on a daily basis within these walls, he’s consumed by a perpetual darkness he can’t seem to escape.
That’s my bet.
“Xander.” Just the way Charles says my name is enough to make my skin prickle and my fist twitch. “I’m glad to see you. Did Charlotte ask you to drop by?”
Glad to see me? Is he drunk? I furrow my brow. “No. I haven’t spoken to her today.”
He nods and lets out a deep sigh. “Please sit. I have something important to discuss with you.”
“I’m actually here to talk to you about an issue that has potential impact to your business, Mr. Hawthorne. It’s about one of your business partners and some of his extracurricular activities.”
Charles’s expression goes blank for a second. “What does this have to do with Charlotte?”
“Nothing.” Something is definitely off here. Why is he so focused on Charlotte? “This is about one of your associates working with a known drug and sex trafficker who is trying to buy up real estate in the area so he can conduct his business within our borders.”
“Thus compromising your family’s businesses and the perception of their strength?” he asks with a quirk of his brow.
I grit my teeth. “This isn’t about risks to my family. This is about safety and security. This guy, Marco Moretti, is bad news. If he gets a chance to break into this area, it will be the beginning of the end. Women go missing when he shows up in a town. He has no regard for human life. He treats women like objects, buying and selling them as if they are possessions. My family has worked hard to keep shady ass businesses like Moretti’s away from Ridgeview and the surrounding areas. And their efforts have paid off well for you because it keeps competition out of your backyard.”
“This sounds like something the authorities need to focus on, Xander. Why are you coming to me with this?”
I pull my phone out and hold it up in front of him so he can see Carl in all his naked glory, pounding the stripper’s ass. “Because I don’t think you want your name and reputation associated with someone who is in bed with Moretti and is ready to sell out so he can make a quick buck.”
Charles grabs the phone, peering at the screen. “Where did you get this?”
I snatch it back. “He was in the back room of one of our clubs the other night after we’d found out he is meeting with Moretti about some investment deal. Turns out he’s funding Moretti’s plan to create a real estate empire which he’ll use for smuggling dope and women. A legitimate shell with an illicit core.”
The color fades from Charles’s cheeks. “I don’t believe it. Carl and I have worked together for years and he never mentioned anything about this deal.”
I fold my arms over my chest, staring him down. He looks genuinely surprised.
Sounds pretty shaken.
I still don’t trust him.
I still don’t believe a word that is coming out of his mouth.
“What kind of announcement are you planning to make at this gala tonight?” I ask. “You might want to second think the guest list because if Carl is about to pull the rug out from under you, you don’t want to have the whole world there to witness it.”
Charles gets off the couch, scrubbing a hand down the front of his face. “We were going to announce a new venture to gentrify the run-down waterfront areas outside of Ridgeview.”
“And who’s funding that whole project?”
“The new company we just jointly incorporated,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “This has to be the reason…” he mutters to himself.
“Reason for what?”
Charles looks up at me. “The reason why Charlotte has been followed and threatened. Someone has been stalking her. She said the same man approached her in the city yesterday while she was dress shopping.”
“What did he say?” I choke, my mind spinning out of control.
“Something about my company not moving fast enough on a deal for their liking.”
“Do you know who the guy is?”
He shakes his head. “She described him, but I’ve never seen someone with that description before. I have to believe he’s some hired thug.” He purses his lips. “No offense.”
I roll my eyes. “None taken.”
“I deal with people like him all the time because not all of my investors are upstanding citizens. There’s always a lot of dirty money behind these deals, money that the investors need laundered until it’s squeaky clean. I don’t always