Page 8 of With This Ring

CHAPTER 4

CARTER

Seeing Kai last night at The Devil’s Den was a shock, but I didn’t let on. I knew he was gay—everyone knows that—but I didn’t think he was involved in any kind of kink.

Will he tell anyone he saw me there? I’m bi, men and women do it for me, but no one but Declan and Gavin know that. It’s no one’s business. I thought going somewhere no one knows me to fuck a twink into the mattress would improve my mood. But seeing Kai, knowing he wanted what I wanted, and I couldn’t have it almost sent me into a spiral. It’s one thing to attack him at the casino, but something totally different to try to fuck him up in public where the cops could be called. The guns I have on me at all times have a few bodies on them. I’d be locked up for life if I were arrested for fighting Kai. It would have felt good to pummel him, but at what cost?

And what the fuck did he mean he could take me into a room to see what I’m about? I know what it means, but what the fuck? I wouldn’t touch Kai with a ten-foot pole and I know he feels the same. He’s such a fucking asshole.

I push into the front door of my father’s house, irritation resting firmly on my shoulders. My balls are too full, too heavy since I didn’t get a chance to come last night. After running intoKai at The Devil’s Den, I don’t want to go back. And I have no hookups on the horizon.

I take the stairs to the second floor two at a time so I can talk to my dad. He’ll be pleased to see I have on a suit today. I don’t look like myself, but for the meeting today, I’ll need to follow the rules.

Dad’s guards see me coming and clap hands with me before they open his office door. Declan is standing in front of Dad’s desk, his arms crossed over his chest and a look of annoyance clear on his face.

“Baby brother,” I say, throwing my arm over his shoulder and bringing him in for a hug.

As he usually does, he pushes me away, shooting me a dry look. “I’m twenty-four, Carter. Hardly a baby.”

“You’ll always be my baby brother.” I bump his shoulder, and he rolls his eyes, though a small smile crops up on his face.

After our mother was killed, Declan has been standoffish and almost detached about everything. He loves the family and does whatever needs doing, but he always feels just out of reach. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss how he used to be when we were kids. One day, maybe we’ll get back to that.

Dad sets his phone down and looks at me with raised eyebrows. “Nice threads,” he comments.

I look down at the sleeves of my black tailored suit with the crisp black shirt under it. Declan is dressed similarly, the contrast of his light hair and the dark suit sharp. “I figured you’d like it. I came by to ask if you wanted to stand in with me while I talk to the Dominicans. Juan Reyes says we can meet him outside of Yorkley. He has a warehouse that’s about five miles over from our territory line. Close enough that if something pops off, we won’t be vulnerable.”

Most of our casinos and legal businesses are in Yorkley where we make the most money from tourist spending money like its water and locals that like to flaunt money they don’t really have.

Dad sits back in his chair, tapping two fingers across his lips as he thinks. Finally, he says, “Yeah, I’ll tag along but I’ll let you take the reins. I can feel it in my bones that my time as the head of this family is coming to an end. You need to start stepping up more.”

I nod, though I don’t like the sound of what he’s saying. Dad and I may bump heads sometimes, but I love him. Unlike most in this business, he’s been as doting as he could be. Even more so since we lost Mom. This is a brutal business, so Dad has been getting me and Declan ready for it, but he’s never been dismissive of us. All things considered—since he’s still stuck in his ways when it comes to me not wearing a suit all the time and my tattoos—he’s been a good father. Hopefully, he just means retirement and not that he feels his death is coming soon. I’d lose my shit if I lost him.

“Have you heard from the Petrov’s or the Fensters’?”

“Not yet,” I say, shaking my head. “They’re not as easy to get to like the Reyes’s.”

Dad stands and rounds his desk, a grim look on his face. “Things are heating up. Two of our warehouses were hit last night. One was empty, the other had some gun shipments. They were stolen and our men were killed. Both were set on fire. Insurance will pay for the buildings, but there will be questions. The chief of police called and said he’ll come out himself so he can fudge the reports. But we need to find out who it is before they cause more damage and steal more of our product.”

The chief of police is an old friend of Dad’s and has been in his pocket since he was on the beat. They go way back, so none of the shit we do blows back on us, though there was a close call when I was younger when my mom was killed.

My hackles rise as I listen to Dad. Who the fuck is trying to bring my family down and why? Other than the St. Clair family, we have the most territory and have our hands in the most pots down in Yorkley and the surrounding South Jersey. Dad said they’re not involved, and I know it’s not the Colombians. The Dominicans need to set us at ease during this meeting, so we won’t have three families to contend with.

Though I don’t think it’s the Dominicans either. We’re not friendly with them, but we’re not openly hostile either. We don’t bother them, and they don’t bother us. They have a good chunk of territory in the neighboring area, and they usually keep to themselves. I’m hoping their willingness to accept a meeting means they’re not involved.

I don’t care about starting a war. I live for shit like that, but even if we win, we’ll lose. We’re just starting to rebuild our ranks. There could be nothing left by the time it’s all said and done.

Declan curses, his eyes flashing with anger. “I swear to fucking god I will gut the motherfuckers that are fucking with us. What do we know?”

“Nothing,” Dad says in an almost strained tone. “Whoever it is, they’re smart. They’re keeping a tight lid on their plans. Something needs to be done.”

I nod in agreement. “After this meeting, we can discuss the next steps. I have a few ideas.”

Dad looks at me long and hard, his expression unreadable. “Let’s go.”

I exchange glances with Declan but follow Dad down the stairs and out the door. We all climb into my SUV, and I point us in the direction of Normont, where the Dominicans take up residence.

Declan pulls his gun from his holster, checking the chamber, then flipping the safety off. “How much business have you donewith the Reyes family?” he asks as he checks for clips in his pockets.