“Good. Let’s go to my den,” Chad said, looking pleased it wasn’t going to turn into a brawl on his front steps. Damien would bet money that Chad’s wife would ream him out if that ended up happening. If she was like Trinity, in the least, and most women were the same in the sense that they didn’t want their men fighting. It was almost worth it to start the battle.
Damien was confident in his strength, but he wasn’t stupid. He was too outnumbered to have a chance of winning a physical battle with all the men surrounding him.
Chad walked in the door while the other men parted to let him through. He walked ahead, his eyes connecting with each man, showing he wasn’t about to cower. The group was silent as they went down a wide hallway, then through a set of double doors into a warm den.
Damien looked around the room, surprised by the number of framed photographs on the walls. Most men liked trophies in their private man-caves, but it seemed pictures were Chad’s trophies.
He strolled over to a wall filled with images. Damien realized he recognized most of the people in them, those who were currently in the room with him, and those not present. There were only a few he couldn’t recall ever seeing.
Damien had done a lot of research through the years on the Anderson’s and could spot them from a mile away. To avoid making a fool of himself, he stopped just before reaching for one of the framed pictures.
It was of his Uncles, George and Joseph, surrounded by what seemed their entire family. Smiles abounded in the group filled with adults and hordes of children of all different ages and sizes.
It looked to the outside world like a beautiful family, but Damien knew what truly ran through their veins. He wouldn’t be surprised if they bled black tar. Greed changed a person.
No one said a word as he silently gazed at his family, at a picture he rightfully should’ve been in, had they not cast his mother aside so coldly. When he realized he’d taken longer than he should have, and also that he shouldn’t have any interest in family pictures of strangers, he turned around, making sure to compose his features.
“What would you like to drink?”
Chad knew it was a test, but he wasn’t there to please them or worry about what they thought. He knew his liquor but he didn’t like whiskey or rum. He was a wine man, and only when the occasion struck him. But he didn’t want them to know anything about him, so he decided to request a beer.
“I’ll take a bud if you have one,” he answered. Chad looked surprised for a minute, but recovered quickly before going to a fridge that blended into the wall, looking like just another panel.
Damien had something similar in his own place. As he looked around the room, he noticed that he and Chad had a lot of the same tastes.
“Here you go. Have a seat.”
“I’m fine standing,” Damien told him, not wanting to give that advantage to the men.
“Suit yourself. How did you meet Sierra?”
Damien could appreciate a guy who didn’t beat around the bush, coming straight to the point. It was how he did business, as well. He did have to be careful with his answers, though. He didn’t need the Anderson men to know who he really was. He’d been careful through the years not to run into them while he did business. He wanted to meet them when he was ready for it, and not a moment before. He had to be in complete control.
“I’m doing business with her father. I wanted her to work for me.” Damien’s best option was to keep his answers as short and to the point as possible. He also needed to sneak in a few of his own questions.
“Why?” Lucas asked.
“Why, what?” Damien responded.
“You’re a smart guy, Damien. You don’t mind if I call you by your first name, do you? I get real tired of formality, especially in my cousin’s house.” When Damien nodded his assent begrudgingly, Lucas continued. “Why would you be doing business with Monroe? It’s well-known he’s losing his shirt right now for some incredibly poor choices. There may even be criminal charges filed on him soon, ranging from tax fraud, to downright bad business practices. The guy has more sexual harassment complaints on him than anyone I know.”
“I have my reasons and they’re my own business,” Damien said, his tone clearly making it known the topic wasn’t up for discussion.
“You having Sierra work for you, especially when she doesn’t even understand why, makes it our business,” Chad said, stepping closer to Damien with his eyes narrowing.
“Look Chad, I don’t mind having a little chat with you and the in-laws in which you felt the need to bring out in force today, but I won’t discuss my business practices,” Damien said, not backing down a single inch.
He thought he saw a small flash of respect in Chad’s eyes, but the man quickly masked the emotion.
“Look Damien, first of all, we were having a family gathering. I had no idea you were showing up on my front porch, so I didn’t know I needed reinforcement, unless there’s something else to this situation. Secondly, if you hurt Sierra, then my wife is going to be furious and demand your balls on a silver platter. I’m trying to avoid all that by finding out exactly what your intentions are. Sierra… well, she’s not like the rest of her family. She’s a great gal, who’s had some hard knocks in life. I don’t want to see her get any more of them.”
“Duly noted,” Damien snapped. Then, with a sigh, he decided to give them something, though he said it through gritted teeth. “I like her, okay?”
The men stared at him for several moments, as if they were assessing him, seeing if he were speaking the truth. The reality was that he liked her more than he should. He had no business feeling anything for her. She should be nothing more than a tool, another pawn in his game of revenge. That was long out the window, though. He wanted to see her. He was still angry she’d managed to get away from him so easily. He’d make sure it didn’t happen again. He’d make sure she knew better than to run from him.
“Well then, I guess we can all relax,” Chad said as he smiled. Damien didn’t like the knowing look on the man’s face – not one little bit.
Chapter Eighteen
“Let’s go out back,” Trenton said as he grabbed his own bottle of beer and moved toward the den’s door.
Damien didn’t hesitate. He followed behind his cousin, and then realized he hadn’t asked one single question of any of the Andersons. How was he supposed to get information if he wasn’t even thinking about interrogation? The only person he seemed to want to interrogate was Sierra. He vowed to himself he’d just make sure she was really there, then he’d focus on his “family.”