Page 60 of Ravaged
CHAPTER 18
Ethan
Derek parked the car and looked up at the chrome-windowed building. From the outside, it seemed like any skyscraper. But we knew what lay inside. We had opted to go to Midnight Miles Corporation instead of inviting them into our territory. Derek had stated that it was better to check out their system, to see a glimpse of how they operated before we made any moves. The more time we spent working together, the more I found myself agreeing with Derek.
While the Adler family had roots throughout Sage City for the last several generations, Midnight Miles Corporation operated a few hundred miles away in a separate part of the state. It wasn’t a family-run crime ring, but an operation started by one man, Miles Muro. I had heard of Midnight Miles Corporation back in New Mexico, but only through my research of the Adler family. They had a rivalrous history since the birth of Midnight Miles a few decades ago. Mostly, it was friendly competition, but that could change instantly in the crime world.
The entrance lobby was covered in white walls with mirrors spread throughout. Two long, cream-colored couches were arranged in the center, a single orchid on a glass table between them. A guard dressed completely in white let us through, then entered a code to let us up to the top floor of the building, to Muro’s office.
The elevator opened to a small lobby, similarly decorated, the exception being black double doors. Two slender women dressed in white opened the doors, leading the way in.
“Ah, the Adlers are here,” a male voice said. The source of the voice was sitting behind a glass desk, with a thin woman sitting on his lap. He tapped her hips with his fingertips. “Carry on. I’ll see you three later,” he winked at the women.
After they silently left, Derek and I took seats in front of the desk. Muro had a tattoo on the side of his face in the shape of a lightning bolt, but with curled edges, reminding me of blood vessels. He was of average height, but his body was toned. A ponytail tied his black hair at the nape of his neck.
“Derek?” Muro asked, holding out a hand. Derek shook it. “You must be Ethan then.” We shook hands too.
“And you’re the famous Miles Muro,” I said.
“Thanks for having us,” Derek said.
“On the contrary. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.” He glanced at the floor to ceiling window, giving a stunning view of Brackston. Though Sage City held our state’s capital, Brackston hosted some of the best technology companies in the world, with Midnight Miles at the center of it. “How are you related to the Adler family again, Ethan?”
I opened my mouth to say half-brother, but Derek answered first. “Brother,” Derek said. I raised a side-eye at him, and he gave a subtle nod.
“Brother,” I said.
“I see.” Muro pinched his lips together. “Now, we’re here to talk about Oliver Knox. Oliver is very important to me. I thought we had an understanding worked out, but he stole—” Muro paused, then a forced smile gleamed on his face, “Let’s say he stole something that is simply irreplaceable to me,” the words were full of weight, “A gift I had given to my wife for our ten-year anniversary.”
“Oliver owes our business a great deal of money as well,” I said. The Pink Diamond was a great deal more expensive than his dues to us, but as far as Muro knew, we knew nothing about the diamond. “But he mentioned you were thinking of collaborating,” I lied. “Uniting forces in Sage City.”
Muro’s eyebrows lifted. “It would be good for me to have some…” he tapped his teeth together, “reinforcements, in case Midnight Miles ever needs some help in the capital.”
“That can be arranged,” Derek said. “We can introduce you to some of our colleagues and vendors.”
“Excellent,” Muro said, looking pleased, even though all three of us knew that it was a bond forged through lies. “But first, let’s deal with the topic of Knox.” He rubbed his hand over his knee, then wiped a finger across the glass desk, smearing his fingerprint on it. “I understand you have him in your possession right now.”
“He’s lost a few fingers in recent days,” Derek said.
“Good. I’m glad to see you punished him accordingly.” He crossed his arms in front of him. “As a negotiation of good intent, I’d like for you to transfer your control of him to me.”
“We aren’t finished with him yet,” I said. “He still owes us a great deal.”
“And we have his daughter,” Derek said. I could’ve punched him right then. Why bring up Teagen now? “But she’s not enough.”
As Muro’s brow lifted, his upper lip tugged with it. “Ah, you don’t needbothof them, now, do you?” He shrugged. “Is he close to her?” Derek nodded. I disagreed, but I kept my mouth shut. “Would he do anything for her?”
“Stabbed himself to distract us so she could escape,” I said.
“That’s the kind of fatherly love we should all aspire to,” Muro said. He folded his arms in front of him. “Now, if you could give me the daughter as a holding, I’d be happy to extend the networking opportunities for the Adlers here, in Brackston, or in any of my business locations across the country. Take your pick.”
“What do you want with the daughter?” I asked. I clenched my fists, hiding them under the table, knowing I wouldn’t like the answer, no matter how tame it was.
“I’m not sure, to be honest.” He rubbed his fingers together in front of his face, leaning back in the chair, as if this conversation bored him. “But once Oliver gives up the information I need, I’ll simply dispose of them both.”
“Take out the trash,” Derek said.
“Exactly. You catch on quickly,” Muro said. He was a condescending asshole, acting like he was the only one who had a plan. I glanced at Derek, who narrowed his eyes in determination. The remark wasn’t lost on him either.
