‘If you can’t—’
‘This isn’t about my capabilities,’ she interrupted. ‘This is about you being frank with me, so I know what I have to do.’
‘Me being frank with you?’ he queried with a sceptical look.
‘Yes.’ She firmed her jaw. ‘Either you want me to do this job or you don’t.’
She held her ground as Dante stared at her. She guessed no one, with the possible exception of his team members, stood up to Dante these days.
The standoff lasted a good few seconds, and then he grated out, ‘Your job will be to enthuse the young people, draw them into the life of a working ranch. I’ll give you all the plans I’ve drawn up so far.’
‘Thank you. Gauchos,’ she murmured, quickly summoning up in her mind the type of help she would need in the short a space of time available.
‘Good idea,’ Dante conceded, as she outlined her instinctive initial thoughts.
‘Where to now?’ she asked him briskly before he had chance to change his mind.
‘To our last stop for today.’
She’d leave her questions about his long-term project for now. When time was squeezed it paid to be organised.
The last stop turned out to be the first ugly building she’d seen on his ranch.
‘Vaults aren’t meant to be pretty,’ he said when she frowned. ‘You might change your mind when you see the jewels inside this fortified cell.’
‘Green ice,’ she murmured, feeling a thrill of anticipation as Dante punched in a code and the outer door swung open. Lights flashed on automatically, illuminating the steps leading down into the ground. Another door, another code, and they were in.
The large underground room took her breath away. Glass cabinets, lit discreetly, lined the walls. It was a billionaire’s showroom, alight with fabulous jewels. Diamonds and emeralds flashed fire on every side. She guessed the diamonds would be from the Skavanga mines Dante had talked about, and the combination of ice and fire was extraordinary. ‘I’m lost for words,’ she admitted, when Dante looked for a reaction from her.
‘Well, that’s inconvenient,’ he said, locking the door behind them, ‘because you’re here to talk.’
She tensed as he leaned back against the wall.
Karina was smart. She knew why she was here, and it wasn’t just to look at his priceless collection of jewels. She had never leaned on anyone in her life, not even her wealthy brother. She had no history of confiding in anyone, but he had a plan.
Unlocking one of the display cases, he reached for a rough diamond. ‘This is me...’ He placed the lump of unpromising-looking stone in her hand. ‘And this is you.’ He selected what looked like another pebble. ‘Both these lumps of rock hold secrets at their core.’
‘And you have to know how to release the secrets?’ She gave him a jaundiced look. ‘First you have to know what you’re looking for,’ she pointed out.
Never underestimate Karina, he reflected, slanting a smile as he replaced the stones in the cabinet. He explained the stages the stones went through before they were ready to be set in precious metal, but she knew what he was really saying. He had never brought anyone this close. He had never allowed himself the indulgence of a personal life. He didn’t confide in anyone.
‘Would it be possible to arrange tours here, as well as to the mine?’ she asked on a practical note. ‘Or would security be a headache for you? I wasn’t just thinking about the VIPs who might place an order, but the young people for whom this could open up a whole new range of possibilities—careers,’ she explained.
His eyes lit at the thought that she had engaged with his project. He’d barely told her anything, just a hint, but she’d taken that hint and had obviously been thinking about it. ‘Your brother told me that you pay for a young girl to go to school.’
She was instantly defensive. ‘Out of my own money—and Luc shouldn’t have said anything.’
‘It’s nothing to be ashamed of.’
‘No, but Jada wouldn’t like anyone to know—that’s the girl I help,’ she explained awkwardly.
‘How long have you been doing charity work?’
‘Since I—’ Her mouth snapped shut.
Since she’d lost the baby, he guessed, and had needed something to focus on and set her life back on track.
‘It’s not reaching out on your scale or my brother’s,’ she said after a few tense moments. ‘I just do what I can afford. When I can do more, I will.’