Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“Both,” I say. “The politics more than the hotel.”
“I knew you’d hate it. You fucking Costas think you run this town, and you don’t like sharing power with anyone else. Too bad you can’t stop this from happening.”
“You’re right, and I don’t want to.”
Tony’s eyebrows raise. “You realize I’m going to torch you? The second I have the ear of lobbyists and senators, I’m going to make sure they’re aware of just how shady your business dealings are. This is the end for you.”
“Actually, I’m thinking it’s the beginning of something better.” I shift toward him. “Here’s what I propose. You will act as my surrogate in Congress. You will take up my causes, vote the ways I need you to vote, and make contacts among those senators and lobbyists you just mentioned. You’ll also give me a fifty-one percent stake in your new hotel.”
Tony just laughs with astonishment. “Why the fuck would I do any of that?”
“Because if you don’t, I’ll go speak with Rhonda Donaldson. She’s the chair of your political party, isn’t she? Without her support, you won’t get any national attention, no backing from donors, nothing. You’ll be dead in the water.”
“Rhonda already knows all about you,” Tony sneers. “I’ve been speaking with the party for months now. They know everything and they’re prepared to see this through.”
“But do they know about the shady Chinese billionaire that’s financing your new hotel? You know, the one with the close ties to the Chinese Communist Party? You do know connections to the CCP are frowned upon in government, correct?”
Tony’s face droops. He looks slack-jawed, off-balance. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, but his denial isn’t forceful.
“I’ll give Rhonda everything my people have dug up over the last year, ever since you started construction on that fucking monstrosity. If you hadn’t gotten into politics, this information wouldn’t matter much—you’d just be another guy with questionable business practices. But as a congressman? Well, you didn’t hide your dirt well enough. Not before I found it.”
He takes several deep, angry breaths. “That isn’t enough. I won’t work with you, Adler. Not after all the shit we’ve been through.”
“You think I like this? You think I want to be anywhere near a traitorous coward like you? Tony, you tried to kill an innocent girl. You’re pathetic. You make me sick. And I will fucking own you for the rest of your life. Because if you disobey me, I will release everything I have, every bit of dirt, every scrap I’ve collected over the years. I’ll torch your new career. I’ll burn the whole fucking city to the ground.”
He gapes at me. Anger twitches across his expression. He’s going to explode—and say something he’ll regret.
“Or—” I say before he can open his mouth, “You can play along. Do jobs for me. Act as an extension of the Costa family in Congress. That way, you can keep your exciting new political career, and who knows? Maybe one day in the future, you’ll amass enough power to cut me out completely.”
But we both know that’ll never happen.
Though I don’t say it out loud.
His rage doesn’t go away, but it dims enough that he’s thinking. Tony’s a lot of things, but at least he’s clever enough to see I’m ready to do whatever it takes to ruin him, even if it means destroying myself in the process. He went too far, and this is his only option.
“I’ll consider it,” he says at length. “You can’t have the hotel though. That’s mine.”
“I don’t give a fuck about the Oceanview.”
“And you can’t have fifty-one percent.”
“I’ll gladly take slightly more than half of your stake then.”
“Mother—” He takes a deep breath. “I’ll think about it.”
“It’s either this or everything burns. And you know me, Tony. I don’t make idle threats. Just think about it and be smart.”
“I’ll be in touch.” He shoves back from the bar. Before he walks, he looks at me. “How’d you find out about the Chinese?”
“I’ve had spies in your organization for a long time. You think I’d let you run around my town without keeping close tabs?”
His jaw tics. “All this for the girl, huh?”
“All this and more.”
He shakes his head and walks away. I watch him go for a moment before Will sits down in his place.
“Well?” Will asks. “Is he going to bite?”
“He’ll struggle against it for a while, but he’ll come around. And if he doesn’t, we’ll burn down his new hotel and blame it on an electrical fire.” I grin viciously. “Then we’ll kill him.”
Will laughs. “I’m guessing that was plan A and this is plan B.”
“That would be correct.”
“This is better. Killing Tony would make you feel better for a few seconds, but this is going to net your family more in the long run. A real connection in Congress—it would be a huge win.”