TAKEN BY THE ALPHA

CHAPTER 4

In the grooms changing room, Grant was having a nervous meltdown, clawing at his phone. He wanted to scream. He needed his orders followed, he needed to trust that the asshole wouldn't have a change of heart. He needed to relax but he couldn't. The terms were set, they had already agreed in that filthy alley. But he needed reassurance.

Grant tried to keep his voice down. The last thing he needed was someone eavesdropping. However, the man on the other side of the phone needed to know that he was not to be tried. Unfortunately, the man gave him the impression that he didn't like taking orders, not from him or anybody. Grant wouldn't even be giving him orders no he would demand, he had the means to destroy his life. He would force his hand. Desperate people do desperate things. And that is exactly what Grant was depending on.

"Be ready. Don't tell me the location, I have your number. Understood? Great!" He hung up and took several deep breaths, calming his racing heart. Walking over to the little bar he quickly downed three little bottles of gin to ease his shaking hands.

His plan had to be foolproof, there was no room for a single mistake. He knew that. And still thanked the stars for his really good stroke of luck in a card game as well as his grandfather's insistent nagging to take over as Land Bank CEO. Usually, the two always worked in his favor, he had a reputation and loved having people indebted to him. Giving spot loans to the judges, prosecutors, senators, and celebrities, then having them loos and owing favors. He loved the life, and the success it brought, until he tried his luck with the Mafia, and burned his fingers, physically he could still feel the scare on his right-hand fingers, but that little mistake cost him. Now he was in bed with the Benitto Family. 

And he could not afford to get married and upset the balance of their agreement, they needed him to be the front of the business, the ultimate single bachelor, and he still needed the cash to front, so Grant started planning his way out of the fucking mess with Hanna Crow.

In a way, Max had as much bad luck as Grant, because their fathers were useless fucks. Max's father had lost their lands to Grant in a card game a month prior. So after a few meetings with Max about the foreclosure, Grant eagerly relied on how desperate Max was to save their lands. At the last meeting, Grant proposed the deal, all would be forgiven if Max would play nice and help Grant with his little problem. A defeated Max had agreed and Grant found the pawn he needed to get the job done. Now he just had to wait and see his plan play out. He smiled wickedly at his reflection in the mirror.

"Grant, are you ready?" Lord Crow asked, from the doorway, bringing him back to reality. "Hanna's limo is arriving."

"Yes, my Lord," Grant smiled at his soon-to-be not-father-in-law.