Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“There’s a player in the game that intrigues me.” He spun his wine before he took a drink. “I’m normally dismissive of ambitious young men, but he seems different. They tend to burn hot and fast and quickly turn to ash—but not this one. He’s offered me a partnership because he’s exempt from the regulations.”
“What does he want in return?”
“A cut.”
“You never deal anyone in.”
“No, but I can’t keep killing prime ministers either.” Now that the conversation was strictly business, his infectious smile was gone and a seriousness spread across his face. “I can do things the hard way, or I can do things the easy way. He considers himself a liaison between business owners like me…and the forces that want to take those businesses away. I wouldn’t be his only client.”
I looked down at my glass as I swirled it.
“You aren’t happy about this.”
“You always told me to avoid outside relationships as much as possible.”
“Even with his cut, we would still be making exponentially more because this avenue is cheaper than the alternatives. Yes, outside relationships should be avoided, but the biggest priority is cutting costs wherever we can. With him, it’s two birds with one stone.”
I finally took a slice of baguette and spread the soft cheese over the surface. With a dab of honey and fig, it was scrumptious. If I were alone right now, I could sit there and eat the entire thing.
The corner of his mouth cocked in a smile, looking at me like I was a little girl who had smeared my ice cream cone all over my face. With just a single look, he could show me how much I meant to him, that I was the light of his life, the single most important person. “He’s coming for dinner in an hour. I’d like you to sit in.”
I finished the slice of bread then wiped my fingers on the white linen napkin. “That’s why you asked me to come over.”
“Now that the business is changing, you need to be aware of it. Maybe I’ll be around for ten more years. Maybe forty. I’d like to be prepared for whenever that happens. My men respect you, and even in death, they wouldn’t dare cross me because their loyalty is bone-deep.”
“You think I have what it takes…?” My father had an energy that I couldn’t emulate. The moment he stepped in the room, everyone noticed, even when they had no idea who he was. He was admired and respected, and he always seemed to be several steps ahead of both his contemporaries and his enemies. We might have the same blood, but I wasn’t sure if I inherited his intelligence and astuteness. He seemed to think I had.
His eyes remained on me, and slowly, the smile left his face as he turned serious. “Absolutely.”
My father sat on the couch in front of the fire, legs crossed as he worked on his phone.
I sat on the other couch, feeling the heat of the fire on my face as I looked out the window and saw the illuminated terrace. I saw a flash of headlights, so I knew our guests had arrived.
A moment later, one of the men entered the room and came to my father’s side. He didn’t speak, not until my father acknowledged him with a stare.
My father locked his phone before he met the man’s gaze. “Yes?”
“Your dinner guest has arrived.”
“Excellent.” He got to his feet and smoothed out his jacket even though there wasn’t a single wrinkle. He adjusted his sleeves as well, straightening the collared shirt tucked underneath. “Ready, sweetheart?”
I nodded before I got to my feet, slightly nervous at the prospect of such an intimate evening.
“I’ll do all the talking. Your only job is to listen.”
“Alright.”
He regarded me before he came close. “Or you can excuse yourself for the evening if you prefer.”
“I’m fine. Just a bit nervous.”
“Why?” He slipped his hands into his pockets.
“When you talk about dying, it always makes me uncomfortable.”
“I’m not arrogant enough to assume that will never happen. It probably won’t happen, but it may.” He studied me. “Unless this isn’t what you want. Because it’s okay if it’s not.”
“No, it is. I just can’t imagine running business as usual, knowing you’re gone.”
A gentle smile moved on to his lips. “Let’s not worry about the future when we can enjoy the present.” He stepped to the side so I could pass, lifting his arm for me to move ahead. “Come on.”
We made our way to the dining room, the back wall a solid window that showed the garden outside, blue hydrangeas and white flowers with beautiful greenery. Drops were on the large leaves from the drip line.
The man was already there, standing at the window and admiring the garden. Dressed in all black—black jeans and a black shirt with the sleeves pushed to his elbows—he stood with his muscular back to us. His shoulders were wide and bulky too. He had short dirty-blond hair, and even from the rear, his sharp jawline was prominent. When he heard us, he turned to greet us.