Page 114 of A Dirty Business
“Why the hell would I plot against you when you’ve been telling me that you want me to take over for you?” There was a storm in his eyes. I saw it, checked it, and it only kept growing.
My uncle was a problem.
The man who had been the one going to my sports games.Hewas the father to me. My birthdays. He was the one who kept my picture on his fridge. He was there for me. When his son left, I was at his side. When his other one died, I’d helped plan the funeral. He was a mess. His wife left him years ago, and she was gone gone. Like vanished gone. The story had been that she’d had enough of him and took off, notwanting anything to do with this family. I’d never questioned it, but now, had he done this to them? Threatened to turn on them?
Or worse, had he turned on them?
I was staring at my uncle, wondering if I was just seeing him for the first time.
A smile broke out over his face, and he started laughing. “I got you! I got you, didn’t I?” He came over, clapping me on the shoulder, but his hand holding that wine was still so steady.
“Uncle.”
“Yeah?” He was still laughing. “Why aren’t you laughing? It was a joke. I was trying to ease the tension. I know I came down hard about your girl, and then about your employee, but one never knows.” He motioned to his back. “A lot of people want to put knives in my back.”
“You just threatened me. You threatenedfamily.”
I was still holding myself steady, watching everything he did. Listening to every word he said, every inflection of tone. All of it was being burned into my brain because this day changed everything moving forward. He showed me the card that he could turn on me. I’d be stupid not to believe he would.
“It was nothing. You’re my nephew. I’d never do anything to you.” He moved in, clasping the back of my neck, and rested his forehead to mine. “I love my nephew. He’s the only one loyal to me. I’d be a fool to lose him. I’d be a fool to lose you. It was a joke, Tristian. Please forgive me. It was a bad joke.”
It wasn’t a joke. It was a test. He’d wanted to see how I’d react.
I stepped back from him, but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t know what to say.
He faltered, frowning. “Trace?”
I took another step back, and another. Still not saying anything.
“Trace? I was joking.”
“You weren’t,” I grated out. “I’ve never done anything to you to make you believe you couldn’t trust me. Never. I handed my fatherover to you, and I saw what you did to him. Now this?” I motioned to him. “Justin Worthing is not a part of his family’s business. I can’t speak to the rest of his family, but I know he is not. And he’s not one of my employees anymore.”
Stephano raised his chin up, slowly. “His woman is currently in your nightclub, talking to your woman. You can see that I do have cause for concern considering that your woman hasn’t chosen sides yet. She’s still working for the other side.”
“Excuse me?”
He had eyes in my club. In my club! I wasn’t surprised about the reporting on Justin, or even about Jess. I half expected it, but the questioning me, and now this? Current reports right now.
“I wasjusttold myself that she’s there. How did you know?”
I began looking around.
He’d gone to his table. He was looking at papers.
Bobby had brought the wine in—that’s when I’d received the texts from Ashton. I went over his movements after that text.
He’d been in his chair. He was drinking. Testing me. Challenging me in a way. Then he stood, went to his table, and he paused there.
I began to turn toward the table, moving to it.
“What are you doing?” His voice sharpened.
I held up my phone. “You don’t have eyes at my club, not current ones. But I do, and I wasjustnotified. That means ...”
“Trace! Don’t go over there.”
I ignored him, starting to read the papers.
