Chapter 3
Angela sat her glass down in anger, cracking it against the marble table. She was tired of always ending up on the losing side. When would it be her turn to come out on top?
Another one of her business deals had fallen through, costing her a fortune. She paced the floor of her lavish New Orleans apartment, her stiletto heels clacking back and forth across the marble floor.
Sitting down heavily, she began sifting through the facts for the millionth time wracking her brain for a way forward.
I tried buying the land, but it was under a private land trust. Dax’s uncle Junius was and still is the caretaker, has been for decades, he flatly refused to disclose who the owners are. He became downright cantankerous when asked about it. And now all of a sudden I find out it’s hers.
The oil is crucial. She holds the rights to it. Fuck - there’s even a passage of language reinterpreted as modern day mineral rights something about ‘in perpetuity’. Meaning they own what’s on the land as well as what’s below it.
This is land has sat empty since the 60’s. Lou has never even been down to look at it. Dax had her with his family in the city. I saw her the other year down in the Quarter on a Fat Tuesday, happily shaking her pretty brown pregnant self on a balcony as we went by on our family float. I kept eyes on her after that out of curiosity. At the time I didn’t know we had more than Dax in common. They’d kept to the city. Dax so happy to have her there, didn’t bring her outside of it.
Why am I even sweating this? It’s not like she’s in Louisiana? She’s living it up in the big city and not even here. As long as she stays up there I can do what I need to do.
“I can do this.” She uttered her mantra aloud to the silent room.
A sudden knock startled her out of her thoughts. She jumped up, smoothing her silk dress and approached the door. She peered through the peephole, recognizing the steely-eyed form of David Pratt on the other side. Angela plastered a smile on her face and opened the door.
“David,” she purred, “What brings you here?”
“Business,” he replied gruffly, stepping inside. His head swiveled as he took in the opulence of her apartment with a cold glance.
Despite his attitude, Angela felt a sliver of relief wash over her as she closed the door behind him. If there was one person who could help her turn around this mess it was David. He too had a bone to pick with Lou Wilde.
David made himself comfortable on the plush velvet couch, crossing his legs casually as he perused the documents Angela had left scattered on her coffee table.
The room was quiet, save for the metronome ticking of an antique grandfather clock. Angela watched as David's stormy eyes examined each page intently. He was methodical and ruthless, his silence telling more than words ever could.
Finally, after what felt like hours of meticulous study, he looked up, his expression unreadable. Angela anxiously tapped her foot, a sign of her naked impatience. “Well?” she demanded.
He leaned back on the couch, interlocking his fingers as he rested them on his taut stomach. He pinned her with a harsh gaze.
“The situation isn't as bleak as you think. There are loopholes in the law that we can exploit.”
She went limp with relief, closing her eyes and letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. “I knew I could count on you,” she cooed and walked over to sit beside him. She reached for his hand, which he promptly yanked away.
He glared at her, causing her smile to falter slightly. “I'm only here because our interests coincide.”
“David,” Angela protested with a coy smile, tracing a finger along his strong jawline, “surely we can mix business with a little pleasure?” Her tall curves were tantalizing.
David's mask of impassivity slipped for a moment before it solidified again. Before she could react, he stood and headed for the door, pausing to look back at her.
“Wrong.” His voice was stern as he opened the door. “Our interests align, for now. Don't mistake that for affection.”
Frowning sullenly Angela bristled at his curt dismissal. But she kept her thoughts to herself and held her tongue as she watched him leave. As the door clicked shut, the magnitude of what she was up against truly dawned on her. Involving David may have been a risky move, but it was a necessary one.
Her mind whirred as she thought over David's advice, trying to figure out her next steps in securing the oil rights. She had to tread carefully, especially with Lou Wilde in the picture. One false step could mean disaster, and Angela wasn't about to lose.
Meanwhile, across town, Lulu and Dax had returned to their sprawling brownstone oasis. They were enjoying the peace and quiet after the intensity of the evening. The adrenaline from her confrontation with Angela was still pumping through Lulu’s veins. She thrived in such situations, finding a strange sense of satisfaction in protecting what was hers. Dax watched his wife with a mixture of admiration and concern.
“Think we’ve seen the last of her?” he asked, draping an arm around Lulu’s waist.
“Angela? I doubt it.” Lulu replied knowing full well Angela wouldn't back down easily.
“But tonight…” Her voice trailed off as she swiped an errant lock of hair from his forehead, her fingers lingering. “Tonight we’ve more important things to do.”
She gave that slow sleepy-eyed blink as she looked up at him, her eyes dark and glinting with promise. Dax’s heart began to trip.
The idea that this smart, feisty, take-no-shit woman was his wife was the sexiest thing in the world. His cock was already hard just at that thought.