“Cee, we got him. Jerry Siegal.” I wince as Tobias’s head snaps up from where he sits, and Ryan hands me his cell phone. I go to speak, but Ryan jerks his head insisting I put him on speaker.
“Hell no, I’m not missing this.”
And I can’t deny him this. We’ve been working on this for a solid year. Feeling the livid eyes of the man across the hall, I shake off the ill-feeling it gives, unwilling to let it get to me, and hit the speaker button.
“Jerry, how are you?”
“You fucking bitch,” he seethes on the other end of the line as Tobias stands and walks over to the doorway of my office. I turn my back on him and begin a slow pace behind my desk just as Shelly walks in with an arm full of folders.
“Don’t be such a spoilsport, Jerry. You’ll serve no jail time. You can take that neglected wife of yours on a long vacation. She seems to need it after what? Her second suicide attempt this year? You really should be spending more time at home.”
“I’m going to fucking end you, Horner.”
I glance at Tobias, whose eyes are blazing and smirk. “I’m afraid you’ll have to get in line, and it’s a long one. Growing by the minute.”
Ryan sits in the seat next to me, sporting a shit-eating grin as Jerry continues his tirade. “It’s not enough your snake of a father—”
I wave a hand though he can’t see me. “Roman saw you for the sucker you were and made moves on you because you were weak prey. So, instead of licking your wounds, being innovative, and coming back a more worthy adversary, you decided to one-up him and became even more of a waste of human space. I’m guessing your phone is lighting up right now with investors ready to back out. You might want to use this time wisely instead of making idle threats.”
“I’m going to—”
“Like I said, you’ll have to get in line.” I lay my hands on my desk and look directly at Tobias. “And let’s make one thing perfectly fucking clear. I am not my father, and I’m not his daughter and one more threat from you, and I’ll finish the job he failed to do.” I cut the line as Ryan shakes his head and stands, we exchange an amused look before bursting into laughter.
“We did it,” he says, beaming.
“Couldn’t have done it without you,” I reply. “All right, you know the drill. Just make sure we’re covered.”
“On it,” he says, pulling on his jacket. “And I’m going to grab us a bottle. Something fancy. That French wine you like. What’s it called?”
I swallow, unwilling to look at Tobias. “Louis Latour, but you won’t find it here.”
“I’ll find something,” he assures. I don’t miss the cock salute Ryan and Tobias share before he walks past him. I finally lift my gaze to Tobias, who looms in the doorway, looking like he’s about to splinter into flames. I’d nearly forgotten Shelly, who eyes the two of us where she lurks just behind him. “I have no idea why I came in here, so there’s my excuse to leave.”
As soon as she’s out of earshot, Tobias steps inside and slams the door so hard the windows rattle.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“My job.”
“Cecelia, you don’t fuck with Jerry—”
“Oh, but you were. You were making moves. I beat you to it. You should stay and celebrate with us.”
“He’s not the guy—”
“He’s exactly the guy,” I argue. “The head, not the foot. Your words. I know what I’m doing. I have all the makings of a federal case being couriered to his desk right about now to ensure I live to fight another day. Something happens to me or anyone within my company, or any others close to us, he goes to prison for life.”
“It’s fucking dangerous,” he snaps, taking two strides in, placing his thick fingertips on my desk.
“I’m aware I’m stacking up enemies. I do what’s necessary to ensure my safety and the safety of those who work for me. But this is my side gig, and it’s none of your business. And who are you, of all people, to preach to me about what I do under the radar?”
“I gave that information to you in confidence,” he snaps.
“Dear Daddy’s old business partner needed to be put down, Tobias. So, I used the information for good. You can’t honestly tell me you weren’t aware of what I’ve been doing all this time.”
“Those were little fish.”
“Only the minnows you were aware of,” I counter. “The ones I purposefully fed you. When it comes to me these days, you don’t know everything. Not anymore.”
“Jerry’s not just the fucking head, Cecelia. He’s the neck too. You can’t snap the neck and not expect—”
Scowling, I shake my head. “I expect opposition. I expect someone to best me. And at some point, someone will,” I repeat his words from years ago. “I’m also aware that what I don’t know will hurt me. But I’m playing the game, I’m on the board, Tobias and have been for years. I don’t need or want your permission to do it. And I damn sure don’t want your advice. It’s my decision which heads to hunt.”
“You’re asking for war.”
“I declared it long ago, and I’m already in battle. I came out guns blazing because it’s the only way to do it. I’m playing my part.”
Seconds pass as we stare off, and I swear I see a swell of pride in his eyes before it disappears.
“This is what you saw in your father’s boardroom all those years ago.”
I nod. “I dreamed a thousand dreams, but this was the first one.”
“You didn’t tell me.” He has the audacity to sound hurt.
I step around my desk and cross my arms, leaning on the edge of the desk next to him.
“Sorry if it’s not the part you decided for me to play when you sent me away to live out some other fictional reality.” I huff with contempt. “What exactly did you see for me after I left here? A two-car garage, a picket fence, a tire swing out front? I’ll have all that when I’m ready, but for now, I’ve taken my position. And that head was mine to take. I have it on good authority Jerry’s the one who sent Miami.”
“Jesus Christ,” he fists his hands at his forehead.
“Take it up with anyone you want, but don’t preach to me about what’s dangerous.” I push off my desk. “I made friends with dangerous. We’re intimate now. We’re in bed together. The Beretta in my purse has real bullets. I paid for it with real money. In my club, we know the worth of a woman’s intellect. And fuck a fort, I want them to see who’s taking them down.”
Tobias grips me by the neck, his eyes roaming my face. “You want a pat on the back? You want my approval for making stupid moves?”
“It wasn’t a stupid move. It just wasn’t yours.” We’re so close now, anyone who came in would feel the whirring. Reaching back, I release his fingers one by one, and he allows it before I step away. “Rest assured, Mr. King, that was my last move for some time. I’ve been thinking a lot about my other dreams.”
He eyes the ring on my finger and turns before throwing open the door and marching over to his office. Confused, I watch him rip a box open before he flips his office light off. A second later, he comes back into my office and slams a bottle of Louis Latour onto my desk. “I guess congratulations are in order.”
I don’t bother to correct him. “Don’t suppose you have a corkscrew?”
He leans in, his tone lethal. “If you keep fucking with me, Cecelia, I’m going to make this hurt.”
I shrug. “Of course, you will.”
He turns and strides out of my office and out of sight. Sitting by my desk twisting the ring on my finger, I stare into his dark empty office. And the next day, it stays empty.
“Horner,” the jailor calls just as I finish out my fourth hour behind bars.
Ryan eyes me through a small window as I sign for my possessions and account for them in a plastic bag before I’m buzzed through another door. It’s only when we’re outside that his lecture begins.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“What do you m
ean?” I ask, tugging my coat tightly around me.
“Don’t play stupid. You got arrested for going a hundred and three in a fifty and caught with nearly an ounce of weed. What do you call that?”
“A fantastic Thursday afternoon?”
“This isn’t funny!”
“Depends on who you’re asking.” I frown. “And that was some damn good weed. I guess I’ll have to go back to that deli.”
Ryan blinks at me like I just shot him.
“I was just feeling nostalgic.”
“Who in the hell are you?” He asks, eyeing me.
“Relax, you can get the charges dropped. They didn’t even fingerprint me. It was a power play. He wanted to send a message.”
“You mean—”
“Shhh,” I laugh, darting my eyes left and right. “Dare not say his name.”
“Cecelia, this isn’t funny. I looked into him. He owns half this town, including the hotel I’m staying at.”
“The police too. And I’m aware. And I asked you specifically not to do that.”
“So, you are aware Exodus Inc—”
“Very.”
“He’s a bigger player than Jerry was.”
“Operative word for Jerry being was,” I counter.
“I don’t trust him,” Ryan grabs my elbow and escorts me to the parking lot.
I sober. “Neither do I.”
“Then why are you poking this bear?”
“I told you, he owes me.”
“He had you thrown in jail. I don’t think you should plan on collecting.”
“I will. Don’t you see it’s working?”
“Yeah, I can see how you would think that,” he snaps sarcastically.
“Tobias is a different animal. But I need you to trust me.”
“This town is starting to freak me out.”
“Feeling eyes on you everywhere, huh?”
“It’s not funny.
“Oh, but it is. I’ve got him right where I want him.”
“Only if that’s annoyed.”
“Exactly.”
“I really hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I do. Kind of.”
He sighs. “I can get the possession charge dropped, and the ticket reduced to something less criminal, but you aren’t getting your car back.”
I pause my walk. “What?”
“There was a van on the road, and so they accused you of street racing. They’re impounding your Audi for a minimum of thirty days. I may be able to wipe the charges, but small towns like this will suck you dry with penalties to make their quota.”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine, that was fucking reckless. What are you doing?” He asks as he escorts me to his car. I go to take the keys, and he jerks his head. “Hell no. You’re lucky you got to keep your license.”
“Fine.” I sigh and get in when he opens the passenger door.
“This is not like you. What is happening here?”
“I’m sorry, Dad. Let’s just pay the fines, and I’ll figure a car out.”
“I’ve already got a rental lined up. But, Cee—”
“I had a moment,” I admit sheepishly. “It was stupid. It’s over.”
Once behind the wheel he regards me carefully. “You’ve been having moments since we got here.”
“I know, okay? I know. I’ve just been feeling a little restless lately.”
“What exactly happened here?”
“Too much to explain, and too unbelievable for you to imagine.”
I turn to him, resigned. I trust Ryan with my life. He’s the one and only person who’s helped me with my side hustle in bringing the most notorious down. He’s proven himself time and time again. “Am I really losing you?”
“Yes. Answer the question.”
“I did answer you, just before you resigned.”
“This shit right here is why I’m not changing my mind.”
He starts the car and takes off, driving me toward my father’s house.
“I don’t want to go back there.”
“Tough shit. You need to really think about what you’re doing. You’ve all but declared war on a man who does nothing but glare at you.”
“Haven’t noticed.” I stare out the window as clusters of evergreens pass in a blur. “I’m sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s fine, Cee, just, I’m worried.” He glances over at me. “Just tell me how I can help fix the real problem.”
“You can’t. No one can. He knows what I want, and until he gives it to me, I’m stuck here in limbo.” I cover his arm with my hand over the console. “You can go home. I’m set up here now. I have to see this through.”
“Look at what just happened. You think I’ll leave you here to deal with it alone?”
“It’s the only way to deal with it,” I say, resigned. “It’s time, Ryan. I’ve got to do this myself.”
I turn back to the passing landscape and see we’re already on the long road back to the house. “Our business is concluded; it’s all personal now.”
I can feel his blue eyes on me but decide not to acknowledge it as he pulls up to the gate, and I give him the code. He whistles in appreciation as we draw closer to the house. “Nice.”
“It’s a great big fucking lie.”
He frowns. “What do you mean?”
“I mean there’s no life inside that house. It’s haunted. Want a tour?”
“I do, but I won’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll try to kiss you. And you won’t let me.”
“Ryan—”
He grips the wheel irritated. “I fucking hate this. I hate the fact that I have to go home and find another job.” He turns to me. “But I will. And I’ll find another woman to love. A more beautiful woman, a smarter woman, a woman who isn’t in love with someone else. Should be easy,” he drawls sarcastically.
I lean over and kiss his jaw. “You will find her, Ryan. I know you will. Don’t settle. And when you resent me a little less and love her a lot more, please reach out to me. I already miss you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’ve got me. You’ve done your job.”
He shakes his head. “This doesn’t feel right. I can wait.”
“I’m under his protection here. He’ll be hard-pressed to admit it, but you don’t have to worry about my safety. Trust me. I’m not. Go home. Find that job, but take a salary until you do. But I know someone who could really use you.”
“It won’t be the same.”
“Collin needs you more than I do right now.”
He nods. “Way to guilt me, Cee.” He runs a hand over his jaw. “Fuck, I feel like my band is breaking up.”
“It’s just life. People come and go. But I don’t want to lose you, totally. Not you, Ryan. Promise me that you’ll eventually reach out to me.”
“I will. I was going to stand by and watch you marry another man. I promise we’re good.” He runs his hands along the steering wheel before bringing his dejected gaze back to mine. “I had to try, didn’t I? Isn’t that why you’re here?”
I nod. A piece of my heart breaking. This is the damage I’ve caused by just showing up to Triple Falls. By setting Collin free. Another casualty to add in the wake of my reckless heart. “I love you,” he says with surety. “No matter what.”
“Love you too.”
Defeated, he thumps his head back on the rest and turns to me. “Now get out of my car, you reek of weed and teenage angst.”
Smiling tearfully, I step out and stare up at the house. Feeling my hesitation, Ryan speaks up from where he sits behind me.
“He loves you, you know.” I turn back to where he sits. “Not that I’m encouraging this shit because let me make myself clear, I hate him. He’s a pompous, French asshole. But no man can rage that much over a woman that means nothing to them. He’s fighting it.”
“Thanks for that.”
“I would wish you luck, but the asshole
is toast.”
If only that were true. Then it might make all my sacrifices worth it.
“Call me when you land?”
“I’ll text you.” He drops his gaze as I step away from the car.
Ryan’s been in my life for years, and I can’t imagine not seeing him on the regular. I’ve dismantled my life, my company. People I love and work for because of a fucking bad dream, because of a past I can’t outlive. And my resentment only grows.
The gravity of it strikes me as I close the passenger door and he drives off, granting me the freedom, per my request, to face this alone.
Your move, Mr. King.
The first four days of the following week, Tobias avoids me at all costs by locking himself in his office when he decides to show up after missing every morning meeting. I don’t bother to call him out on it, because it’s pointless. Regardless of his intentions to block me out, Shelly and I have spent endless hours going over the financials and programs to be set in place. And for the most part, we’ve accomplished a lot. If I left now, I’m confident she would see it all through. Tobias has been working on similar ventures most of his career, but I’m not quite done yet, and it’s my loyalty to the workers that will keep me here to see it through. But the fact that he’s avoided me so artfully makes my mission that much harder. But even on the days he keeps his office sealed, I can feel his curious stares and the weight they hold. I have no idea what it’s going to take to get my answers, but the more time that passes, the more I’m starting to believe I’ll never get them. And for that, my anger only grows.
Desperate for a friendly face, I park my rental and exit the car locking it up before I make my way through the door. A bell jingles at my arrival.
“Be right there,” she calls from the dressing room. The shop has changed in appearance, newly renovated, fresh paint on the walls, a new and improved logo. As I search the rack for new dresses intent on helping her make her quota for the month, I smile. It’s good to know some things haven’t changed.
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