A large hand closed on one of Stephan's shoulders and spun him just in time to meet the connecting force of Dominic's fist. He stumbled backwards, but did not fall. If possible, his smile only grew wider even as he rubbed his bright red jaw.
Dominic glared down at Abby. "You can stop making eyes at him now, he's leaving."
Abby sputtered in defense. "I was not…"
Stephan's derision filled laughter froze their exchange. "You're getting soft, Dominic, and that's what is going to make it easier to bring you down."
Dominic's hands clenched at his sides. "Laugh all you want, but after today, Corisi Enterprises will be bit more difficult to screw with. We're out of your league, Stephan. You can't touch us now."
Stephan looked disturbingly like a cat who knew the canary cage had a back door. "Don't be too sure about that, Dominic."
His smile faltered a bit when Dominic gripped him by the lapels of his jacket and hauled him forward until they were nose to nose. Dominic's voice held a deadly calm. "Any hurt you might have incurred from me in the past was an unfortunate consequence of your poor business skills. In the future, it will be a bit more personal." He let the threat sink in before releasing Stephan with a powerful shove that sent him back several feet. "Get out of here, Stephan, before I stop caring about how killing you would affect this deal."
Stephan's veneer of civility cracked, revealing a deep animosity toward Dominic. He said, "No one is untouchable, Dominic. I doubt you'll be as smug the next time we meet."
Dominic's only response was a small nod to his security who were instantly on alert. Wise enough to retreat, Stephan bowed sarcastically, rejoined his group and left the foyer.
Dominic's put a possessive arm around Abby's waist. "Don't even think about going with him."
Abby gasped in surprise and leaned away from him so she could see his face. He was serious. "Are you crazy?"
Zhang piped up from behind them, "And they say women are dramatic."
Abby tried to step out of Dominic's grasp, but her struggles only tightened his determined hold. Dominic addressed Zhang without turning around to face her. "Zhang, pray I don't discover that you had something to do with Stephan being here."
Not one to accept a threat lightly, Zhang made one of her own. "You're in tailspin right now, Dominic, but choose your adversaries with care. You wouldn't make it out of the building alive if you laid a hand on me." She stepped forward until she was face to face with Abby. "You're not alone, Abby. Say the word and I can have you on a plane to anywhere in the world in minutes."
Dominic looked down at Abby as if realizing for the first time that he'd held her in his crushing grip. His touch turned gentle, almost apologetic for a moment and his stormy gray eyes searched hers. Whatever inner decision he came to didn't seem to please him. He released her, but motioned for his security to approach. "She's not going anywhere."
A young Chinese man approached and excused the intrusion. "Mr. Corisi, the press waits for you in the main conference room."
"Let them wait," Dominic ground out.
The young man wrung one of his hands with the other. "The Minister will enter the room in the next few minutes. He should not enter before you. It is impolite to make him wait. Please, sir, you must come now."
Zhang agreed with the nervous messenger. "It would not be good to start our new alliance by offending the Minister again."
Jake spoke up. His rational voice sounded out of place in a room that was vibrating with emotion. "Why don't I take Abby back to the hotel for now?"
Dominic's displeasure with the suggestion was clear, but Jake wasn't backing down. Abby realized that despite the angry exchange she'd witnessed earlier, their bond was still solid. Jake was willing to shoulder another lashing from Dominic's temper if it meant protecting his friend from a scandal born in the heat of his anger. Was that also why he'd paid Scott to watch Dominic? It made sense now.
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"No," Dominic barked. "She's not going anywhere. At least not until I figure out what her role in all of this was … and yours."
Jake blanched slightly, accepting the flogging. "I deserve that. In light of today's events, I can see that my actions look pretty damning, but I was trying to anticipate damage control. I never met Abby before you introduced us. You have to believe that."
Dominic's expression remained closed. "I don't know what I believe right now, but I suggest you make yourself scarce until I have time to get the facts."
Jake nodded in concession. "That sounds fair. I still think you should let me take Abby out of here until you have time to cool off."