Page 69 of Emergence and Ascendance

"Same shit with new motivation. They've got 'investors' who are extremely interested in my land development projects." His jaw tightened. "Particularly the ones expanding east."

"What did you tell them?"

"That I don’t need any gotdamn investors. My financing is solid."

I nodded. We both knew what investors from The Collective really meant. Obligation, compromise. Things we both had been working to distance ourselves from when it came to them.

"What about you?" Ezekiel asked.

"Three calls this week about my casinos. How they could be more profitable with the right partners."

"This shit is never ending."

I leaned back. "Yeah. I did some digging. These investors they're pushing are all connected to the shit we've been trying to detach from."

Ezekiel's eyes narrowed. "How connected?"

"Deep as fuck. Money laundering at minimum but that’s damn sure not the worst of what they’re into. I’m really not trying to go down that road. After all that bullshit with Aja, it’s time for me to draw a clear, defined line."

"This shit is fucked up and nothing like it used to be. The political agendas aren’t the priority anymore. They’re getting deeper into the other stuff."

"Exactly."

The door to the private dining section opened and Kenton Parker, Julian Dexter, and Adrian McCantas walked in.

"I hope you’re ready to deal with this shit," Ezekiel muttered, straightening his posture.

We both stood as they approached and moved through the motions before I signaled the waiter for a round of drinks and everyone took their seats.

Once the drinks were on the table, Dexter began. “We appreciate you making time for us."

"We’re here but please understand this impromptu shit is done. Say whatever the fuck you need to even though I’ve already made my position clear." I kept my tone neutral, butmake no mistake about it, they fully understood I wasn’t feeling this shit.

Dexter wasn’t feeling my disrespect, which was amusing. "Positions can change when the right incentives are involved."

"Our incentives have become much more attractive," McCantas added and I snorted at the thought. Money didn’t rule me but they assumed it did.

Ezekiel spoke up, damn near saying what I was thinking world for word. "Don’t nobody give a shit about your incentives. It’s not about the money."

"It's always about money," McCantas argued arrogantly. "The amounts we're discussing?—"

"Are irrelevant," I cut him off. "Ez and I aren’t hurting for shit. We don't need additional capital attached to the bullshit you’re trying to get us caught up in."

"This isn't just about capital. It's about expansion. Protection. Family." Parker’s tone was clipped as hell.

I smirked and looked right at him. "Let's be clear. Our businesses will remain independent. We've built them without your investors or incentives and we'll continue to grow them the same way."

The mood turned tense as hell.

"You're making a mistake,” Parker growled in irritation.

Ezekiel shrugged. "Then they’re our fucking mistakes."

"Your fathers understood the value of cooperation."

"Our fathers made choices that fit their agendas. We're making ours," I made clear. That was the problem. They wanted us to be our fathers because that worked for them. The manipulation was easier when greed was the driving force.

“We’ll table this for now,” Dexter stated dryly, not happy Ezekiel and I weren’t budging.

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