test before accepting her into the fold.
She bypassed all the party dresses, instead going to the casual clothing on the hanger. She selected a pair of skinny jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, slipping them on quickly. They were both black, and she felt a bit like a burglar as she stuffed her hair into a black b
eret and grabbed her wallet.
She didn’t bother to take anything else, not wanting to be too conspicuous about the fact she was leaving for good. They were just clothes and cosmetics, and she could replace them easily enough. She knew after she left tonight, she certainly wouldn’t have a chance to retrieve them. Thaddeus had made it clear that if she didn’t marry Victor, she was out of the family. As much as she longed to reconnect with her birth mother’s family, she couldn’t even briefly entertain the idea of marrying that disgusting pig. If she had to take Victor as part of the deal to become a Thorne, she’d rather let this side of the family be dead to her.
She left her room quietly and carefully. After ensuring no one was waiting for her, like Victor, she crept down the stairs. Instead of heading back toward the party, she went in the direction of the kitchen, which had a back entrance used by the caterers. She moved through the bustling kitchen, careful to stay out of anyone’s way. She didn’t want them to get in trouble, and she was concerned the waiter had already been fired for helping her.
She stepped out of the kitchen and through the back entrance, moving around the side of the house. She grunted when she collided with a solid presence, looking up and meeting the gaze of the waiter who’d been her rescuer. She smiled at him before her expression changed as concern swept over her. “Did you get fired?”
He nodded.
She put a hand on his shoulder without thought. “I’m so sorry. I know you were helping me, and I didn’t intend for you to lose your job.”
He shrugged. “It’s just a job. I can find another.” His deep voice was full of confidence, and he appeared carefree about the loss of the job.
She squeezed his shoulder. “I still thank you. If it hadn’t been for you, I have no idea…” She trailed off, not finishing the thought as she shivered.
