“Ooh, you’re cheeky. Dangling what I want right in front of me.”
“I know you, Krolik. And I love you.” She kisses my cheek. “Now get the hell off campus. Without those big glasses, you look like a lost visiting professor that’s dressed for a lecture on the benefits of micro-dosing.”
“Maybe it would get the kids interested in chemistry.”
“Not allowed to call college-age people kids. It makes our relationship weird.”
“Whatever you say, Dr. Sexy. As long as I get a large dose of you later.” I wink.
She laughs and shakes her head. “That’s too cheesy, Hunt.”
“You loved it.”
“As much as I love you.”
She picks up her taser, gives me one more kiss, then heads to class. I readjust myself and tell my dick to stand down before the blue balls set in. Then it’s to the car and to the mansion. I know I’m late based on the look Chase gives me when I join in the conference room.
“You should have a good reason. I made the meeting late in the afternoon specifically for you,” He reminds me.
“Just stalking our girlfriend.” I shrug. “Am I still allowed to call her that, boss?”
Chase narrows his eyes. “And did you tell her about all these passive-aggressive comments lately, or should I?”
Lief rolls his eyes and adjusts in his chair. “Mr. Volkov will be here shortly for an update.”
“We’ve managed to resecure our system. Thanks to Lief, we don’t have to worry about any police or legal issues. Jolie isn’t being believed by anyone and right now she has plenty of enemies in prison to worry about. The next item on the agenda is the scholarship program.”
“Scholarship program?” Our father demands as he walks in.
He looks at Chase. “Your idea?”
“Hunter’s,” Chase says, motioning to me. “It’s a great initiative. Since it’s a charity, it’s tax-deductible as well, which our accountants will love. Plus it helps our people.”
Father huffs. “Of course, Hunter would propose something so needless. We need to be strengthening ourselves right now. The Italian mafia tried to take us down, what’s to stop those in Chicago from trying to fill in the new gap?”
“We don’t have any reason to think they’ll do that,” Lief says. “Right now, investing in the people this whole mafia is meant to protect is the best option.”
Father snorts. “College is only useful for those who want to lead or leave.”
“And we could use more computer and business experts. We also deserve to give our people a choice. That’s why so many of them come here each year – to have an option to better their futures and the futures of their children.” Chase says without room for argument.
Father stares Chase down. I look to Lief. All three of us knew that he’d have trouble leaving his role as boss. He wants things done his way and maybe he thought putting Chase in charge would make it easy for him to bully his way into these meetings and keep control without dealing with consequences or long hours.
He was wrong.
“You are the new boss. You will make your mistakes. They will all come from good intentions.” Father dismisses.
We go over some regular updates. How the accounts are, who is on security rotation when the plans we are slowly putting in place, and the events that we are attending. Then our father smiles and folds his hands together.
Such a bad sign.
“I think we should host a dinner at the end of the month. Two weeks from now. To make the announcement to our business associates,” Father says.
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Chase says.
“And Chase is the boss,” I remind them, pointing at my brother.
He gives me a nod in thanks while Lief narrows his eyes at my father. What has he considered that slipped unnoticed?