CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

S tefano sat at his desk with his feet up and shrugged.

“I don’t give a shit. Tell them the equipment and my team are gone, so I’m not paying them.”

On the monitor, two faces stared back at him blankly.

“It’s three million dollars,” one of them finally said. “They’re furious. I can’t just go back to them with that. Respectfully, sir.”

He dropped his feet and picked up a pen, pointing it at the screen.

“Bring the humans in and wipe their memories. It was due to happen soon, anyway. Problem solved.”

He clicked End and shut his laptop.

No way was Stefano paying out that much cash when a big part of his operation had been pulled apart by the Moretti’s. He hadn’t expected them to find their location so soon. Not until more damage had been done.

He’d enjoyed taunting them at the restaurant, but that had backfired. While he was playing games, they had gotten the upper hand. For now.

All his machines and intellectual property were now in the hands of the Moretti’s, as well as that sexy piece of ass, Sofia. His cock twitched. Yeah, he probably could go back for seconds on that one.

But first, he needed a plan.

He’d call a meeting with his stakeholders and regroup, then he’d unearth the traitors and get his brothers back. He knew they were on their way back to Italy.

When he retrieved them from the Moretti prison, he’d arrange to have Sofia returned as well. Her father owed him a favor, and it was time he had a mate. It didn’t matter she wasn’t actually his mate, but they would make a great power couple.

He just needed to dampen down that spirit and teach her to want him sexually.

A lot.

Oh yes, he’d be tasting her a lot.