Once the last straggler disappeared around the corner, I allowed myself to breathe. Liza’s office was safe… for now.
I returned to Bryce, who leaned against the car in the universal pose of relaxation, one leg crossed over the other and his arms over his chest, a shit-eating grin on his face. He glared over his sunglasses at me, clearly amused by my recent display. “Wanna stop anywhere else to chew a crowd out? Maybe the grocery store or the post office? I bet if we search hard enough, we’ll find a Girl Scout troop trying to sell cookies in an undesignated area.”
I shot him a look that was equal parts annoyance and amusement. “Shut the fuck up, Bryce.”
“Okay, okay.” Bryce chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender.
As he started the engine, I took one last look at Liza’s office building, wondering how the crowd would have responded if Liza had been inside. I doubted they would’ve just sat idly on the lawn, especially after seeing those fuckers climbing the gates at the estate. They may have seemed peaceful, but it would only have taken one of them to start a riot. I took my phone out and texted Isaiah, requesting he put a detail on the office building, even if she wasn’t there.
“Ty?” Bryce’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “You okay, man?”
“Fine.” My fingers tapped rhythmically against the door handle, betraying my unease.
The drive to the steakhouse was otherwise silent, save for the low hum of the engine and the occasional rumble of tires over uneven road. My gaze drifted past the world outside the window, buildings and faces blurring together as my mind continued to grapple with the uneasy feeling that haunted me. The meeting with Maximus loomed over me like an impending storm, its potential consequences impossible to predict. I could only hope that my instincts and our backup would get us through the meeting and whatever fresh hell awaited us.
We arrived at the steakhouse right on time. Good that we weren’t late—one less thing Maximus could throw in my face.
“Ready?” Bryce parked the car near the door, his earlier teasing gone.
“Let’s get this fucking over with.”
The hefty wooden door creaked open when we stepped inside, and we were immediately assaulted by the unmistakable scent of Maximus. Dim lights cast shadows across the polished hardwood floor while the gentle clink of glasses and silverware met my ears.
I almost laughed at the pathetic attempt to assert dominance through scent. It was nothing compared to my own. My gaze swept across the room, finally settling on Maximus lounging in a booth like a mob boss, surrounded by his muscle.
As I approached, his face twisted into a scowl. He must have realized his scent had absolutely no effect on me. I could easily overshadow his, but it wasn’t worth the waste of energy.
“Tyson.” Maximus greeted us, flashing a smile that irked the fuck out of me. “Glad you could make it.”
“Maximus.” I acknowledged his existence but didn’t bother to act happy.
“Shall we move this to the private room?” Bryce and I walked through while Maximus and his bootleg boys scurried to follow. I allowed Maximus to take a seat and then sat across from him asBryce slid in beside me. The smugness radiating from Maximus made me want to punch him in his face. The man thought way too fucking much of himself.
“Let’s talk business.” Maximus leaned back in his seat. “As you may have heard, I’ve been making some deals lately, and they’ve been quite successful. Most have been online ventures, but I’m ready to move to a brick-and-mortar establishment.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Success is relative, Maximus. The Keller empire’s deals are on a much larger scale than yours.”
“Ah, but we all have to start somewhere.” Maximus smirked, doing nothing to hide his arrogance.
I hated these cock swinging contests, but they were a necessary part of business, especially with the likes of him.
“True, but if you’re trying to impress me, you’ll need to do better than that,” I stated flatly.
“Fine, let’s get down to it, then.” Irritation flickered across his face before he regained his composure. “I’m sure you’re aware of my latest venture.”
“Not at all.” I crossed my arms and leaned back. “Why don’t you fill me in on the details?”
“Of course.” A predatory grin spread across his face, and I braced for whatever asinine idea he’d concocted. “You see, I’ve been working on a project that has the potential to make us all very, very rich.”
“Go on.” My interest piqued, despite my better judgment.
“Imagine a luxurious hotel and casino, catering to the elite of our society,” Maximus began, attempting badly to paint a picture with his words. “A place where people can indulge their every whim and desire, all under one roof. And we, my friend, will be the ones reaping the profits.”
“Sounds ambitious.” I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about this whole thing. “But what makes youthink you can pull something off on such a large scale? You said yourself that most of your dealings have been online.”
“Because I know people, Tyson.” Maximus’s voice dripped with confidence. “And I know what they want. With your backing, there’s no way this can fail.”
There it was. He needed my backing, my money, my influence, and my power to get his idea off the ground. Why did he think I was the person to partner with? He should have been speaking with Hiram. After all, his expertise was casinos. For fuck’s sake, the guy literally lived in one of his casinos in a penthouse on the top floor.
