Blackmailed Merger (31 page)

Three days later Dante had sat in the restaurant, his mind trying to focus on the meeting taking place
around him
.  His companions had looked at each other
with confusion,
seeing the normally focussed man swirling his drink absently, his thoughts so obviously elsewhere.  He had frowned
,
his
mind
returning to his informer who had contacted him to
report
the meeting Sam had with a woman he knew.  A woman who worked for a company hell bent on taking over his.

Allowing Sam to keep the shares had been risky he knew, but the details of their arrangement had been top secret, only three people knowing of them, Sam, Daniel and himself, and despite everything he could not see Daniel revealing them and risking his own business.  With a small sigh he had felt sickened to know that the only one who could have contacted his rival was Samantha, the knowledge twisting like a knife within him.  He would of course ensure that she never be able to use the shares against him, but knowing that she had tried had hurt him more than he would have thought possible. 

Since
her meeting
with his competitor’s agent, Carlotta,
things had
gotten even worse between them.  Giving a wry smile
his mouth
had tightened
in mockery of himself having thought
that they could
not get any worse.  However,
s
he seemed to walk around the apartment in an almost dream
-
like state
and e
very time
he tried to touch her she would shrink back from him, her arms moving around herself in a protective
posture
, her eyes glaring at him full of a hurt he could not understand.

With another frown he had thought of the only conversation she had had with him, in which she had told him of her friend and now almost partner Joseph’s marriage breakup.  This news
shaking him
, as the only time he saw her smile was when she would take his calls, her
demeanour
softening as
they both had
joked and laughed
together in the way
she used to with him.

Looking up absently his eyes had widened in shocked disbelief,
Dante
gasping,
not even
excusing himself from the others who had all stared at him with concern all looking wordlessly at each other as the tall man had strode
quickly from
the table.   H
e had moved over to
a booth
, one almost hidden in the shadows
, where
Sam sat with Joseph, her hand holding his as she had looked deeply into his eyes,
her‘s
full of
such
softness
.  The jealousy within tearing painfully deep inside his belly as
his legendary coolness
had slipped
Dante
moving
to stand before his wife, his whole body rigid his eyes blazing.

Joseph had looked up in surprise to see
his old friend
stood by their table.  Smiling warmly at him he had been
further
surprised to see the cold look on his face
.

“Dante, great to see you”
.

He had smiled, seeing as the tall man had frowned back, his eyes falling to his wife
.

“Samantha time to go home”
h
e had bit out, Sam gasping at his rudeness, her eyes flying apologetically to Joseph
.

“Dante......Jo
e
and I are in a meeting....I
can’t
...”
.

She had
been given
no time to finish as he had glared down on her
.

“I said NOW”
.

His whole body bristling with barely controlled rage.  Joseph had looked in surprise at both, taking in
Samantha’s
discomfort and
Dante’s
fury
.

“
Its
fine
Sam, we can finish this tomorrow” he had
mumbled
, his voice showing the confusion he felt, seeing as Dante’s jaw had clenched even tighter.  Sam had looked over at him, her features full of mortification and apologies
.

“erm.......sure... thanks Jo
e
” she had managed, seeing as Dante had moved away from the table, his whole body
rigid
screaming anger.
  Giving her friend a last apologetic look she had moved from the table following her husband out of the restaurant, his whole body stiff with
a
fury
she did not understand.

Outside he had stood
stonily
waiting for his car to be brought around as she had moved over to him, now feeling herself so angry also
.

“What the hell was that about
?
” she had rounded on him, seeing as his jaw had clenched even tighter as he had ignored her, Sam feeling even angrier
.

“Do not ignore me, dammit” she had cried louder, her eyes flashing as the car had smoothly
drawn up
beside them.  He had finally turned to face h
er, his eyes blazing down
as
pulling the passenger door open he had bit out
.

“Get in” Sam moving into the seat her whole being wanting to tell him to go to hell
.

As he had slid into the
driver’s
seat, he had moved out into the traffic, neither of them speaking, both sitting furious and silent.
  As they had finally reached the parking garage, she had not waited until he had moved to open her do
or, but had got out herself
, making towards the lift to their penthouse, furiously pressing the butto
n as he had come alongside her where t
he two had made their way up to their home in silence.  As the lift had opened, she had moved forward towards her room as his whiplash voice had stopped her in her tracks
.

“What the hell did you think you were
doing?
”

Sam rounding on him, her eyes flashing greenly

“What the hell was I doing...............what were you doing more like”
.

Moving closer to
him

“I cannot believe that you did that, that you embarrassed me in that way”
.

He had looked at her in disbelief
.

“Really............you don’t understand why I would be mad seeing you all cozy with some other man.  You are my WIFE” he had cried.  Sam
placing
her hands on her hips, her whole body
rigid
.

“Cozy with some other man??” she had cried back
.

“Jo
e
is my boss........”
.

Dante had moved even closer to her, his eyes angry daggers
of accusations
.

“He is a divorced man........and you were holding his hand”
.

Sam had
glared back
.

“I was comforting him over his divorce.......and I wish that you would remember that we will not be married very soon
”
she had thrown at him, seeing as he had scowled back at her
.

“Not necessarily Sam” he had bitten out, as he
r
look had faltered, her eyes narrowing
.

“What does that mean.......we had an
agreement?
”

“Your father wants a son.......have you ever considered that we are having a daughter.......what then, puts paid to your nice little plan doesn’t it
Cara
?
”  his eyes flashing brightly
.

“Then you are still tied to me......still my wife, and I do NOT like seeing my wife with another man”
.

Sam had stumbled back, the thought that she was not carrying his son one which had never even crossed her mind.  Glaring at him she had balled her hands by her side
.

“He is my friend.......but if I wanted to see other people Dante then I would....there was nothing in our agreement against that” her eyes flashing triumphantly at him, seeing the shock on his face, feeling cheap at having said the words.  Turning quickly she had started moving towards her room,
sensing
the shock from him as she had moved.  Reaching out for her door knob, the first stabbing pain had slammed into her, stopping her dead in her tracks as she had gasped, her hand reaching out for the wall the other for her stomach.

Behind her she had
heard
Dante running to catch her, his voice no longer full of anger, as he had pulled her in to him, suddenly so full of concern
.

“What’s wrong.......what happened
?
” he had
cried in panic
as she had panted for air the pain starting to subside slightly.  Turning to look at him her eyes had been full of fear her arm grabbing his
.

“Oh my God.......no” tears rising to her eyes as she had started to shake uncontrollably
allowing him to move his arms around her as he had led her to the couch, pulling his phone from his pocket and barking commands into it
,
Sam hearing the fear in his voice too.

As she had sat, he had taken her hand his eyes suddenly so gentle, so full of concern
.

“
Its
OK baby” he had
cooed
softly to her, seeing the terror in her features, feeling how hard she had trembled
, her other hand almost subconsciously moving to stroke her small bump
.