I laugh. I can’t help myself. “The commission on that will float me for years.”
“So help your new girl out and take their fucking money.” Darin glares at Jacob for anther second.
“I said, I’ll think about it.”
“Fine. Fucking think about it.” Darin turns away. “I’m going back to my hotel. I’m fucking tired.”
“Good.”
Darin shakes his head. “I don’t get you, man. They’re legit. They have money. Why aren’t we taking it?”
“Because I have a bad feeling about them. Why do you want to get involved so bad?”
Darin stares at him for a second. “Twelve million,” he says and then turns and walks off. He heads down the sidewalk. Jacob stands there and watches him go.
I step forward and put a hand on his arm. “Are you okay?”
He looks at me and nods. “I’m okay.”
“That was rough.”
“He’s dead set on it.”
“Jacob…” I look into his eyes. “You know they’re gangsters, right? I mean, it’s so obvious.”
“Yeah, I know.” He looks away. “The money seems good. And it’s probably from a legitimate business.”
“Sure, they’re laundering it, or at least it seems like they are. Until Darin actually launders it and makes it clean again.”
He tenses. “I don’t know he’s doing that.”
“He’s pushing this hard,” I point out. “You see that, don’t you?”
“I see it,” he admits. “I’m trying to give him every opportunity to back off, but he’s not taking it.”
“I know. I’m so sorry.”
“I don’t want it to be true, but the more we look into it, the more I feel like he’s guilty.”
I want to kiss him but I know I can’t. Not right now, not out here. “We’ll figure it out, okay? I don’t know how, but we’ll figure it out.”
He looks at me. His eyes are dark and pleading and hungry. I can tell he wants to do something to me, and I want with all my body for him to do it. But instead, he just nods.
“Come on, let’s get back to the office.”
I nod a little and follow him down the block. He calls for his car and it arrives a few minutes later.
We ride back in silence together, each of us lost in our own versions of what just happened.14JacobI spend the next three days agonizing over what to do.
I don’t have too long to think though. Darin’s hitting the road again and he wants to know what to tell Carmine before they leave. I tell him I’ll think about it, and the more I do, the harder the decision becomes.
Taking their money and taking them on is basically what I’m trying to prove Darin doesn’t do. Clearly though, this is what he wants. He’s pushing hard, and every time we talk about it we get into an argument. He’s willing to fight with me for these men, and that puts me on edge.
It can’t just be about the money. Twelve million is a lot, but it’s not enough to sell out for. The cut we’ll get will be pretty nice, but it won’t change our lives in any significant way. It’ll certainly make the office sustainable for a few years while we get more clients and get rolling, but even still, it’s just not worth the hassle.
And yet Darin’s convinced that it is. Or at least he’s acting like it’s the most important thing in the world.
Finally though, I know what I have to do. It’s not easy, but I know it’s the right thing. The day comes and I almost hate myself when I get into the office. I bring Val into my office first thing and shut the door. She sits in a chair, leaning toward me.
“You look awful,” she says.
“I didn’t sleep,” I admit.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ve been thinking,” I say, and hesitate. “I know what to do.”
“What?” She stares at me and I can see the worry in her eyes. I appreciate that and it actually gives me a little more strength to push forward.
“I’m going to take them on.”
She seems to deflate. “You are?” she asks. “But… why?”
“Because we’re going to investigate everything they do, just like I said. You’re going to be their manager and we’re going to watch them. We’re going to see where the money comes from and if they take any out, where it’s going. We’re going to figure out if they’re really legit or not.”
She takes a slow breath then lets it out. “Okay. I can do that.”
“Fine.”
We sit there in silence for a long moment. “Are you sure?” she asks. “Maybe Darin doesn’t know.”
“If they’re gangsters, he knows.”
She nods a little then stands. “I trust you,” she says. “If you think this is the way forward, I trust you.”
“Thank you.” I want to get up and touch her, kiss her, bite her lip, make her moan. But I can’t. I hold back, even if it drives me wild. I stare at her for a second. “I want to see you.”