Page 23 of Lesson on Depravity

“Hey,” I murmur, eyes tracing the edges of the buildings out the window. “I’m fine, still okay.”

The weak laugh is not as convincing, and I have no energy to fix it when the concern in his voice clips through the phone.

“No, nothing happened.” That lie—information heldback—tumbles straight out of my mouth like a water fountain.

“I’m just tired from the tour around the building.” It’s a half-truth, so I didn’t technically lie.

Daddy isn’t having any of that. “Princess, you’re misbehaving.”

With a defeated sigh, I open my mouth to explain the appearance of Jessabelle and the signed contract for my job position. A ruckus in the background has Daddy snapping at whoever interrupted his phone call.

There are a muffle and a moment of silence, and he comes back with a forced tone. “Thirty minutes.”

I reassure him of the reminder to call him. When I am just about to pull my phone away, Mr. Tito’s voice echoes through with a mechanical tone.

“Fucking Xavier—” The line cuts off at the name I never heard of.

However, the name is close to Javier and anything that resembles that name scares me. Just how long does Javier want to chase after me for my mother’s debt that I had no part of?

Reeling back my determination, I pocket my phone and step out of the office to face the problem more pressing than my fear of Javier.

“I have a reservation at the LeMière. They serve the most succulent Manuka lamb. I hope you are a fan of that particular dish. It is amazing.”

I have never had lamb in my life, but I don’t think she even cares what I want because she’s ushering me towards the elevator.

“We have much to discuss, dear.”

The woman with red lips, faint silver eyeshadow with a fluffy Pomeranian strikes a chord of fear in my heart, and my stomach drops with the descent of the elevator.

Chapter Seven

Alistair

“I meant no disrespect, Alistair,” Xavier unapologetically says with a grin.

We’re on neutral ground, but no one has their guard down. My men behind me are ready to shoot these bastards on my word, and I am one straw away from that camel’s back breaking.

“You sold drugs on my territory.” I glare at the smug bastard.

Tension is high; they aren’t taking the fault, and Xavier has the balls to call this meeting to tell me that he will be selling drugs at the corner just where his territory ends and where mine begins.

He’s testing my tolerance, and it’s a shame to say that his men won’t have this ballsy leader for long if he keeps this pretense up.

“My boy is new; you’ll have to forgive him for not knowing better.” Xavier takes out a Cuban cigar.

If he can afford to smoke that type of cigar, then it means his business is doing just fine. Maybe better than when his brother, Javier, was the boss.

“Besides, it didn’t hurt your business.” He shrugs. “He was eager to prove himself, so he took some risks, who doesn’t?”

“The cops got involved,” I sneer through a clenched jaw.

That little boy had the audacity to deal drugs on my territory and brought the cops into the mess. I wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but it was on my territory, and now I have to deal with the watchful eyes of the police even more than before.

Just when I have the police minding their damn business, Xavier pulls this fucking stunt as if it’s entertainment for him.

I have had my fair share of people trying to knock me down, but they never get far on their plan of taking over my position as the boss of this multimillion gun-running business. I made this organization from scratch with blood and corpses as the foundation, and this measly little drug lord will have to try harder to take that away from me.

“You can take care of some pigs,” Xavier remarks, condescending and taunting about my ability to run my domain.

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