Все главы Sins of the Family: Falling for my Step-Uncle: Глава 51 - Глава 60

We arrived at the strip club around eight. Christina parked around the side of the building, close to the back.“Okay, so tell me about this place again,” she said as she reapplied her lipstick.“It was one of the companies Carla dug up. The one linked with the car dealership Sylas took me to,” I explained. “Based on Carla’s research, this is the place that shows the most signs of money laundering. But it also has the thinnest connection to the Drakos and Wyvern Capital. Its money is funneled through a bunch of different shell companies.”“So, it’s most likely where we will find out where all that money is actually going,” Christina speculated.“Exactly.”“And you’re sure it’s not just going to someone in the company, like Dimitri or that Charles guy?” she questioned.I shook my head. “No, not really,” I replied. “But in the case of this place, it’s unlikely, which is why this place is so important. Sylas is pretty sure he can link this back to Charles, but the question is—is he embez

“Hey, man, I was just me…”“Messing around?” my savior speculated. He squeezed harder, making the kid cry out. “Apologize. Now.”The kid’s face twisted in pain and fear, but also anger. “Sorry,” he forced through gritted teeth.“Very good,” the man stated. “Carlos, did this… gentleman start a tab?” he asked the bartender who had spotted the commotion.Carlos looked at me expectantly.“Table twenty-four,” I told him.Carlos nodded, grabbing the box they kept the customer IDs in to keep track of the tabs. Searching through, he pulled out Mr. Grabby’s license and handed it to the man still holding his arm. The man held it up to get a better look in the dim light.“This club has rules, Mr. Donovan,” he stated, snapping his fingers at someone behind me. “You broke those rules. You are no longer welcome in this establishment. If you are stupid enough to come back”—he held up the ID between his fingers before dramatically tucking it into his very expensive suit pocket—“I’ll know. And I’ll be

Carla and I arrived fashionably late to the benefit late Saturday afternoon. It was the best way to keep a low profile throughout the event. The more people in attendance, the busier my family members would be. I wasn’t sure how things would play out during the event, but it was likely to be interesting.“Wow,” Carla commented as we entered the main event area. “This place is beautiful.”“No expense is spared for these kinds of events,” I said. “It’s almost like it’s not about the charity at all.”Carla elbowed me. “Watch your tone,” she muttered. “You’re here to suck up. That means supportive tones, kind words, and no snide comments.”I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. That was Carla’s plan for the evening. I promised I would try to stick to it, but Carla didn’t know my family. I would do my best for her and Dimitri’s sake, but if I was cornered… well, they all knew I had no trouble pushing back.We walked down the garden path, Carla’s arm linked with mine. Each area had a t

Dinner was excruciating. I was inevitably quiet through most of it. Choosing not to say anything for fear of saying something stupid. It didn’t help that Aunt Billy and her nosey daughters were seated within earshot of us. On multiple occasions, they managed to spout underhanded compliments about me and my life. I didn’t care. It was the only distraction I got from the situation sitting right across from me. Even Carla’s whispered support wasn’t enough. Luckily, Christina seemed to be the only other person outside the Sawyer, Carla, and me who sensed the tension.Still, it took more liquor than I was proud to admit to make it through, and by the time dessert was served, I was thoroughly buzzed. Carla cut me off after I ordered my fourth bourbon, which was arguably for the best, despite not helping my mood.“Oh, the auction is going to start soon,” Cassandra stated, dropping her napkin on the table. “I need to go make sure everything is properly situated. I hope you all took note of wh

The rest of the night was awful. Christina had helped me to reapply the makeup, but the mood of the night had been ruined. I couldn’t shake off the confrontation with Sylas. Partly because I felt horrible about it. Sure, he was being a complete ass most of the night and was incredibly rude to Carson for no reason. But I was keeping something from him. Something he would absolutely see as serious. And if I was honest with myself, it was serious.I was assaulted. I could say I was fine now, but that’s what it was. I needed to be honest with Sylas about it, too. The whole incident happened because I was there looking for information that could tie Wyvern Capital to criminal activity. That very much had to do with Sylas.But I was terrified of what he would do. The look in his eyes when he saw the bruises on my arm was deadly. Before tonight, I didn’t know what Sylas was capable of. Now, I had a strong idea.It didn’t help that Carson had noticed the change in my attitude. He kept bugging