Page 16 of Room Seven

Beautiful red lips peel back into a knowing smirk. “Yes,” Polaris coos with an arched brow. The sass in her is real and what made us fast friends after she arrived here a couple months back. “But you should know the man is in a mood.”

My good mood drops to the floor. “Ugh. Not good. And Cassius and Santi?” They usually serve as nice buffers. I mentally cross my fingers.

Polaris shakes her head. “Stepped out. Club business with the Savages. Enter at your own risk.”

Shit. The Savages are the group of Russian bikers who saved her and are pretty tight with Harlon. Them in town is not a good sign from recent experience.

“What’s up?”

“I don’t know for sure, but they say a new girl is arriving. Her name is Briar. From what Harlon said, her story isn’t good. They pulled her out of a cargo ship hold.”

Polaris’ voice trails off and her eyes drift to a spot on the floor telling me this girl, Briar, will need a safe place to heal. There’s a lot of lines my family crosses to make the money we have. Power and ruthlessness go in hand with my bloodline. But not at the expense of the innocent.

I reach out and take Polaris into my arms for a quick hug. “We got this. Whatever, or whoever, okay?” I pull back and look my friend in the eye. “You good?”

“Yeah. She’s gonna need all our help, I think. But that comes later. Right now, it is about you.” I can practically see the ghosts of her past slink back into the shadows as she gives me a watery smile.

I take a steadying breath and hope it’s not my last. “Wish me luck. Let’s talk later, okay?”

Polaris nods and I blow through the thick wooden door, hoping I don’t get a gun in my face before I have a chance to speak my mind.

The large slab of dark wood swings wide open to reveal a large open space in browns, leathers, and a few gold ornaments that add a flare of color and wealth. The familiar scent of cigar smoke and fine whiskey linger in the air which tells me he’s either trying to relax or keep from killing someone.

I open my mouth to start in on my spiel when he beats me to the punch.

“What would it take for me to convince you to walk away?”

I knew I would meet a wall of resistance. I square my shoulders and try to keep the frown off my face. “Did Polaris tell you?”

“She didn’t have to. It’s all over your face.”

My shoulders threaten to sag under Harlon’s incredulous tone, but I force them to hold steady.

Come on Aster. Fight it.

“So tell me. What would it take for me to convince you to walk away from Genesis? Paris, Rio, Vegas. Where do you want to go, create a life and leave this shit family in the dust?”

My jaw goes slack for a second and then I blurt out, “I didn’t know you did drugs, Harlon. Do I need to call someone because there is no way you are not high out of your mind right now?”

“Answer me.”

Okayyyy.

Despite warning red lights flashing inside my head, I lift a slender shoulder and huff, “Probably a fucking miracle and you know it. Sapphire is right is only a couple of years older than me. Our cousin is knocked up and sleeping with the enemy andstillworking as the undertaker. All damn three of them. Come on. It’s my turn. I don’t exactly see anyone lining up at your office door to throw their name into the hat, either.” Harlon Constantine doesn’t like to be challenged. Too bad for him it has become my favorite pastime.

A thick finger taps the papers and matches the thudding of my heart against my ribs.

With a hand latched around the edge of his desk, I lean forward and ignore the rush of blood in my veins. “I want this, and I have every right to claim the position.”

You want something, you take it, remember that.

My father directed his words to my six older brothers, not the fragile little princess of the family. But I still hold them dear to my heart. I am not a weak flower to be seen and not heard. I want this. It’s mine.

“Sapphire’s last day is tomorrow, and you have no one to wrangle your motley crew of assassins or handle the contract side of the business.”

“Is that so?” Harlon’s yet to look at me and it is pissing me off.

Unlikely as it seems, the air suddenly thickens and the large office my cousin shares with his two business partners closes in.

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