Page 46 of Desperate Victory

Jason chuckled. “Once or twice. Usually when Harper made me deal with him. If you can’t tell, I’m not really fond of my brothers. I’m happier when we have whole continents between us.”

“I can’t say I disagree.” Though now I was curious. “If you know how to push his buttons, did you know my father’s?”

“Yes, point out someone had beaten him. His ego would never have stood for it and he would become obsessed with doing everything he could… it was why he was insane about Melissa for a while.”

I frowned. “Someone beat him…”

Then it hit me.

“Lainey.”

Jason nodded. “She was punishing him, had that affair, then she got pregnant and she refused to bow to anyone. Not him. Not her father. No one. Lainey is the living breathing proof of Harper’s failure. He didn’t knock her up first, and he didn’t get the inheritance.”

Jason sounded almost joyful about that. He didn’t know about the kidnapping or I doubted he’d take that tone. As it was, I could understand enjoying my father’s pain.

I had… With every single finger they’d removed from him. The sobs and screams of agony were going to be a balm for my nightmares for a long time.

“If you wanted to get me?” It was an idle question, but I was still curious.

“Depends on what I wanted to get from you. Your obedience? Threaten your girl. Your murderous rage? Harm her. Your enmity for all time? Kill her.”

I swung my head around and glared.

“My point,” Jason said, not remotely deterred. “She is both leverage, and a cataclysmic error if you don’t understand how dangerous threatening her is. You will burn the world down for her and you’ve been this way for years. That kind of volatility, however, is far more dangerous than it is useful.”

“Threatening her in any way…” I warned and Jason nodded once.

“…is a terrible idea. We agree. However, you asked me what would work on you. That would be the fastest way. It could also backfire tremendously because she has her own allies as well.”

“Did my father know?”

“I doubt it. Though he might have. Leopold kept him from moving on it though. Leopold’s far cannier than most people give him credit for…” He paused as a man came up to us and offered his condolences. A pair of handshakes later, he was gone, leaving Jason and I alone once again. “So, yes, using Lainey against you would be effective, but only if you knew the precise pressure point and how far you could go without igniting reprisal that far outweighed any gain you might achieve.”

I had no problems with that. No one would touch Lainey.

“Your best friend was another source of leverage, but he was too volatile on his own. That wild temper of his and that drinking problem.” Jason gave me a considering look. “Either one could get him killed, both are a bad combination.”

I was aware. “He’ll be fine.” If I had to drag him up a sober hill every damn day, he would be. We’d eliminated a good portion of the problem already. The rest would take time.

“I suppose the house burning down would be a wake up call.” Jason checked his watch. “You have anything you want to share or should I just make something up? I’m fine with making something up, but it might not distract him as long as the real thing.”

He had a point. I turned it over in my head and then glanced at where Bodhi stood. He’d been close enough to listen. At my raised eyebrows, he closed the distance and murmured in a low voice that wouldn’t carry.

“Mention your interest in Standish and bringing them back into the fold.”

Standish was a large conglomerate, but they were in no way on the market for a merger or a partnership. In fact, their current CEO had a history with all of our parents. Despite his return to the area, he hadn’t gotten involved with any of his former friends and associates.

“Pointless exercise,” Jason said with a grin when I offered up that morsel. “But Hamilton will think he just needs the right leverage.”

“Don’t let him hurt anyone. Distracted is fine, I don’t want him killing people or worse…” Standish had a kid. Leverage came in all shapes and sizes.

“I won’t,” Jason told me, then clasped me on the shoulder. “Go ahead and get out of here if you want. I’ll deal with Hamilton. He’s already salivating over what you and I are discussing. If I play dumb for a day or two, he’s gonna be like a dog with a bone.”

The description was amusing. “Thanks…” I hesitated pausing in mid-step to pivot around to face him. “Can you put together a briefing for me on Julius King, everything you know—no research, just what you know. And about Isla Cavendish. Maybe more on that guy Yuri Leistung.”

I caught Bodhi’s hard stare drilling into my head, but I didn’t change my mind. Jason wanted to be useful? We could use the help.

“How soon do you need it?” My uncle looked intrigued, but he didn’t ask me why I wanted to know. It was a gamble, but one I was willing to risk. Right now, we really did need all the information we could get our hands on.