Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 82094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“Yes, I did, and—”
“Grandpa,” I say, cutting him off for the first time in my life, “they’re coming after me. Not once, but twice now. The Panagos want me to pay them— and do you have any idea how much Daddy owes?”
He hesitates, frowning. “I’m sorry. I don’t know exact figures.”
“Ten million dollars.”
Grandpa’s eyes go round and his fingers grip the arms of his chair. Neither of us move for several seconds and I let that number sink in as deep as it can go, and hopefully, it’ll pierce through the strange shell he’s got lining his brain. His world needs to flip upside-down because right now Grandpa is still operating like the old rules apply to us.
They don’t anymore.
We’re broke and a very violent, very dangerous mafia family wants a lot of money from us, and they’re going to do whatever it takes to get it.
“I didn’t know,” he says and visibly forces himself to relax. “I knew it was substantial, but that much? My god.”
“Carmine says they’re aggressive. He says the Panagos are going to hurt me if they don’t get what they want, and I believe him.”
“They can’t, I mean, they won’t. What do they have to gain from hurting you? Brice, sweetie, even if I wanted to pay off a bunch of violent mobster blackmailers, and I most certainly do not, we don’t have ten million dollars. We barely even have one and that’s being used as collateral along with all our stock options, our properties, our investments, our everything. We have nothing left to give right now.”
“Find something. Daddy owes a lot of people a lot of money, but these people are the only ones threatening to kill me.”
Grandpa takes a moment and his eyes drift away from me. I want to scream in this face—I’m you granddaughter! You changed my diapers! You were there when I took my first steps!—but he’s not looking at me now. Grandpa has always been harsh and intense, but he’s also been loving and kind and fair. But this doesn’t seem like the same man I grew up with.
He looks withered and frail and scared.
So damn scared.
It breaks my heart, but it also infuriates me.
We’re supposed to be family and I was taught that family is the most important thing in the world.
Now he’s got a chance to prove he meant it, but he’s doing nothing. Instead, I’m the one expected to make all the sacrifices, and the worst part is, I’m doing it, I’m going along with his plan, because I truly do believe.
“I’m sorry, Brice, but there’s nothing I can do for you. Tell Carmine that it’s up to him to keep his bride safe.”
I stare at him and try to make sense of that but it’s like he just told me to go fuck myself in Latin. “Grandpa. Are you joking?”
“This isn’t a joke.” His voice drops and a touch of anger infests his tone. “Rowe Oil is teetering on the brink and I can’t deal with your emotional outbursts right now. Talk to your future husband and work something out with him and don’t tell me the details, I don’t want to know about it. Your father did something heinous, and while you shouldn’t have to suffer for it, unfortunately, that’s what’s happening right now. You need to find a way to deal.”
I gape at him, jaw working. “Find a way to deal?” I echo and can’t seem to make sense of this. It’s like the old man that helped raise me is disappearing before my eyes, replaced by the cold-blooded business titan I always heard about. “You’re basically telling me to go away and figure it out myself?”
“I’m telling you that my resources are stretched thin and we gave you to Carmine exactly so he can handle this sort of problem. Why don’t you turn to him instead of to me? I have too much at stake right now to let your problems distract me.”
I slowly get to my feet. My problems. Like the Greek mafia wanting to kill me is somehow my fault and I’m just being a silly dramatic girl about everything. I’m trembling and I feel like the floor’s been ripped open underneath me and I’m tumbling deep inside. “I’ll tell him you said that.” The words come out wooden and stiff.
“See that you do.” Grandpa nods at me. “I know this isn’t what you imagined your life would be, but it’s for the greater good.”
“For the Rowe family, right?”
“Exactly, kiddo, exactly. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a call in—” He checks his watch and sighs. “In five minutes ago. Excuse me, Brice.”
He turns to his computer and I’m forgotten.
I walk to the door like I’m stomping over glass. I want to break this place, crush it under my heel, but all I feel is the sense that the mansion is compacting around me and squeezing me dry.