Chapter 9
Sinclair
Unbridled hunger.
That’s exactly what I felt even after walking into Indulgence and making my way toward the private elevator.
A need so intense I found doing my usual activities difficult. Now even more since catching a glimpse of her.
So close yet so far.
My cock ached and there was a tenseness in my chest.
Out of character for me, I’d almost bagged the meeting and interrupted Josette’s evening. Laughing, I lightly banged my head against the elevator wall. What kind of spell had the woman managed to plant on me? Maybe she was a purveyor of voodoo or even a witch.
Maybe I’d need to enlist Emmeline to find out since she could smell black magic from a mile away.
“The prodigal son returns,” Alexander stated, even clapping when I walked into the private club inside Indulgence. We’d agreed to meet for a late dinner and drinks to hold a business conversation while also using the time to appear in the club itself.
I’d already given him the news about the shipment.
While he was understandably pissed, I’d been shocked he hadn’t stripped away my title, demoting me nothing more than a made man where I’d stay for years.
If it were anyone else in my position, he would.
The fact he’d learned to temper his rage meant his recent marriage and the woman he’d fallen hard for had gentled him.
I was still angry enough for both of us. I’d spent the better part of two days talking to a few informants and trying to contact the Johnsons.
They’d refused to take my calls.
Even worse, there was no chatter about the shipment on the streets, which meant the shipment had likely been taken from the city as I’d guessed.
Exhaling, Alexander tossed papers toward my other two brothers, finally tossing a group toward where he knew I’d sit. We were creatures of habit.
I didn’t bother looking at them just yet. I was still in the throes of wondering whether I’d been right about seeing Josette across the street having a drink with someone.
For a hot beat I’d been jealous, which was ridiculous.
I didn’t own her and she certainly didn’t owe me any loyalty.
Yet even now just thinking about her, my cock was twitching.
We’d owned the block of buildings since I was a kid, our mother the inspiration for developing a legitimate operation under our corporate veil that we could all be proud of.
The bottom floor held a bakery and coffee shop, a chocolatier store rivaling Lindt, an upscale women’s clothing store, a lingerie store, and even an art gallery.
The second floor held a Michelin-starred restaurant, the third offices and warehouse space, while the fourth was all about the nightclub, the hottest venue in the city.
The fifth contained the very private club where those hungering for entrance paid a hefty yearly fee. While the notorious club was noted for its overtly sexual nature, including allowing various kink acts, the most vital aspect of membership was all about the connections made.
Everyone who was anyone both in and outside the city sought membership, the waiting list long.
From time to time, it was in our best interest to hold generic conversations on the floor. We’d learned over the years you could glean vital information that would otherwise be difficult to ascertain.
Which was the reason our Don and my brother had suggested getting together here.
Just in walking through the crowd of mostly men while heading to our private dining room provided me with information every time. Tonight was no exception.
There was nervous energy in the various rooms, quiet stares and a few whispers. I’d purposely grabbed a drink from the main bar just to be seen before heading to the private room.
I closed the door behind me, flopping down in a chair. “I had business to take care of today. Unlike some of you. Come to think of it, I really don’t know what you do with your time.”
The barbs had been tossed out like normal, but there was an edge to my voice. I’d spent some time trying to figure out what the hell Marcus Jeffries was trying to accomplish.
As directed by Alexander.
Who eyed me carefully. “I can see the meeting the other day dulled your humor.”
His tone was just as clipped as mine had been, his dark eyes finding mine. He wasn’t the kind of man or leader to take shit from anyone. Well, except for one feisty woman he’d captured, held hostage and somehow encouraged to fall in love with him.
Experts did say love was blind.
“And you have none.” My words were truthful.
He was lounging in the chair, a drink in his hand and a smirk on his face. “Agreed. Humor gets you killed.”
“Evidently anything could get us killed,” Jaxon interjected.
“What the fuck happened with the shipment that was under your control?” My brother Montgomery certainly wasn’t in the mood to mince words.
The tension in the room was palpable, my anger yet to cool. That’s why I was instantly out of my seat, ready to wring the man’s neck. “You tell me, brother. You suggested the temporary location and your men were guarding the warehouse. Maybe you need to discover who the mole is.”
“Fuck you.” Montgomery was on his feet, also leaning over the table.
“Enough!” Alexander snapped. “This is a goddamn family and we’re going to act like one.”
Inhaling, I glanced at our Don, struggling to keep from saying anything else.
Montgomery thumped back into his seat first.
“He’s right, Montgomery, albeit there could be finger pointing coming from all sides,” Alexander continued. “No one but the family and a few soldiers knew we were storing the product in that warehouse. It’s your responsibility to discover who that is.”
Montgomery continued to glare at me. “Yes. Sir.”
“And you,” Alexander hissed while turning his head toward me.
“Killing the thief without obtaining a single decent bit of information means you’re fucking rusty as shit, Sin.
We need to find out who the hell he was working for.
Burn down the city if you need to. Pay the goddamn informants to turn on their grandmothers.
I don’t give a shit how you do it, find out what the hell we’re dealing with. Got it?”
The entire time, our youngest brother was enjoying being left out of the blame game. When I narrowed my eyes and stared at him, he threw up his hands.
“Yes, sir.” Even with mostly family members present, respect was required. The tension left every muscle aching.
“Does anyone know a Vincent?” he continued. “If that’s even his real name.”
“No one I’ve heard of,” Jaxon threw in first.
Montgomery shook his head. “No, but I threw the name out there on the street.”
“So did I.” Someone had to know something.
Jacques Cornwell was hovering in the shadows. He cleared his throat, stepping closer to the table.
“I hope your presence means you have some good news on the Strathmore property.” I casually threw him a look. He’d been less than helpful the last couple of days. Although he had confirmed that Greg had been called in at the last minute.
“I wish I did. Mr. Jeffries is apparently using his contacts in the city planner’s office, pushing their concept of a project through.”
I bristled all over again. “And let me guess, pushing ours into the trash bin.”
He nodded. “I did want to commend you, Sinclair. Your method of handling Greg Franklin held all the earmarks of something your father would do.” It was obvious he’d filled in the family as to the details of the meeting prior to my arrival.
Jacques was many things, but rarely was he able to keep his mouth shut. One day, the man would go too far, and I’d put a bullet in his head. “It had the effect I was hoping for with Greg. I’m still hopeful we’ll be able to work out another deal with the Johnsons. They are piranhas.”
“Why don’t you use your friendship with Greg in our favor.” Montgomery shifted his drink back and forth from hand to hand. He was still sticking a knife into my gut.
Alexander eyed me, a reminder to calm my ass down. Right now, I could crush a bat with my bare hands.
“Don’t worry. Greg and I will talk at some point. I think Marcus is very interested in increasing his portfolio, but even though I can’t stand the Johnsons, they’ll learn quickly that our offer was in their best interest. They’re not stupid. They’ll smell blood in the water.”
“You assume too much about their intelligence. It’s all about the money,” Alexander said far too quietly. “Which is why we need to play this carefully. From what I heard, the tenants of the various properties were given notification their leases were terminated effective ninety days.”
“So someone is footing the bill for buying them out. Interesting.” At least half the people in the building had a lease to own contract. Even though I had no doubt we could break the contract easily, since idiots had put it together, we’d wanted to do the honorable thing.
There was no reason to fuck over small businesses. They deserved to get their money back.
Alexander shook his head. “No. They aren’t honoring the contract we set in motion. It’s pack up and leave.”
“He’s correct,” Jacques corroborated. “The buyer in question doesn’t care.”
“I suggest you find out what their intentions are with the property,” I threw out at him.
Alexander rubbed his jaw. “Yes, Jacques. Find out every detail. We still have very strong connections in this city.”
“The termination notice means a deal has already been proctored. They bypassed our offer altogether.” Jaxon snorted.
“There’s something odd about the way this went down, including with Mr. Franklin suddenly being brought on board. Marcus must have another investor he’s working with.”
“Agreed,” Alexander took a sip of his drink. “As you might imagine, there’s already unrest with the tenants. A couple of them could cause some trouble, but not in a court of law.”
My brother had been handling the initial business proposition before our father’s murder including visiting the site and the discussions with the city government and with the architect we normally used. I’d had other business to attend to.
After our father’s death, he’d dumped the project in my lap. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken for granted that it was a done deal. Today had all but blindsided me.
“At that sake of starting a fistfight, I feel I need to ask. Is there any word on the street regarding the stolen shipment?” Jaxon asked, darting his eyes around the room as if anticipating that Montgomery and I were eager to initiate the fight.
I shook my head, disgusted with every aspect of what had occurred. No, I wasn’t happy the fuckers had gotten away with the theft or that Vincent hadn’t provided a single worthwhile detail.
There’d been no word, no sign of anyone trying to get it out of town. While we had men scouring the airport and buses, that meant nothing.
It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack given the ways the cocaine could be taken from New Orleans. Unless someone talked, we were out of product and potential buyers.
That had pissed us all off.
Alexander simply shook his head. But I could tell by his tight grip on his glass that he was pissed off.
“I don’t need to tell you that with the loss of our product, we not only are out millions, but appear weak. That is unacceptable. Now, with the deal being ripped from under us, I certainly don’t want these goddamn tenants thinking they can strong-arm us.”
I finally picked up the paperwork. “This a list of the businesses?”
Nodding, Alexander polished off his drink and the waitress was right there to bring another.
“Wait. Isn’t the gun shop owned by the fucking Las Riveras MC club?” Jaxon laughed.
“Yes, but up until now they’ve never caused us any trouble.” Alexander was drumming his fingers on the table.
I glanced in his direction. “Wait a minute. They issued a threat.”
“Let’s just say when I headed out to my car this morning, I found a butchered deer on my hood. Now, I don’t mind telling you that seeing the carcass pissed me off. Not only did my security team not notice, but the perpetrators had managed to avoid the cameras, which were working.”
“Well, fuck. Why is the deer so important?” Montgomery asked.
Jaxon laughed. “I used to ride with a couple bikers. They knew the group well. They’re savages. The deer is their symbol. It means they are about to go hunting.”
When I bristled, Alexander waved his hand.
“If their methods of pointing out their enemies are well known, we can’t be certain they left such a special gift.
But I do want you to have a nice chat with them, Sinclair.
They are very much interested in party favors, cocaine their favorite choice.
They’d been known to make a few larger sales from time to time.
We need to find out if they had anything to do with the heist.”
Heist, my ass. It’d been nothing so sophisticated.
I laughed. “Gladly.” Just as I was about to toss the paperwork, I noticed a name and froze. What the fuck? Narrowing my eyes, I read the name again.
Simply the Best.
While the others continued talking, I pulled out my wallet, retrieving the card Josette had given me, checking the location.
“Is there something wrong, brother?” Alexander asked.
“Not wrong. Just curious. Something I’ll need to check.
” While there was no chance in hell she’d orchestrated having her own dog hit by my car, the coincidence could fall in my favor.
Perhaps she’d seen some activity with the gun shop.
Or had conversations with the Johnsons that could prove helpful.
Perhaps for a change karma had worked in my favor.
At minimum, I had an excuse to see her again.
Not that I officially needed one.
I rubbed my thumb across my bottom lip, my dick throbbing all over again.
Why did I have the feeling the feisty woman might be of some help?
Time would tell.
One thing was certain. She and I had met for a reason, and I planned on taking full advantage of the opportunity.
For as long as necessary.