Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“Chose me for what?” Pit grunts.
“To take over Vander and Bridge Lake should his grandson turn him down and if Josh chooses to accept who he is, then you were chosen to be his right hand.
“The three of you have become who we originals should have been. You are your father, the counselor. Anthony is me, the enforcer. Josh will be who Ulysses never did become, the head of the family here in our lovely Vander.”
I watch Pit as he pulls a hand down his face. He shifts around in his seat as if that will allow him to settle into this. I’m not surprised here.
While only having pieces of the endgame, this is what I figured they had planned. Pit opens his mouth and points a finger at Uncle Blake but purses his lips and frowns.
He opens his mouth again. “So you’re telling me that if Kelex doesn’t want to run Vander, you planned to dump that shit on me? What happened to keeping me out of it?”
“That was never an option. I only needed to create the optics for what’s to come. Meanwhile, I’ve made the three of you a better version of us. Wherever you land, you will exceed our expectations.”
“I have a kid on the way, I’m not risking my freedom for this bullshit,” Pit seethes.
Uncle Blake smiles. “Congratulations, I’ll send over a box of my best Cubans. However, this is nonnegotiable. Your freedom is what I plan to guarantee.”
“How do my wife and her issue fit into this?” I say, losing patience.
“Fuck that. Why does Kelex get a choice and I don’t?” Pit snarls.
“Basil has a soft spot for his grandsons. Anthony lost both his parents before he turned nine and Josh not only lost his mom, but he walked into some shit that scarred him. Basil has worked on healing that damage.
“And that was before the accident. He even thought of allowing all of this to be water under the bridge, but there was a game changer. And there’re Ant’s secrets that made this all inevitable.”
“My secrets?”
“Yes, you still don’t understand who your wife is.”
“Then why won’t you tell me?”
“Because you need to learn a lesson.” He waves me off.
I tighten my jaw. I hate when he gets like this. Granted, I know it’s to make me tougher, but I don’t have time for that now.
“I can hear your thoughts. I won’t allow her or my great-nephew to be harmed before you figure it out. Besides, I think you both need to examine what’s really going on,” he continues as I fume.
“And what’s that?” Pit bites out.
“I want to ask you something,” he directs at Pit. “With all you’ve told me, what’s the common denominator?”
I look to Pit and watch as his brows knit. It only takes a second for realization to light up his face. I, too, think I catch on, but I wait for my brother to speak.
“The assholes.” He shakes his head and frowns. “My crew.”
“Yes, but it’s also an opportunity. Thaddeus reached for an opportunity. That greaseball Griff and all his greed took an opportunity, the situation with the fighter, another opportunity.
“I bet if you dug into the singer’s situation, it would show you another. Your wife and her cousin and your connections to Thaddeus were yet another. While this person isn’t operating in Vander, they know enough about you all and this city to target each of you.
“I’m guessing if you look closely enough, you will find this is coming from something that connects you all. It’s time you do what I did. Step back. What connects you all?”
Pit pulls a hand down his face. “That race. We’re all connected to that night. It’s what brought us all together.”
Uncle Blake gives Pit a wink. “There, that’s what you’ve been looking for.”
I shake my head. That connects the dots for what’s been going on with the assholes, not me. This can’t be all he has. I entered the picture almost two years later.
“It connects all of them, but I wasn’t there, not at the race. Lex and I arrived after they cuffed Will and put him in the squad car. How does that connect us?”
“Just as I thought, you were there,” Uncle Blake says, studying me. “Now it all makes sense. Go get your wife, Anthony. Take your family home and sit down to find out who you married. This will all make sense once you do.
“I’m not saying we’re at the end of this, but the piece that connects you and reveals this particular snake comes from your wife.”
Pit sits up straighter. “Not the end? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Like with Thaddeus, bigger pockets are pulling the strings and not within our reach. Someone has an axe to grind with me, but they also want to make your crew uncomfortable.