Heart Of Stone by S.I. Hayes Read Free Book Online Page B

alone have to have a meeting with him. He had been her mentor in Law School. Her first and last love. Only a T.A. at the time Donavan had taken her under his wing and shown her the ins and outs of the field. How to manipulate the system to her advantage and still keep it all legal. He showed her how she could take the Stone Company out of the Dark Ages. He also broke her. Body and soul. He was her first contract, although she had not been on the controlling side. When it was finished they were supposed to stay away from each other. That was the rules. It had worked wonderfully for the past ten years. If he RSVP’d she declined, and vice versa. So why would he jump on bored for something like this? Why now? And why was he asking to meet in their old haunt?
    She had arrived first. Or at least it seemed that way to her, as she didn’t see him watch her from the booth in the back as she settled at the bar anxiously. He watched as she fidgeted with her hair and waited for the bartender to come to her.
    “Hi, yeah I’ll take-”
    “An apricot brandy sour!” Donavan called from the booth as he approached.
    Donnella jumped up holding her clutch to her chest, pulling her coat closed.
    “We’ll take it back here, Mick.” Donavan motioned for her to join him in the back booth.
    She remembered the booth all too well. The humiliating things he had made her do to him. The way he would toy with her not letting her make a sound, waiting until the tears streamed down her face before he would stop. She had put up with it because she thought she was in love, because she thought that was what she needed to do in order to keep him.
    “Hiya, love.” He smiled that pearly white grin at her. “Have a seat.” He motioned for her to sit beside him.
    She sat across from him instead. “What’s this about Donavan?” Her question was cold, her demeanor commanding.
    He cocked his head at her, “My, my has my little dragon learned to breathe fire at last?”
    “You’d be surprised, how easily I could burn you.” She peered straight through him. Not looking directly at him was easier than remembering him. Parts of him still scared her and she didn’t want him to see that fear.
    “The bridge burns both ways, dear. But I’m here because I was surprised to see that you put in a bid to buy out Mcloughlin.”
    “Not buy him out, I want a Merger, I’m willing to keep key portions of his staff and give well-padded severance to the rest of the employees who don’t make the cut. As well as offer re-training at my cost. He won’t see a better deal.”
    “Maybe not, but he’s still shopping. Not even sure if he wants out. Still holding out for some miracle, he mumbles about those useless kids of his.”
    “But there must be something or you wouldn’t be here, would you?” She leaned back as her drink was brought to her. “Thanks Mick.”
    “Curiosity? Would you believe me if I said I missed you?”
    “Not really.” She looked away, Mick had disappeared. A regular occurrence if her memory served, but it made her uneasy.
    “Come now, you were the best little cock sucker I’ve ever known.”
    “That’s not gonna happen.”
    “Then you can kiss your chances at getting a meeting with Mcloughlin good-bye. I’ll make sure not a scrap of paper with your letter head ever passes his machines.” He sat back, with his hands behind his head smugly.
    She stood up, throwing the drink in his face. “Fuck you! Donavan!”
    “Nah, maybe later.” He laughed as she walked away. “You know where you can find me when you change your mind, little dragon.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
     
     
     
    6
     
    She was late, or maybe it was just that he had come early, but Matthew couldn’t help but feel as though he were being stood up. It was already ten to eight and no word had come from Donnella as to her whereabouts. Harold had made a point of making sure he was at Jacoby’s for a seven-thirty