Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 77309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
I have chills as we enter a dim office. It’s industrial and serious—gleaming metal, modern shelves covered in what look like industry awards, filing cabinets, a bank of screens, and a massive desk in the middle, behind which sits Adler himself.
Conlan and his brother have a similar look. Both are handsome—frustratingly handsome, the sort of handsome that makes me want to look away even though I can’t quite manage it—but Adler’s nearly ten years older, grizzled, with darker hair and darker eyes.
“You’re late,” he says, sitting up straight in his chair. “The general’s going to be here soon.”
“I got on the plane an hour after we spoke.” Con doesn’t seem cowed by his older brother though everything about this meeting is freaking me out. The topic, the situation, these two titans facing off against each other.
“Should’ve already been on the damn plane before I called.”
“Of course, that’s reasonable.”
“Sit down.” Adler spares me a glance but doesn’t introduce himself. “Does your assistant have to be here?”
“She was there that morning.” Con waves a hand at me. “She’s fine. Let her stay.”
Adler grunts and all but forgets that I exist as Con takes a chair. I remain standing and keep thinking statue-like thoughts. Be still as stone. No sudden movements. Maybe the monsters won’t notice me.
“Here’s the deal. The general’s getting shit from some PAC group that wants to release those photos of you with his daughter. He is understandably livid about the whole ordeal. I’ve been trying to come up with some way to fix this, but it seems like nothing short of you committing suicide on national television’s going to be enough.”
“Not a bad way to go. I do love a good spectacle.”
“Don’t joke right now.” Adler rubs his eyes. “You know how tenuous the family’s situation is. Certain of our businesses are in transition at the moment, and if Leyland decides he wants to sink his knife into our belly, there’s not much we can do to stop him.”
“Don’t we donate to that asshole?”
“We donate to all the assholes, but that’s no guarantee they’ll do what we want. The moment they smell the political shitstorm shifting in their direction, they turn on you.” Adler grunts and cracks his neck. “Tell me you didn’t know the girl was nineteen.”
“I didn’t know.” Con’s not smiling as he says it. “I’ll be honest with you. I’m not that upset she’s the daughter of some politician. It wouldn’t be the first time I stuck my dick in a fire. But I am unhappy that she was a fucking teenager.”
Which surprises me. I could tell it bothered him but I didn’t think Conlan had enough depth to him for something like that to matter. The girl’s nineteen—it’s not like she’s fourteen or something, it’s totally legal. Morally wrong, yes, that’s another thing, but Conlan’s never seemed like morals mattered all that much.
It’s fascinating and I’m curious why this seems to bother him.
I expect Adler to rake him over the coals for that comment, but he only grunts in reply. “Yeah, I get it,” he murmurs, and the brothers go silent for a moment, both of them staring down at their hands like they’re remembering something. “We still need a solution to this.”
“What can I offer him?” Con leans back. “Money? A public apology? I’d happily lie and claim I was tutoring her in math.” He grimaces and holds up a hand. “That wasn’t funny.”
“No, it wasn’t, but you’re not far off. Leyland wants plausible deniability. From what I understand, they only have photos of her leaving your house and nothing more. That doesn’t prove anything untoward happened.”
“Perhaps I was chivalrous and saved her from being too drunk?”
“Nobody would believe it.”
“We don’t need the people that know me to believe it,” Conlan points out.
Adler runs a hand through his hair. “That still won’t be enough. You didn’t hear Leyland. He sounded like he wants to start a fucking war.”
“He’s a general, Adler, that’s all he knows how to do.”
“Regardless, we need a solution. Though you’re not far off.” Adler taps fingers on his desk. “You could marry her,” he says, sounding thoughtful.
My guts twist and a little whimper escapes my lips. I don’t know why, but the thought of Conlan marrying that girl disgusts me.
Neither of them speaks. Then Conlan laughs once, sharply. “Very funny.”
“It’s not a bad idea,” Adler presses. “It would take care of your problems.”
“I’m not marrying a fucking teenager.” Conlan’s expression darkens. “Don’t suggest it again.”
Adler tilts his head to the side. I watch Conlan closely, trying to figure out why this is bothering him so much. There’s obviously something going on here that I don’t understand, but whatever it is, the brothers aren’t about to tell me.
“Marriage isn’t a bad idea though.” Adler waves a hand at Conlan’s angry growl. “Not to the girl, but to someone else.”