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“I’m not surprised,” she murmured.
“He said he had teamed up with Felipe Dominguez while negotiating a deal in Rio de Janeiro. But that Dominguez had tried to double-cross him.” She saw the cold glint of anger in Cooper’s eyes. “My father retaliated.”
It was the bare facts, Serena noticed. Did Cooper know the incredible stress Felipe had been under while working with Brock? Felipe was no match for that bully. Her loving father had gradually become cruel and distant. Serena still longed for the man he used to be.
Cooper’s summary of the events also failed to include the slow decline of her family’s fortune or the devastation they had suffered. “Aaron Brock destroyed everything that belonged to my father.”
“My father was protecting what was his,” Cooper argued.
“And not caring that a mother and child were collateral damage,” she pointed out. The fury, as familiar as a childhood companion, began to swirl inside her. Her mother had suffered more than she had. Beatriz Dominguez had been a vivacious woman but Serena didn’t understand her mother’s fragility until after her parents’ bitter divorce. Too focused on her own loss, Serena hadn’t seen the signs until her mother had a breakdown. Beatriz had never been the same. At times it felt that Serena had switched the mother and daughter roles with Beatriz. She was the minder and the protector and she always felt responsible for not taking better care of Beatriz when it mattered the most.
“What was your father’s side of the story?” Cooper asked. “Did Dominguez betray my father?”
Serena blinked. She hadn’t expected Cooper to ask those questions. She assumed he would show blind loyalty to his family. “Would you believe what I have to say?”
“You were there when it happened,” Cooper responded. “What did you see? What did your father tell you?”
Her father had told her nothing. Absolutely nothing. Everything she knew had been based on what she had witnessed and researched. The man who was supposed to protect and provide for her was unable to stand up to Aaron Brock. It was harder for her to admit he had retaliated in a cowardly manner than the fact that he had failed. “I don’t have to rely on my father’s words to understand the facts.”
Cooper frowned. “Did your father explain anything to you?”
She wished he had. Everyone had hid the truth from her despite her constant questions. Had one more person told her not to worry her pretty little head, she would not have been held accountable for her actions. “My parents are traditional,” she explained. “They would never share financial details with anyone, let alone their only child.”
“They were trying to protect you.”
Did they? She wondered about that. Or were they trying to hide their failures, their shame? She hadn’t felt protected. She had felt powerless and set adrift when they suddenly lost their home with no explanation. Confused when their status and their closest friends fell away. She had been scared when the tension and the fights escalated between her parents. The breakdown of their marriage had run parallel to the destruction of their fortunes. And then her mother’s emotional stability declined sharply. Serena had to become the protector of the family when she didn’t know how.
She would never allow herself to feel that powerless or confused again. She no longer relied on others to take care of her. It had been the only way she had survived. “I’m sure your parents discussed business over the dinner table every night.”
“I’m sure they did,” Cooper drawled. “My parents are obsessed with business.”
She frowned. “But they didn’t discuss it with you?” He had been the heir. She imagined he had been trained for the role as early as possible.
His eyes were wintry. “What are you trying to ask?”
This was it. Now was the time to use the weapons she had spent what felt like a lifetime gathering. “Do you know what kind of businessman your father is?” she asked, her heart pounding hard against her chest. “What do you know about Aaron Brock?”
Cooper considered his next words. He had done a basic investigation on Serena Dominguez and had learned she was more than a financial genius. The woman was wily and tenacious. She managed to uncover information about companies that legal teams had spent millions to hide. What did she know about the Brock empire?
“My father could be a powerful ally or a dangerous enemy.”
“The man was a ruthless bully.” She grounded out the last word. “Look at what he did to my father. Aaron put so much pressure on him to be perfect. My father was in constant fear of failing, of disappointing Aaron.”
Cooper knew what Felipe had suffered but he wasn’t going to sympathize with the man. Cooper had to be perfect and extraordinary in everything he did or he suffered the consequences. But he didn’t react like Felipe. Cooper had more to lose and yet he had found the strength to hold on to his principles. “Felipe tried to double-cross my father but got burned.”
Serena gave a sharp, angry nod. “My father was once a businessman who only needed a handshake to do business. That changed when he started working with your father. Aaron Brock allowed no room for weakness or failure. He tore my father down, piece by piece, until he was just a shell of the man he used to be.”
That had been Aaron’s method throughout Cooper’s childhood, too, but Cooper had refused to complain or give up. He had been driven to prove he was worthy of his father’s hopes. And he had done things he regretted in the pursuit of gaining Aaron’s respect and affection. It took him a long time to realize that nothing he accomplished would make him lovable and worthy to his parents.
But he was their son and heir and he would protect the family empire. He could not allow anything to taint their reputation. Any rumor about his father’s business practices would be a failure.
“Felipe was as pure as snow, was he?” He dipped his head until his face was almost touching hers. He refused to let her faint perfume distract him. He wouldn’t think about how he was just a kiss away from her mouth. “Check your facts, sweetheart,” Cooper said gruffly. “You forget that he betrayed his business partner.”
“My father was a victim, but I never suggested he was innocent.” Serena’s golden eyes glittered with knowing. “I mean, we all have skeletons in our closets, Mr. Brock. I just happen to know every last one of yours.”
He pulled back before he could stop himself. It wasn’t an act of guilt but Serena’s smile was triumphant as if she had hit her target. Did she know everything? His instincts said no. Only he and John Harrington, Jr., knew about his most shameful secret.
“What are you accusing me of?” he asked in an angry hiss. “Go back and look at every deal I’ve made. I have nothing to hide.” Except for one but he had learned his lesson. Sure, some of his deals skirted along the edge of the law, but he had snatched himself back.
She pointed an accusing finger at him. “You know what Aaron did to build his empire and you kept quiet.”
“This is what I know—my father had nothing and made something of himself through blood, sweat and tears.”
“That’s the legend, but you and I know that’s not true.” She poked her finger against his chest. “Your father built his business by extortion, blackmail and corruption. And I can prove it.”
CHAPTER THREE (#u141c5484-ca84-508d-b50f-cec702796ea4)
IMPOSSIBLE. THE WORD reverberated in his head. There was no way that Serena knew about his father’s transgressions. Aaron Brock would never have left behind damning evidence. Serena Dominguez had to be bluffing.
Cooper was tempted to close his hand around her finger pressing against his chest. He wanted to step closer so her finger would curve and rest against his breastbone. Prove to Serena that she was no match for him and force her to drop her hand.
The maître d’ hesitantly approached them to let them know their table was ready. Cooper closed his eyes and reined in his anger. As much as he resented the intrusion, he needed it. Serena was baiting him as if she had predicted his primitive response.
As they silently followed the man to the restaurant, Cooper automatically reached out to guide Serena, splaying his hand on her back. His fingers accidentally stroked against her bare skin. Cooper’s breath hitched in his throat as desire slammed against him. He felt Serena’s tension soar before she pulled away and walked ahead of him.
The restaurant was a blur of blue and white as his troubled thoughts clouded his senses. If anyone had greeted him, he wouldn’t know. His mind was churning as he ruthlessly pulled back the need to fight. Roar. Defend his territory and his family name in the most elemental way.
He waited until they were alone and seated at the table before he spoke. “I’m calling your bluff, Serena,” he said in a low tone as he ruthlessly controlled his temper. “If you had any damaging information, you would have publicized it.”
“And how would I have benefited from that?” she asked in an absent murmur. Serena didn’t look at him as she studied the oversize menu. “How do you feel about caviar?”
“Serena,” he warned.
She glanced up from the menu. “There is a reason why I’m successful in the financial world. Anyone can find information if they’re willing to keep digging for it. It’s how you use that information to your advantage that matters.”
“True,” Cooper said. “How you use unsubstantiated rumors matters, as well. Try to act as if these stories are true and it will backfire on you.”
She smiled as if his prediction was nothing more than a fanciful idea. “How much do you know about your father’s dealings?”
Did she really think he was going to give a direct answer? This socialite might be used to getting everything she asked for but he wasn’t going to indulge her. “I’ve worked in the family business for over ten years.”
Serena set down the menu and rested her arms on the smooth white tablecloth. “That’s not what I asked. I know of four instances when your father willfully broke the law to crush another company.”
A chill swept through him and he struggled not to react. Serena was correct. How had she found out? No one but him and his father knew the details. Cooper was privy to three of those deals because he had been working for his father during that time.
Those were the rare circumstances when Aaron Brock had almost lost a fortune but managed to snap the power from the jaws of destruction. He knew his father wasn’t proud of those moments or of his actions. Not that Cooper would admit that to Serena. Nor would his father’s conflicted emotions matter to her.
But it meant something to him. Cooper knew his father was driven and goal-oriented. Strong-willed and decisive. Those were the traits they shared, the qualities Aaron Brock developed in him as he taught his only son everything he knew.
Cooper still remembered the sickening feeling that permeated through him when his father had shared those secret details with him as a cautionary tale. He had been appalled by his father’s choices. Disturbed that his flesh and blood would be that merciless. And he wondered if time and circumstances would prove that he had inherited those traits.
Cooper didn’t agree with his father’s methods and refused to follow his lead. It had been a point of contention between them for years. He wasn’t close with his parents, yet he was a dutiful son. But would he break the law to save them? He didn’t know the answer and that concerned him. How far would he go to protect the family?
Or was it to protect the family business? Cooper gritted his teeth as he realized where his train of thought was turning. The Brock family and the Brock business were so entwined that he couldn’t separate the two.
All he knew was that it was his responsibility to protect his family. Even when his father’s sins had come back to haunt them. Cooper needed to take any threat seriously. If that meant protecting the Brock name and the business, he would do it.
“Tell me about one of these instances,” he encouraged Serena. “This should be entertaining.”
“Which one should I mention?” Serena glanced out of the window that overlooked the beach and tapped her finger against her lips. “I know. The deal that happened in Hong Kong. In fact, you were there,” she said with nonchalance. He knew she couldn’t determine just how much he had been involved with the outcome of that deal. “It had been your first time in charge of negotiations for your family’s company and you weren’t even out of university.”
Cooper remembered. He had believed the people he had been negotiating with were honest. He had almost lost the deal that could have weakened the family’s business. It was the first time he had seen just how hard and ruthless his father could be. It was also the last time he had disappointed his father.
“Did you know that Aaron saved the deal by using extortion and intimidation?”
He had found that out later. The guilt and responsibility had weighed on him. He had been so far out of his depth that it required his father to do whatever was necessary to protect him and the business.
That moment of realization was also when he knew he would not make the same choices as his father. He would build the Brock empire to be invincible but he would do it his way. He would prove to his father that he was just as powerful. That he was smarter, stronger and better. That he would never get into that kind of trouble where he had to make those choices.
“I guess that is how your parents protected you,” she said.
Cooper’s mouth twisted. He used to think that. That Aaron Brock would do anything to protect him. But his father stamped out that naive thought very quickly. Aaron had to demonstrate power and so did his son.
“I remember Hong Kong very differently,” he finally said. “I’m interested in seeing this proof of yours.”
“Do you think I walk around with it on my laptop? Or keep it in the hotel safe? No, I have all of the physical proof far away from here.”
Physical? Did that mean she had found original documents and firsthand accounts? Dread pulled at him in all directions. This was worse than he imagined. “How long have you been gathering these stories?”
“They are not stories,” she insisted. “They are facts.”
“How long?” he repeated.
“Years.” She shrugged as if her answer didn’t matter. “It has been a hobby of mine since I was a teenager.”
Hobby? An obsession, more like it. Most debutantes filled their days with shopping and parties, not systematically gathering condemning evidence on a powerful company. Why would she spend so much time on something when she couldn’t change the outcome? What kind of socialite was she?
When Serena thrust her chin out with defiance he wondered if she saw the questions in his eyes. “However,” she said, “I’m willing to keep quiet about what I have found in exchange for the Harrington shares.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“That I have proof?” she said with a scowl. “Or that I won’t use it?”
All of it, Cooper decided. It wasn’t adding up. Why would someone spend years gathering information on the person she accused of ruining her life and then promise she wouldn’t use it? The Harrington shares were worth a lot, but were they enough to abandon her lifelong pursuit for revenge?
He could not give up the shares. He needed them for his own protection. Cooper might have a stellar reputation in the business world but no one knew about his first solo business deal with John Harrington, Jr.
Cooper was still ashamed of how he had obtained his first deal. He had been desperate to prove himself and show that he didn’t need his father’s name or influence to be a success. John Jr. knew how hungry Cooper was for negotiating a deal and had dangled insider knowledge in front of him. Cooper grabbed at it like a starving man. His first deal was huge and he made a stunning debut in the financial world. It helped him create a legendary image but only John Jr. knew the truth.
It was only a matter of time before John Harrington, Jr., used that information and the truth could destroy Cooper. When he had won the shares Harrington couldn’t afford to gamble away, Cooper knew he could keep John quiet. The Harrington shares were Cooper’s insurance for now.
“I want to see this so-called proof before I even consider giving up the shares,” he told Serena.
She glared at him. “I just gave it to you. I didn’t make it up. How would I have known the places and people unless I had the facts?”
“You repeated hearsay and rumors,” Cooper declared. “I won’t allow myself to be blackmailed for something that doesn’t exist.”
Her fingers bunched into a fist. She was obviously offended that he questioned her word and the work she had put so much effort into. “As I told you,” she bit out, “I don’t have the papers with me.”
Cooper nodded as if he was placating a child about to have a temper tantrum. “Of course you don’t.”
“And it would take too long to have them sent here,” she almost growled.
Cooper tilted his head. Too long? “Are we on a deadline?”
“Yes.” She pressed her lips together. He could see how she gathered her courage before she made her ultimatum. “If you don’t agree with this deal by the end of the week, then I will release the information about your father to the press.”
Hell. He could not let that happen. He needed to get her to see reason and gain her sympathy before she made a move. That required him to change tactics.
“Serena, I’m sure we can come up with an agreement that will satisfy both of us.” He covered her hand with his. His thumb grazed her wrist and he felt the kick of her pulse. He glanced up, startled, and saw the interest widening her eyes as the pleasure chased across her face. She snatched her hand away as if she’d been bit by something dangerous.
Serena Dominguez had been very careful around him. She had shut down his propositions and invitations. His flirtatious banter had been met with cool disdain. But she couldn’t hide her body’s reaction. She could no longer conceal the way her lips parted or the flush in her cheeks. She didn’t seem aware of her body language when she battled with him. Serena would often get closer, open and inviting, as if she forgot all the reasons she needed to maintain a distance.
“You can’t sweet-talk me into changing my mind,” she warned.
He bet he could. His smile was slow and lazy. Confident as the thrill of the hunt sizzled through his chest. As much as she tried to fight it, Serena Dominguez was attracted to him. He had just discovered her weakness.
Unfortunately, the attraction they shared was his weakness, too. He hadn’t seen that she was a worthy opponent until it was too late. But he knew he could use it to his benefit. He could get close to the fire without getting scorched. And, if he played this right, he would get Serena in his bed and on his side.
Serena didn’t like his seductive smile. She didn’t like how it sparked an uncontrollable excitement in her. The hum of energy danced in her veins and she needed it to stop. She placed her hands in her lap and absently stroked her wrist as if it had been burned.
How did Cooper have this kind of power over her? One grazing touch and she couldn’t think about anything else. It didn’t make sense. He had the Brock blood running through his veins. She should be shuddering with revulsion at the thought of breaking bread with him.
No man had power over her. Financially. Physically. Emotionally. She had witnessed how her mother’s future had been decided on by her father’s whims and choices. Serena didn’t understand why any woman would surrender that kind of control over their lives.
Cooper leaned forward and she automatically pressed her spine against the ornate wood chair. “Is this why you have avoided me all month?” he asked in a husky voice. “Because you see me as the enemy?”
“How could I avoid you?” she asked irritably. “You were everywhere I turned.”
“You refused every invitation I offered.”
“You mean every indecent proposal,” she snapped. He had been direct but never crude or coarse. She sensed the savage hunger beneath his veneer of civility, yet the man managed to make the promise of a one-night stand sound like a sacred experience. She rejected him outright but he didn’t give up. If anything, his invitations became more extravagant and imaginative. It had become a game between them.
There were moments when she wished she could have entertained the idea. A few times she wanted to forget about this revenge. Just for one night. Break free from the dark emotions that suffocated her. Explore the attraction she shared with Cooper. Enjoy life.
That was when she knew Cooper Brock was very dangerous. Not once had she considered stepping back from her vengeful plans until she met him. It worried her. She didn’t know why she felt that way. Did it mean her drive was weakening? Or that her desire for Cooper was stronger?
He propped his elbow on the table and rested his strong chin against his hand. “Why didn’t you say yes?”
