Page 31 of A Dirty Business
He gave me a nod. “See you tomorrow,” he said before disappearing back in his office.
My phone buzzed, and I read the texts.
Kelly:Hey! Are you okay?
Kelly:I couldn’t find you and Justin offered to walk me home. You usually have your car. Do you want me to stay?
Kelly:Someone said Anthony is talking to you. I’ll wait.
Me:Are you still here?
Kelly:I’m with Justin. We’re at his apartment. He lives super close. I wasn’t sure how long you’d be. Hold on. I’m on my way back.
Me:No. It’s fine. I’m not up for conversation anyways.
Kelly:You sure?
Me:Yeah. You going to hang with Justin for a while?
Kelly:Is that okay? I’ve got my coat on. Give me a few minutes and I’ll be there.
Me:No. Stay. Hang with Justin. I’m heading home.
Kelly:Okay. By the way, I love this job!
My phone buzzed once more, but I was assuming it was Kelly saying goodbye or good night, so I put it back in my purse and pushed out the door. I’d taken one step, not sure how I felt knowing someone was waiting for me.
When the SUV door opened, I stopped because it was him.
Tristian West.
He nodded to the empty seat beside him. “Get in.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
TRACE
“I have a problem, and I need you to fix it for me. Can you do that for me?”
My uncle had started our second meeting with that question.
“I thought I’ve already shown you that I can handle a problem. I helped with my dad.”
“Yeah, but you were motivated for that. Your father is your father. You and Ashton did well. I’m proud of you, and I heard about the new doc and how you maneuvered around her. That’s not always an option, but it was smart this time.”
I glanced at Ashton and knew he was pissed off by that, but he wouldn’t say anything. I wouldn’t have, either, if the roles were reversed. Both our families had a hierarchy. The heads were gods.
“What’s the current problem, Uncle Steph?”
“Billy Garretson.” He tossed a file down on the table between us, and I was staring at some guy.
Ashton went still beside me, and me, I turned into ice because no fucking way was that a coincidence. “Who’s this?”
“He’s a worker in upstate New York—there’s a shipping facility we need access to, and he’s the one who can get us in. He’s been refusing, and I’ve been told that you’ve taken to his niece recently.”
“Niece?”
“He’s married to the niece’s aunt, Sarah. She’s a sister to Chelsea Montell.”
