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"Just like the old times, huh?"
A shadow came over his ghost of a smile. "Just like the old times."
Thunder joined us. "What's up,hermanos?"
"Quit smiling like a donut," I replied, scowling at him. "We're going for a romantic dinner with Hunter."
The goofy grin on his face fell immediately. He looked like a sick cat. Reed rolled his eyes.
"When I began Trident with you two, I thought I was leaving the SEALs with the best of the best. I apparently left with two puppies, and both of them look like they're gonna give me their best shot at googly eyes. It won't work. We're going."
I didn't want to sayfineagain, so I just walked out the door and stood outside, looking over at our place.
I knew Juniper would be hurt by our leaving so suddenly. A few minutes later, I felt her tap on my shoulder. Turning, I gave her my best smile.
"Thank you for tonight. I can't tell you how many kinds of amazing it was."
"Reed told me you guys need to go handle some emergency. He was a bit evasive. Is everything okay with you all?"
Right then, standing beside her and looking at that open, raw trust in her eyes, I wanted to do the one thing I could not. Most of all.
I wanted to give her the plain truth.
17
Hunter
Juniper was the girl who madeStar Warsmemorable for me.
I'd never been a Sci-Fi nut, but I was pleasantly surprised when I sat through the franchise.
It was hot today.
From the vantage point of my office, the only building in downtown Oakmont to boast an entire fourteen stories, I surveyed the city below. I could see thin lines of simmering heat in the very atmosphere.
As one of the founding members ofUmami, this was my kingdom. The only one my father hadn't been able to usurp from me.
Umamiwas the flagship of a new, smaller chain of restaurants that had cropped up in different southern states. It was my last business venture sanctioned by Daddy Dearest before things went downhill.
The one thing I had done was to ensure everything about this chain would beentirelymine. Sure, we had a board and there were some stuffy nosy people, but so long as I filled their pockets regularly, they were good to let me run the show the way I wanted to.
And I loved running shows.
So far, this one was going momentously well.
Our chain's brand rested on small, Instagram-worthy spaces with fancy lighting and fixtures.
People came there because they could get great shots for the ’Gram. This worked two ways. They got their pictures, and we got exposure.
With all the money I was raking in, I really didn't need much else. The side business had always been more of a passion project—something I did because I loved being a player. It was like an addiction.
And when Father found out, he saw it as a reason to cut me from everything except this chain. He didn't have the stomach to deprive me of my own brainchild.
That stupid old fuck.
If I were playing the role of Darth Vader, this would be a very apt time to meet my father one last time if only to say, "Be careful not to choke on your aspirations, Director."
Darth Vader had played on the "choke" bit of it, and so did I.
