Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
She shakes her head. “Hendrix is doing a good job branding the corporation.”
“Actually, you’re in third place, maybe fourth now out of the four social media companies,” I say smoothly. “Aquarius and Malice are helping each other out, which I think brought Aquarius up to second and dropped Hologrid Hub to third and TimeGem to fourth.”
I don’t have the numbers yet.
Her nostrils flare. “I had planned a merger between Cal and the Aquarius Social heir that didn’t work out. However, they have a new heir with some long-lost cousin.”
This is new information for me. I take it in to roll over in my mind later.
“Or.” She taps a chewed off fingernail on her lips. “There’s always little Ella. She’s the rightful heir of TimeGem Moments, you know?”
An interesting thought, Ella with Hendrix. It would be quite the merger, and I can imagine the young Rendale heir is interested in reclaiming her birthright. I might have to kidnap her sooner rather than later to gain her hacking skills. For a short while, of course. Unless she’s helpful, then I’ll keep her forever.
I stare at my stepmother. “I do appreciate the bribe and the offer to avoid war, but I want what’s mine.”
Her chin goes up. “You lost what’s yours when you killed David Fairfax. You belong in prison, and we both know it.”
“Did you set me up?” I ask. “Are you the person who arranged for the evidence to be planted?”
“Of course not,” she says. “I always knew if I gave you enough rope, you’d hang yourself, and you did exactly that, Alexei. You have nobody to blame but yourself for this predicament. A jury convicted you once and they’ll do so again.” Even looking sad and lonely, her voice holds strength.
I smile. “Not without the help they had last time.”
“Your prints were on that knife, and it is the murder weapon. Correct?”
The newspapers had had a field day with that fact, which still bothers me greatly. I can’t see from what direction that betrayal had come. “Did you bribe the police or an officer along with the judge and prosecutor?” I ask.
She frowns. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I try to search her gaze for truth, but I can’t tell if she’s lying or not. There were several people who could have set me up. I was quite the asshole back then and had slept with more than one man’s wife, but she and Hendrix had the most to gain from my going to prison and having my funds frozen. I know with certainty that Hendrix had hits put out on me in prison, which is why I had to make the deal with Urbano Reyes. That must’ve infuriated my so-called brother to no end.
“Did you send a squad after me the day I was let out and also this morning?” I ask.
“Squads?”
Maybe Hendrix doesn’t share his business with his mother. I cross my arms. “I’m armed and ready to kill, Lillian. Make sure Hendrix understands that. If he considers having anybody tear in here later tonight to take me out, I would tell him to think again. You don’t want war with me.” It’s the last olive branch I will extend to her.
She smooths a lock of hair off her forehead. “Nobody wants a war. Hendrix would not resort to violence.”
I wonder if my own mother would’ve been blind to my many faults. “Turn over my company to me, unfreeze my funds, and we’ll both go on our merry ways. Like you said, you also have plenty of money to go live a good life. Take Hendrix with you. He doesn’t have the connection with the crystals that I do. It’s a fact.”
“Right now,” she says, finally showing some emotion. Anger looks good on her. “If you die, you and I both know that power will increase in him.”
Another fact. We don’t know why, but usually one person can fully charge or use the crystals out of the four families. Right now it’s me. If I die, his power will increase. It’s something we’ve never understood and haven’t really bothered trying to solve.
“If he dies, mine will increase as well,” I say evenly. “I suggest you heed my words. I really don’t want to kill your son.”
Her hand trembles as she pushes back her hair. “It’s nice to know where you stand.” Her head held high, she walks around the bar toward the door. “It’s too bad, Alexei. Your father would be so disappointed in you.” She opens the door and sweeps out.
I free my gun from the back of my waist and wait patiently for about an hour. Apparently, they’re not coming for me tonight. Sighing, I pour myself another shot of the vodka and down it before pulling the folded piece of paper out of my pocket. I open it to read a series of numbers. I lean over the bar and scramble for a pencil. I use Reyes’s code to decipher the first three names. I don’t recognize these people I’ve promised to kill, so they must be from Reyes’s gang. The fourth name gives me some pause, as it’s a prominent businessman in town.