4. Uninvited Guests
uninvited guests
Deirdre
N othing irritates me more than uninvited guests, and sure enough that’s what I was faced with when I stepped into my meeting today.
I prefer to be notified before I have visitors, but my family tends to show up unexpectedly, giving me no time to mentally prepare myself and my staff for their arrival.
While I should be used to their random pop-ups, I’m not, and it only adds to my anxiety.
My brother and cousin flew in without so much as a phone call. They then viewed the property we’re bidding on without me before deciding to grace us with their presence at the debriefing with my staff this afternoon.
Darius was on time and would typically be focused, but he’s being fidgety and skirting around every question I ask.
Regina arrives late, sucking the energy from the room once the door shuts behind her. She chooses an empty seat beside Pilar, my head of marketing, who stiffens. Of course there are rumors about my cousin, but none that can be proven.
Regina notices Pilar’s reaction, greeting her with a smile as she settles in.
She removes the gun tucked in her waistband, setting it on the boardroom table with a soft thud, and everyone stifles their reaction as Pilar’s eyes widen.
Regina whips her head around with a smirk, and I narrow my eyes at her.
“What? It was digging into my side,” she responds innocently with a shrug. Even though the rumors can’t be proven, she does her damndest to make sure people have reason to believe them.
My nostrils flare at her behavior, but I proceed.
Thankfully, she sits poised throughout the hour, reacting accordingly, while Darius continues to glance out the window whenever his eyes aren't glued to his phone.
I reach for my Hydro Flask, asking if there are any questions before we conclude, and heads shake in unison around the table.
A weighted silence settles in the boardroom, and the energy is palpable. My staff remains seated, avoiding eye contact and clutching their belongings as they wait impatiently to be dismissed. They aren’t usually this quiet, and it has everything to do with my cousin.
It’s no secret who Regina Delvecchio is, and by the looks on everyone’s faces, they’re aware.
She has made quite the name for herself over the years and is proud of it.
It reminds me of what it was like growing up with my father, a man everyone loved and feared.
I’ll admit him showing up would’ve been worse.
I dismiss everyone but Regina and Darius.
Brian, my assistant, stays back to gather all the meeting notes.
Regina stares daggers at my brother as his unsuspecting ass doesn’t even look up from his phone. He danced around my questions the entire meeting, delivering short responses and clenching his jaw as if I was bothering him.
He gets on my fucking nerves. It irritates me how much he acts like Dad, completely disinterested in anything that isn’t his way.
He knows how important this project is to me and couldn’t care less.
You’d think my own twin would have my back, but at the end of the day, it’s our parents’ approval he seeks, and I can’t say that I blame him.
I have my father to thank for their impromptu visit since he doesn’t trust me to handle this deal on my own after what happened last time.
So he sent babysitters in his place to “check” on me.
I’m just as capable of running this business as they are, and I’ll prove it without getting anyone else’s blood on my hands.
There’s gotta be a better way than the Klarke way, and I plan to find it.
Our family owns whiskey and cognac distilleries, several stateside and one in France. I oversee multiple plants but recently moved from Brooklyn to spearhead our Austin location with plans of expanding. So when my realtor mentioned a vacant distillery nearby, I made a bid.
While I’m hopeful, one of our biggest competitors caught wind and we’re now in a bidding war, making what should’ve been a relatively easy deal an absolute nightmare.
These fucking trust fund babies have more than enough money to set up shop anywhere else, but for some reason, they just had to come here and fuck with me.
I have too much riding on this to back down without a fight, and I’ll be damned if my family swoops in to save the day. This will be my win.
I’m confident but would be lying if I said I didn’t have any concerns doing business here as a Black woman. While Texas is diverse, it’s still the south, and it’s been a culture shock. But my eye remains on the prize.
Darius is handling a merger back home with a company that’s been a challenge to work with, all while overseeing our marijuana farms in the tristate area. While it’s mostly legal in the United States, our business dealings aren’t entirely ethical.
We as a family are far from ethical, but I digress.
I’m focused on our liquor and spirits company in an effort to change this, making us more legitimate than ever. The problem is, not everyone in our family supports this dream, Darius included.
Thankfully, Regina became an integral part of this when she proposed a deal offering our liquors exclusively in her casinos, which she’d taken over recently in her husband’s absence.
I’m usually paid dust whenever I talk about going legit, but I appreciate her help.
While she has absolutely no interest in life outside of crime, she is an excellent businesswoman as long as you stay in her good graces.
I sip my water, eyeing my absent-minded brother until I feel Regina staring at me. She steals my gaze, tilting her head toward my assistant Brian. He’s typing away on his laptop, keys clicking rhythmically with the pounding in my chest. I nod in understanding and tap his shoulder.
We don’t discuss the family business around civilians.
“Could you give us a moment?” I ask with a smile, and he obliges, gathering his belongings and seeing himself out.
Once the door clicks behind him, my eyes narrow on Darius and I whisper-shout, “Why did you even come if you were just going to waste my time? What does Dad need to know that he couldn’t just ask me?”
I know he thinks I won’t pull this off or that I’ll fuck everything up like last time. If there’s one thing about this family, they don’t sweep a damn thing under the rug or forget.
My relationship with Gina is strained, but she’s the only one who doesn’t blame me for the sins of my ex-boyfriend, even though he stole from our family. Still, her kindness isn’t lost on me, especially after the year she’s had.
I turn my focus back to my brother, who refuses to answer me. So I try a different angle.
“What’s wrong? Why are you acting so weird?” I prod.
“Nothing is wrong,” he finally says, still avoiding eye contact.
Darius and I haven’t been like this with each other since we were teenagers. Something is bothering him. I peer under the table to check if he’s bouncing his foot, and sure enough, he is. A surefire tell when he’s nervous.
“Darius? Please tell us what’s going on,” I say, softening my tone.
With a deep exhale, he sets his phone face down on the table, granting us his full attention for the first time since his arrival.
“It’s the farm in Jersey. We’ve encountered some setbacks,” he mutters.
“What kind of setbacks?” Regina asks, sitting up in her chair. Nobody fucks with our money.
I chime in, “Let me guess, there’s a problem with us being Black and acquiring land in their town.”
He nods. “Something like that.”
My stomach drops at his confirmation.
“And you didn’t want to mention it because—” I start, before Regina cuts me off.
“You don’t like my process of elimination. Nobody does, but it’s far more effective than asking nicely,” she reminds us, twisting a pen between her fingers.
That’s what we’re calling murder now? A process of elimination?
He sighs, shaking his head. “Unfortunately, that’s not all. I think I’m being followed. But don’t trip, I got it handled.”
That doesn’t make me feel any better.
“You’re sure this isn’t one of your little girlfriends again?” I ask teasingly, grasping for a different possibility to distract the churning of my stomach.
He shakes his head before saying, “I have no reason to believe it’s any of my girls.”
“Did they follow you to Austin?” Regina asks with concern. But I recognize the calculation in her eyes. If anyone followed him here, they’re as good as dead.
“I don’t think so,” he states, sitting up straighter. “I was careful. Swapped flights and cars. Tariq can confirm.”
My eyes bounce between the two of them as Regina clicks her ballpoint pen in irritation. When provoked, she will destroy anyone who stands in her way or ours. Her unwavering loyalty is both admirable and terrifying.
She sucks her teeth, leaning forward, her tone laced with indignation.
“If you thought you could handle it, we’d be digging graves right now.
Give me a description, make, and model of their car.
I’ll have this little setback gone by next week.
What threatens you , threatens us all,” she finishes, leaning back in her chair.
A chill dances over me, and I suck in a breath and hold it in. Now isn’t the time to have a panic attack. This isn’t new to me. It’s our normal, and I didn’t always have this reaction when they’d talk business. A department that I choose not to be a part of: clean up and removal.
Thinking of what cleaning up entails causes bile to rise in my throat, and I swallow. I scramble for grounding techniques I learned in therapy to hold it together until they leave.
“I actually have a license plate, too,” he adds, picking up his phone. His thumbs swiftly dance across the screen. “Texting you now.”
As a ding fills the room, she holds up her phone.
“I’ll take care of it. I gotta get to the airport.
I miss my kids,” she says with a frown as she stands, pushing in her chair before sticking her gun back in her waistband.
We round the table to embrace her in a hug, and she steps back to place kisses on both of our cheeks.
“I love you. It’s just—I don’t take kindly to threats after...” she trails off, eyes welling with tears.
“I know,” we say in unison.
“Better to be safe than sorry.” Her voice wavers. “I know what it’s like to be terribly sorry.”
Fuck.
My stomach sinks, and I nod in understanding before grabbing a nearby box of tissues to offer her one. She sniffs, reaching for a tissue to pat under her eyes.
“I’ll meet you at the car, Gi,” Darius says.
She nods, exiting the boardroom with a final wave, and takes off down the hallway with her bodyguard, Mr. Price, in tow. As if the trigger-happy woman needs one.
Darius exhales deeply, rubbing his hands over his face. “Dee? I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I tell him, even though it’s not.
“It’s really not, though.” That damn twin energy.
“You’re right. Don’t keep shit like that from me. It’s weird not living in New York, and it’s a lot harder to protect you from a distance.”
He lets out a chuckle. “Regina’s got me covered. It’s not like you’re willing to catch a body. I don’t take it personally that you’re not a killer. I know Pops gives you a hard time over it, but at least one of us sleeps at night.”
My brow raises. “Who said I sleep?”
“Well, then maybe you are one deep down,” he says, patting my shoulder. “Everything is gonna be fine. I’ll call you when I land.”
“Please do.”
He leans in for an embrace, and it feels like home. “I’ll call before we drop in next time. We were just following orders, but that wasn’t fair to you.”
“I appreciate that. If you don’t piss me off next time, I’ll take you to dinner.”
“Now, that I can’t promise,” he tells me with a smug smile.
“Of course not. Have a safe flight.”
“Thanks. Love you, Dee.”
“I love you, too, Dare. See you soon,” I say, and he closes the door behind him.
“Never a dull moment with the Klarkes,” I think out loud, taking a moment to embrace the stillness of the empty boardroom.
I’m desperately in need of a field to scream in after the day I’ve had that’s far from over.
Thankfully, no one stops me as I stride down the hall.
A relieved sigh escapes my lips as I enter my office.
I lock my door and proceed to riffle through my purse for my anxiety meds.
With a tablet on my tongue, I take a swig of water and swallow before I focus on my breathing.
I hold my breath as I count to four and repeat the action as I exhale.
Eventually feeling at ease, I tackle the pile of paperwork on my desk, opting for a spicy audiobook to tune out the world.
Later, a text comes in from the man I dubbed Scar, serving as a pleasant distraction that I don’t mind indulging in.
Scar
How’s it going?
I’m surviving. How about you?
Scar
That’s too bad. I’m thriving over here.
I’ve never been jealous of a man before and won’t start now. Lol
Scar
Ooh. She bites in the daytime. I can’t say I mind it.
Of course you don’t. Lions like the chase.
Scar
And deer meat is delicious, so I’ve heard.
Wowwww. Enjoy time out with the hyenas. Take thirty and try again.
Scar
Damn! Alright then.
I’ll have a better attitude.
I’ll believe it when I see it.