I sigh in relief. Pocketing my phone, I collect the now-empty food platters and carry them into the kitchen. We do have house staff but I’ve never liked leaving a mess behind. I don’t expect people to just pick up after me. Unlike my brothers, who are lazy as shit.
Chapter Thirty
A FEW HOURS EARLIER
Ischool my features. I will not be intimated by these assholes sitting around me, no matter how much they try. They’re responsible for my parents’ murders. They know it. I know too. But we’re all seated here as if nothing has gone down over the past few weeks.
“With the passing of your father, Logan, you are now being initiated into his position on The Court.” Van Baron’s voice drags on.
I look to Logan. I can tell he would rather be anywhere else also. The guy isn’t the smartest in the room, but maybe I’ve been harsh on my previous judgements of him. He’s well into his forties and has been living his best playboy life. Never really having worked a day ever. Now, he’s going to have to figure out how to take over his family’s companies.
As well as his father’s position here. The one that will grant him more power than he’s ever had in his life. We can make or break anyone, manipulate the stock market, influence the decisions the President makes. We always get what we want. That’s why The Court was founded to begin with.
The six most influential and powerful families in the country working together to gain more wealth and more power. Too bad these assholes had to go and fuck it all up. I will get it back to how it was supposed to be, though. I’m not going to stop until they’re out. Replaced by hopefully better fucking relatives. Ones with more of a moral compass. Although the Levines will be out completely.
I am not taking Bradley’s betrayal too well. I didn’t expect him to have any kind of loyalty to me, but I also didn’t expect him to throw Jazzy under the bus. I honestly thought they werebetter friends. At the end of the day, the only person Bradley Levine cares about is Bradley Levine.
Selfish fucking asshole.
I tune out the spiel I’ve heard before, the one they give us when we’re initiated, right up until Logan is asked, “Do you accept your position on The Court?”
“Yes,” he replies. It’s not as if he has an actual choice in the matter. Everyone in this room knows he doesn’t.
“Great. Welcome. Now that, that’s settled, we have a few matters to discuss,” Van Baron says.
I don’t say a single word, waiting to see what shit they’re getting up to now.
“We want the approvals for Harrington Hotel Group’s latest building denied,” Levine says.
The Harringtons’ latest venture is a huge skyscraper, one street over from the Strip.
“Why?” I ask him.
“It’s not in any of our interests to let the Harrington Group into this city,” he says.
I don’t disagree. I’ve never liked the Harringtons. Their new-money family found some windfall, and instead of wasting it away like most do, they invested well. Their new building will rival the current hotels on the Strip, and I know how they operate. They’ll undercut the pricing of everyone else in the area. Jazzy’s casino will suffer from that building going up.
“I agree,” I say. “We don’t need Harrington Group moving into town.”
They all look shocked. It’s not often I agree so quickly to the shit they bring up.
“Good. Let’s vote then,” Levine says.
The rest of the table approves the motion.
“Jacob, you can speak to the council. Make sure those plans do not get approved.” Levine points to me.
“Sure.” That’s not exactly a difficult task.
“Now, since we’re revisiting the matter of the Strip. Giuliani, Russo, and Bianchi have run out of time. Their hold on the city’s underground needs to end.”
I keep my face a mask of indifference. Just like the last time they brought this up. “Why?” I ask again, knowing my questioning pisses them off.
“Because they’re ruining our city,” Van Baron says.
“What good will getting rid of the underground leaders do, exactly? You know others will just pop up in their place. Better the devil you know and all that.” I wave a dismissive hand.
“These particular devils need to go,” Van Baron insists. “Let’s vote.”