Chapter 30
Ryker
A deep black Aston Martin is rolling up my driveway, gleaming as the sun is reflected on the sleek body. The car comes to a halt and I watch as two familiar men step out of it, Jack and Carter Reid.
What the hell are they doing here? My shoulders tense as I step in front of Grace in a protective motion, shielding her from the intruders. Only when I feel her presence behind my back do I realize how strange this is. These are her brothers, after all. There’s nothing she should fear from them.
But I can’t say the same for myself.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I demand, my voice cold as I watch them approach. Jack is leading the way, dressed in dark denims and a black shirt with rolled-up sleeves, exposing the ink on his forearm, while Carter follows a few steps behind, his hands pushed into his jeans’ pockets. Both of their expressions are hard as granite, suggesting that this visit is not a friendly one. My alarm bells are going off, loud and insistent.
“Is something wrong?” I probe, keeping my tone even as I try to read them.
Jack’s mouth curves into a bitter smile. “I guess you could say so.”
Carter gives a curt nod, his jaw tight. “The Cortesis are trying to interfere with your waterfront deal. Things might get ugly if you do nothing about it.”
I narrow my eyes, not trying to hide my confusion. “Who?” The name is completely foreign to me.
“The Cortesis,” Carter repeats, sounding annoyed, as if he’s talking to an idiot. “They’re mafia. Minor players, which might be why you haven’t heard of them. But they’ve been trying to make a name for themselves for years.”
The idea that some unknown crime family from the Boston area has taken an interest in my business puts me on edge. But how the hell did they know about this before I did?
“And how do you know about this?” I ask, trying to keep the suspicion out of my voice.
Jack sighs, as if he’s indulging a child. “They’ve been trying to move into our territory for years. We’ve been keeping tabs on them, so we always know what they’re up to.”
Every instinct is telling me to be cautious. This whole unannounced visit feels a little too rehearsed. And so unexpected.
And then there’s something else—neither of them has even acknowledged Grace so far. She’s right here, standing just a step behind me, clearly thrown off by their sudden appearance. I turn around to look at her, detecting a flicker of worry on her face, mingled with confusion.
You’d expect them to show some affection toward her, a hug, relief to see her unharmed after handing her over to a criminal they barely know. But it’s like she’s invisible to them. It’s odd. She’s been here over a week without a word from them, and now that they’re finally here, they treat her like she doesn’t even exist.
I turn back to Jack, studying him carefully.
“Why are you telling me this?” I ask, keeping my tone steady without hiding the edge in my voice. “This doesn’t involve you.”
I catch a brief flicker of unease between them when Jack and Carter exchange a look. Carter lowers his gaze down to the gravel under his feet. Jack’s expression tightens before he answers.
“This involves us,” he says finally. “If things go downhill for you, that also jeopardizes the operation you’re handling for us.”
“For which you still owe me my share,” I point out.
Carter lifts his head, and his eye fall on Grace for the first time since they got here.
“Plus, you have our sister,” he says flatly. Grace manages a timid smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. And it strikes me she doesn’t look the least bit happy to see them. There’s something there, something hidden behind her bland expression, but it’s not relief.
“Of course, we want nothing happening to her,” Carter continues. “Which means we also want nothing bad happening to you.”
I glance at Grace, but she keeps her eyes on her brothers, her face a blank slate. I can’t read her, and that irks me more than it should. If what Jack and Carter are saying is true, then Grace is in danger because she’s here with me, caught up in something she never asked for. The thought makes something twist uncomfortably inside me. I can’t let that happen.
But her brothers don’t look nearly as concerned as they should. They’re tense, but I don’t think it’s because of her. There’s something else eating at them, something they’re not telling me.
“So, what do you propose we do?” I ask, studying both of them carefully.
Carter glances at Jack, who clears his throat before speaking, ready to lie out a plan. “Actually, we thought a meeting with the landowner is in order, as soon as possible. We know he’s become suspicious of the rapid acquisitions and inflated offers connected to your operation. That’s why he’s hesitating, and doing some research that you don’t want him to do. An on-site meeting could be the key to convincing him. Get him on board and have him sign the agreement right then and there.”
I cross my arms, more skepticism rising in my mind. “My team and I have been pushing for a meeting for a while, but he’s reluctant.”
“We are aware,” Jack says.
“Besides, I can’t force him to sign,” I say. “That would only raise more red flags.”
“Agreed,” Jack replies quickly, nodding as if we’re finally making progress. “That’s why we’ll be there too, posing as an interested party to increase the pressure. We have a contact who works for him. He can make it happen.”
My brows shoot up in surprise.
“Oh, you do?” I ask. That sounds almost too good to be true.
Jack and Carter nod in unison. “We just wanted to talk to you first.”
“We need to make him believe he’d lose out on the most lucrative deal he’s ever faced,” Carter adds.
“Which isn’t even a lie,” I add, meeting Jack’s gaze. “He’d be making a hell of a lot more cash with me. He just can’t know the money is dirty.”
“Exactly,” Jack says, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. “So, you in?”
I take a breath, casting a quick glance at Grace, who’s still silent, still watching her brothers like they’re strangers. Why is she not talking to them? And why does she look like she’s seen a ghost, so pale and confused? None of this sits right. They show up unannounced, throw an agreeable solution into my lap, all the while looking like they’re hiding something themselves.
And not once did they ask Grace if she was doing okay or even said hello to her?
“Aren’t you happy to see your brothers?” I ask her, and she looks up at me, startled.
“Of course I am,” she says, now smiling at Jack and Carter.
“It’s good to see you,” Carter says, peculiar in his formality. “And you seem well?”
“I am,” she responds, nodding. “He’s not hurting me.”
My chest tightens at her words. Of course, I’m not hurting her.
“No one is ever going to hurt her,” I blurt out. I regret my words in an instant, when I’m met with the puzzled looks of Jack and Carter—and Grace. Fuck, I sound like an idiot.
“Well, that’s good then,” Carter says, and he actually looks relieved.
“So,” Jack interjects, looking at me. “You in or what? Regarding the meeting.”
As much as I don’t trust the Reids, this meeting could put me one step closer to closing the deal. Dominic and I have been talking about pushing things forward, despite the issue of the mole we still have to figure out, and an on-site meeting was always part of the plan.
“Let me talk to my lawyer first,” I tell him. “I’ll let you know. But I think this might be the way to go.”
Jack gives me a curt nod. “We’ll await your call.”
He throws a quick look at Grace, who’s still standing silently behind me, before he and Carter turn on their heels and march back to their car. No hug, not even an actual conversation.
I watch them drive away before I turn back to Grace. “Are you okay?”
She looks up at me, tilting her head to the side. “Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”
“That wasn’t exactly a warm-hearted reunion,” I say. “Your brothers really seem to be rather indifferent when it comes to you.”
She scoffs. “Like I said, you shouldn’t judge us like other families. We’re different.”
But something tells me that’s not it. She looks distraught and tense, maybe even a little sad. It tugs at my heart to see her like this, and I have the feeling that right now, I’m all she’s got. It’s obvious that her brothers are not here to protect her from the dangers lurking out there.
And I can’t shake the feeling that she really is in danger. Maybe both of us are.
I place my hand at the small of her back and lead her back into the house, carrying a sense of dread with me—and a powerful urge to keep Grace safe.