“Hey, Ares?” Nero growls from his side of the table.
We’re sitting in the opulent conference room of Thermopylae Acquisitions, the “legitimate” holding company that my family operates. I glance down at the ink still drying on the contracts in front of my father and Yelena’s.
Nero clears his throat. “I think signing a contract that puts us in bed together to the tune of five hundred million gets us on a first name basis, don’t you?”
My dad stands and walks around to meet Nero at the head of the table. He puts a hand out, and the two of them shake firmly.
“All right,Nero,” Dad growls. “I’m glad we could come to this arrangement.”
Yelena’s father chuckles. “Well, since I seem to suddenly be short a business partner and in ownership of a building I can’t afford alone….” He lifts a shoulder and grins. “Truth be told, I can’t think of a better solution than this.”
Yeah, the Santoro family is officiallyoutof the Central Park South real estate game. Nero enlisted the help of Crown and Black, where my Aunt Elsa is a senior partner and where Drago’s mom’s name is on the fucking building. Their army of fuck-you lawyers managed to terminate the business contract Angelo Santoro had with Nero for the building behind Ya-ya’s.
Myfamily has, as of thirty seconds ago, filled that contractual void as fifty percent owner of the building.
No new floors will be built. Ya-ya's view will remain intact.
I’d like to think that a five-hundred-million-dollar contract between our families would also lower my odds of being skinned alive by Nero, who very muchdoesknow now that I’m in a relationship with his daughter.
But truthfully, I don’t think my odds there have changedat all.
The rest of the lawyers and other guys who work for Nero and my dad stand and shake hands, congratulating each other on a deal well executed. As everyone starts to file out of the conference room, Nero clears his throat.
“Achilles,” he rumbles, his eyes lethal slits. “You and I need a moment alone.”
Dad frowns, glancing at the door as the last of the lawyers leave. Then he turns to me, a dark look on his face before his gaze slides to Nero.
Yelena’s father grins in a slightly unhinged way.
“Relax, Ares. I’m not going to kill your son and heir in thisbeautifulconference room.” He glances around. “The carpet looks far too hard to clean.”
Dad's jaw tightens.
“Now, theelevator, on the other hand…” Nero smiles wider. “Much easier in terms of cleanup and containment, wouldn't you agree?”
My dad levels a cold look at him.
“That’s a joke, Ares.”
“I’m not quite sure I have the same sense of humor as you,Nero.”
Yelena’s dad chuckles. “Few people do. I'd be concerned if I you did. But I do need to speak to your son alone if he’d ever like tolookat my daughter again.”
My dad glances at me, a slightly wary look on his face. But I shake my head. “All good,” I murmur, clapping a hand on his shoulder.
“I’ll be right outside,” he mutters as he gives me a quick hug. “And I’m armed.”
Nero sinks into the seat at the head of the table after my dad steps out of the room and closes the door.
“Time to rip off the Band-aid, kid,” he growls.
I cock a brow as I walk over and take a seat around the corner of the table from him. “Is this the part where you threaten?—”
“I don’t need to threaten you, Achilles,” Nero growls. “I trust my daughter’s judgment more than my own. Alotmore, actually, which is good for your ability to continue breathing and pumping blood through your fucking veins.”
He smiles coldly as he idly drums his fingertips on the edge of the table.
“Yelena trusts you. And I think I’ve taught her well enough that ifshetrusts you, it means I can trust you with her.”