Chapter 16Ari
Chapter Sixteen
ARI
In a few moments, Jason would walk through the back door straight into Lucas’s office. Since our last meeting, there have been a few sightings of Michael around Chicago. He’d stopped slinking around in the shadows.
The office door opened, and Lex led Jason and Thomas inside. Lex and Thomas stayed by the door while Jason strode to the desk, hand extended to shake mine.
“Ari.”
“Jason.”
He took a seat. “How’s Anna?”
I held my breath as I sat down and tried to keep the discomfort off my face. “You should ask her yourself. She misses you.”
Not in so many words, but I knew that he’d hurt her. I could see it in her eyes when she talked about him and her father. Those two men had made my job of gaining her trust much more difficult. To her, if they could leave her, then I could too. She didn’t need to tell me as much. I wasn’t dumb.
I had my issues with Lauran. Wanting me one minute, and then finding out something she didn’t like. At that time, I wasn’t even sure I was going to stay with the family. I’d loved Lauran, and she hadn’t even allowed me to choose her. When she left, all I had was my broken heart and my anger. I’d had to deal with that outside of Chicago and away from my family because I’d blamed them. I needed to find a way to love them again. I’d only been back a year when Gianna was murdered.
The guilt would forever plague me. Would she still be alive if I’d stayed? I would never have that answer.
It wasn’t too late for Jason and Anna though. They had a chance to repair their relationship, and I wanted to make her happy. If I could facilitate that, I was going to do it.
“It’s too late for that. Besides, with Michael back in town, I can’t risk him thinking we’ve mended our relationship. He’ll use her against me.”
“I’ll keep her safe.”
Jason rubbed his face with his hands. His father hadn’t prepared him to take over the family. At least not as well as he should have. It made me wonder about that relationship. Had it always been strained?
My father loved us. We worked with him from a very early age. He was firm but fair. He ran his area well, and when he was murdered, Lucas knew what to do. I did too. Lucas and I had both attended events with him. I knew the mayor before he was even a blip on the political stage. If I had known then what I know now, he never would have claimed the title.
Which reminded me… after this meeting, I needed to talk to Lex. He was looking into a few mayoral replacements that we could back. This time, loyalties would be locked in place long before they ever made it to the ballot.
“Tell me what happened.” I didn’t want to disrespect Jason, but I laid the sentence out like a demand.
Jason hesitated and then sighed. “I could never find anything to support my suspicions, but I thought Michael might try to marry Anna off to a Moretti. Plus, I always got the feeling he was holding something back. I never could figure out why Marco or my father trusted Franklin. He was a weasel-like character. He had a knife behind his back at all times so he had something to stab you with.”
How about holding back a two-hundred-and-fifty-million-dollar trust? It took effort not to laugh at how on point Jason was. “He was a slimeball.”
“I hear Remy isn’t too bad. That’s rumors though. From what I gather, he’s cleaning house and tidying things up.”
I shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you. I’ve been a little preoccupied with my own house, which brings me to why we’re here. Dimitris has had eyes on Michael.”
“Yeah, he’s getting bold, which makes me wonder if he doesn’t have something planned.”
Thomas cleared his throat. “Couple of my guys managed to get their hands on one of his security team. He was dead before they could ask him anything.”
“Shot?” I asked.
“No, cyanide. They said it was something like out of a movie. Also said they never heard him use anything but Greek.”
“Any idea who he was?” I asked.
Thomas shook his head. “No. No ID. No fingerprints.”
What was this? A spy novel? “What is your father up to?”
Jason leaned back in his chair. “My best guess is that I gave my father trust issues, but I can’t say he didn’t do the same to me.” He checked his phone and grumbled.
“Thomas, do you think you could call Cristos? He was supposed to be keeping an eye on Michael. I gave him strict directions to text me every hour and he hasn’t.”
Lex moved away from the door as Thomas nodded. “On it,” he said and was out the door.
I crossed my arms over my chest. Jason had moved to the edge of his seat before I could even voice my inability to keep Anna protected if I didn’t have all the information.
“This will make me look weak,” he said as he glanced at the door and back to me. “The only reason I’m saying anything to you is because of Anna. I can’t protect her right now because I don’t trust anyone. Someone inside is helping my father, and until I can flush them out, I’m afraid I’ll get her hurt. I?—”
The door opened, and Jason sat back as Thomas walked in.
“I can’t reach Cristos.”
“Dammit.” Jason pushed out of the chair. “Get Andreas on it, if you can trust him.”
“Done.” Thomas put his phone to his ear as he left.
Jason cut his gaze in the direction Thomas went, and said, “Well, thank you for your hospitality. I need to take care of a few things. If you need me, you have my number.” He strode out of the office and Lex shut the door behind him.
My brother stuck his hands in his pants pockets as he crossed the room. “You think Thomas is trustworthy?”
Shrugging, I replied, “Jason’s known him longer than I have, and he’s questioning him, so who knows.”
“Do you believe him about Michael?”
I sat on the question for a minute, mulling it over. “I don’t know.” I exhaled heavily and stood. “I need to call Lucas and then make a visit to The Continental.” It was a running joke with my siblings. Anytime I was doing something I didn’t want to talk about, I’d reference that hotel from the movies.
Lex grunted. “All right. Be careful. I’m not ready to take your spot, so make sure you come back.”
“Shut up, Lex. I’ll see you later.”