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“No,” my mother says, and she deflates.
“How was it?” I ask, taking my seat.
My sister, forgetting her previous pout, says, “I saw a deer! And the lake is so clear, I could see the fishes!”
My father avoids my gaze, and an unsettling feeling comes over me, but I shake it off and say, “Two big companies are interested in my game.”
“That’s wonderful, honey.”
My father sways his head from his plate. “I’m proud of you, but I would be even prouder if my daughter were functional outside her virtual life as well.”
I swallow the lump wedged in my throat. “I know, Father, but you have Serena for that.”
Silence descends as my little sister watches our interaction with a frown.
I push away from the table and go back upstairs. I function all right in the world I can function in. Shouldn’t that be enough?
In my office at city hall in downtown Boston, I go through the yearly budget, jotting notes about where and how much to allot to each subsidiary, when a knock pulls me from my task.
My assistant steps inside. She’s a force to be reckoned with in her beige suit and fashionable glasses. Lauren is our assistant. She’s worked for us since she was in college. Whatever and whenever we need anything, she makes it happen. She knows exactly who we are behind our public personas, which makes things easier—four guys who head the Syndicate that rules the underworld.
I gesture for her to approach, and when she frowns, I cock my head. “I don’t like that look.”
“The governor wants to talk with you. He said if you keep postponing, he’ll reconsider supporting your run for the Senate.” My life has followed one goal: becoming a senator—my first step before running for president.
My eyebrows shoot to my forehead. That fucking bastard. My time is precious and if it weren’t for me, Campbell wouldn’t still sit comfortably for a second term as the governor. It’s not as if I haven’t pumped a good portion of my money into his campaign. We had an agreement. I guess I have to remind him he can’t power play me.
“Let him stew.”
“He said it’s urgent. We need to find out what he wants. I don’t like being blindsided. We can’t afford any hiccups with your campaign starting.”
Ralph Campbell can go fuck himself. I don’t bow to anyone.
“What else?”
Lauren flicks through some papers.
“These can wait. You need his support. It wouldn’t look good, and questions may arise if he isn’t backing you. People may think you’re not up for the task. And Cameron, your single status might put people off.”
My nostrils flare, and I drag in a lungful of air, trying to calm down. I’ve worked my ass off to get to this level of power. Yet, I have to maintain a public persona. I’m twenty-nine. I should count myself lucky I escaped marriage until now. Being the city’s mayor and one of four members of the Syndicate has responsibilities.
The governor can go fuck himself. The actual power is in my hands. This city under my rule has known growth like never before. I stand up, buttoning my jacket.
“What about today’s appointments?”
“You take care of them as my proxy. Reschedule the rest,” I say, leaving my office. Everyone greets me on my way out.
Inside my gray Aston Martin, I get into the soft leather seat with my initials engraved on the headrests. The engine vibrates under me as I drive away.
Tucked away in the forest, we secluded the compound from prying eyes. I park in front of the five floors of steel and tinted, bulletproof glass building, the Syndicate’s headquarters, to meet with my best friends, brothers, and partners: Kieran, Cato, and Hayden.
Kieran, Cato, and I were nineteen when we started the Syndicate. It took blood, sweat, and money to get where we are. In our world, respecting our decision is law; if anyone goes against that, there’s a heavy price to pay. They have to because if they make us come for them, they’ll end up dead. The past has shown this.
Kieran is a bank owner, Cato is a mafia boss, and my half-brother Hayden, who joined us three years ago, is a construction and finance mogul with a penchant for power and blood, just like the rest of us.
I am the charming star politician, the old-money heir to a dynasty. Since I was in college, I’ve invested my money in whoever has come to me with a great idea, determination, and a sound business plan.
The guys and I didn’t go there for shits and giggles. We went to an Ivy League college to find people who could serve our purposes. Those companies are now so damn valuable in critical sectors like telecommunication and renewable energy. I am richer than they are, holding most of the shares.
