“There was an…incident with a business of mine,” he said. “It was ruled an accident, but you know how people talk.”
“So sorry for you.” I crossed my arms. “What do you need from me?”
“Well,” he said, glancing around like someone might be listening, “I started hearing your name again. Some merger talk. A little press. You’re getting invited back to the table, yeah?”
I gritted my teeth.
“Figured it couldn’t hurt to stop by, see how the golden boy’s doing. Maybe ask for a little help, the kind that makes the right questions go away.”
“Help,” I echoed. “From me.”
“I just need a place to sit some money?—”
“You want to launder your shit throughmycompany?” I asked, my voice sharp now.
He chuckled. “That’s such an ugly word. I’m offering a partnership, Miles. You hold some money from me while I have a few deals go through. I get a little cover. I cut you a check in the end.”
“And when the Feds come knocking, should I play dumb?”
Victor’s smile didn’t falter. “You’re smarter than that.”
“I can’t do that, Victor.”
“You can.” Victor shrugged. “Emails. Texts. A few creative ledgers. It’s not hard to make it look like you were deeper in than you were when you took my money. If someone starts digging…well. You’d be surprised how convincing a paper trail can be.” He smiled, slow and oily. “People might even think you’re a real criminal.”
“You’re threatening me now?”
He stepped in, close enough for me to smell the smoke on his breath.
“Do what the fuck I say,” he said. “Or I make sure your pretty new wife and her family find out exactly who you are. Who you’vealwaysbeen.”
I didn’t blink. “What am I, Victor?”
He laughed. Not loud—low and cruel.
“You’re your father’s son.”
That landed like a slap.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck?—
“Let’s meet at that new office of yours? The one with the protestors? How about ten o’clock tonight? I’ll bring the champagne for this new partnership.” Victor grinned at me. A car I hadn’t noticed creeping up behind us stopped, and he opened the passenger side door. “Tell your wife I said congratulations.”
Then he turned and got in the car. I didn’t breathe until he was gone.
A car honked loudly, and I jumped. I turned to find Serena in her Range Rover giving me a look.
“Why are you standing out here? Are you coming in?”
I turned to glance back down the road Victor had just been.
“Miles?”
I schooled my face into something that wouldn’t raise questions and motioned toward the mansion.
“Let’s go.”
CHAPTER 15
