Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 137131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
“Who does he think he is?” Dexter says. “This is bullshit.”
“What are we going to do, guys?” Patton tugs at his hair. “What right does this asshole have to throw this at us?”
I lean against the table and pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to figure out a way we can get around it. Unlike the other two, I have some idea why this is happening.
“If this succeeds, it’s going to be hell to pay,” Dexter fumes. “Do you know how much we could lose? Even if we win, the legal fees alone will drag us down, and it could go on for years.”
“Let’s not get carried away,” I say, holding up a hand. “It’s going to be all right.”
Patton turns on me. “Easy for you to say, Arch. There’s no quick fix for this shit.”
Believe me, I know.
But between Patton and Dexter I’m the calm one, the older brother who’s intelligent and in control. I do my best to play the part, even though the only thing I want to do is rip something apart with my bare hands.
Fuck!
“Listen to me,” I say loudly. To my surprise, they both stop and stare. “We set our legal dogs to work. We’re going to pad our team with as many lawyers as it takes to shoot this down out of the gates. We won’t let it get off the ground. You hear me?” I slice my hand through the air. “No way.”
“No way in hell,” Patton repeats.
I shake my head.
The temptation to punch something is almost unbearable.
Pushing away from the table, I pace across the room.
“What a bitter, controlling little troll her old man must be to pull this,” I mutter. “I can’t even imagine one man being so petty.”
“What?” Dexter says, his voice quiet. “Whose dad?”
“Do you need to ask, Bro?” Patton laughs harshly. “Little Miss Honeybee. It’s obvious. She comes along, kicks up trouble, and then daddy swoops in to sue the blood out of us.”
Dexter looks at me, waiting for confirmation. “Her father is Carroll Emberly the fucking Third?”
I nod. No point in hiding the truth now.
“Goddamn, Archer!” he snaps. “Didn’t you think it might have been useful to know that before?”
“And the fact that she’s in a family feud,” Patton says, slapping the back of his hand against the pile of papers. “This kind of shit follows you like a vulture.”
I fold my arms. “It’s none of your business, boys.”
“None of our business?” Patton narrows his eyes. “You’re calling this none of our business when it’s lighting our entire company on fire?”
“We’d have helped her anyway,” Dexter says with a sigh. “We wouldn’t have turned her away. But fuck, man. At least if we’d known, we might have been prepared for this.”
My cheeks balloon as I let out a sigh.
Maybe these two clowns have a point.
I told Winnie my brothers and I are close. Her private life is none of their business, but the fact that her father is after her definitely is now.
“I’m sorry.” I hold up my hands. “I should’ve told you sooner.”
“Damn right.” Patton’s still seething, and I can’t blame him.
“Did you know this was coming?” Dexter asks.
“No, of course I didn’t.” I scrub my face with my hands. “If I’d known, I’d have told you, all right? I’m not that big an asshole.”
Patton snorts, and Dexter leans his hip against the desk.
“We need a plan, Arch,” he says. “How do we combat this?”
“We own a billion-dollar company.” I keep my voice calm even though I want to hurl things at the floor. Maybe scream down the phone at Carroll fucking Emberly for going full vengeful psycho. “We have money to throw at it. We can beat it.”
“Money doesn’t make this shit go away,” Patton says. “Politicians and lawyers, they don’t care about profits. They’ll drag it out for years just for the misery factor, never mind flexing their dicks.”
I fucking hate that he’s right.
If I stay in this room with them any longer, though, I’m going to lose it.
After coming back from the damn meeting with Rina to this, my nerves are too raw.
I need to deal with this, but not fucking here.
A text pings my phone and I look at it absently. It’s from Colt.
Winnie took me to Grandma’s art fair. There’s a craft stand with bees and carvings!!! Can you meet us at the river market soon?
It’s a flimsy excuse, but it’ll do.
“That’s Colt. I’ve got to go,” I say, pocketing my phone again.
Both Dex and Patton glare at me like I’m number one on their eternal shit list.
The last thing they need is me bailing when I’m the reason this fire started. I never bail unless they’re being stupid.
Always a first time for everything, I guess.
“Look,” I say, losing some of my cool, “I know I fucked up. I made the company a target and that’s on me. I’ll make sure I un-fuck it, too. I’ll get started tonight.”