Page 57 of Alpha Bait

"It gets worse."

I didn't think my blood boil any further. The news from Ames had sent me spiraling. I regretted letting Jamal live in the park. If Selena would get no justice from Ames, it would have been better for me to have meted it out on the spot.

Jamal might have been tough. He might have been a bulldog in the courtroom. But when it came to hand-to-hand combat would have easily bested him. I'd had him in my grasp.

"How does it get worse?"

Again, a long pause indicative that the bad news my brother would bear to me would, in fact, be worse than what he'd already said.

I could sense that he had no desire to tell me. But I pressed him.

"They want you out of New York."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said."

He continued reluctantly, "Jamal has filed a restraining order and the judge is granted his request."

"You have to be kidding me."

"It will go into effect in 72 hours. If you don't comply, there will be consequences."

Frustrated, I replied, "how am I supposed to do business in New York if I can't even be in the city?"

"We'll have to find a way."

There was no way. We both knew that. We might try for a while but board members wouldn't accept and absent CEO.

"We don't have enough time to make a plan. That bastard..." I grumbled.

"I know."

The move was political, purely. Jamal knew I wouldn't hurt him again with a legal case going on, and he had nothing to gain from me being out of the city in terms of his safety.

He posed more of a threat to me than I did to him. Selena's actions aside, he was a business rival we took seriously, and a man neither of us relished meeting in a courtroom.

My brother pressed me to seek assistance from Indie once again. I knew she wouldn't help me. What we were doing was already violating much of her loyalty to her family and I couldn't ask her to do any worse than she'd already done.

But leave New York? Before Selena had died, that had seemed not only like a viable possibility but my best course of action.

With Selena gone, the company needed me for at least another quarter.

Ames couldn't do this alone. My responsibility to Carmichael, Inc. grew more pressing now that my brother relied on me -- and only me.

"We don't have to listen to that restraining order. It's bullshit. If we have to pay a fine, we'll pay."

"Do you really think the amount of money would be worth it?" My brother asked.

It was my turn to pause. I ran my hands through my short dark hair, greasy and standing up on end. Another sigh escaped my lips. Visions of leaving Indie behind in New York flashed in my head. More than the company, I had no desire to leave her.

"You need me here. The company needs me here. If Jamal wants to push me out of New York, that's the last thing I should do."

My brother grew quiet again. More bad news?

"Brother, if you don't mind me asking, I have a personal question."

Worse, a question. His tone betrayed the content.

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