Page 39 of Hidden Heir

I sniffle hard and wipe my eyes with the back of my wrist. “Seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars,” I whisper.

Leon locks eyes with me and my heart begins to race. I’m so distraught that I can’t tell if my lie is even believable. I know I’m asking him for a dangerous amount of money and he will surely say no.

Leon tucks a tear-soaked strand of hair behind my ear. “Okay. I will give you the money you needifyou stay here with me. Forever.”

17

LEON

Unfortunately, due to my father’s demands, Brooke has to take a back seat as my priority. The Italians took my absence from the meeting a few weeks ago as a personal insult, and it’s my job to smooth things over now. Luckily, Brooke needs time to think over my proposal and to deal with the complex grief she’s dealing with, so I leave Rik to keep a watchful eye on her, requesting hourly updates as I drive toward the warehouse where the Italians have set up another meeting.

Brooke’s situation is becoming more complex by the minute so my stance must shift. She’s a distraction but she’s a warm distraction that I want to sink into time and again. I tell myself I can balance her and my work with ease.

Only now, more details about her story are unraveling. She still refuses to give me anything more on the monster she owes money to and I suspect it’s because she’s protecting Ant. As soon as she mentioned him I knew he was to blame. But she defends him fiercely which my father would find admirable if he spent more than five seconds with her.

I push her from my thoughts as my driver pulls up to the warehouse. Inside, Galeazzo Provenza, the Italian Don himself,waits for me, and I’ll have to pull out all the charm to make sure this deal doesn’t go south. My father will have my head otherwise.

As I enter, I spot Galeazzo standing near some wooden crates, his hands clasped in front of him, two large armed men at his side. Others stand nearby, still as statues. I slowly stride toward Galeazzo, flanked by several of my own guards, holding out my hands in peace as I do so.

“Well, well, well. You actually made it this time.”

“I am a man of my word.”

“Only when it suits, it seems.”

“You have my deepest, sincerest apologies for my lack of appearance at our previously scheduled meeting. There was an urgent matter that demanded my attention.” It’s difficult to ensure I sound sincere but I have always been excellent at putting on a show. “Family comes first, as you are well aware.”

Galeazzo’s bushy eyebrows raise slightly. “Indeed. Your unwavering loyalty to your father is often spoken about in awe,” he says. “Some would even argue he is still in charge.”

“He is my most trusted advisor,” I reply, sidestepping the thinly veiled insult. “I’m sure you understand the importance of the instinct and wisdom that comes with age.”

He chuckles and shakes his head. “Indeed I do. So, is this the kind of tardiness I should expect when it comes to payment for my goods?”

I eye the crate behind him. My father is insistent that Italian weapons are the way to go, and frankly, the money we will make flipping them should allow this entire deal to pay for itself. But the Italians are a tough nut to crack, which is why such a deal didn’t exist during my father’s reign. Their opinions on how we make our money are ones of disgust, so my plan has been to pay them enough so that they no longer care where it comes from.

“If you are concerned about late payments I have a new proposition for you,” I say, causing every guard around him to take one step forward.

“A new proposition?” Galeazzo chuckles again. “And what is that?”

“We’ll pay a year in advance, as an apology for my lateness, and to soothe any concerns you may have about the validity of our ability to pay you.”

Galeazzo can barely hide the surprise in his eyes. Not only is it a good deal but flashing that much cash highlights just how much our family is worth. Even if the deal were to turn sour, the money we would lose wouldn’t dent our billions. Only our pride.

“A grand gesture,” Galeazzo says after a moment. “But I, too, have a new proposition.”

All of the guards, mine included, adjust their stance.

“I’m listening.”

The cost of each weapon you purchase from us has now quadrupled. But we will offer a discount if you purchase a full crate.” He pats the crate behind him. “It’s good to buy bulk.”

My eyes narrow briefly. This is a test. He doesn’t believe I have the money to back up my offer, so he’s creating one himself. We will earn an obscene amount of money, with each weapon selling for over eight million, but it’s not my family that has to worry about the laundering side of things.

“Alright.” I stride forward and hold out my hand, his guards immediately stepping in front of him. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

“It’s alright, gentleman,” Galeazzo addresses his guards. To me, he adds, “There will also be a trial period. Six months with no late payments and no issues.”

My hand doesn’t move and neither does my gaze, still fixed directly on his eyes. “Like I said, you have a deal.”

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