6. Alexander

My father had very traditional ideas when it came to raising his children. He had a deep set idea of what he wanted us to be, how he wanted us to act, who he wanted us to be. We were raised with iron fists from a very young age. Even his mistress’s son, who he eventually married, I believe in order to legitimize his other son’s existence.

That might not be completely fair of me. Perhaps he did love her. I’m sure he did. But back then, I was a child, too young to remember anything. What I do remember is having a family that was just myself and my parents. They were both distant and I was raised by a nanny for a good chunk of the time. Then when I turned five years old, I met my brother.

Graham was only a year younger than me and his existence was a complete scandal at the time. It was also the push my mom needed to get out of her marriage. She didn’t hesitate. After milking my father for all the alimony she could, she was just gone. She returned a few times over the years. She returned on my father’s wedding day to Isabella just to spite her. But she only ever came out of self-benefit. Not for me. My mother was absent for most of my life. I grew up without one.

The first few years after my father’s marriage to Isabella, I stayed away from her. In my adolescent mind, she was the reason my parents broke up. I hated her and I hated her son. I understood better as I grew older though, understood that she was just as trapped in my father’s orbit as I was. Most people tend to be unable to leave once Richard Steele has stuck his teeth into you. His talent is in controlling people, poking at their weakness. It’s why he’s being able to maintain his empire, why Steele Industries has flourished under his reign.

While I eventually came to like Isabella, to accept her, the same couldn’t be said for my younger brother. Graham Steele is the epitome of brash, rude and uncaring about the way his actions affect those around him. He and I have been pitted against each other since we were young. Forced to compete for everything we wanted. Our father’s love, material things, even Isabella’s love. She might have been Graham’s birth mother, but she tries her best not to let that influence her relationship with me. Not to let the already glaring divide grow.

I think the one thing that annoys me about Graham though, is how similar he is to our father in some areas. I’ve said as much to him before. Unfortunately, he had the same thing to say about me.

The door to my office at the company’s HQ opens and in walks the devil himself. Graham Steele wears a smile everywhere he goes, green eyes twinkling with mirth and mischief. It’s all a fa?ade and I’ve never let that fool me.

“Hey, big bro.”

My eyebrows flick up at the casual way he enters my office, without knocking. He steps towards the couch, sitting on it without invitation and placing his legs on the table in front of him. My jaw grinds but outwardly I show no emotion. I refuse to let him know his actions faze me.

I get to my feet and head for the sofa at the head of the table, taking a seat and prepping myself to engage in a semi-decent conversation with him. When I get closer to him though, I can’t resist pushing his legs off before taking a seat myself.

He chuckles. “You’re so predictable, Xander.”

“Welcome back, Graham. How was your Japan?” I ask as politely as I can muster.

Graham was gone for over a year, meeting with foreign investors in Japan and helping to solidify our relationship with partners over there. It was disguised as a long business trip but what it really was, was a punishment. Him being kicked out because of a huge scandal he caused. Our father has never had any taste for mediocrity and he especially hates it when his children embarrass him.

My brother scowls for a half a second, before smiling again to cover it up. It must be exhausting having to keep up a face like that all the time. Then again, whenever I’m not with my family, I give off the illusion that I’m ice cold, unfeeling. I’ve carved a reputation in the company owing to that.

“You may have been able to convince father to send me there unfairly but I’m back now, big bro.”

And its payback time, is what he really wants to add. The words are left unsaid, probably because they’re a little immature, but I hear them anyway.

I shrug, crossing one of my legs over the other as I stare at him. Another annoying thing about Graham is how much we look alike. Same physique, with him being only an inch shorter than me, same green eyes, same dark hair. His skin is slightly darker than mine. We could be twins, but there are some defining characteristics that set us apart. He’s an asshole, I’m slightly less of an asshole.

“Actually, you weren’t sent away unfairly. You were sent away because there were pictures of you released online with your mouth around a stripper’s tit. Not very dignified for a Steele,” I say with a grimace.

A shadow crosses his eyes. “You sound just like father.”

I ignore that. It’s a jab he likes to use often.

“So, now that you’re back and you have father’s ear, you’ll convince him to send me to New York as a form as exile in revenge?” I ask bluntly.

He smiles, shaking his head. “Au contraire, big brother. I don’t want you going to New York, I wanted to go. But it seems father is intent on sending you. There’s an issue there that requires your particular skillset.”

My eyebrows furrow. “Meaning?” I question.

Graham simply smirks, relishing in the fact that he has some knowledge that I do not possess. At least not yet.

This whole New York thing has had me going sleepless over the past few nights. My father has still not called me in to discuss it, leaving me to speculate on his plans. I’d like nothing more than to barge into his office and spell it out that I have no plans to move to New York. But you don’t enter Richard Steele’s office without being called.

“Oh chin up, Xan,” he says the nickname mockingly, not a hint of affection in his tone.

Apart from my sister and her, no one else calls me Xan. When my sister does it, it means something else entirely. I can tolerate it. When Katerina did, I relished in it. But in her absence, the sound of it fills me with a sense of biting pain. Something Graham knows, which I’m sure is why he calls me that in the first place.

“There are worse things than being sent to New York,” he continues. “If you succeed over there, you get in good with the board. Might make your transition into the CEO position smoother. Of course, I’ll be there to throw some road blocks along the way. Don’t think I won’t fight you on that. Especially now that I’m back.”

“Did you at least learn anything useful while you were away? Become at least a little more mature?” I ask.

He shrugs. “That’s for me to know, big bro.”

Graham gets to his feet, buttoning up his suit jacket. He looks as pristine as ever, hair cropped short, with only that gleam in his eyes that never fails to make me uncomfortable.

“I’ll see you at home, dad will call you in soon,” he informs me, heading for the door. “Oh and I’m picking Nate up from school. He called earlier, asked if I was back. The kid missed me.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m sure he missed your bad influence. Do not exert that onto my son,” I warn.

I would keep Nate the hell away from his uncle but they’re actually close. Nate adores him. Graham’s a semi-decent human being with everyone else but me and I guess our father.

“Yeah, yeah. See you, Xan,” he says, walking out of my office.

My father calls me into his office an hour later just like Graham said he would. I head up as soon as he does, walking through the halls of the company and into the elevator. Thankfully, it’s empty. Once inside I press the button for the first floor, going up.

Once I arrive, I’m asked to wait for a couple of minutes before being shown into his lavish office. My father sits at his desk, a pair of spectacles on his face, his expression hard as he looks down at some documents. He doesn’t acknowledge me, not immediately. And I’m left standing, waiting for him to do so.

After what feels like forever, but is only a minute or two, he finally does look at me, green eyes intense, face carved in granite. His dark hair is speckled with gray, as is the beard he wears that’s been cut short and clean. He’s wearing a tailored navy suit. And when he stands, he stands tall, fit, especially for a man as old as he is.

“Alexander,” he says. “Sit.”

He gestures for the couches and I steel myself for yet another conversation I hope is semi-descent. Pun intended. When we’re seated, he doesn’t waste any time before getting down to business.

“I’m sure you’ve heard that I plan on sending you to New York.”

“The subject came up,” I say dryly, earning me a glare.

I decide to reign in the sarcasm, at least until he’s done explaining. I sit up in my chair.

“Yes, I heard. I’d like to know why before giving my reasons for refusal,” I state.

He doesn’t look surprised at that, his emotions carefully blank.

“The reason I’m sending you to New York is because we have a particular problem, only you can handle. That problem, is Katerina Mincetti.”

I feel a whoosh in my lungs at the sound of her name. My heart speeds up and it takes every ounce of my strength to wipe my expression clean but my father sees my reaction anyway. He frowns disapprovingly.

“What has she done?” I manage to say.

“The question should be, what has she not done? My sources have informed me that since coming into power and taking over her father’s organization, she has begun to revolutionize some things.”

Katerina became boss? I didn’t know that. Then again, I make it a point to stay away from any news in relation to her. Still, I can’t help a twinge of pride that she actually succeeded. She got what she wanted. I hope she’s happy. I also wish to God that she isn’t.

“Anyway, she’s being quiet for a year or two but it seems one of her plans of action involves extortion and blackmail. Particularly some very powerful people in D.C in order to gain some control over them.”

“Seems like a solid plan,” I shrug, unsure what he wants me to say. Her family has a mafia crime syndicate. I’m sure extortion’s the least of what they do. And my father is in no place to judge. “What are you worried about, dad? She would never touch our family.”

I say that with complete certainty. Katerina could never do anything to us. We’re her weakness, just as she is ours in a way.

“Of course not, she’s not stupid,” my father says a bite to his tone. “But she is going after Senator Davies, who is extremely close to our family. We have an alliance. Come after one, come after all, sort of thing. Which is why we need to put a stop to her plans. New York is a crime hub and there’s no stopping mafia activities over there. But this Mincetti girl seems intent on leaving her territory and encroaching on ours. I won’t allow it.”

My breath leaves me in a rush. “What do you want me to do, father? I hear the problem but if you think I’m in any way capable of proffering a solution, you’re delusional.”

His jaw clenches. “You’re in a much better position than any other person,” he states. “But that’s not the main reason I would have you move to New York. The expansion that’s happening, the branch we’re about to open, there might be a wrench in our plans.”

“Let me guess, Katerina?”

For someone who can’t attack us outright, she sure is involved in a lot of our problems. Makes me wonder if it’s intentional, although that doesn’t seem much of her style. My father shakes his head however.

“This has to do with Colton Industries actually.”

I arch an eyebrow at that. Colton industries is our company’s biggest rival and the bane of my father’s existence. Legend has it that the CEO of Colton and he used to be best friends, until he stole some of the tech he worked on with my father and used it to launch his own company. Legend is probably true. And seeing as they’ve made a big name owing to their actions, I hate them on principle. Colton is also based in New York.

I wonder if my dad opening a branch there is to spite them. They’ve never crossed into each other’s territories before now.

“There are rumors reaching me that they plan to launch a similar product that we do a week before us.”

My eyes narrow. “You mean the product I’ve been busting my ass on the past couple of months?”

“Exactly. As is their usual behavior, they must have managed to find a way to steal a data and pass it off as their own. I want it stopped, through any means possible.”

“And how would you have me do that?” I question.

“Eduardo Mincetti has a twenty percent shareholding in the company. Not surprising that Colton would consort with criminals. Anyway, the Mincetti’s are close to the family, which means Katerina Mincetti would be your best chance of getting in. You’re skilled, Xander. I’m sure you would be able to put a wrench in their plans to launch the product. You just need to get close enough to do it.”

“What are you suggesting I do, father?” I ask through gritted teeth.

“I don’t care what you have to do. Use her, manipulate her.”

That makes me chuckle. “You think she’s someone that can be manipulated? She’s fucking brilliant, she’ll see this coming a mile away.”

“Like I said, Alexander, I don’t care what you have to do, as long as you do it.”

My jaw clenches so hard, I’m surprised it doesn’t crack.

“No.”

My father blinks. “Excuse me?”

“I said no. No to moving to New York, no to reentering Katerina’s life. No to all of it.”

His gaze hardens. “Do you understand the implication of those words? You think because you’re the vice president you can do whatever it is you want. I could always send Graham to New York to do your job for you.”

That makes me smile. “This is the one thing Graham would be unable to do. I’m the only one capable and I refuse,” I say, getting to my feet.

He looks so angry I’m surprised he doesn’t combust.

“This is for your family,” he says. “Our company!”

“I don’t care.”

I’ve cared for way too long, not anymore. I start to walk away when I hear my father get to his feet.

“Alexander,” he says roughly. “Sit down. You’re a businessman, not a petulant child. Tell me what you want in exchange.”

That makes me pause. I turn around and head back to my seat obediently. I don’t waste a second before launching into it.

“I’m only going to New York for a year. And after that year is up, after I’ve taken care of all the problems and made sure the branch is up and running, I return. And when I do, I want you to step down from your position.”

My father is never really fazed. He just nods like he’s in agreement. I arch an eyebrow.

“What? That’s it?” I question.

“I raised you to go after the things you want, Alexander. Plus, my time as CEO is coming to an end, there’s space for new leadership. Is that all you want?”

I would ask for him to stop trying to control my life but that’s the one thing I’m never going to get. So I nod once.

“Alright, then we’re in agreement. You leave for New York in two weeks,” he orders. Then his expression clears a little. “Will you be taking Nathaniel with you?”

The only person my father has a soft spot for is his grandson.

“Of course,” I state. “I’ll be there for a year. He’s coming with me.”

His forehead crinkles. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Just let him stay at home. That would be better. I’m sure Isabella would take good care of him.”

Considering my son can’t go two days without seeing me, I doubt it’s in anyway a good idea.

“I’m not leaving him.”

“Xander, our family has two private jets you can take at will if you want to see your son. Taking him to New York, where that woman is, is a bad idea.”

My pulse starts to race but my expression doesn’t change. The decision is made. And he seems to understand it. Surprisingly, the one area he never really fights me on is what’s best for Nate. He always has his best interests at heart and he trusts that I do too.

“You keep that woman the hell away from my grandchild, do you understand, Alexander? I want her far from him.”

“But you’d willingly throw your son into the belly of the beast?” I question.

“If I didn’t think you could handle her, then I haven’t raised you right. After so many years, you’re older, wiser, you won’t fall for the same tricks twice. You can handle her now.”

She’s not someone I can just handle, I think, frustrated. But I don’t say the words. Instead I offer my father a nod and get to my feet, exiting his office.

Trepidation accompanies my every step as I consider what I’m about to do. Entering the belly of the beast is a far too accurate depiction of my move to New York. Katerina Mincetti might not be a beast but she is a siren.

One capable of luring a man in and drowning him.