Chapter 1 - The Cost of Arrogance
Roland Pike stormed down the hallway with his clipboard gripped tightly in his hands.
He did not look at the massive Cane Corso sitting on the marble floor.
He did not look at the tall man standing quietly in the shadows.
He only saw Marin Caldwell kneeling beside her cleaning cart instead of scrubbing the tile.
"What did I just tell you about taking breaks?" Pike snapped, his voice echoing sharply down the long corridor.
Marin flinched, instinctively pulling her hand away from Titan’s massive head.
Titan let out a low, vibrating growl that sounded like an engine turning over in the dark.
Pike finally froze, his eyes dropping to the hundred-and-fifty-pound dog blocking his path.
Then his gaze traveled upward, landing on the man in the charcoal overcoat.
The color instantly drained from Pike’s face.
Everyone who worked in Vance Tower knew what the owner looked like, even if they had never spoken to him.
Dorian Vance stepped fully into the light.
He did not raise his voice.
He did not make any sudden movements.
He simply looked at the supervisor with eyes that were entirely devoid of warmth.
"You were docking her pay," Dorian said, making it a statement rather than a question.
Pike swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously against his collar.
"Mr. Vance, sir, I was just enforcing the contractor guidelines."
"She is entirely too slow."
"She leaves stains on the floor."
Titan bared his teeth, the sound in his chest growing deeper and far more dangerous.
Dorian raised a single finger, and the dog instantly fell silent, though his eyes never left Pike.
"She is slow because she is wearing a medical brace on her leg," Dorian said softly.
"A brace you are forcing her to kneel on."
Pike took a step backward, suddenly realizing how close he was to losing much more than his job.
"I didn't mean any disrespect, Mr. Vance."
"We have quotas to meet for your building."
Dorian reached into his overcoat and pulled out a sleek, black mobile phone.
He pressed a single button on speed dial.
"Security," a voice answered immediately.
"Bring a box to the eighteenth floor," Dorian commanded.
"Roland Pike is no longer employed in this building, this city, or any property associated with my name."
Pike opened his mouth to argue, but the look on Dorian's face completely silenced him.
"If I ever hear that you have spoken to a woman like that again, I will not fire you," Dorian added quietly.
"I will bury you."
Within two minutes, armed security personnel arrived and escorted a trembling Pike out of the building.
Dorian put his phone away and turned his attention back to the woman on the floor.
Marin was staring at him, her chest rising and falling with panicked, shallow breaths.
She tried to push herself up, but her bad leg buckled under the sudden weight.
Before she could hit the floor, Dorian closed the distance between them.
He caught her arm, his grip surprisingly gentle for a man with such a terrifying reputation.
"Do not stand on it," Dorian ordered softly.
Titan nudged his wet nose against Marin's free hand, offering silent support.
Marin looked up into Dorian's dark eyes, completely overwhelmed by the surreal turn her life had just taken.
"You didn't have to do that," she whispered.
May you like
"Yes, I did," Dorian replied, easily lifting her off the marble floor and into his arms.
"You are coming with me."
