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This time, my sister looked up from examining her hands, but she still didn’t say anything.
“We have the resources to hide what we do, and we’re probably not as clumsy with how we do it, but there are plenty of criminals out there who would come after us — probably me, specifically — if they knew we’d essentially destroyed their businesses to end their illegal activities.”
“Fuck, no.” Davina didn’t even bother with pleasantries as she voiced her disagreement. “What the hell are you talking about? Like Jackson said, we already help plenty of people. We help our pack, and they depend on Apex to provide the money to do that. We need to carry on doing what we’re good at. Buying companies and breaking them apart.” Her eyes were blazing, always a warning sign with my sister.
But I still pushed my chair back from my desk, my own temper flaring. I didn’t know how many times I had to say the same thing before she’d understand.
I inhaled. It was so tempting to talk loud and slow, but I clamped back on my irrational need to further irritate my sibling. We’d get nothing done this morning if I did that now.
Instead, I clenched my jaw, which maybe wasn’t a whole lot better because my voice came out tight and snarky. “We won’t be able to escape blowback forever. All it will take is one person who gets too curious, one careless whisper or a pack member with an ax to grind. We can’t remain hidden forever. It’s just not possible.”
“No one will talk.” She clenched her jaw, too. “They’d be fucking stupid to go against you.”
I sighed, exasperation seeping out of me. “Okay, so if they don’t talk, someone will start thinking, and then they’ll realize we have a pattern. Every company we buy has an illegal aspect that gets uncovered shortly after purchase. How long do you think it will be before people start to consider that maybe we know about the illegal activities before we make any moves at all?” I turned the discussion back on her, giving her a question to answer.
She shrugged, reminding me of her teenaged self, but she didn’t respond.
“People will begin to realize that our takeovers almost always signal an end to criminal activity, that they’re a ploy to catch people. We’re not going to keep getting away with being corporate vigilantes masquerading as marauders.”
“Well, shit.” Jackson voiced his disappointment. “So, I guess that was fun while it lasted?”
Davina twisted in her chair and glared at him. “It’s not over yet. Patrick’s overreacting. As fucking usual.” She turned to me. “Why are you deciding this now?”
I shrugged. “It was always in the cards, I think.” Well, especially so since I’d learned what it was like to be at the mercy of people like Saundra and her father — two people who had only seemed to exist to trample over others. “And it’s not so far removed from what we do right now. It’s just that people don’t see the good behind our bad side when we’re mostly known for destroying companies.”
“Because we don’t let them see or know. We wouldn’t get any good done, otherwise,” Davina muttered.
“And,” I continued, interjecting loudly, “the situation with Gold Moon and Jo has shown me that I’m actuallyreadyto implement the next phase of Apex Asset Management. There are people out there who benefit from the kind of power we hold.”
Jackson held his hands up. “All right. Okay. So, I can see the wisdom behind this. I can see that it would be an incredible move and fantastic for our wider community. But being a charitable organization is an expensive endeavor.”
Davina nodded. “Only half-thought through then, Patrick?” Her smile was more of a smuggotchathan anything pleasant, and I sighed. She still sometimes struggled with the fact I was in charge…of everything. The company, the pack. It wasn’t always a responsibility I wanted, though, and trying to give back was partly my way of transforming some of that weight into a shared bounty. Fighting all the time was getting old.
“Let’s just think it through.”
I glanced at Jackson for his sensible advice. It was unusual to see him in the role of any sort of peacemaker. He was more comfortable cracking jokes.
“You could use Apex profits, but that won’t be sustainable, right? Especially if we downscale the usual Apex activities.” He furrowed his brow, like thinking hurt him.
I bit back a grin. It probably did.
“If you get other companies and wealthy public people to like you, and buy into this, then maybe you’ll get benefactors and people who will donate to the cause. But how will you achieve that?” He stopped and looked me up and down. “I mean, you’re Patrick Crenshawe.”
Davina laughed. “Not exactly the town’s most benevolent character.”
Jackson frowned again. “Your image might be pretty trashed, actually. Carwyn City’s very own boogeyman.”
“Yeah, yeah…I get it.” I waved my hand carelessly. “Children run and hide when they see me coming.”
“Children?” Davina snorted. “Try grown-ass men with businesses already in the crapper.”
I shrugged. None of what they said could dissuade me. “But they do know me. And so what? Maybe it’s time for an image change.”
They both laughed.
“How do you plan to do that?” Davina raised an eyebrow, looking satisfied as she settled back in her seat.
“Simple.” I spread my arms. “I’m going to get married.”
