AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m tired. I’m sore. I’ve been working myself raw because that’s easier than thinking about War and my family and the mess I left behind. All I want to do is finish up and go home, but I can’t exactly turn away the boss.
Besides, Ford never visits me when I’m in the office.
“Come on in,” I say.
Ford takes the chair across from my desk. The room is cramped and small but I keep it neat and orderly which helps. He leans back and gives me a charming smile, and I close the accounting book to give him my full attention. “How are you holding up?” he asks.
“Not bad, just getting back into the rhythm,” I say and try my best to give him a charming smile.
He nods to himself and runs a hand through his hair. It’s a nervous gesture and I’m suddenly on edge wondering what this is about.
“Don’t get mad at Kat,” he says suddenly. “Okay? But she told me a little bit about what happened with you and War.”
I groan and tilt my head back. “She shouldn’t have done that.”
“She didn’t go into detail, but I understand that things ended in a weird place, and I just—” Ford sighs and leans forward, putting his hands on my desk. “I did some digging.”
I deadpan at him. “Digging? Now? You couldn’t have done somediggingbefore I got mixed up with him?”
“He’s my cousin,” Ford says defensively. “Well, sort of my cousin. We’re distantly related. But yeah, fine, you’re right, I should’ve looked into him some more from the start.”
“It’s fine,” I say and let out a long breath. “I just don’t want to talk about War, okay?”
“Right, totally, I understand. Stuff happened between you two and you’re still raw.” He sits there, staring at me, and I stifle a groan.
“But?” I prompt.
“Butyou might want to hear this.”
“I have a feeling you’re going to tell me whether I agree to listen or not.”
“Pretty much.” He grins sheepishly and keeps talking. “I was in this organization back in college. We called ourselves Atlas, and we had this grand plan. We pledged to keep in touch, to remain good friends, and together we’d grow and push past the barriers that hold most people back. We swore we’d reach the next level. The real game.”
“Okay,” I say slowly, eyebrows raised. “I’m gonna be honest, Ford, that sounds super weird and suspect, like science fiction villain sort of stuff.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “It’s not as nefarious as it sounds, but I told you that so you’d understand that I know people with connections. Important people.”
“Kat has mentioned some of your friends,” I say and lean back, crossing my arms over my chest. “Not by name, but I understand they exist.”
“Right, well, War’s name popped up the other day when I was meeting with some of those friends. Apparently, War is currently in heavy debt to Evander Kazan.”
I stare at Ford without reacting. “Oh, uh, who is Evander Kazan?”
“A very good friend of mine and the head of a very influential Greek mob family out of Chicago.”
My turn to be surprised. I stare at him like he’s gone insane. “War owes him money?”
“In a sense. It’s a long and convoluted story, but the basic version is, War took over his father’s debt. Apparently, War’s father owed a lot of money to Evander and wasn’t paying any of it back, and Evander planned on making an example of him. At least until War stepped in a couple days ago and offered to take over his father’s debts.”
I don’t move, completely stunned. I knew War’s family had no money, but I didn’t realize War’s father was in debt to the Greek mob. “Did War know?” I ask. “All this time?”
“Probably?” Ford shrugs. “I can’t be sure, but Evander says War’s father has owed him money for a while now, so I have to assume War’s been aware of it for months at least. Well before you two ever met.”
I let that sink in. War’s father was going to be murdered by Greek gangsters, which means War needed money and he needed it fast, and suddenly a lot of connections burn bright in my head. I rub my eyes and my hands curl into fists, and I stare up at the ceiling, taking deep breaths to keep myself from screaming.
“That was it the whole time,” I whisper to nobody, but Ford clears his throat.
“Yes, I think so. War probably got involved with your dad, and then with you, because he felt it was his best shot at paying his own father’s debts. I’m actually surprised he didn’t tell you any of this, but I just—I thought you should know.”
