My eyes widen. “But—”
“No, we wouldn’t actually. But you start high and then barter lower. Have I taught you nothing? Threaten his life, then become lenient and suggest only a few years in solitary once he’s panicking.”
I grimace. “I’m sorry, Dad. If I can just meet with him again, I’m sure I can do better…”
“You’ll have to. We’re running out of time, and options. We need that cash if we’re going to stay in business past the month’s end. Beyond that…”
“I know, Dad. If we don’t get it, then Diggs and his crew close in. Take over our territory, and probably hire hits on us both before a day has passed.”
“Then you know how high the stakes are here. How important this is. How much trust I’m placing in you.”
“Of course I do, Dad.”
He clenches his fist around the whiskey glass and downs another glass all in two gulps. “Then why,” he snarls once he’s finished, “are you disappointing me?”
“I’m sorry. I’ll do better.”
He grabs my wrist just as I reach for the bottle of scotch to top him up. “Damn right you will, Ashley. Because this time, we’re not allowing for any mistakes.” He squeezes, just hard enough for me to feel it. My stomach clenches.
Dad’s never hurt me. Not exactly. He gets his rages, but who doesn’t? He’d never take it any farther than this, than just blowing off steam in my general direction. He’s not a good person, I know that. But he’s not a monster either.
He lets go of my wrist with an exasperated sigh and snatches up his third glass to swirl it. “I’ve asked Gunther to arrange your next meeting. More private this time. If all else fails, I want you to use your assets to secure the information.”
I can’t help it. The scotch bottle slips from my grip and thuds against the table surface. I catch it just in time to avoid it toppling over and spilling, then glare at my father across the table. “You want me to whore myself out?”
“No, Ashley, I want you to negotiate like a proper businesswoman, and secure the deal. But, failing that, there are some advantages to you having been born a woman. Such as the fact that you are exactly Damon Tell’s type. In this world, you use every advantage you can get, no matter how unsavory.” His gaze searches mine, searing. “If you don’t want to sink to that level, then I suggest you perform better at the task I already set you.”
With that, he takes his final glass of whiskey and storms from the private study in which we’ve been talking. I stand there at the table, staring after him for a solid minute before I suck in a deep, infuriated breath and pour myself a glass, too.
“Jasper, I need you to arrange another meeting for me.” I cross my arms and lean back against the Ferrari that Jasper is currently repairing—fresh back in Dad’s garage after a late night job that left it dented and banged up in ways I don’t want to think about. Especially the deep indent on the hood, which Jasper has already repainted and begun to pull back into its usual shape. Before he started to fix it, though, I caught a long enough glimpse to notice that the indent was suspiciously deep and broad. Almost… person-shaped?
But I dismiss that thought. Dad is strictly anti-killing except in extreme cases—cases like when one of his men goes nuts and tries to kill innocent bystanders, or when enemy gang members start taking shots at us. If Jasper ran someone down in this car last night, then whoever it was must have had it coming. They must have thrown the first punch. That’s our rule.
So I hope, anyway.
“Another meeting?” Jasper asks, taking his time to slide out from under the front of the Ferrari and push himself to his feet. Jasper has been working for Dad for over two years now, and while the tall, heavy-set, hard-faced man has always made my skin crawl, I’ve gotten used to having him around. He might be a creep who takes one too many long leering glances at my chest or legs anytime I’m in the room, but he gets jobs done, and never asks too many questions. There’s value in a man like that, even a sleazy one. “Thought you were supposed to get all the details outta Tell today.”
“Yes, well. Turns out he’s not as much of a talker as we hoped.” I huff out a hard sigh.
Jasper’s gaze, as usual, drifts toward my face, but sticks on my chest. He licks his lips, a long, slow motion that turns my stomach. “Your fiancé want a little more than you’re willing to give, that it?” he asks, sneering.
I grit my teeth, not just at Jasper’s insinuation, but at the sudden flash of memory. Damon’s hot gaze boring into mine. The haughty smirk on his lips when he told me to take off my panties. The way the heat radiated off his strong, muscular body when he stood an inch away from me. There’s no doubt about it—Damon Tell could eat me alive.
And damn, do I want him to.
Unfortunately, just thinking about that has made my cheeks flush, and Jasper takes a break from ogling my chest long enough to notice. “Well I’ll be damned,” he says, laughing. “Miss Prude herself has a weak spot after all. Thought you were the resident Ice Queen, Ashley. Lusting for a bad boy after all?” Jasper takes a step closer to me. I step back at the same time, mirroring him.
“The only lust I have for Damon Tell is a lust for revenge,” I snap.
That makes Jasper’s eyebrows rise, though his smirk only deepens. “You know you’re only hotter when you talk dirty like that, little Miss Marrón.”
“Don’t make me sic my father on you,” I reply in a carefully even voice, as though bored. In reality, I’m suddenly very aware of the room we’re in—the back garage, the one Dad keeps on lockdown. The one with soundproof walls for a very specific, very unpleasant reason. The one that most of his henchmen aren’t allowed inside—only guys like Jasper who have been working for him long enough that Dad has plenty of leverage over them. Enough of their own dark secrets for Dad to trust them with his.
We’re alone in here, and I know it all too well. So does Jasper.
“Daddy isn’t here right now, little girl. It’s just you and me.” He steps closer again.
I force myself to laugh, loud and sharp. “If you think he’s not watching you every minute of every day that you’re here in his house, then you’re slower on the uptake than I thought, Jasper.” I allow my eyes to tick sideways for a second, really briefly, just glancing at the upper right hand corner of the garage. I pretend it was unconscious, a mistake.
Jasper falls for it. He follows my gaze to the security camera rigged up in the corner. It’s rolling, like always. Dad never bothers to watch the tape, but Jasper doesn’t need to know that. All he needs is the reminder that he’s on our turf. We’re in control here.
“Relax, I don’t mean any harm,” he says, laughing as he raises his hands in faux surrender. “So you need another conjugal visit with your intended. Fine. I’ll arrange that for you. More private this time. See how you like Mr. Tell when you have him all to your lonesome, without Daddy babysitting you, without any guards around to rescue you.” He casts another lingering glance over my body. “I’m sure he’ll enjoy having you, at any rate.”