Powerful Men 2: Four More Alphas Who Seize Control by Carla Kane Page B

the plank was cleared and she stepped onboard. Dewhurst had already disappeared back into the cabin and as she stood on the deck the plank began to slide automatically onto the boat, powered by some unseen mechanical fixture. Immediately she heard the engine start and the yacht began to pull away from the harbor. She watched the geeky young lady clutching her clipboard on the harbor beside the Cuban boat workers, as they disappeared rapidly behind her. Bon Voyage.
    The boat was a beautiful specimen. Every surface gleamed in the sunlight, polished to perfection. The floor was of exquisitely-crafted wood and the white metal of the building was smooth and free from any flaw, no matter how slight. They were leaving the shoreline at great speed behind them. Overboard, the sound of the cool ocean waves rushed against the boat as it surged out into the sparkling Atlantic. There was still no sign of Dewhurst.
    Figuring now that it must be he himself who was piloting the vessel, Lindsey stepped into the cabin. Inside, the décor was as luxurious as any château or mansion she’d ever been in, the floor beneath her feet was smothered by plush, priceless carpet and the walls were covered with mahogany paneling and tasteful satin wallpaper. At the end of the hallway she saw a steep winding staircase leading to the upper deck. She headed on through.
    The room at the top of the steps consisted almost completely of glass and was filled with futuristic-looking control panels. Standing with his back to her and his hands on a steering wheel, was Leo Dewhurst.
    ‘Mr. Dewhurst,’ Lindsey said, ‘there you are. I was wondering where you’d gone.’
    ‘Please,’ the industrialist replied gruffly without turning around, ‘go back downstairs. The lounge is at the end of the hallway and you can fix yourself a drink. I’ll be with you in a moment.’
    ‘Of course,’ Lindsey replied and popped back down the stairs again.
    She felt a little confused as she followed the dim elegant hallway down towards the lounge. Had she done something to offend him, she wondered, or was he always this standoffish? If so, why had he invited her on this whole extravagant daytrip in the first place, if only to snub her and leave her on her own? She thought about what his assistant had said on the dock, about how temperamental the guy was.
    ‘Shit,’ she whispered to herself, ‘you better not be screwing this up Lindsey.’
    She pushed open the cabin door and stepped into the lounge and immediately, she forgot all of her concerns.
    She stood in the doorway and marveled at the opulent room around her. Classy wasn’t the word. Luxurious was an understatement. The room was one of the finest she’d ever been in, on land or on sea.
    Across from the door was the bar Leo had referred her to. Above a crystal cabinet filled with all manner of impressive wines and liquors, a huge stuffed marlin hung against a wooden trophy board. If Dewhurst’s reputation was anything to go by then the guy had probably caught the monster himself.
    Lindsey cleared her throat and made her way over to the bar. On the counter was a bottle of vodka and – afraid to interfere with any of the more expensive-looking bottles in the cabinet – Lindsey opened it and poured a little into a glass. She reached into the ice container and shoveled a healthy load of ice into her glass. She took a stuffed olive from a jar and put it in the drink to garnish.
    With her glass in hand, she stepped out from behind the bar and considered the room more closely. Across from the huge white leather couch, a large flat-screen TV almost the size of a small cinema was embedded in the wall. To her left, she spotted a framed photograph and stepped closer to get a better look. She sipped her vodka as she considered the photo. The liquor was really good, so good that she didn’t want to think about how much the bottle was probably worth.
    But the picture was much more interesting. It showed three men, handsome but