A Dirty Business (Kings of New York #1)(89)

Who the fuck was this guy’s source? My uncle’s medical records?

“What is your goddamn proposition? I’m to assume you are the new head of your family?”

“Yes. And to the point. As always, you remain true to your reputation. My proposal to you is this: When your uncle dies, let me take over the handling of all the family business. You, in turn, will be in charge of my money. You can invest it how you see fit. You can remain in your very legal businesses—which I can’t help but wonder if that will help your woman as well, considering her career choice—but you’re in charge of the money.

“The name in your city, and it is your city, will remain the West Mafia, because you will be handling all of the financials. I love your city. You have beautiful hospitals and doctors here, but think of us as a franchise. We’re coming in, taking over handling the actual work, but everything flows upward to where you would be: at the top. And with your blessing, we will work hand in hand alongside the Walden family because unlike yourself, the Walden uncles have no interest in stepping away from the business, as is their right. They’ve fought long and hard for their place in your city, but you, as I’m hoping one day I might consider a friend, have interests that lie along the legal world.

“What say you, Mr. Tristian West? Would you like some time to consider the offer? Time to also do your own research? Because while your initial instinct is to turn my offer down, I truly hope you do not do that. I also hope you do not judge me based on your meeting with my two cousins, who, though I love them, are imbecile human beings. They are very much considered the ‘brawn’ of our family genes, whereas I myself inherited the looks, some brawn, and the brains.

“Also.” His voice went serious. “I went to Cambridge, and I’m hoping that when you look into me, you’ll see the similarities between yourself and myself. Both raised to succeed in the civil world, but both with family that has pulled us into their world. It’s certainly a plight that we find ourselves in, isn’t it?”

Ashton’s eyes were narrowed, his head down, as he listened to the call. When Nicolai was done speaking, he raised his head, but I couldn’t get a read on what he was thinking.

“I’ll take your proposal into consideration.”

“It’s been my pleasure, Tristian West. Until we meet in person.”

I ended the call. “What do you think?”

“I think”—he was still eyeing the phone—“that you will do what you will do. You’ll research. You’ll get all your answers, and then you will gamble based upon that research of where you want to put your money, like the good Wall Street best friend I know.”

I grunted because he was right. Though it was a tempting offer.

“He said brain cancer.”

Ashton’s face went somber. “He did. That would explain a few things.”

It would indeed.





CHAPTER SIXTY


JESS


I was on the phone with Kelly when Trace walked into his place.

I’d been waiting with his team, but something had happened, and they’d driven me without him. As soon as I’d walked inside, Kelly had called, and for the last hour I’d been talking her down.

“I gotta go, Kelly. I’ll talk to you later.”

She was sobbing and hiccuped on a sniffle. “Okay. Be safe, please.”

“You too.” I was watching Trace steadily as he came in, taking his suit jacket off, then taking out two guns that I had no idea he’d taken to carrying. He put one in the drawer, and he took the other to a side wall, where he moved a photo aside, and I saw him open a safe for it.

“When did you start with those?”

“The day my uncle threatened you.”

That got my attention. “What?”

“It was the last day I saw you too. Outside your apartment.”

Oh. Right.

“He threatened me that night?”

“Make you feel better, he threatened everyone I cared about that night, but yeah. He made it abundantly clear that he knew about you. It’s why I stayed away as long as I could.” He closed the safe and came toward me, raking a hand through his hair. “Want a drink?”

“What happened tonight?”

“I’m going to get a drink.” He came over, stopped, pressed a kiss to my forehead, but moved beyond me to the liquor cabinet. There was a tingle left from his touch and his hand as he touched my waist, grazing it around me before dropping it back to his side. “Is Kelly okay? You were on the phone with her?”

“She wants to know about you and me, more specifically when you and me became you and me.”

He gave me a grin. It was a tired grin, but still a grin. There was a huge boulder of tension in my gut, but a small piece of it chipped away at that look from him. Not everything was totally fucked up.

“Justin came clean with everything about his family, but he also told her about you and Ashton. So, yeah. There’s that.”

“Kelly is freaked.”

I affirmed with a nod, moving over to him as he poured some bourbon in a glass and held it over to me. I took it. “Kelly is freaked.”

He took a sip of his own, watching me over the top of his glass as he did. “I got an offer tonight.”

I took a sip, raising my eyebrow. “Sounds interesting.”