Nate’s eyes have a lethal gleam as he steps closer to the desk. “You got into bed with MacDonough.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but my father pales even more. “No,” he whispers, though it’s a weak denial.
“I’ve been looking into things. Every building constructed in that part of town in the last twenty years without Mac’s blessing has either been burned to the ground, vandalized beyond repair, or run out of business because people are too afraid to go near there.” Nate’s gaze never wavers. “You’re a smart man, Mr. West. You’d never have poured so much money into this development project unless you had assurances that he wouldn’t give you problems.”
“Christ,” Parker mutters from somewhere behind me. “Perfect. Fucking perfect.”
“How much did you give Mac?” Nate asks flatly.
My father sits there silently, too proud to lie and too weak too admit the truth out loud.
“Oh my god, Dad.” I stare at him. He won’t meet my eyes. “Tell me you didn’t do this. Tell me this is some kind of mistake.”
He swallows, staring resolutely at his desk. “I didn’t think it would turn out like this.”
“What? You thought if you made a deal with the head of Boston’s biggest crime family, things would gowellfor you?” Parker’s voice is incredulous. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“What did you promise him?” Nate’s voice is colder than I’ve ever heard it.
A defeated sigh moves through my father.
My father.
The idealist. The self-made billionaire. The prince of the people. The philanthropist. The entrepreneur who trulycaresabout the fate of his fellow man.
What a load of horseshit.
God, I’m a fool for ever believing in him.
“If you care about your children, tell me.” Nate’s hands come down on my father’s desk with a sharp smack. Milo jumps at the sound. “I can’t protect them if I don’t know what I’m up against.”
Dad’s eyes lift straight to me. They move over my face, no doubt reading the horror, confusion, and disappointment etched into my expression, and I see something inside him crumble.
“He wanted ten percent of the land value, plus interest, over the next ten years.” I’ve never seen my father cowed before, but that’s exactly how he looks right now as he lays out the terms of his deal. Utterly defeated. “It was a good deal. Fair. With the amount of revenue the new condos would bring in…” He swallows. “I’d still walk away with well over my bottom line.”
Money. This was aboutmoney.
Nausea churns in my stomach. I feel Boo settle at my feet, perhaps sensing I need moral support.
“But then…” Milo drifts off.
“He changed the terms,” Nate guesses. “Wanted more.”
“Twenty million, on top of the millions I’d already paid him for access to the land.” A spark of anger shoots through my father’s eyes — a flicker of the uncompromising CEO that’s built an empire on trade agreements and business mergers. “He tried to con me.”
“That’s what criminals do, Dad,” I snap, voice shaking. “They extort and cheat and bribe andkidnap peoplewhen they don’t get their way.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, eyes dropping back to his desk. “You’ll never know how sorry I am. If I knew how to fix it…”
“Pay him,” Parker says, all playfulness stripped from his tone. “Pay him the fucking money or I swear to god, I will kill you myself for putting a target on my baby sister’s back.”
“He can’t,” Nate says, eyes alert as they watch my father. “It’s not that simple.”
Dad jerks his chin in response.
“What?” I gasp. “Why?”
“He’ll just keep asking for more, don’t you understand?” My father’s voice is shaking. “It’ll never be enough. Ten million, twenty million, fifty… it won’t end. He won’t stop. Not until we’re bankrupt and the company’s gone under. He’ll take everything.”