Puto, pendejo and bastardo were just a few of the colorful words Consuela loved to throw at Leo, and that morning was no exception.
Leo nodded. “It’s great to see you, too, Consuela. A ray of sunshine, as always.”
“Pinche idiota!”
“My knee? Oh, it’s good. Just smashed it into the floor heater, that’s all.” Leo dropped his knee and limped into the kitchen, swiping an orange up from the fruit bowl on the island. He couldn’t speak Spanish, but he got the gist, and was aware that his maid’s favorite pastime was cussing him out. He’d be damned though, if his home wasn’t spotless every morning. As long as she did her job, she could call him every name in the book.
“Cabron!”
“I’m great, Consuela,” Leo called as her rant floated into the kitchen. “Thank you so much for asking.” With a smirk, he went to work peeling the orange, excited to get the day started.
***
Roman puffed on a cigarette, squinting against the rising sun splashing into the parking garage as he tapped the ash out of the open passenger window of Val’s Audi convertible. His younger brother’s eyes bored into him from the driver side of the parked car, but Roman kept his gaze forward.
“Has anyone besides you and Zo been in this car in the last month?” he asked.
Val breathed in at the sudden sound of Roman’s voice. They’d been sitting in silence for almost half an hour. “Not in the last year,” Val said.
Roman took another drag.
“Rome, will you never look at me the same?”
Roman’s gaze flew to Val, blue eyes narrowing as a billow of smoke escaped his pink lips. “You were just a kid.”
Val leaned against the driver door and shoved his thumb and forefinger into the corners of his eyes.
Roman looked off. “You were afraid. Of course Pop did whatever he could to protect you.”
“Where did you even get that mug shot, Rome? Who gave it to you?”
Roman tossed the bud of his cigarette and promptly lit another, taking a heavy drag before answering, “Angie.”
Val scoffed. “How did I know?”
“She’s constantly running all over the city. God only knows where she got it.”
“Fuck,” Val breathed, looking out of his window.
“Don’t talk about this over the phone, in the office, or at home. If you have to talk about it, do it somewhere out in the open where you can’t be bugged or tapped. I think Angie got the mug shot from someone on the inside. A cop.”
Val’s breathing picked up.
“I swiped the mug shot from her file before she got a chance to see it.” Roman met his eyes. “She doesn’t know about it. But whoever gave it to her does, and they’re probably following up. Be careful who you talk to, and where you do it.”
“I won’t talk about it with anyone, anywhere, because I don’t talk about it. None of us do.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Roman cut his eyes at Val.
“We were trying to protect you, Rome. The fact that you even know now is tearing me up.”
Roman jammed his eyes closed, shaking his head as the cigarette burned between his fingers. “Not about the Blacks,” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew who my real father was? That you knew all along?”
Val squinted.
Roman pressed on. “In the study, you told me that Knox was working that night. That he was one of the people who made all this shit go away.”
Val cringed. “Knox Jefferson is your real father?”
Roman heard the shock in his voice, and he saw it in his eyes. “You didn’t know?”
Val cursed under his breath and ran his fingers through his hair. “This is so fucked-up.”
“You didn’t know.” Roman took a deep breath. A silence passed before he tossed his third cigarette of the morning. “Pull yourself together,” he said, nodding out of the window and toward the Novsky building, where employees were already filing inside across the street. “We’re late.”
***
After checking in with security in the lobby the next morning, the elevators dinged open at the very top floor, and Jessica was met with the captivating Novsky sign. Bolted to the wall, the floor-to-ceiling sign stretched from one end of the sprawling entryway to the other.
The young African American girl behind the frosted reception desk gave Jessica a brilliant smile. “Good morning. Welcome to Novsky, how can I help you today?”
Jessica clutched the desk and looked to her left.
Val hadn’t lied. There were no walls. From the welcome desk, she could see every inch of the office.
Four rows of white computer desks sat in the middle of an enormous room, with employees tapping away on desktop computers. Mini hammocks hung from the vaulted ceilings in one corner, employees rocking back and forth with their work cradled in their laps. In the other corner, a large staircase led the way to a stainless steel slide that dropped from the ceiling to the floor. Next to the slide was a large circular recliner, perfect for office meetings. A bright splash of red had been painted on the far wall, a perfect offset to the red beanbag chairs sprinkled all over the room.
“It’s unconventional,” the receptionist said, reclaiming Jessica’s attention. “Mr. Romanovsky will be pleased to hear that another person’s mouth fell open at the sight of the office.”
“It’s no wonder his employees are so loyal. Who wouldn’t be when there’s a giant slide to play on all day?”
The receptionist laughed. “You must be Ashley Williams, Mr. Romanovsky’s nine o’clock.”
Jessica’s eyebrows jumped. This girl was good.
“He is in a meeting at the moment. Just take a seat and I’ll call you when he’s ready.”
Jessica thanked her before making her way over to the plush red chairs in the waiting area. She took a seat opposite the only other person waiting, a heavyset blonde woman.
“You here for the graphic design position?” the woman asked.
Jessica nodded. “My interview is at nine.”
“Mine was at eight.”
Jessica checked her watch. “It’s eight fifty.”
The blonde nodded to the left, and Jessica’s eyes followed. At the end of a hallway tucked in the farthest corner was an office lined with glass. On the other side of that glass she saw all four brothers and a dark-skinned black man. Jessica recognized that man as Reggie King, the Governor’s son. Her heartbeat picked up, and she moved to the edge of her seat with wide eyes, trying to get a better look.
“I thought this place didn’t have offices?” Jessica asked.
“That’s the only one. Val only uses it for important meetings and interviews. I’ve been researching this place for months. This is my second interview.” The blonde offered her hand. “I’m Sue.”
Jessica took it. “Ashley.”
“Is this your second interview too?”
“First.” Jessica moved her gaze back to the office, nearly tumbling from her chair when Val came into view. Whatever discussion the men were entrenched in was keeping them in constant motion, pacing, each appearing to be in the middle of a screaming rant whenever they came into view.
From her partially obstructed vantage point, Jessica could see that Val was looking sharp in a black suit, a far cry from the t-shirt and beanie he’d been rocking the night before. The gelled style he’d put his hair into came undone as he screamed something. His skin went beet red, and he jabbed his finger at someone she couldn’t see, looking homicidal.
“That’s Reggie King in there,” Sue said. “Odds are good he’s going to acquire Novsky. Looks like Val’s not going down without a fight. I guess we get to watch the drama unfold together.”
***
Reggie King grinned across the boardroom table with his hands in his pockets. Even as four pairs of eyes spat venom, assaulting him from every corner of the office, Reggie’s placid smile remained.
“You can sell Novsky to me now,” Reggie said. “And still have a hand in the
daily operation of your beloved family company, or I can simply acquire it slowly, piece by agonizing piece, until Zillow has swallowed it whole. The former might sting at first, but it’s nothing that won’t heal over time.” Reggie’s dark brown eyes zeroed in on Val, who was leaning against the end of the boardroom table with his head lowered. Leo gazed out of the only window of the office, jaw so stiff it was a wonder it didn’t shatter. Gary paced a short line, back and forth. Roman was the only brother sitting down, leaning back in his chair with a hand over his lips, hiding a scowl. Reggie shrugged again. “As Zillow’s founder and CEO, I understand how much Novsky means to all of you, and I understand that if you let this cock fight get to the point of a creeping acquisition, it’ll be kind of like… losing a limb.” Reggie waited for Val to raise his heated eyes, and his smile grew. “One limb after the other, until you’re utterly crippled from head to toe. It’ll be slow. Painful. Inevitable. It doesn’t have to happen that way, Val.”
It was Val’s turn to smile, but it barely reached his eyes before it crumbled, vanishing altogether as he looked away.
Gary charged toward Reggie, teeth bared.
Reggie stepped back, heartbeat picking up speed as he lifted his chin.
“After everything we’ve done for you,” Gary said. “This is what you do to us?”
“This isn’t personal.” Reggie’s voice lowered. He licked his dry lips. “This is business.”
“Fuck you.”
Reggie’s smile grew. “Okay.”
“All our family has ever done is look out for you, you son of a bitch. And this is how you repay us? Huh?” Gary stabbed a trembling finger into the table. “Everything we did for you… And you have the stomach to take the coins out of our pocket? Out of our mother’s pocket? The woman who used to ice your swollen jaw, your black eyes, and your busted lips when that animal went to town on your face?”
“Gary.” Roman leaned forward in his seat, trying to catch his younger brother’s gaze. He fell back with a sigh, re-covering his mouth when Gary didn’t even acknowledge him.
Gary’s body shook from head to toe, redness splashing across his eyes. “You’ll take from the woman who laid your head in her lap, like you were her own? You’ll take from our father, who opened his door to you without question, time and time again, when you were too afraid to go home? Well, know this Reggie. Regardless of whether or not you get Novsky, that monster will never love you—”
“Gary.” This time, it was Val who objected.
“It doesn’t matter what you say, or what you do, he will never love you like we did.” Gary leaned in. “He will never change.”
Reggie lifted his head higher, hands curling into fists in his pockets, making his slacks pull tight against his legs.
“He will never be there for you the way we always were. One day you’re going to wake up and realize that.”
Reggie’s smile remained, but when he swallowed, his throat moved.
Gary watched it wobble. “And Reggie… that’s the kind of guilt that won’t wash clean.”
6
An hour later, Jessica waved good-bye to her waiting room buddy, Sue, who gave up and rescheduled her interview when it appeared the war between Reggie and the Romanovskys was going to stretch into the afternoon.
Jessica waited until the elevator doors closed behind Sue to look back to the office, feeling like she was watching a foreign film. She couldn’t hear a word they were saying behind that glass wall, but somehow, she understood.
Jessica straightened when, just minutes after Sue threw in the towel, Reggie King yanked open the office door with a force that sent his unbuttoned suit jacket flying open. He tugged it back into place and went to leave, but someone inside the office reclaimed his attention. This time, when Reggie fired back, their noisy disagreement carried down the hallway.
Watching this, Jessica shoved her hand into her pocket and fingered the strip of adhesive transmission devices she always kept on her. The devices were small, round, and nearly invisible to the naked eye. They stuck to clothing with ease, had a ten meter range, and uploaded to an internal memory drive the moment they picked up any audio. Those sticky little bastards had closed so many cases for Jessica, she’d lost count.
After exchanging a few more choice words with the brothers, Reggie finally left the office. He moved down the long hallway that led to the waiting room, staring at the floor as he snatched at his jacket. Above his head was a sign for the bathrooms.
Jessica leapt from her seat and moved to the wall, ensuring Reggie couldn’t see her. She picked up her pace and circled the corner at top speed, just in time to run smack dab into his hard chest.
She made a production of tumbling to a heap on the marble floors, throwing in a high pitched yelp for good measure.
“Whoa.” Reggie bent down with her as she fell, taking gentle hold of her arms. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there. Are you okay?”
Jessica clutched the flaps of his jacket, planting the adhesive tracker to the expensive fabric with ease.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Grace has never been my strong suit.”
“I’m Reggie King.”
She took his outstretched hand, drank in his smile. “Ashley Williams.”
“I hope I didn’t hurt you, Ashley Williams.”
“Totally my fault. Nature called. I’ve been waiting hours for my interview, and couldn’t hold it any longer. All I could think about was getting to the bathroom.”
He stood, helping her to her feet with the hand he still clutched. “Please,” he said, his deep voice curling into her like butter as he motioned to the bathrooms. “Don’t let me stop you.”
Jessica moved backwards, holding his eyes, stumbling over her heels.
“This company will be mine soon, and I hire pretty.” He winked. “So let me be the first to tell you, Ashley Williams, the job is yours.”
Her mouth dropped.
His smile broke into a laugh before he turned a corner and disappeared out of sight.
***
Minutes later, Jessica was admiring her reflection in the bathroom mirror, silently giving herself props on how good she looked in that gray skirt suit. It wasn’t her style, she preferred comfort over class, but she couldn’t deny that she cleaned up well.
She cradled her cell phone against her shoulder as she washed her hands. “Chet, I have transmitter number five on Reggie King. I got it on his lapel. Camera seven is ready for activation in the bathroom.”
“In the bathroom?”
“Not in the stalls, just the sink area. You’d be surprised how many people carry on private conversations in public restrooms.”
“You’re a machine.”
“You ain't seen nothing. Gotta go. Still working on Val.”
“Call me when you’re done.”
“Bet.” She disconnected the call, straightened her suit, and hurried out of the bathroom, gasping when she came face to face with the receptionist.
“Miss Williams… you do know that’s the men’s restroom, right?”
Jessica exhaled. “Of course I do, but by the time I realized my mistake, I was about to ruin my skirt. A toilet is a toilet, right?”
“Good point. And good timing. Mr. Romanovsky is ready for you.”
Fucking finally.
“And I’m ready for him.”
The receptionist nodded for Jessica to follow her down the hallway just as Gary, Leo and Roman were leaving the office. The receptionist greeted them all by name as they passed. Roman looked, but didn’t speak. Jessica realized, for the first time, that pretty boy had yet to say a single word to her.
“Yo.” Gary offered a halfhearted smile, following close behind Roman.
Leo lagged behind, hands in the pockets of his gray suit, staring at the floor.
He gave the receptionist a distracted greeting, but when his eyes met Jessica’s, his mouth fell open and then curled into a smile.
Jessica slowed her stride, holding his eyes. Her
heartbeat faltered when Leo brushed the tips of his fingers against her waist—the part of her waist that had left her crying out in pain in the bathroom the night before. His touch lingered, and he didn’t remove his hand until he absolutely had to, looking over his shoulder to hold her eyes as they passed each other.
Jessica turned her body to follow Leo’s gaze, watching him take a shove from Gary once he made it to the end of the hall.
“She hasn’t even got the job and you’ve already got your crusty mitts all over her. You’re a harassment lawsuit on legs. What the hell is wrong with you…?” Gary’s voice trailed off as they disappeared around the corner.
Stumbling backward, Jessica didn’t even realize she’d disappeared into another world until she slammed into a wall. She yelped, faced forward, and realized that wall was called Val.
Leaning against the open door of the office with the audacity to look inconvenienced, he lifted an eyebrow, as if he were the one who’d had to wait two hours for this interview.
“Miss Williams, sir,” the receptionist said.
“Thank you, Tamika.” Val watched Tamika go before stepping into the office, giving the glass door a halfhearted push while looking over his shoulder.
Jessica had never been one to wait around for a man to be chivalrous, so she had no problem catching the door he’d given that half-assed push and opening it herself. Still, she couldn’t help but make note of what a massive prick this guy was.
Sure, he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. His company was being ripped out from under him, he had a baby on the way, an emotional fiance, and there was also the pesky little fact that, ten years ago, he’d murdered that fiance’s parents.
Jessica nearly clicked her tongue. Yes, Val Romanovsky certainly did have the weight of the world on his shoulders, more than enough to put any man on a quick train to Douche Bag City.
It astounded her that he was able to peel himself out of bed at all. Let alone shower, dress himself, and join the rest of the world as a normally functioning human being.
Loving Leo (The Romanovsky Brothers Book 3) Page 6
