CHAPTER ONE
One month later
‘SIR, I THINK you’ll want to turn on the TV.’
‘And why would I want to do that?’ Javier Santino drawled, not lifting his head from the graphics spread on his desk. His designers had done an exemplary job, the sample bottles for the launch of his new and exclusive tequila line truly exquisite.
About to reach for the glossy image he’d settled on, he paused when his PA rushed to the far side of the room and grabbed the remote.
Javier sighed. Had she not been ruthlessly efficient, he wouldn’t have forgiven her occasional bouts of excitable behaviour. Making a mental note to crush that tiny irregularity out of her, he turned from the view of Manhattan spread beyond his corner-office window and watched her flick on the TV.
‘You asked the PR department to alert you if and when any of our clients make the news. They just called. Carla Nardozzi is on every channel.’
Javier froze.
In all his nearly thirty-three years, only two names had possessed the power to stop his breath. For the first three decades of his life, it’d been his father’s name. The day after his thirtieth birthday, Carla Nardozzi’s had joined the list. Both names sent icy chills of rage down his spine. Both robbed him of the ability to speak.
Three years after the event, his brief dalliance with Carla and how it’d ended still stuck between his ribs like the sharpest stiletto. As much as he detested himself for his weakness, he’d never been able to put it behind him.
It didn’t matter that he knew why. The fact that he’d been unable to do anything about it angered him even more. In the grand scheme of things, Carla Nardozzi should be forgettable. A blip in his memory that shouldn’t be worth his time or effort.
And yet all efforts to consign her to the ex to forget pile had been fruitless. He’d even gone as far as to pull her further into his orbit, just so he could tackle this particular thorn in his side once and for all.
‘That will be all, Shannon,’ he forced out, his gaze on the pictures flickering on the muted screen. He didn’t recognise the building the paparazzi were crowded in front of, but the medical vehicles flashing past had him striding across the room.
His PA’s retreat barely registered as Javier activated the sound.
‘Miss Nardozzi’s condition has now been downgraded from critical to serious but stable. Doctors are monitoring her closely following her awakening from her brief medically induced coma and she’s responding well to treatment at this top medical facility in Rome.
‘To recap events, Carla Nardozzi was airlifted from her father’s estate and training facility in Tuscany following a fall during training. Unconfirmed allegations suggest the world number one figure skater’s trainer, Tyson Blackwell, is being questioned by authorities following the accident...’
Javier flung the remote down. ‘Shannon!’
The door opened a second later. ‘Yes, sir?’
‘Tell my pilot to ready my jet. We leave for Rome immediately.’
‘Of course.’
Before the door had shut, he was picking up his phone. He knew the number by heart, although these days his dealings with Draco Angelis were more business than pleasure. The reason for it pierced another jagged blade of anger through him. Javier gritted his teeth as he pressed the receiver to his ear.
‘You’ve heard the news,’ the deep voice rumbled.
‘When did this happen and why wasn’t I informed immediately?’ Javier snapped.
‘Cool it, amigo. I’ve had my hands a little full on this side of town,’ Draco responded.
Javier’s ire didn’t abate. ‘You have people in place to ensure the right parties know what’s going on. I should be at the top of your list of people to communicate with when it comes to Carla Nardozzi.’
A brief, pregnant pause. ‘Agreed. You would’ve been informed before the hour was out. You just beat me to it.’
‘For the sake of our continued working relationship, I’ll choose to believe that.’
Draco exhaled. ‘Is there anything else going on here I should know about, Santino?’
Javier reined himself in with effort, tightening his control on the emotions rumbling beneath his skin. This was business. Nothing else. ‘Aside from the fact that I’ve invested several million dollars in your client and am about to invest several more? You think I should have to find out about her accident from the media? I don’t appreciate being placed in a position where I’m caught unawares by situations like these.’
A deep sigh echoed down the line, and Javier got the impression that the formidable Draco Angelis had something on his mind. ‘Point taken.’