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“Maybe. I don’t want to jump to conclusions too quickly. This is something bigger than us, and I don’t want to mess that up.”
“I’ll reach out to The Twelve and request an immediate meeting to discuss any information they may have heard about this,” he says, his phone already in his hand, ready to make the calls. I interrupt him, putting a halt to what he is doing.
“Be careful. I don’t trust any of them. There is no solid evidence that proves it’s the Snakes. Everybody wants to see you and Aidan taken down. You’re both too dangerous for them. It’s possible that it’s a setup or a collaborative effort.” He exhales, knowing that I’m right.
He’s been part of The Twelve for decades, and his ascension to power bothered more than one. What bothers them is that he cleaned up what his father did before him. Caleb Senior, or Zeus as he liked to call himself, was ruthless and engaging in shady activities. Until Cal stepped in and reclaimed authority over the society.
He has made significant changes to his businesses, ensuring that drugs are not brought into any of them, which has upset more than one.
They’re losing money, and they can’t have that. He has inspired some of The Twelve to follow his steps, wanting a better future for their family. When I say several, I’m talking about the new generation. Aidan is already an inspiration for them, following in his father’s footsteps. They worship him like a deity, eager to gain his approval by any means necessary. It pains me to say that he’s doing a good job. He’s still an arsehole, but he’s making an effort to do better for the next generation. It’s better in a broad sense because murdering people is not what I would call doing a good job. The older ones are so imprinted in their habits that they don’t see that most of their business would be more profitable if they were legit. And I say that with a lawyer’s eye.
We hear a faint knock on the door before the one person I didn’t want to see makes his entrance. He looks at us, confused, probably wondering what I am doing in his father’s office at this time of the day. And not without any reason. I’m not dressed like someone would be at almost 6 a.m. My black heels are higher than I’m accustomed to. My black dress is shorter than I’m used to, and my cleavage is clearly noticeable. I’ve tied up my hair into a messy bun with a few unruly curls framing my face. My signature red lipstick is the finishing touch that gives me the confidence I need.
“Son,” says Caleb. “Do you need anything?” Aidan glances at me.
“What are you doing here?” He looks at our glasses and asks, “Isn’t it too early for a drink? And since when do you drink whisky?”
“Business.” Is the only word out of my mouth, answering his first question. “But we’re done,” I add, pushing back my chair and standing up. I pivot in his direction, and the intensity in my voice rises as I say, “And there’s a lot you don’t know about me. The girl you once knew died years ago.” I direct my attention towards Caleb. “Preston, always a pleasure.”
My lungs fill with air as I exit the room. The few interactions I’ve had with Aidan since I’ve been back have drained me, and it has taken all my strength not to jump on him and strangle him with my bare hands. As I leave the office, I bump into someone. The corridor is so dark that I don’t recognise who it is at first.
“Blake?” I recognise my brother calling.
“Scott, hi.” His gaze is partially shocked.
“What are you doing here this early?” he asks.
I swallow hard. Scott has always been the kind to see through my bullshit when I was younger. This is the time to put on my court face.
“Caleb had an emergency regarding one of his businesses and requested to see me.”
“At five in the morning?” He doesn’t believe me for a bit.
“Aye. You know I am not supposed to speak about his business with you. But he thinks that someone is stealing money from Banes. He asked me to take a look into it and see what legal actions can be taken.” There, that should do it for now. He nods, knowing that if someone is trying to double-cross Preston’s business, the fact that he called me for an early meeting is not surprising.
“Shit, okay.” I can feel his mind whirl. He wants to add something but doesn’t know how to say it. “Hmm, do you have a minute or two? I’d like to ask you something.” I nod before we start walking towards the main room, and he asks, “How did you get access to our security camera?”
I knew he would ask at some point, but I’m surprised it took him this long. Scott is not the patient type, and wondering how his wee sister had access to something that’s so heavily protected is eating at him.
“What can I say? I work with competent people.” I try to joke. “I don’t know how they did it, per se. But I know they had a hard time trespassing on your system.” That’s not completely a lie. My team worked on that, but he doesn’t need to know that I was the one to discover the breach in his system.
“They’re good. Multiple layers of security protect the system,” he says, impressed.
“I’ll make sure to put you in contact with them. Who knows? They might teach you a thing or two,” I say playfully. His groan makes me laugh.
“Okay, big bro, your company is delightful, but I have to get going. I need to organise my return to Paris and take care of some cases.”
“You’re leaving already?” I sigh because there’s no way I’m staying longer than necessary, even with the Snakes’ shit. I can handle that from overseas.
“Aye. I did the job I was asked to do here. There is no reason for me to stay any longer.” I can see the hurt in his eyes. Shit. I pinch my nose. “That’s not what —” he stops me.
“I get it. I really do. But would it kill you to stay a little longer and spend time with your family? I missed you. Bailey missed you. She was a complete mess when you left. Damn, even Maw and Da’ planned to come to see you.” Guilt floods me for putting my pain first. I missed them so much it hurt.
“Our parents are coming?” I ask, the tears ready to burst. My parents came to visit me many times, the same as my siblings. But it’s not the same as living in the same country as them.
“They are. And I ruined their surprise,” he answers with a faint smile on his face. My feelings are battling inside me. I sigh because I already know what I have to do, and that would give me more time to investigate the Snakes and The Twelve.
“Fine. I’ll stay a bit longer.” His smile spreads across his face now.
