Page 195 of Soul Mates: Hercules Valentine and I

“So what, Achilles?”

He shakes his head, glaring at me as if I’m a lost cause. “Herc, she’ll never marry you. She can’t. Her family won’t allow it.”

My feet pound the floor as I close the space between us. “Let’s skip the trivialities of where this discussion between you and I could lead and get to the root of the problem. I had dinner with Dad last night.” I stab him on his solid chest with my finger. He doesn’t budge. I knew he wouldn’t. “I know that you know our mother’s real name is Julia Valentine and our father’s real name is Christopher Ray Bradley.”

I wait for his response. Usually, Achilles would be quick to negate that sort of claim. It's his job to keep the secrets hidden and the money flowing. His grimace doesn't fluctuate. That means he's not even thinking of conjuring a response.

“That topples our entire house of cards, doesn’t it?” I say, driving the nail deeper into his coffin.

Achilles’s eyes narrow to slits. “You’ll lose.”

I set my jaw. “I’ll lose what?”

“Whatever you’re going to do with the information you have, you’ll lose.”

“What the hell do you think I’m going to do with it? Tell the world our mother’s a fake?” Saying that out loud makes me cringe. Why in the hell would she do that? I know my mother well enough to realize that if she did it, there had to have been a necessary reason for it.

“Just leave it alone, Herc.”

My eyes burn as we scowl at each other. Achilles and I are the same height and weight. And I’m ready to take him in a fight, but not for my sake. “You’re going to apologize to Paisley Grove for treating her like trash. Understand me?”

After a few beats, he grunts. “That girl means that much to you, Hercules?”

I fold my arms over my chest. “Yes.”

“And you didn’t tell her about the agreement our families signed to keep her out of jail?”

I smirk.Is that the best he could do?“Your agreement means nothing. I hired her. I knew who she was.” I shrug. “That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.”

Achilles laughs with an edge. “The Groves aren’t who you think they are.”

“I don't know who they are. Why don't you tell me, for once?”

Achilles slaps a hand down on my shoulder. It stings, but I don’t show it. “Here's what's going to happen. You’re going to do your duty to this family, golden boy, and marry Rain. And I’m going to make sure Miss Grove’s brother makes his sister understand that we have a deal. And mess up again, and I'm going to take everything you have, including this company.”

He smacks hard on my shoulder again before strolling out as if he’s the king of my world. Well, he isn’t. I could have told him to take his threat and shove it where the sun doesn't shine. But, as Achilles always says, I'm the smart one. What makes venomous snakes deadly is their ability to sneak up on unwitting prey before striking. I always knew this day would come. Now it’s here, and I’m prepared for it. I'm no longer wearing the leash. The time has come for me to walk the dog, not the other way around.

10:20 a.m.

I send James a message telling him to meet me at the gate of the park. My strides are powered by purpose. Then I call Paisley, and her voicemail answers. Before I can leave a message, the line beeps. I switch over the call, believing it’s her.

“Hello,” I say, foregoing my usual business-hours tone.

“Hercules, hi. It’s Lilith. We should talk.”

10:27 a.m.

When the money person says a discussion needs to be had, a smart businessman doesn’t put her off. I made a plan after leaving the conference. After checking in on Paisley, I would finally sit down and read the rules of the Valentine trust from cover to cover. There has to be a way out of this mess that doesn’t involve blowing up our family’s whole system. I could do that, but I don't want to. If I have to, though, I will.

Lilith says she can meet me in my office ASAP. It’s always good to hold money meetings in my power space. There's a lot going on behind the scenes as far as keeping the company afloat. Lilith knows we're hanging on by a wing and a prayer. She's been doing whatever she can to make it work. She was a good hire. After a few of our awkward dinners where we worked out that our relationship wasn't possible between us, we became better allies in staving off the inevitable. A few days ago, she presented me with an option and the bylaws that said as the sole owner of VTI, I had the power to bring in investors. Of course I never knew I was the sole owner of the company until Lilith brought it to my attention. I still haven't received a logical answer to why that is. That leads me to the third task on my to-do list. After studying the trust, I need to have a heart-to-heart with my mother. It's time to know the truth from her mouth.

Through the security system, I see Lilith before she knocks. I let her in. And her welcoming smile is tight with worry.

“Good morning,” I say in a lackluster tone. I know whatever she has to say is not going to be something I want to hear even though I have to hear it.

“Hercules…” She sighs wearily while closing the distance between her and my desk. She flops down in the chair across from me. I never have to invite her to sit; she just knows to do it. “I promise you we're not going to make it another month. We have to do another round of serious layoffs just to keep the lights on.”

I rub at the back of my neck. This morning isn’t going anything like I planned it. “What about the investors?”