Page 43 of F*ckboys

Raine: How are things going over there? Has the meeting started? I bet you're procrastinating on going into the conference room.

Me: Ha. You know me too well. Or did you have surveillance cameras installed in my office? ;)

She's the only one in the family other than my grandmother who seems to understand the weight of the situation, and I'm grateful for her support.

Raine: Have you found anything yet?

Me: Nothing concrete. But I'm getting closer. I can feel it.

Raine: Keep digging, Aksel. I'm getting started on my end today. We'll get to the bottom of this together.

Her words are a promise, like a virtual reassuring squeeze of my hand. Her loyalty, a beacon in the storm, guiding me through these treacherous waters.

Aksel: Thanks, Raine. I don't know what I'd do without you.

I push myself up from the chair, and I muster up a genuine smile for my sister that she can't see through the phone. I think of Carson and Roxy and my grandmother, and all that's at risk if my instincts are right. In this moment, I make a silent vow: no matter what it takes, I will uncover the truth and protect my family at all costs.

The air is thick with tension as I make my way to the private conference room, my heart pounding in my chest like a caged animal. I need answers, and I'm not going to get them sitting around waiting for something to happen.

"Kent, Isabella," I greet them as I enter, trying to keep my voice steady. They both look up from their respective piles of paperwork, the shadows under their eyes betraying their exhaustion—or perhaps it's something more sinister.

"Ah, Aksel, just the man we wanted to see," Kent says, his voice dripping with false cheerfulness. Isabella shoots him a quick glance, her expression unreadable. "We were just discussing some... discrepancies in the financials. We thought we'd get started in five or so minutes. Prentice got stuck in traffic."

"Discrepancies?" I question, my mind racing through every possible scenario. What are they hiding? Are they trying to get ahead of their fraudulent activities by throwing red herrings my way?

"Nothing major," Isabella interjects quickly, her voice smooth as silk. "Just a few minor errors we're working to correct."

"Errors that shouldn't be there in the first place," I snap, my suspicions flaring. "I trust this group to ensure our contractsand compliance documents are ironclad and entirely accurate. What's going on?"

"Relax, Aksel," Kent says, leaning back in his chair. "Sometimes things slip through the cracks, especially when you're dealing with a company as large as ours. It happens."

I shake my head. "Unacceptable. And I know mistakes happen, but," I say, glaring at them both, "it doesn't sit right with me."

"That's understandable, Aksel," Isabella replies, her eyes locked onto mine. "But you can be assured that we have it under control."

"Fine," I concede, though the unease in my gut tells me otherwise. "I'll leave you two to it then."

"Thanks, Aksel," Kent says, nodding at me. I turn to leave, but as I reach the door, I hear their hushed whispers begin.

"Keep an eye on him," Isabella murmurs, her voice barely audible. "He's getting too close."

"Relax," Kent responds, his tone just as quiet. "We've got this under control. The plan is already in motion."

"Good," Isabella says, her voice laced with venom. "The sooner we bring the Kings down, the better."

My blood runs cold at their words, and it takes every ounce of my willpower not to barge back into the room and confront them. Instead, I slip away silently, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts.

What the hell have I stumbled onto? Are they really trying to destroy my family from the inside? And it can't be just the two of them, so which rival mafia family are they working for?

I need answers—and I'm going to get them, no matter what it takes. But first, I need to keep my enemies closer than ever before.

Chapter 21

Fallon

The air in the dimly lit abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city chills my bones as I watch Grave secure Dickson Fineman to a rickety wooden chair. The smell of damp mold and fear fills the room, making my stomach turn. My heart races with anticipation, knowing that tonight we'll exact our revenge on this vile man.

"Are you sure about this, Fallon?" Grave's voice was low and steady as we drove to the man's residence earlier in the evening, but I could sense his concern for me deep within his words.

---