The Tycoon's Secret(43)

"Just coming out to say, hi," the man said as he took another step in Damien's direction, making sure to show him he wasn't intimidated in the least. Of course, he's not intimidated, he's surrounded by his body-builder friends, Damien thought snidely.

"I'm looking for Sierra," he said as he sized up each man.

"Why don't we chat first? I'm Chad Redington and this is my place. These are my brothers-in-law and various family members," Chad said, not moving an inch. Damien tensed. He didn't like being blocked.

"I'm Damien Whitfield, as you already know. Now that introductions are over with, maybe I can see my employee." Damien didn't need to know who the men were. He recognized them from the research he'd done for years on the Anderson men, but he was silent as Chad continued.

"Introductions have just begun, Mr. Whitfield. You haven't been formally introduced to the rest of the guys. This is Lucas Anderson, my wife's cousin, and next to him is Trenton Anderson, her brother. The two in the middle are Max and Austin, also my wife's brothers. We're all a bit protective of who comes around," Chad said, not once breaking his even, smooth tone. To an outsider, it may sound like he was having a pleasant chat, but Damien had zero doubt he was warning Damien that if he was there to cause trouble, he may as well turn around. Damien wondered how much Sierra had said.

After that thought hit, he finally realized he was standing there with half the Anderson family. This was what his end goal was, to get in a room with them without being seemingly eager to do so, learn what made them tick, find out their weaknesses.

He was so far gone on his obsession with Sierra, he'd thought of nothing but getting through them and to her. What was wrong with him?

"Chatting sounds like a good idea," Damien finally said, ignoring the small voice inside him that just wanted to find Sierra.




 

 

"Good. Let's go to my den," Chad said, looking pleased it wasn't going to turn into a brawl on his front steps. Damien would bet money that Chad's wife would ream him out if that ended up happening. If she was like Trinity, in the least, and most women were the same in the sense that they didn't want their men fighting. It was almost worth it to start the battle.

Damien was confident in his strength, but he wasn't stupid. He was too outnumbered to have a chance of winning a physical battle with all the men surrounding him.

Chad walked in the door while the other men parted to let him through. He walked ahead, his eyes connecting with each man, showing he wasn't about to cower. The group was silent as they went down a wide hallway, then through a set of double doors into a warm den.

Damien looked around the room, surprised by the number of framed photographs on the walls. Most men liked trophies in their private man-caves, but it seemed pictures were Chad's trophies.

He strolled over to a wall filled with images. Damien realized he recognized most of the people in them, those who were currently in the room with him, and those not present. There were only a few he couldn't recall ever seeing.

Damien had done a lot of research through the years on the Anderson's and could spot them from a mile away. To avoid making a fool of himself, he stopped just before reaching for one of the framed pictures.

It was of his Uncles, George and Joseph, surrounded by what seemed their entire family. Smiles abounded in the group filled with adults and hordes of children of all different ages and sizes.

It looked to the outside world like a beautiful family, but Damien knew what truly ran through their veins. He wouldn't be surprised if they bled black tar. Greed changed a person.

No one said a word as he silently gazed at his family, at a picture he rightfully should've been in, had they not cast his mother aside so coldly. When he realized he'd taken longer than he should have, and also that he shouldn't have any interest in family pictures of strangers, he turned around, making sure to compose his features.

"What would you like to drink?"

Chad knew it was a test, but he wasn't there to please them or worry about what they thought. He knew his liquor but he didn't like whiskey or rum. He was a wine man, and only when the occasion struck him. But he didn't want them to know anything about him, so he decided to request a beer.

"I'll take a bud if you have one," he answered. Chad looked surprised for a minute, but recovered quickly before going to a fridge that blended into the wall, looking like just another panel.

Damien had something similar in his own place. As he looked around the room, he noticed that he and Chad had a lot of the same tastes. 

"Here you go. Have a seat."

"I'm fine standing," Damien told him, not wanting to give that advantage to the men.

"Suit yourself. How did you meet Sierra?"