Page 4 of Family Affair

But Alex no longer heard him, lost in a world of misery. “Dad’s playing his favorite game, The Ostrich, with his head up his ass. He thinks if he ignores the problem long enough, it’ll go away. The accounts are in the red, and we lost three of our best brokers in the last two months. We can no longer guarantee payments over a certain threshold. Our clients are vanishing into the thin air. His response? Play more golf.”

“Alex…”

“And may I point out that we’re in this position because of his idiotic decisions. Years worth of bad investments. Years worth of not wanting to hear criticism or take advice. Stupid! And self-absorbed.”

“Alex!” Cade snapped.

Bleary eyes swung in his direction. “What?”

“Look at me. Focus.”

Alex took a shuddering breath, ready to continue with his litany of accusations. Cade didn’t really want to hear them. None of it was new.

He approached the couch and sat down next to his brother. “Tell me about Ward. What has he done?”

“Nothing yet. But he will. I bet he will. As a payback to Father for, you know, the before.” Alex said bitterly. “Our reputation is all we have left. A hint of a scandal - and our last investors will dissipate like the morning mist under the rising sun.”

“The company will survive a scandal,” Cade said softly, “or it will not. If it doesn’t, you will rebuild. Let it go.” He waited a heartbeat to see if Alex would react, but he didn’t. He looked like he passed out.

“Alex, do you hear me?” he repeated louder.

“I heard you,” Alex whispered, lying absolutely still so only his lips moved. “Lately, I’ve been thinking about Frank.”

Cade recoiled, the name like a splash of scalding water on his senses.

Alex propped himself on one elbow, enough to peer at Cade from his slitted eyes. “Whatever his faults, he knew how tokeep us in the clear.”

Cade laughed, a hollow sound. “Sure he did. He nearly put everyone behind bars.He gotthis holymess started. Come on, Alex, get real.”

Suddenly, Alex erupted in motion and threw himself on the floor in front of Cade, grabbing his wrists in both hands. “It can't get any more real than this! If the company goes down, we’ll sink along with it.”

Startled, Cade tried to extricate his hands from Alex’s frantic grip without hitting pressure points. “Don’t be melodramatic.”

But Alex was beyond listening. “Why did it have to happen? After all these years, why do we have to go through it again?”

The intensity of the moment, the pain in his brother’s eyes was rubbing off on Cade. He told himself to remain detached, to reason. “Alex, stop it. Get a grip. Whatever comes, let it blow over. It’s only a business. It’s only money, it can be earned.”

Alex squeezed Cade’s forearms, bringing his face so close their breaths mingled. “It’s more than just a business.” He pushed against Cade and fell on his ass on the floor, beating the carpet with his fists in a full-blown tantrum. “This company is everything to me. I want the Sheffield name to carry on strong, for my children! You’re just like Father, taking an easy way out by doing nothing. Wimps, you’re all fucking cowards, I hate you!”

Alex was falling apart right before Cade’s eyes.

“You’ll be alright. It’s not the end of the world.”

“Shut up. You came, so do something.”

“There’s nothing I can do.”

Alex laughed hysterically. He looked a fright. “I wish Ward was dead! I wish he died tomorrow! Today. Right now.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Can you make him dead?”

Cade jerked. “Let me get you a drink.”

“Unless it’s alcoholic, don’t bother.” Alex looked at him with accusation in his liquid eyes. “Why did you come? Why… ”

Cade dragged in a ragged breath. “Because I was part of it then, in the beginning. I have to be here now.” He wouldn’t explain further. Any explanation would require lying. “Come on, take a couple of days off to pull your shit together. Sober up, get some sleep. I’ll stay with you.”