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Ruby opens the large, glass door with a nod, allowing me to make my way inside our offices from the chilly outside. My parents integrated the company under the umbrella called Donnelly Holding Corp. about three years ago.
“Good morning, pet.” Despite my fatigue, I enjoy the way her cheeks flush at the words. She hates it when I call her that. Hates to be reminded of the day I offered her an out when I found her on the streets, a homeless shell that sold her body for food and drugs. I employed her on the spot. In return, she does what I say. It’s simple. But she doesn’t like it when I call her out on it. My lips curl in a small smile and I ruffle her hair, before making my way to the elevator.
Corporate Solutions Inc. was bought to start off my career as a lawyer after I graduated with honors at NYU. Being one of the most infamous families in New York, the media was straight on the case.Theycalled it an exceptional present for a gifted child.Wecalled it a strategic move to get us closer to our goal: me becoming the next leader of our organization. It was the perfect move at the time. Today…not so much.
Don’t get me wrong, I love being a lawyer. There’s something very satisfying about being presented with problems that require finding the loopholes in the US legal system.
Verysatisfying.
If there’s anything my upbringing has taught me, it’s to protect what’sours. So, by definition,anyoneentering my office and taking the seat across from my desk is a motherfucker I want to take out. And I’m good at eliminating.
I love the thrill, the fight. Battling against courageous fuckers who like to file claims against our company—who want to be in on the fun of the money and think they have a right to own a piece of the cake. I enjoy washing away any complaints and rolling over their emotions like a thousand-pound truck in the process of doing so. Makes my dick go hard.Literally. Just the thought of it.
I readjust my pants as I make my way into the elevator. Since people know who I am, I shouldn’t just disappear to the back. So, I give them a clipped nod and mumble a “good morning” before I do just that, turning my back to the mirror. I take out my phone and stare at the blank screen. Anything to pretend that I’m not seeing the appreciative looks from the bitches glancing my way. Anything to keep from catching my own reflection, for that matter. It’s too fucking early and I’m feeling hungover, which is fucked up since I only had two whiskeys last night with the team, before taking Candy to a back room where I fucked her brains out.
So much fucking drama. Whether it’s some whore saying she got screwed, which she obviously did but in a different sense, or neighbors complaining about the noise. They’re all so sensitive about it. My God, I love the looks on their faces when they stride into my office, accompanied by their expensive lawyers—eager, hopeful, ready to negotiate and make a deal. Such a huge contrast with the raw disappointment on those same faces by the time they leave, their tails between their legs. The other day I had a stripper who blamed us for her drug abuse. Sure, we provide her with drugs, as well as a salary. So, she ends up being defeated by the ones that fuel her addiction. Life’s a bitch, right? Yeah, it’s the perfect job for the daytime.
The nighttime's a whole different ballgame though. Ever since Mom discovered this long-lost uncle in Paris, she cannot stop talking about her and Dad moving to this French island. She wants to fully discover her French roots without being too far away from me and Con. Which means it’s my cue to step up as leader and learn the tricks of the trade. So far, so good. But, them bossing me around during night hours truly wounds my pride. I do love you Mom and Dad, but I’m twenty-five, for God’s sake, not some little kid.
Although becoming the leader entails a lot more than I originally thought. I think that’s got to do with the fact thatbeforeI thought we owned over fifty Gentlemen's Clubs throughout the country that went by the name, The Whisper. Full stop. But there’s more. So much more, that I haven’t yet reached the bottom of the filth and glory that our inner circle calls The Business. Funny how I used to think that nicknameonlyreferred to the multimillion-dollar empire that my parents built. Namely, the strip club. But now I’m learning what the real deal is. Where the big money comes from. Sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll. Honestly? It’s right up my street. Fuck yeah, I want to understand, control, and lead this well-oiled machine. I want todominate. Because unravelling the bottomless pit of rotten junk that has brought my family millions of dollars over the years turns me the hell on. It’s like The Business represents everything that any normal, functioning person wouldn’t sign up for. Those dark, manipulative, insidious elements that dwell inside every human being: addiction, hatred, the fear of losing control and becoming a victim to those they despise.
And I speak from experience, because I had my fair share when I was a teenager. That is, until my parents declared me a total nightmare and shipped me off to some fancy boarding school in Switzerland.
And boarding school was most certainlynotfor me; nor was Europe. They didn’t meet any of my expectations, and most certainly didn’t exceed them. I was not meeting many of my own exceptions either, being on the phone with my family every day for four years, and all. Yeah, I wasn’t built to be far away from the fam. Homesickness made me so sad that only the baseball team could console me. This, however, was officially buried in the Pandora’s Box of family secrets. We don’t talk about it. And anyone who does, gets his tongue carved out. Period.
I haven’t yet left the elevator when Ella, complete with her mass of blonde curls and annoying beaming smile, breaks into my personal space.
“Good morning, boss.”
“How on earth do youdothat?” I grunt as I barge my way to my office. I can feel her following me right on my heels, practically breathing down my neck. “That was you, wasn’t it? With Mason, dropping me off at three in the morning?Again?” I shrug off my coat, toss it over and watch as she hangs it onto the coat rack. I turn to admire the breathtaking view of Manhattan. Tired and cranky or not, I do love this view.
Ella snickers and I ignore her as best as I can, instead focusing on the phone in her hand. She always has that thing in her goddamn hand, like it’s her boyfriend or something. “Hey, it’s not my fault that I was born with killer genes. Bagel with cream cheese or a cinnamon roll?”
“Coffee,” I hum. “Black. Lots of it. And a cinnamon roll.”
“You got it.” She types blindly on the tiny screen, before she pockets it. “Breakfast’s coming up. You have a meeting at eleven with Charlie and his lawyer. Jayden took a look at the file and confirmed your findings. He checked the hospital bills and compared the described treatments against the criteria of our business insurances to see if the definitions are off. They’re not, so…no solid arguments against Charlie to drop the case. I’m just printing off the last slides as we speak. Remember, your father will want to know the outcome immediately, so one of us better give him a call as soon as they’ve left.”
“Of course he’ll want to know the outcome,” I mutter, knowing my dad will be waiting on the edge of his seat. Leaving the firm to me and Con won’t be easy for him. “If this bastard can find a way to screw us with social labor rights, then who’ll be next?” I watch as Ella collects the last pages from the printer, and adds them to the folder, before handing me the paperwork.
“Actually, when I did some research on the lawyer who represents him, I couldn’t help but notice that he graduated from NYU the same year as you.”
“That so?” I open the folder and start flicking through its contents. Apart from the baseball team, I wasn’t much of a party animal in college, so I doubt I’d know the douchebag. “What’s his name?”
“Hutchinson. Carter?”
Now that makes me look up. Carter fucking Hutchinson. Aka,myperfect target. “Yeah, I remember that poor bastard.” Images of a small, skinny guy flash through my mind. We sure had some fun back in those days. “Rich kid, daddy owns this large law firm up in Philly. I’m surprised he’s still here in Manhattan. Would have thought he’d be long gone, sucked up by his family’s business.”
I’m glancing through Jayden’s findings, cursing softly as I conclude that my fraud analyst has indeed failed to find anything that will make it easier to polish off this claim. How on earth can such an insignificant bastard frame us so easily? I’ll need to have the details of our insurances checked. There’s no fucking way I’m going to cover health costs of the numerous fools that work for the Business. I’ll only cover the asses of those we trust.
Of our own.
Still, despite his strong case, Charlie must know that he’s playing a dangerous game, right? There are multiple ways to get what we want. And Ialwaysget what I want.
“Give Carter a call to invite him for lunch, will you? That way we can discuss how to settle this.”
“Sure thing.” Ella takes out her phone and starts typing. We both look up as a soft knock on the door breaks up our peaceful start to the day. Our young secretary slips in, looking visibly nervous. I smirk at the sight and cannot ignore the fact that the little cutie won’t look my way. I bet she’s afraid of herbig bad boss. Clever girl.
“Ah Rachel, come on in.” Rachel pretty much tosses the stuff she’s carrying at my PA, who is oblivious, before she spins around and leaves us alone. Ella sighs. “She’s still a bit shy.”
