Kaius
The house was warm with noise and the smell of spice. My mother was cooking again. She always cooked when the family was in town. My siblings and I sat at the long dining table in the living room. Papers were spread out. Laptops were open. Wine was in our glasses.
We were deep in conversation that had nothing to do with my mother so she never involved herself in.
"This stock in Colombia is rising fast," my sister, Lucia, said. She was tapping on her tablet. "If we don't move fast, we'll lose that port deal."
"We've already sent men," I said. "And the money's moving. It's covered."
"Good," she said. "And what about the cargo from the U.S.?" She looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
She was far different from other women her age. She loved fashion, she loved partying but more than that, she loved making money the illegal way.
"Already cleared customs in New Jersey," my brother, Aspen, added. "The American guys want to renegotiate prices though. They say we're pushing them too hard."
"They say that every year," I said, it was getting quite tiring to hear the same thing over and over again. I sipped my glass of whiskey. "Double it."
Lucia raised an eyebrow. "Double?"
"If they're complaining, they can pay more. Or get nothing." There was demand and we were handling the price. The more they complained the more I wanted to ruin them.
It was best to do business and not voice your personal fucking reservations because it had no weight. However, it could also backfire like this one did.
They could've taken the initial price but choose to complain and now it would be doubled.
There was a short laugh around the table. I leaned back in my chair. The tension in my shoulders was gone for just a moment. The work was never done. But it was best to be surrounded by a few people who shared the same aspirations as me.
Aspen scrolled through a file. "What about China?" He asked not even bothering to lift his eyes.
"Branch is holding up," I said. "They're still lowkey, no flags. Just how I like it." I rubbed my nose as I reached for my glass again. Now the China branch was quite obedient.
"South Africa?" He asked again.
It was as if I was the sole manager holding the answers for them.
"We're still cleaning up last month's mess." I reported. The displeasure of how slow the process was was evident in my voice.
Lucia nodded. "That place always gives us problems."
Then Aspen leaned forward and looked straight at me. "And what about the new guy?"
I paused. My eyes darted from his to Lucia's in sheer confusion.
"What guy?" Lucia asked. She was clueless about this.
"That new bodyguard that's been following Kaius around like a fucking dog." Aspen said. He chuckled slightly but it was voiced of humor.
My jaw clenched. "That's none of your business."
"It is," Aspen said firmly. "We can't ignore something that could put everything we built at risk." He glared at me. "This is our company, our life and everything you do affects it."
I rolled my eyes. One mistake, one time did so much to change a lot of things between us. "I know what I'm doing."
"You said that last time. Remember how that ended?"
I looked straight at him. It was as if he was the one forgetting things that were relevant. "I ended that. Me. I was the one who put a bullet in the last one's head when I found out he was a cop. Don't act like I forgot."
Aspen nodded slowly. "I'm glad you haven't. Because if this new body turns out to be a cop…"
"He is not a cop," I cut in sharply.
"…then I'll put a bullet in his head myself," he finished. He stared at me. "Before he ruins us." His eyes were stern.
I slammed my palm on the table. It was loud enough to make my wine glass jump.
"Watch your mouth, Aspen." I yelled out in anger.
"Or what?" He met my rage with his.
Lucia stood up. "Enough!"
We both went quiet.
"Cut the crap," she said. She glared at both of us. "This isn't the place or time for your ego contest. We're here to discuss business, not act like kids."
I leaned back in my chair again. This time I was fuming.
Lucia sighed and sat back down. "We should have a small party. Loosen things up a bit."
I ran a hand through my hair. "I'm not in the mood," I muttered.
Aspen smirked. "What, because of your new little princess?"
I stood up and slammed my fist on the table again. "Don't cross the fucking line."
Lucia looked tired already.
Aspen folded his arms. "Fine. Then instruct Ronald to send me all the details on your new bodyguard. I want his background. His history. His ID. Everything."
I stared at him. My teeth were grinding.
He leaned closer. "And if I find out he's a cop…I'll kill him. And if you knew and didn't say anything… I'll kill you too."
That was it. I couldn't stay here any longer.
I shoved my chair back and stormed out of the room. I didn't say another word.
"Kaius!" Lucia called after me. "Don't be a fucking child!"
I didn't stop. I walked fast down the hallway. I was trying to cool my head. The anger burned inside me. I didn't want to do something I'd most likely end up regretting.
"Shit," I muttered to myself. "Fucking Aspen and his big mouth."
I turned the corner fast. I wasn't looking where I was going.
I ran into someone.
Dimitri.
He looked just as startled as I felt. I reached out and grabbed his hand to steady him.
He grabbed mine too.
And just like that, our eyes met.
Time slowed. The noise of the house faded.
It was just me, him and his very alluring cologne. He had a look of shock on his face, that was slowly easing out.
The world fell silent for a second.
My grip tightened just a little.
And in that quiet second, I forgot what I was angry about.