Page 5 of Brutal
Darnell leans back slightly. “To what do I owe the pleasure? I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”
“I doubt that.”
He takes a drink. “You could’ve called.”
“You forget my family owns this club.” I remain standing.
The men beside him are watching me, their expressions a bit shifty.
Darnell sets down his glass. “If this is about a few property purchases, I think you might be overreacting. Manhattan’s a big island.”
“It is,” I say. “Which makes it impressive that you still managed to wander somewhere you don’t belong.”
His jaw tightens. “I bought legal parcels.”
“You bought Vexley parcels.”
His smile comes back, thinner this time. “Your father doesn’t own the city.”
I narrow my eyes. “My father isn’t here.”
A server appears beside me. “Mr. Vexley, can I get you anything?”
“No, thank you.”
He nods and disappears.
I look back at Darnell. “You’ve lost two lenders in the last ten days. One in Midtown. One in Boston. Your permit review stalled this morning. The partnership you were counting on for the West Side property is reconsidering whether your name is worth the trouble.”
He tightens his fingers around the glass, his knuckles whitening. For a moment, I wonder if the glass will shatter.
Doubtful. Darnell isn’t that strong.
“You’ve been busy,” he says.
“No,” I reply. “I haven’t.”
Darnell laughs, but it’s strained. “You know what your problem is?”
I lean back. “I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”
He crosses his arms. “You think fear makes you untouchable.”
I tilt my head slightly. “You remember a warehouse fire in Red Hook six years ago?”
His pallor changes. I can almost see the blood draining out of his face. I never tire of it. Watching people when something buried and unpleasant claws its way into the light.
“It never made the papers,” I continue. “Strange, considering the insurance discrepancies. The labor violations. The records that vanished afterward.”
Darnell doesn’t answer.
He doesn’t need to.
“You made a mistake,” I say quietly. “You assumed the Vexleys were the only danger in your past.”
He swallows. “You don’t get to tell me where I can do business.”
“I think I just did.” I let the words settle, and then I step back. “Sell what you bought. Walk away from everything north of Canal. Keep your mouth shut about tonight and maybe the rest of your life stays comfortable.”
