“How is my daughter?”
“She’s fine.”
“Is she happy?”
Granite shifted from one leg to the other. “Yeah. Seems like it.”
“Good.” His voice was clipped, firm.
“Is there a reason you summoned us out here in the middle of the night? You have a job we need to take care of?”
The PC looked in the other direction, his expression unreadable. “Listen, Granite. We can no longer do business.”
“What?”
The commissioner pulled out a brown envelope and held it out toward Granite. “This is everything I owe you. But as of now, we part ways.”
Granite righted himself, eyebrows furrowed. “Why the sudden change of heart?”
“There’s too much heat on you right now. After Alyxandria’s kidnapping, and this war with the Pythons, the feds have you on their radar.”
“Fuck,” I cursed, kicking at the asphalt.
“I’m afraid I can’t risk any involvement with you right now, Granite. It’s enough to have my daughter involved with you. I can’t risk any more ties to the Kings. But let me say this. As far as my daughter is concerned, I’m worried.”
Granite remained silent, but I saw the way his jaw clenched, nostrils flaring. I could practically feel the anger vibrate off him. “You don’t have to worry about Alyx. I’ll keep her safe.”
“Like you kept her safe from Tanit?”
“That was different.”
“How?”
Granite stepped forward. “I let my guard down last time, and I can fucking promise you it won’t happen again.”
Dutch moved closer, keeping his eyes etched on the PC’s bodyguards. The tension was sharp, and it made me hyperaware of the gun tucked behind my back. It would take me two seconds to grab it and aim. Those fuckers would still be balling fists by the time I had bullets flying.
The slightest movement of my hand caught Granite’s attention, and he shot me a warning glare before turning his attention back to the PC. “There is no place safer for Alyx than at my side. You know me well enough to know how fucking serious I am right now.”
I studied the commissioner, wondering if he’d have the balls to tick Granite off even more.
“Fine.” The PC sighed. “My daughter seems to care for you a lot, which is the only reason I’m respecting her decision in this. But know this, Granite. If anything happens to my daughter, I will come after you…and I’ll bring the feds with me. I swear it.” He straightened his suit jacket. “But as for our business arrangement, it’s off the table. At least until the heat dies down. Until then, I’ll do what I can to keep the feds off your ass, but I’m not doing it for you.” One of his bodyguards opened the back door of the SUV. “I’m doing it for Alyx.”
He held out the envelope of cash, and I grabbed it, as Granite clearly had no intention of taking it. The man was probably too busy trying to keep his shit under control. Kicking his old lady’s dad’s ass probably wouldn’t go down well back at home.
Granite nodded, and the PC got into the SUV. All three of us stood there as they drove off, until I finally broke the silence. “I’d say that went well, wouldn’t you?”
Granite stomped past me, and Dutch flicked me on the head. “Moron.”
“You see,” I called after Granite, “he gets it. I’m a moron and clearly incapable of being president.”
Granite turned and faced me, his expression stone. “This is exactly why you need to step the fuck up, Onyx, so we can end this war with the Pythons once and for all.”
“Seriously? That is what you got from that conversation?” I moved closer. “While you were standing there doing a pretty good job at keeping your anger under control, I was imagining a hundred and one ways to kick the PC’s ass. You see the dilemma, right?”
“All I’m seeing is my little brother who refuses to acknowledge his place in this club. You are the vice president. You are my successor. Surely, you knew this day would come sooner or later.”
“Yeah, well, I was bargaining on later. Not fucking sooner.”