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“This is Dayton Leeds. He owns Dayton Leeds Construction,” Regent explained.
“Such an original business name,” Jardin muttered. “This guy thinks a lot of himself.”
Maxim stiffened. This was Dayton Leeds? The same Dayton Leeds that Aston worked for? But why were his brothers interested in him?
“After working our way backward through the ranks of the assholes selling Mixology on our streets, we’ve discovered that Leeds appears to be behind the sudden influx of the drug.”
“Him?” Maxim asked hoarsely. This guy was the one bringing in the drugs?
Fuck. This wasn’t good.
“Yeah, our best guess is that he’s smuggling it in with some of his construction materials,” Jardin explained. “We have to do some more research into that, though, since we don’t know who is supplying the drugs. There are rumors that one of the cartels in Colombia has a genius chemist creating all sorts of new designer drugs and that Dayton is the guy they’re using to get it into New Orleans. But we’ve got nothing concrete linking him with Colombia.”
“All we have is one guy’s word that Leeds is behind all of this,” Regent said. “And he gave us that name under duress.”
So they tortured it out of him.
“To look at him, Leeds seems like an upstanding citizen,” Jardin mused. “Gives money to charities. His wife died twenty years ago and he raised his daughter on his own. She now works for the company in sales.” Jardin flicked to an image of a well-dressed, tanned, blonde woman. She’d probably be considered quite attractive, but there was something off about her.
“Gretchen Leeds,” Jardin said.
Gretchen? Was that the same Gretchen that Aston had gone to his club with? Just how entangled was she with the Leeds family?
“So what’s the next step?” he asked. “Do we try to bring in some more guys and question them? We go after Leeds?”
“No. We need a bit more proof,” Regent said. “And I think the way we’ll get that is by leaning on someone close to him. Jardin has been going through everyone who works for him.”
Jardin flicked to another screen. “This is his brother. He works for him on paper, but apparently, he’s rarely in the office. Even if he would turn on his brother, it’s unlikely he knows anything. I’m going through the other people that work with him. Oh, he’s got an assistant too. But her photo isn’t anywhere I can find. I’ve only got a name at the moment. Aston Symonds. I’ll look into her. She might be someone we could press. Let me find out where she lives.”
“I know where she lives,” Maxim said.
The others all looked at him.
“How do you know where she lives?” Regent asked slowly.
“Because she lives in the same building I do.”
“The one you just bought?” Jardin asked, raising his eyebrows. “Because you didn’t like the building manager.”
“Yep. And you won’t be pressing her to do anything. She’s not a part of this.”
Regent leaned forward, giving him a thoughtful look. “You want to explain that further?”
It might have been worded as a question, but he knew it wasn’t.
“Aston and I are together.”
Silence filled the room as all of his brothers stared at him.
“Together?” Jardin asked in a tight voice. “As in . . . a relationship?”
“Yes.”
“You’re in a relationship with Dayton Leeds’ assistant?” Regent asked.
“Do you know how to be in a relationship?” Victor asked.
“Did you before you met Gracen?” he shot back.
Victor’s face tightened, then he shook his head. “Not really.”
“Aston is mine. She’s under my protection. And she has nothing to do with this.”
Regent looked thoughtful and Maxim tensed, knowing he wouldn’t like what was about to come from his oldest brother’s mouth. “Are you sure she has nothing to do with this?”
“I’m sure.”
“Because one way for Dayton Leeds to get one over on us, to get ahead of the game, would be to send someone in to get close to one of us,” Regent pointed out.
Yeah. That’s where he thought he was going to go. Maxim’s hands clenched into fists. “I’m not an idiot. I’d know if I was being played. Aston isn’t a spy. Trust me.”
Jardin whistled. “She must be something if you’re this certain. You’re exclusive?”
“Yes. This isn’t . . . she’s not just someone I’m fucking. I’m not fucking her at all. Yet.”
Jardin’s mouth dropped open. “Huh?”
“Aston has some issues with her self-worth. She was worried she didn’t mean anything to me, so we’re taking things slow. We’ve only been dating the last couple of weeks.”
“You’ve been taking on her dates and then taking her home and not fucking her?” Jardin asked. “You?”
“Yes. I have been. Is there a problem with that?” He didn’t really have much of a temper, except, apparently, when it came to her.
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Regent said. “But since she seems so special to you, we would like to meet her.”
