revenue coming in from the Bello line, and that company will give us a foothold in Milwaukee. We can use that, spread out, gain more traction. The ring in Ohio is too strong. I’ve looked into it. I don’t want to go against them, not right away.”
“Kai—”
“We’ll lose,” he spoke over another protesting member. “We lost four members tonight. That’s four families gone and out of business. We will cover the Bello base, move farther south into the States, but each of you can pick up the revenue left behind by those families.”
“Except the Guaranno family. Besides the gun business, their approved trade was sex trafficking. Who’s going to miss out on that money?”
“Whoever that is can be brought in as a new partner with my next business venture. It’s in the future, but I think it will be competitive. I can only extend that offer as a way to make it up to that other family.”
They seemed to mull it over, and then prepared to vote. This time to get out of the world I had asked Kai to help with, and to make the changes he’d proposed.
The vote would go through.
I stopped listening and could only stare at him.
He’d done that for me. There was no new legislation. Sex trafficking was one of the easiest crimes to commit with good money, and he knew that. He’d lied through his teeth. For me.
It wasn’t long before the council members left, looking relieved to be able to do that, but the feed didn’t end. Tanner remained in the room, and so did Kai. He sat at the head of the table, glaring at his brother.
“How long did you know?”
Kai didn’t waste time. “After I killed our father. He had encrypted notes that I deciphered. I figured it out then.”
“You are a fucking piece of shit.”
Kai didn’t respond.
Tanner rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Randall Cordell Ritzo. That’s his full name. Cord. Did she—was Cord—” He exhaled sharply. “You know what I’m fucking asking.”
“Yes, he was Cord’s father. Mom had a diary. She talked about her affairs in there.”
“Jesus Christ.” He pushed back in his chair, his arms folding over his chest. “How’d you get that?”
“That’s a story for another day, but Tanner…” Kai’s voice dropped, almost comforting. “She was unhappy with our dad.”
“But her first kid? I’m surprised he didn’t kill her immediately.” His tone grew hoarse. “Are you his kid? Me? Brooke?” A bitter laugh. “We know Jonah isn’t, but how many others?”
Kai didn’t respond.
“Kai.” Short and curt.
“Brooke and I look like him, but you have a rounder face, so I don’t know. Is that something you care about?”
Tanner stood slowly. “You ever keep me in the dark again, and I will kill you. I don’t give a shit what that means for the rest of us. You got that? I don’t get left in the dark. Ever.”
Kai inclined his head. His eyes cast my way. “If you want in, you have to be in.” He looked back to Tanner, heat forming in his eyes. Finally. After all of that, he let the real Kai shine forth. “You don’t want to be treated with kid gloves, you start acting like a fucking adult. You want in? You take over the Bello Company for Riley.”
Tanner looked for me, and so did Kai.
I stepped forward, crossing the room till I could be seen on the screen.
Tanner’s nostrils flared. “Is that okay with you?”
“Yes,” I breathed out. I didn’t want to be involved, or as minimally involved as possible. “I will announce that I’m alive, and with whatever happens, I’ll take over, then you can step in. You can do what you want with it.”
I didn’t want anything of my father’s.
“Okay.” He rolled his shoulders back. “Then I’ll do it.”
“Good.” Kai touched the back of my elbow lightly. “I’ll see you when you get down here.”
He glanced to the side of the room, and just like that, the image was gone. The call was done, and in a few seconds, the remaining guards had exited the room. It was only Kai and me.
“Are you sure that signal couldn’t get hacked or watched by the government?”
“Yes.” He stepped in cautiously. “We’re safe. I make sure of it.”
He was making sure I was okay with his touch too.
I grabbed his hands and stepped into him. My arms slid around him, and I rested my head to his chest.
He’d fulfilled his promise. In one afternoon, he’d done more than I ever could in an entire