“I’ll see you here tomorrow.” She smiles at me.
I return her smile the best I can before she walks out the door. Once this is all over, I’ll focus on Kylie. But for now, I have a meeting with the devil himself.
* * *
I rollup to the Guerra family house, the outside looking more ominous than it does in the daytime. A few of the windows sit with bars, and I shudder at the thought of being trapped in there with Leo. Do I really have to go inside?
My driver opens the door, and I step out into the misty night. One of Leo’s men stands at the entryway holding the door open for me, and I shuffle inside. Time to get this over with.
The man leads me into the living room where Leo sits in a large, leather armchair. The pelt of a cheetah hangs on the backwall, and he rises to greet me, his meaty hands outstretched toward me.
“Johnathan! Glad you made it on such short notice.”
“Anything for family.” I firmly shake his hand and follow him over to where he was seated before.
He leans back with ease as I take the couch across from him. “So, how are things, my boy?”
“Busy. I feel like the weeks just keep going.”
“I feel that.”
It’s small talk, but he’s probing. I can sense him checking for anything he needs to take care of by the look in his eye. One wrong move and I’ll probably end up right next to my dad in the ground. I doubt Isabella would mind if it meant she got to keep everything.
Leo grips the neck of the crystal liquor bottle and pours us each a drink. “I’m so glad that you and Isa came to an understanding yesterday.”
“Isabella is a very persuasive woman.” I nod, taking the drink. “It’s hard to argue with her.”
“Glad that you see it that way.” He clinks my glass before leaning back to his comfortable position. “I want my daughter to have everything she desires, especially with the baby on the way.”
I chug the liquor like water, trying not to choke. I can’t tell if he’s bluffing or not. For all I know, those two psychos actually impregnated Isabella with my sperm, and I’ll have a whole different set of problems after this signing.
“It did catch me by surprise.” I cough a little. “I didn’t take Isabella as the mothering type.”
“She is a force that will surprise you.” Leo chuckles. “Just don’t double cross her.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“But honestly, I think everything is happening at a perfect time. Once the ink is dry, we can have a more in-depth conversation about some loose ends your father left between us over brunch.”
“Of course.”
“And I’m sure Isa will want to talk to you about living arrangements with the new bundle of joy on the way.”
I count down the moments until I’m allowed to leave as he continues to remind me of the pain they intend to cause for the next twenty years of my life. Every second I’m here, I’m reminded how helpless I really am. It’s almost as if he can just snuff me out with the snap of his fingers and no one would question it. I can see why my dad was drawn to his power, but I’m starting to become more convinced that he died over more than bad cholesterol. And if I don’t ace this performance, I’m next. All I need to do is survive and win the game tomorrow when there are other lawyers present. It’s the only way I can get on with my life and leave my father’s dirt behind me once and for all.
CHAPTER30
Kylie
I walk insideto see Jax standing at the dinner table mumbling to himself. Even in the middle of the night he’s going full force. At least the late-night interrogations have ended. The laptop sits open with latest files I’ve sent Jax, and I watch him scribble something onto a notepad with frustration.
“How’s it going over there?” I ask, startling him.
“Kylie!” he yelps. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Any progress in your capture plan?”
“I think I’ve got a plan that will take down Leonardo and still manage to bail out Johnathan from having to serve jail time.”