I frowned. “With Uncle Vance and Josh?”
“Yes. Though it may not be the norm to discuss business with the women in the household, I’d like to know.”
Actually, Uncle Vance shared everything with Aunt Julia, besides the gory details. I wouldn’t be surprised if she cooked his books, too. “I’ll only ever give you honesty, Ella.”
She chewed her thumbnail. “So what were you doingtonight?”
I dried my hands using a clean tea towel. “Uncle Vance took us to the art gallery because we received new paintings…and a few pounds of cocaine.”
Ella blinked. “Oh. Wow.”
Folding my arms over my chest, I gave her a chance to digest the news. It was well known in our society and the underworld that Vance Remington ruled South Side, Montardor. The Remington wealth rooted from the various art galleries, strip clubs, bars, and illicit substances that travelled through our territory.
When the time came, Uncle Vance made it clear that Josh and I were to follow in his footsteps. It was our birthright. Our legacy.
For now, Uncle Vance put his sons—he refused to refer to me as anything else—on his company’s payroll. Alongside Josh, the last two months were spent doing odd jobs for him. Helping his debt collectors. Touring the establishment where he grew cannabis. Hanging art pieces in his galleries. Keeping track of his various inventories. And the list went on.
I wasn’t kidding when I told Ella I was good for it. Uncle Vance compensated us generously for every task. He even rewarded Olivia for watering the flower pots in our garden. My little sister noticed the gardener slacking one day and decided to steal his watering can and complete the job herself. Now Uncle Vance gave her chocolates and all the loose change in his wallet whenever she did her little ‘chore.’
After my parents died, I had lived a hand-to-mouth existence, therefore it was shocking to step into the kind of wealth people only imagined in their wildest dreams.
“Do you have a lot of nights like these?” Ella hedged.
“I’ve had several in the past few weeks,” I said. “Uncle Vance’s business continues to grow and he thinks it’s a greatopportunity to show Josh and me the ropes. After all, this is our future.”
Most of our businesses were legal entities, despite the money running through their veins being filthy. No one in the world was perfect. Everyone had to make a living. Running an empire of sin may be frowned upon by the general population, but most of the elites in Montardor were crooked.
You didn’t make your way to the top by playing fair.
Learning about the inner workings of our operations was thrilling. Uncle Vance was pleased with my genuine interest in our affairs. Since I was good with numbers, he promised to give me the chance to manage our finances one day if I was serious about my studies.
“Ah, I suppose it’s important for Vance to start integrating you in his…dealings,” she said with a sinister calm that set me on edge.
A sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.
Would this deter our relationship?
Ella was a high society daughter whose family mingled with criminals, including mine. Hell, not too long ago, her parents were pushing her onto Josh—something that irked me even though my adoptive brother had zero interest in Ella—so it’s not like our family business would be a roadblock for us, right?
The thought of Ella ending us before we even began had me sweating.
“Are you okay?” Ella eyed me curiously. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Ghost? No. I’m actually imagining what my future might look like without you and I’m panicking. Actually, I can’t breathe right now. Maybe I’m close to dying. Or fuck, having indigestion.
“From my enchiladas?” she asked, bewildered.
I must have said the last bit out loud.
Before I could tell her the truth, she slapped a hand over her mouth and released a strangled noise. “Oh my God! Are you lactose intolerant? Shit, Cade! You should have said something! I think I put an entire pound of cheese in there! The bathroom is down the hallway in case you need to—”
“I’m not lactose intolerant,” I barked, my cheeks flushing. “And I’m not having indigestion. I’m just…I’m just…”
“You’re what?” She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “What is it?”
I gulped. “I don’t want to lose you because of what my family does.”
Her face softened. She grabbed a fistful of my black sweater and dragged me closer between her legs, locking her ankles around my back so I was trapped. “My family aren’t saints either, Cade,” she hushed. “I’m not blind to what yours does, and I don’t condemn you for it. I know that deep down, you have a heart of gold. You’re sweet, protective, and respectful. You make me happier than I’ve ever been. That’s all that matters to me. As long as you never stop treating me well, you’ll never lose me.”
