Mason worked for her father, and marrying either Sierra or Sandy pretty much sealed the deal of him becoming the corporation’s next CEO. He’d moved his way toward the top, and when he’d hit the mother-load by marrying the owner’s daughter, he got it all. He would’ve settled for Sierra, but why settle when he could have Sandy, everyone’s choice of the better of the two siblings.
Sierra finally made it to her room and swiped the key card across the reader, grateful when it registered on the first try. She stepped inside and tightly closed the door behind her. All she wanted was freedom, and maybe, just maybe, that’s what she’d finally get. Besides, she didn’t want to get married. Why place herself in a position where a man had control of her again. If she ever escaped her nightmare, she vowed to stay single the rest of her life.
She glanced at the clock, noting that it was just past midnight. Sandy and Mason were well on their way to Europe by now. Sierra felt more of a pang over her sister getting to visit one of the country’s she’d always wanted to go to, than over the loss of Mason.
With a sigh, Sierra unzipped the uncomfortable dress, letting it fall to the ground in a sea of satin. She kicked it away from her, knowing she wouldn’t take it from the hotel. She had no desire to wear it again. Let one of the maids find it. They’d appreciate the expensive dress more than she ever would.
Sierra didn’t need any more reminders of her sister’s wedding. She’d have plenty of daily reminders as she watched her happily married sister in the arms of her ex-boyfriend.
She took out the hundreds of pins from her up-do, a feeling of bliss overcoming her as the tight curtain of hair fell loosely around her shoulders. Her head ached, along with the soles of her feet.
She jumped into the shower and massaged her scalp, dreading the next day. Her father wanted to speak to her. She had no clue what it was about, but he’d been so formal, it couldn’t be good.
Sierra managed to make her way back into the bedroom of her roomy suite, where she collapsed face-first onto the comfortable bed, and vowed not to get up until her body woke her. She knew the wrath of her father wasn’t worth an extra hour or two of rest, but she just couldn’t convince her physically and emotionally exhausted body of that.
Chapter Two
One week earlier
Damien set the papers down on his desk and sat back. He was perplexed – intrigued but perplexed.
When he’d received the phone call yesterday, he’d thought it was a joke. A father couldn’t truly be serious – offering his child in exchange for money. Though, as Damien went through the files on Sierra Monroe, he was beginning to realize that her father, Douglas was more than serious.
The man was willing to trade his daughter for cash. Normally, Damien wouldn’t give the scum of a man the time of day. His time was too valuable to waste, and he didn’t make poor business decisions.
However, he was curious – a tremendously bad thing. What was in it for Sierra? Was she going along with her father? How far was she willing to go?
He looked at her photograph, picking it up from his desk for at least the twentieth time. She was attractive – more than attractive, for that matter.
Her long dark hair was pinned back in the photo, and her dark brown, almost black eyes, were solemn as if she had secrets she was trying to hide from the world.
Her nose had the slightest bend to it as if it was broken at one time, but had healed nicely, giving her face an almost softer look. Her beauty was rounded off by her high cheekbones, and the oval shape to her face.
He hadn’t been intrigued in a long time over a woman, but Sierra Monroe had his undivided attention.
He’d placed a post a week ago, needing a new public relations representative. It was placed in extremely select listings as he didn’t want, nor need, the general public to apply. He wanted only the best.
The call from Douglas Monroe hadn’t been the call he’d been expecting. With irritation, he lifted his phone and dialed the man’s direct line.
“Douglas Monroe.”
“This is Damien Whitfield. I’ve thought about your offer, and I’ve decided to accept.” Damien felt no need to offer anything else.
“That’s great, Damien. Why don’t you come by my home tomorrow and we can sign the papers,” Douglas replied, excitement rushing over the line.
Damien was even more disgusted.
“It’s Mr. Whitfield, and I have conditions,” Damien warned, to which there was a long pause on the other end of the line.
“What would those be?” the man finally asked, not responding to the scolding of the man being too familiar with his name.
“Is your daughter aware of our…deal?”
“I’ve told her that it’s time she gets a job. She’s had it too easy for too long. It’s time she stops living off of me and learns how to make it in the real world,” Douglas said, evading the question.
She was a spoiled heiress, then. Damien should just let it go and move on, but for some reason he couldn’t. Well, he had a couple reasons. One of which was the people Sierra knew, the other, well, the other he still hadn’t figured out.
“Is she going to give me trouble?”
“Not at all, Mr. Whitfield. My daughter has been taught to behave,” Douglas said with an evil laugh.
A shudder rippled down Damien’s spine. He wasn’t even in the room with Douglas, but the man oozed filth. People like him would eventually fail. That’s why Damien was confident in his plans to finally keep his promise to his mother.
His supposed family was just like Douglas Monroe, full of greed and not afraid to walk on people to get what they wanted. They’d fail as well.
“Fine, I’ll meet you at your place, but not until next week. My attorney will have the paperwork ready.” Damien hung up the phone without saying anything further.
The less he talked to the slime ball, the more he’d be able to stomach making a deal with the devil.
Pushing those thoughts from his mind, he picked up the second stack of paperwork on his desk, this time a genuine smile popping out on his face. It was time. Finally, he had what he needed to start his takeover of the men who’d killed his parents.
It was long past time.
Damien’s lips turned up in what would look like a smile to the rest of the world. It may have even been a smile – or at least as much of one as he was capable of giving. He watched Sierra wearily stumble away.