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“Figuratively, I’m assuming.”
She threw me a stare. “No, I meant literally.” Her voice was filled with sarcasm. “Helios is leaving.”
I was taken aback. Slowly, I chewed and swallowed a mouthful of the delicious chicken that was coated in cheese. It had more cheese than chicken, and it was my favorite thing to eat in their restaurant. It was simple, but simple food was always the best.
“Leaving where?” For the first time in a while, I had water with food. It didn’t feel as good as I’d thought it would.
Rhea’s eyes found mine, and all I saw in them was panic. She was reluctant to tell me, and I didn’t force her. As long as it had nothing to do with me, I didn’t really care about what was happening in her family. It was her issue, not mine.
“He’s going back home.” She swallowed. “Something happened recently and… he’s leaving for a long time.”
I blinked. “What happens to the business?”
Over the years, Helios had expanded his businesses into at least thirty US states. They involved illegal gambling, auction houses, and, at times, even theft, but he pulled in millions of dollars a month, and he had yet to be caught.
Helios was no fool, despite acting like one at times. He was clever and knew where to plant seeds. Over time, those seeds had bloomed, but his business was strictly need-to-know. None of his clients ever spoke out, because they were all forced to sign non-disclosure agreements, in which it was stated that if anything were to leak, all of the clientele list would go public.
I knew that because I’d signed one years ago.
“That’s the thing…” She hesitated. “He wants to leave the business to me.”
I leaned back in my chair and raised my eyebrows. “What’s the problem?”
“What’s the problem?” she repeated, though it was a hiss. “The problem is that I don’t know how to run an illegal empire, Ekaterina.”
“Weren’t you the one dealing with all of the paperwork?”
“Yes,” she was quick to respond. “But doing paperwork and actually leading the business are two completely different things.”
“I don’t see how this is an issue,” I told her and waved a waiter over. “You already know most of the clientele, you know how to do paperwork, and you like to travel. You’d be on the road all the time. It’s a win-win situation.”
The waiter came, and I didn’t miss the disapproving look on Rhea’s face when I went to order a whiskey. With an eye roll, I settled for a shot of espresso instead.
Rhea waited until the waiter was out of earshot. “It’s a huge responsibility, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to handle it.”
My mind raced with thoughts, trying to come up with a solution for her. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head, and a small smile appeared. Her brows creased but she didn’t speak.
“Tell me, Rhea,” I began, “how much money does the business earn monthly?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
I gave her a blank stare, to which she rolled her eyes.
“Fine, let’s say it’s below fifteen and above eight million of clean money every month.”
“Well, you sure have to question how clean it is,” I murmured. “But that’s beside the point. How about you offer someone thirty percent of monthly income to help but the catch is you have to marry them?”
“I don’t like where this is going,” she groaned.
“No, no, listen,” I urged. “I’m not saying propose this to the first man you see on the street. You need help from someone with experience in our world, but you also need to marry someone of your choice, someone you actually have feelings for.”
Slowly, realization dawned on her soft features. A streak of rosy blush fluttered on her cheeks, and she looked away in embarrassment. Despite her thinking about it deeply, I knew she wanted nothing more than to accept the deal.
“He’ll never agree to that,” she commented.
“Are you sure?” I retorted. “Because I happen to think it’s an offer he wouldn’t refuse, not now.”
She was uncertain. “Why?”
