Page 10 of Mastered By Lust

“Fuck no.” We’re not taking his money. If we do, he’ll want a say in operations, in clientele.

Possibly in money laundering.

I don’t want to think about that shit. I shouldn’t have to.

Patrick slumps in his seat. “So what, we get some shit hole in the Bellefleur?”

“Maybe,” I say. “Or we wait until we have the capital on our own.”

“Fuck you, you know that’ll never happen.” He gives me a beseeching look. “Come on, this was our dream. We’ve been planning this for years.”

I put the car in gear and get us moving again. I need the fastest route out of Salding.

“So you’re not even gonna consider it?” he asks.

“Tell me one thing.”

“Sure.”

“Who gave you the shiner?”

He mumbles.

“Say that again. I couldn’t hear you.”

“Edmund Layton.”

I nod. That’s what I thought. I can imagine what happened. Patrick came sniffing around here and they figured out who he was. They probably figured it out because of that stupid Aseyev tat on his forearm that he wouldn’t have tried to hide.

It’s one thing to be proud of our name. It’s another to be stupid.

“Maybe we should rethink our concept,” I say.

“The fuck? We’ve been talking about this for years, D. Years. Jazz club. You and me. A place like Granddad used to own. Great music, great drinks. The elite rubbing elbows.”

“That was when we were kids.” I get us back to Dorado Heights and let out a sigh of relief. Salding makes me itchy between my shoulder blades. “We’re adults now.”

“So you don’t want to do this?” He raises his voice. “After all our planning, all the shit we went through?”

“I’m not saying I don’t want to do it at all.” I cross Caro to take us back to my place. “I’m saying we should talk things out. Slow down the timeline.”

“You’re pulling back.”

“Yeah, I’m pulling back,” I say. “You keep doing risky shit. Even scoping out Salding, Patrick, looking like you do, was asking for trouble. I don’t want trouble.”

His jaw juts out stubbornly. “Granddad told me some stuff that happened to your friend Leah. Sounds likeshe’strouble.”

“Through no fault of her own. And the trouble’s over.”

“Is it, though? When she comes to family things with Danica, I’ve seen the way you look at her. Maybe you’re too distracted by a girl to want to open up a club.”

“Fuck off, you know it’s not that.” Am I that transparent? Because yeah, I am distracted by Leah. I don’t want to think about anything else but her. Winning her back. Making sure she’s happy. Safe. Starting this club with Patrick isn’t going to help me with Leah.

But the main reason I don’t want to do this, is Patrick’s recklessness.

I say, “You need to grow up, Patrick. Stop taking stupid risks like walking around Salding with your Aseyev tattoo. Don’t pretend it’s a fucking accident that one of the Laytons beat your ass.”

“Yeah, okay.” He doesn’t believe me. “You can drop me off here.”

---