Chapter 21: : Chapter 21

Besides the blood on her polished floor, it’s been a while since my mother has lectured me.

“You were reckless, Eli,” she says, biting the edge of her nail. I know this lecture is going to be particularly bad because she came all the way from her firm this morning right before a big case. She’s dressed in a business suit, and right now, I wish it were my father because there is nothing worse than my mother looking at me with disappointment.

My father sits comfortably across from me, almost smug that it’s me getting in trouble and not him. They both barged into my apartment twenty minutes ago, waiting for their coffees first before blasting me.

She throws her arms in the air. “Are you even going to explain why you thought it was a good idea to shoot up a public restaurant? Do you know how much paperwork I’ve had to cover this morning just to solidify that your payoffs last night are ironclad?”

My father smirks behind her. Yeah, of course, he does because we both know that money and threats speak volumes, but my mother ensures everything is contracted and legally, or in some cases not-so-legally, binding.

Hawke and Ford are standing outside the room, and I know they’re confused about last night. Hell, I can’t even put a particular reason behind it. Not a sane one any way.

“I was teaching them a lesson,” I simply say.

“The restaurant owners?” My mother arches an eyebrow.

“No, an… acquaintance.”

I can see the cool calculation in both of their gazes. The problem with having incredibly educated and crafty parents is that you don’t get away with much until you learn to be better than them.

“This doesn’t have anything to do with Mr. Bedore calling me up about his daughter in hysterics after you broke up with her, does it?” my father asks.

“They were never dating,” Mother says quickly, switching to my defense. Then she looks at me. “Wait, did you…? Why? Is this acquaintance a woman?”

My father perks up with interest now. It would be easy to tell them about Jewel, but something in me wants to keep it quiet, if only for another few days. To keep her to myself and assert complete dominance before I introduce her to my family because the moment they know about her, they’ll start snooping, and I need to make sure Jewel thoroughly understands her part to play. If my parents know I’m tricking them with a marriage of convenience just for the business, it won’t go down well.

“No. And did we not discuss a while ago that my business is my business?”

“If it’s a woman, I think you should know they don’t take kindly to shoot-ups in the middle of restaurants; it has no woo factor,” my mother says, pinning my father with a disapproving glare.

If only she knew the woman in question lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw blood. Although, perhaps last night, she wasn’t particularly fond of it.

“I disagree,” my father says. “Lessons are to be taught. The most effective way is to scare someone into submission. If they know there are fates worse than death, they’ll comply. Don’t tell me you’re still mad about me killing your boss, princess. That was almost thirty years ago.”

She shakes her head disapprovingly and then takes a sip of her coffee. “He is not the only person you killed because they got too close to me, Crue. What about the date I had before we were even together? You killed him in my apartment when I brought him home.”

“And I’d do it again.” His hands grip the chair tightly. Interesting. It’s rather obvious who I take after in matters of conveying ownership.

She throws a hand in the air and looks at her watch. “I really have to go. This is a big case today, but this conversation is not over.” My mother places a kiss on my cheek. Although she doesn’t personally take too many cases nowadays, as she and my father have stepped into semi-retirement, she can’t help take over the ones that excite her.

“Give us a moment,” Father says to her. She looks between us and then takes her leave.

“If this is about the marriage thing, I⁠—”

“Good job,” he cuts in, and I’m stunned. “I would’ve done the same thing.” I wonder then if he already knows about the little she-devil I’ve got on a leash. My parents are particularly good at discovering my secrets even before I’m ready to expose them. “I want you to take care of someone for me this evening.”

He slides over a note. “He’s late on payments.” My eyebrows furrow when I look at the name. This is a business partner my father has been managing since the guy first stepped into New York. This task brings me an inch closer to the empire being entirely mine. “And don’t worry about the Bedore family. We are kings in this city, and other families can only gain from us. Just don’t stress your mother out.”

I don’t need to hear that from the man who has most likely given her more headaches than I ever have. But that’s what it is to be the wife of a mafia head. I toss the note back and forth in my hand, considering. Maybe I should be putting my fiancée through some trials of her own with the same hardships.