Page 48 of Compulsion

“—barely known to me!” he snapped. “Do not speak for me, Max! I intend to do that myself.”

I swallowed hard and nodded. “Okay.”

He sat back in the couch, but he didn’t look fully relaxed. “I wanted to find out for myself. Since you first spoke to me about it, I’ve been looking into the organization. I have a certain freedom, being part of the family. I have used it to look at the books and records of the clubs. I have checked out the notes from meetings—the e-mail correspondence between my uncle’s management.”

I was back to staring at him. Was this true? He’d been some kind of spy, all this time I thought he was Mr. Playboy and living off the Medina ill-gotten gains?

He must have mistaken my astonishment, because he flushed again. “I know. If there is anything amiss, it’s not likely they will write it all down for me to find. And perhaps I have been clumsy. As far as I knew, Peck had been recalled to London. I complained bitterly to my uncle about the threats to you, and he assured me that was the end of the matter.”

“But you saw your uncle this week,” I said. “When you told me you were going to appeal to your mother.”

Seve shook his head again, but gently. “I saw them both, Max. I am not lying to you, just as you asked me not to. It would be strange if I visited London and didn’t see both of them. They have been the most influential people in my life since my father died.”

“Did you…?”

“I did not speak to my uncle about the rumors. We compared notes about the clubs’ business, and he updated me on the latest group marketing campaigns. That’s all. Before I confront him, I would like to investigate his business deals more closely, and if there is corruption, see what I can do to make things right.”

“I think Peck is working here on his own,” I said. “Whatever your uncle has done or is involved with, he should be bloody careful of what’s going on in his name. It won’t be long before Peck steps over the line and the whole damn thing spirals out of control.”

“I’m not sure he would thank you for your concern,” Seve said with a wry smile.

I frowned. “The police are still investigating the drugs racket. They’ll catch up sometime.”

“This isn’t easy for me, you’ll understand. Perhaps it would be better to wait for that, if and when it happens.” Seve took a swig of his water and dropped his head back on the couch cushion.

“Better for who, Seve?”

“For my family.” His eyes narrowed. “For you.” Yeah, he knew trouble for the Medinas would bring trouble for me too.

“What was the call you took tonight at the club?” I said.

“I’m sorry?”

“You took a phone call while we were at the bar. You had to leave straight away.” He’d looked… odd. “Was it from Peck?”

“No, of course not. Like I said, I have not had any contact with him. Max, I told you—”

“I know,” I interrupted. It took a while tonight for things to sink into my battered brain. “You’re not lying. I’m sorry. Give me time to cool down, okay?”

For a moment, we were both silent. Seve put his bottle of water back on the table and leaned forward on his seat, his hands clasped in his lap, his gaze on me. “Max, there’s more I must tell you. I did see my uncle, we did talk about the club. But he also told me that they want me to take a more active role in the Medina Group. They want to promote me to the board of directors—involve me in the overall management of the clubs.”

“A more active role?” My breath caught in my chest. My old life and my new were overlapping even more quickly than I could have imagined.

“I haven’t been able to tell you,” he continued. “I’m not even sure how I feel about it myself. Not yet. I’ve needed time to think this through, do you understand?”

I nodded.

“If I hadn’t met you, there would have been no question. I am loyal to my family, and I am also ambitious. The chance of joining the Group management is exciting to me.”

“But now you know what else it entails?”

He glanced sharply at me. “You have more proof?”

My gaze fell. “Not yet.”

“Even so, it’s enough to make me cautious. I take your allegations seriously, you see.” He nodded slowly. “You’re still suspicious of me?”

“I don’t know,” I said honestly.