Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

B rian arrived at the meeting a few minutes early and waited in his car until it was time. So much was riding on him securing this deal.

He’d seen Mac Glenmore enter the restaurant and decided to let him go in first. Brian didn’t have much leverage, but he still wanted to enter negotiations from a position of power.

What would Liam do? He’d man up and close the deal. Brian exited his car and walked into the restaurant. He had arranged to meet Glenmore at The River Room. It was the only real restaurant in town.

Brian wondered what would have happened if he hadn’t been drunk that night and made that bet with Anthony Luccesse? Would he have even purchased the team? His red-hot anger ultimately led to the split-second decision to buy Daughtry Racing. For better or worse, that bet set off a series of events. His decision came with a lot of financial pain and heartache. There was so much Brian had to learn and zero time to learn it. But how could he regret it when it brought Lila back into his life? Still, Brian hadn’t realized how expensive running a professional racing team was. It had almost depleted his trust fund.

Overall, there was a huge upside to his purchase. And, although Brian hated Anthony, that encounter stopped him from aimlessly wasting his life and truly finding his purpose. Lila’s face flashed before his eyes, and a small smile appeared on his face.

The bulge in his pocket was barely noticeable. Brian reached inside his jacket and palmed the small black velvet box. He couldn’t wait for the day when he could present the dazzling five-carat emerald-cut diamond. When the time is right, this is going on Lila’s finger.

That night at the club felt like eons ago and is what led them back together. It still felt surreal. Brian wasn’t sure if it was because he was piss ass drunk but thinking back on it....

When Brian had arrived, the club was packed with wall-to-wall people. The DJ had the place rockin’ as the music blared through massive speakers placed strategically throughout the room. The base was pumping so hard it was bouncing off the walls. He could even feel the vibration beneath the soles of his feet.

“Goddammit!” Seeing him was enough for his buzz to stop buzzing.

Anthony Luccesse . His lone archenemy was sitting at a table with a group of friends. The man’s face turned Brian’s stomach. That could also have been all the tequila he’d been drinking to celebrate his birthday.

Brian saw Anthony first. He contemplated leaving and finding another spot to celebrate but thought fuck it . He hadn’t seen him in years and wouldn’t allow that dipshit to ruin his night.

Anthony lit a cigarette and took a long pull from a bottle while looking less than enthused at the bevy of half-naked women dancing around him. His friends didn’t seem to be having the same problem. One leaned over to him. “I don’t know how you can sit there looking bored with all that good good staring you in your face.” He laughed and then proceeded to place a hundred-dollar bill into the G-string of one of the dancers.

Anthony blew out a breath, releasing white smoke. “You have more than enough excitement for the both of us.”

“Hell, yeah. And, if you ain’t going to celebrate your twenty-ninth birthday, I certainly will.” The man pulled a busty blonde down into his arms. Excited to be chosen, she proceeded to give him an enthusiastic lap dance, grinding down on him.

A few of his friends had forced Anthony into coming out. He wasn’t exactly in the mood for celebrating. It had only been a few short months since his older brother was killed, and it hit him hard. Nick’s death had also thrown their businesses into complete chaos since he was the one who ran them. The natural order of succession should have been for Anthony’s other brother, Gabe, to step up and take the reins. Though Gabe knew the business, he didn’t have a head for it. Gabe was mostly the muscle. With the Feds breathing down their necks, Gabe would end up getting all of their assets frozen or, worse, sending them straight to prison.

Anthony took another pull on his cigarette. He couldn’t shut off his brain. What am I going to do about our money? It was all he could think about. Their cleaner had been playing footsy with the Feds, and Gabe had to drop him into the bottom of the ocean. It would have been cool if Gabe had found a new one first before leaving millions to be laundered.

Anthony sighed.

If their businesses were going to survive, he had to take over. His first order of business had to be finding a new cleaner. Someone with a company and reputation beyond reproach. That eliminated damn near 90 percent of all the businesses they dealt with, including the legitimate ones.

A commotion caught Anthony’s attention. Brian stumbled down a couple of stairs, entering the club’s main floor.

Brian could tell the moment Anthony spotted him. Damn it . The man had hatred written all over his face. Ain’t that some shit , Brian thought. The bastard did him wrong, yet he had the nerve to hate him.

It was impossible to believe they were the best of friends at one time, although they couldn’t have been more opposite. Anthony used to call Brian the fair-haired Prince of the Lockwood Empire. It was bullshit, of course. That title went to his brother, Liam. Anthony, on the other hand, had come from a long line of crime bosses. His family had a reputation for being unscrupulous and unsavory characters. Liam and their father had warned him away from Anthony, but he was fun, and Brian enjoyed pissing his dad and Liam off.

After graduation, Anthony had fallen right in line with his brothers. Word had traveled back to Brian that Anthony’s brother Nick had been murdered, leaving Anthony the de facto leader of the Luccesse family. Everyone knew the other brother, Gabe, didn’t have it in him to lead. It was rumored that Anthony ordered the hit that massacred dozens of people connected to Nick’s murder.

The muscle in Anthony’s jaw clenched while watching Brian in disgust as the owners of the club fell all over themselves to roll out the red carpet for him.

From Brian’s peripheral, he could see Anthony’s loathing as he and his friends were shown to the VIP section. It was the same look Anthony gave Brian back in college when he would tease him about being a pretty boy and not knowing anything about hard work.

Brian now knew it was jealousy, plain and simple.

Anthony’s group might have had money, but they didn’t have the same access as Brian. They were sitting just outside the VIP section. It probably disgusted Anthony that the Luccesse’s massive fortune wasn’t enough to be welcomed into the elite circles of society and that people treated them with such disdain.

Anthony continued to brood silently as he watched Brian and his rowdy friends be surrounded by a ton of beautiful women, including a few celebrity models.

Suddenly, Anthony sat up straight. The answer to his problems might be staring him in the face. The beginnings of an idea popped into his head.

A smile slowly crept across his face. Anthony crushed the end of his cigarette into the ashtray and stood.

Brian could see him mouth the words I’ll be right back to his friends.

Anthony strode over toward Brian’s table. Immediately, Brian’s security blocked his path. Anthony put up his hands as if to say I come in peace . “What? Can’t say hello to an old friend?”

Brian looked around his men. He might be drunk, but he wasn’t that drunk. “What do you want, Luccesse?”

“It’s been eight years since I last saw you. The way I figure it, that’s enough time to lick your wounds and for us to call a truce.”

“I don’t think eternity is enough time for that,” Brian said.

“C’mon. You can’t still be mad over Lila?”

“Who?” Brian asked casually. And yes. He was still mad over Lila, but he for damn sure wasn’t going to let Anthony know it.

“Exactly! Let me buy a round of drinks for you and your friends to celebrate our shared birthdays.”

That was another reason Brian and Anthony had hit it off. They shared a birthday. They’d met freshman year and eventually discovered the coincidence, cementing their friendship. They’d been good friends. At least Brian had been a good friend. He’d realized too late that Anthony wasn’t to be trusted, and Liam had been right.

However, tonight, Brian’s ego got the best of him. He couldn’t let Anthony think that his betrayal cut deep. He shrugged. “If you’re spending your money, then I don’t have to spend mine.” Brian motioned for his security to allow Anthony entrance into his space.

Anthony yelled out over the music. “Bring my man a bottle of Asombroso Del Porto Extra Anejo and one for his friends too.”

The waiter nodded.

Anthony sat down opposite Brian. “Seriously, this is my peace offering.”

“You think a few bottles of two-thousand-dollar tequila is going to erase all the shit you did?”

“Look, I told you. Lila was a mistake. It never should have happened.”

Brian cut him off. “I’m not talking about Lila.”

“We were young and stupid back then. We both did stupid shit. After all this time, we have grown up, right?” A warm smile graced Anthony’s face. Brian thought it almost seemed genuine.

The waiter returned with a bottle and poured each of them a shot. Anthony raised his glass. “To old friends. Salute.”

Anthony was a snake. One Brian probably shouldn’t let within striking distance. Still, he lifted his glass. “Salute.”

They threw their glasses back. Anthony grinned. “Forgiven?”

“Let’s just say it’s my birthday, and I plan to enjoy it.”

“Cool. Then, let’s get it!” Anthony stood, pulling a curly-haired beauty up with him.

They partied hard over the next couple of hours, and Anthony continued ordering more drinks. Brian continued to toss them back, not realizing Anthony wasn’t doing the same.

“Just like old times, huh?” Anthony asked as he sat back down at the table, taking a break from the dance floor.

Brian had to admit. It was like old times. At least before he realized that Anthony was a no-good son of a bitch. “The only difference is you’re not trying to con me out of my money.”

Anthony frowned. “You calling me a cheat?”

“I’m sure you’ve been called a lot worse.”

Anthony’s face grew tight, and he stood from his seat. “I came over to make amends. I bought you drinks for your birthday, and this is how you repay my gesture. By insulting me? Calling me a cheat?!”

Brian stumbled to his feet. “Hell yeah! You’re a cheat, a bum, and a liar! Always have been, and no matter how much money you have, always will be.”

“Be careful, Brian. This ain’t college where you were the man. I’m not going to take too many more insults from you. Words like that have been known to get men killed.”

Brian slurred. “You think your threats scare me?”

“They should.”

Brian narrowed his eyes. “Nothing about you scares me. Nothing!”

“Well, well, well . . . look at little Brian. Flexing?”

Brian stepped into Anthony’s face. They were nose to nose. “If that’s what you want to call it. I beat your ass in college, and even drunk, I can repeat the lesson you clearly didn’t learn.”

Security for both men inched a bit closer—waiting—in case things got out of control.

Anthony really wasn’t a fighter. He hired people for that. Still, he hit Brian with a low blow. “I stole your woman, so I can’t be too much of a bum.”

His words set Brian off. He lunged at Anthony, but Brian’s people held him back.

Anthony laughed. “You’re seriously trying to write a check your ass can’t cash. If you didn’t know, you’re in the deep end, Brian. You might want to call Liam to save you on this one.”

“I can handle my own business. Unlike you, I don’t hide behind my brother for shit!”

“Oh really? Well, if you think you’re a better man than me, prove it!”

“I don’t have to prove shit. But just so we are clear, I’m a better man than you 365, 24/7, Monday through Saturday and twice on Sunday.”

“We’ll ask Lila about that.” Anthony continued to laugh.

Lila was Brian’s kryptonite. He couldn’t think straight where she was concerned.

“I just bought a stockcar,” Anthony said.

“I don’t give a fuck!” Brian was still white-hot.

“If you’re all that, it should be easy to prove. Beat me in a race. You win, and I’ll give you ten million dollars. I win, and you give me all your Lockwood shares.”

Brian laughed. “Since Nick’s death, everybody knows the Luccesses ain’t got that kinda cash. Word on the curb was the Luccesses have money and no way to clean it.”

Anthony’s lips tightened around the corners. “Everybody knows you’re a trust fund baby, and Liam manages your money! He gives you an allowance like a child.”

Anthony’s words struck a nerve. “You little fat fuck! Me and you...you’re on. Name the time and place.” Racing? How hard can driving a stock car be? This might be like taking money from a baby. And that money would come in handy. Brian could finally get out from under the shadow of his brother. He could do his own thing.

An evil smile spread across Anthony’s face. He turned to the people standing around them. “Y’all heard that? You’re all my witnesses. Brian Lockwood has agreed to take me up on my bet.” He turned to Brian. His eyes narrowed to slits. “The time and place are six months from now, and NASCAR. The premier league.”

“You’re kidding. We aren’t NASCAR drivers,” Brian said in disbelief.

“I didn’t say we , as in you and me had to drive against each other. You can pick anybody you want. Think of it this way: Team Lockwood vs. Team Luccesse.”

As the crowd around them shouted and shook hands, placing bets of their own, Anthony leaned into Brian, whispering, “And if you back out, Gabe will pay you a little visit.”

Brian had stood still, sobering up quickly. He’d been set up, but he couldn’t back down. Not with everyone watching.

The rest was history. A corner of Brian’s lip edged up as he shook his head at himself. It was a stupid decision, but it reaped so many rewards. However, Brian wasn’t the least bit sad that Anthony was no longer walking the face of this earth.

He now owned Lockwood Racing. It was his pride and joy, but Brian had to figure out how to make it successful. He had already burned through his reserves and had to tap into his trust. Unlike Liam, Brian wasn’t a billionaire. If he didn’t find several sponsors soon, he wouldn’t even be a millionaire.

It was time to lock in and close the deal with Mac Glenmore.