Page 20 of A Ruthless Arrangement
“Nah. Just some of my business being cleaned up,” Marshall says as he gestures towards the blood pool that’s still being mopped up. “How’s it going, Astero? Long time no see.”
The older man’s eyes narrow slightly. “Yes. It’s been some time. It’s going decently. Minus a few threats that I’m managing.” His eyes flicker to me.
I grin in response. He knows his place, even if he’s pushing it.
Marshall chuckles and throws up his hands. “Eh, what can ya do? It’s the name of the game. Threats mean nothing to men like us, right? We know how to deal with ‘em.” Marshall plays innocent, as if he doesn’t know what Astero is referring to, but I know better. He’s rubbing salt in the wound while having plausible deniability. Now Astero can’t get mad at him without confessing that he was talking aboutmeand provoking my wrath. He’d also never want to admit to Marshall that he’s stumbling under the pressure I’m putting on him.
“Right.” Astero nods, but his eyebrows furrow and his jaw clenches. It makes me grin wider. “So, let’s get down to business. We have to figure out what we’re doing about the Las Vegas gang, right? That’s what tonight’s about. That and…well, Alasdair and I’s business.”
The truth wasweweren’t going to handle the Las Vegas gang. Marshall was going to handle them, with my support, and Astero’s voiced support, although we all knew he’d do very little. He’s almost useless.
Marshall and I share a look, and then the younger man shows us around this warehouse. While it looks abandoned on the outside, inside Marshall has turned it into a prime loading area for shipments. Everything is organized with extreme precision, and it’s clear that Marshall is doing good business here.
Once he’s given us the tour, we head to dinner. It doesn’t take long to get to the nice restaurant that Marshall picked out for us. We’re quickly seated by a pretty hostess, who Astero oglesfor too long, causing Marshall and I to share another look, this time of disgust. I take off my black jacket, leaving me in my white button-down shirt. Marshall changed into a black v-neck and a leather jacket, not exactly upper-crust attire, but no one questions him.
Astero turns to us once the hostess leaves. He grins, placing his hands on the table. “So, let’s talk business.”
I lean forward. “Yes, let’s. How about we start by discussing your granddaughter?”
10
Kerry
Astero’s barely reacts. “Yes. What about her?”
I grin at him. “I had a delightful little meeting with her earlier today.”There's the reaction I was looking for.Fear. Nervousness. A slight shifting in his seat, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.
“I thought you just got into town?” He fidgets.
It’s time for me to understand what’s really going on here.“Mm. I did.”Howsoon ‘just got into town’ is subjective, of course.
He swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “And how did it go?”
“Quite well.”
He raises his eyebrows. “Really? I…I was going to warn you, before you two met, that she is a strange girl. Sweet thing, honestly, but shy and a tad awkward…”
I nod. “Yes. From what I hear, she’s autistic, yes?”
Astero scoffs. “I don’t know about all that. Nothing that severe, no matter what she says. But she is…odd. If I would’ve known that you two were going to meet, I would’ve made sure you knew. I wouldn’t hang you out to dry like that, trust me.”
“Hmm.” I stare at him, making him squirm. He thinks I’m mad that he didn’t warn me ahead of time. But I’m more agitated at how he views his granddaughter. “You’re ashamed of her.”
He barks out a laugh and then shrugs. “Ashamed? Well, that’s a strong word. A little…put offby her? Sure. Frustrated? Maybe. But I can’t help how she was raised. I did my best, but my whiny son and his prudish wife took her away. She’s not a reflection of me. I wouldn’t have had anything to do with her if it wasn’t for my wife.Shewanted to see her. So I paid for the kid’s tuition at fancy schools…lot of good that did. Kid is a dingbat. Can barely force out three words at a time. But, maybe that’s a good thing, you know? Trust me, talkative wives are annoying.”
My hands form into fists under the table as the old man rambles on. The muscle in my jaw twitches, and I can see Marshall smirking as he notices my anger.
I ignore him. “She seems like she’s uncomfortable with our world. She’s not used to it, and I’m not sure she wants anything to do with it.”
Astero nods, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, like I said, my spoiled son left us. We’re estranged. She wasn’t raised in this world. She probablyisn’tcomfortable with it, but she’ll have to get comfortable with it real quick, won’t she?”
A flash of surprise flickers through me. I said almost the same words to Amy earlier that day. Is that how I sounded to her? God, I hope not.
I decide, right then and there, that Amy will be shielded from this world for the rest of her life if that’s what she wants. But even if she grows more comfortable with it, I want to keep her safe, and that means protecting her mental and emotional wellbeing, too. The underbelly of the world is a dark place. And Amy islight. I don’t want that light to get snuffed out, especially when I need her light.
I lean forward in my seat. “Yes, she will. And I’ll make sure she’s comfortable. It’ll be my job as her husband, after all.” A flicker of a smile lifts my lips. It disturbs Astero just as I intended, but I can tell Marshall sees through it, at least to some extent. He grins, too, but not because Astero is squirming in his seat.
My eyes dart to Marshall. I don’t like the thought of him knowing how excited I am for Amy to be my wife, not when he could use it against me.
