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My sister Aurora messages me, and I smile, seeing the picture of Aiden, my baby nephew, looking funny with the mashed carrots all over his face.
Aiden misses time with his uncle.
A pang of guilt hits me. I used to spend more time with the kids, but I barely have time for myself outside my office and compound.
My fingers fly quickly over the screen, typing. I’ll come by when I finish.
I place my phone in my suit jacket and step outside. After a quick retina scan, I am inside the gray and marble hallway and take the elevator upstairs. All three guys are in the conference room, at the round table with a triangle shape in the middle.
“What crawled up your ass?” Cato asks the moment I step inside.
Going to the bar, I pour myself a glass. Hayden says, “And it’s not even evening.”
This will definitely not be my last drink of the day.
Kieran stares at me, asking with his eyes if I am okay, and I nod. Of course I am. I am fan-fucking-tastic. Maybe I should get laid, but it lost its appeal after years of trying to fill a void by seeking a pleasure that goes away with a snap of the finger. Or maybe I am just fucking exhausted. My life consists of work and regrets.
“Say it already.” Cato gestures impatiently. I guess that courtesy of being patient is only for his wife. Asshole.
“Are you in a hurry?” I ask, just to rile him up.
He arches an eyebrow at me. Chiara is away for three days at a jewelry show and the overprotective guy doesn’t even trust his brother and our best men to protect her. But again, Cato’s always bitter when his wife is away.
“The governor won’t support my Senate campaign until he talks with me. If he thinks I’ll be his bitch, he’s mistaken. I put him where he is now. I can take it away just as easily.”
“You’ll talk to Campbell,” Kieran says, and all my alarm bells ring when the other two say nothing.
“Do you know something I don’t?”
“Yes. You’re getting married to his daughter.”
His words detonate in my ears, making me take a step back. When I regain my composure, I pin him with a death stare. Kieran ignores it. I gulp the rest of my drink and refill it all the way up before slamming the bottle on the table, earning an eye roll from him.
“How long I have waited for this moment!” My other best friend rubs his hands together. I jab a finger into that smug face, but Cato only grins wider.
“You have to do this,” Hayden says with the emotions of a cat bored to death by his owner.
I tug at my tie to loosen it, then rake both hands through my hair. The day has finally come. Fuck.
“I met with him over the weekend,” Kieran says.
I rummage through my thoughts. I know he has two daughters, but the oldest is a mystery. That means trouble.
“What are you not telling me?”
“It’s inconsequential because I have two favors left, just as Hayden does. Don’t make me use one to convince you of what would be better for the syndicate, especially since...” Ah, the fucking favors. We each get two. Whoever uses it, the other has to respect it, regardless if he likes it or not.
“Don’t bring that shit up. You’re happily married, asshole.”
Kieran has the decency to shut up.
“Campbell plans to become the next president. We will support his campaign. It’s strategic and practical,” Cato says.
“You used too many words. So what’s the actual issue?”
All three share a look that makes me want to gouge their fucking eyes out. It’s going to be catastrophic.
“Violet has issues,” Kieran says.
